Everything seemed on the table. Even the term "urban," in radio formats and marketing — to some a racist euphemism , to others a signifier of pride and sophistication — came under scrutiny. But there was still wide skepticism about whether the business was truly committed to making substantial changes or whether its donations and lofty statements were more a matter of crisis P.R.
The Black Music Action Coalition , a group of artist managers, lawyers and others, was created last summer with a mission to hold the industry to account. In June, it intends to release a "report card" on how well the various music companies have made good on their promises and commitments to progress.
The report will lay out what steps the companies have taken toward racial parity, and track whether and where promised donations have been made. It will also examine the number of Black executives at the leading music companies and the power they hold, and how many Black people sit on their boards. Future reports will take deeper looks at questions like how equitably the industry itself operates, Binta Niambi Brown and Willie Stiggers, a.k.a. Prophet, the coalition's co-chairmen, said in an interview this week.
"Our fight is much bigger than just whether or not you wrote a check," said Prophet, an artist manager who works with Asian Doll, Layton Greene and other acts. "But the fact that you said you were going to write a check, we want to make sure that money was actually given and that it went to a place that actually hit the veins of the Black community."
The report, to be written by Naima Cochrane, a journalist and former label executive, will be modeled on the annual media studies by the advocacy group GLAAD , which track the representation of L.G.B.T.Q. characters in film and television and assign ratings to the various companies behind them. It is expected to be issued by June 19 — Juneteenth , the annual holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.
The coalition's public statements have made it clear that it sees itself as a strict and unflinching judge of the music industry, which has a dark history of exploitation of Black artists even as Black music has long been — and remains — its most essential product. Last summer, an online campaign called #BlackoutTuesday brought out painful commentary that, even today, many Black executives feel marginalized, subject to white supervisors who hold greater powers and earn more money.
"We want to do it in a way that is more carrots than stick, so we can continue to incentivize good behavior," she said. "We want to hold folks accountable, not cancel them."
Most of the major music companies have hired diversity officers and promoted some top Black executives to positions equal to those of their white colleagues, though there are still only a handful of Black people at the uppermost levels of leadership.
WPLN News: Nashville's Music Industry Pivots To Address Mental Health : NPR
Joshua Schultz, a Nashville-based tour lighting designer who was already in recovery from a painkiller addiction at the time the pandemic began, shares his struggles with mental health. Joshua Schultz hide caption
"I was on the way up again, and this couldn't have come at a worse time," says Joshua Schultz, a Nashville-based tour lighting designer who was already in recovery from a painkiller addiction at the time the pandemic hit full tilt. "My phone hasn't rung for a job in a year. I don't see the end. I know that it's coming. I just don't know when."
"I know that I'm doing bad," Schultz says. "I feel like a recluse." But that didn't drive him to picking up the phone and checking on his fellow road warriors.
"It's a trigger effect," he says. "I think that's what a lot of us have been dealing with. How do we deal with that isolation?"
"It was from the pinnacle to the outhouse within a night. I'm not sure there's another industry that can comprehend that," says Tatum Allsep of the Music Health Alliance, which launched in 2013 primarily to help gig-based musicians find affordable health insurance through Obamacare.
The nonprofit's client list quadrupled in 2020, but it wasn't until the fall — when it was unclear when the pandemic would ever let up — that Allsep says the need requests took a turn. Instead of help paying the bills, clients were seeking rehab and counseling.
"In a creative industry, in general, mental health is always a factor. That's just part of the creative spirit. We've always known that. This brought it to a whole new level," Allsep says.
"These musicians and crew really struggled with identity. 'What do I do? What am I doing now?' " she says. After months of grappling with those questions, the lost purpose became measurable. A MusiCares survey found that more than a quarter of respondents faced moderate to severe levels of depression.
How these Black women are reshaping country music | PBS NewsHour
In the past year, Black women have been creating a space for themselves in the world of country music, an industry that has long kept them on the sidelines — or out of the game altogether.
This Sunday, Mickey Guyton will become the first Black woman to co-host the Academy of Country Music Awards. She released her debut EP in 2014, but it wasn't until last summer when she released "Black Like Me" amid the national racial justice protests, that she started to receive more attention for her music.
The song was nominated for a Grammy, making her the first Black solo female artist to be nominated in a country music category.
A number of other Black artists are hoping to gain similar traction. CMT's "Next Women in Country Class of 2021," includes six Black artists like Brittney Spencer and the group Chapel Hart. Other singers are finding ways to build audiences outside the typical avenues of country music, through social media and streaming platforms.
That's in part because they haven't been supported by major labels and country radio. A recent study from the University of Ottawa found a mere .03 percent of all songs on country radio from 2002 to 2020 were by Black women. Less than 1 percent of the 411 artists signed to the three major country music labels are people of color, according to the study.
Still, Black women artists are hopeful. They see the industry changing and say their music can resonate not only with existing country music lovers, but with an entirely new group of fans who have been turned off by a genre that has almost exclusively been marketed to white audiences.
The PBS NewsHour spoke to several of the country music singers who are reshaping country music to be more inclusive. We asked them what country music means to them, what they think needs to change about Nashville and what makes them hopeful. In their own words:
Brittney Spencer garnered attention last fall when singer Maren Morris gave her a shoutout at the 2020 Country Music Association Awards. The month before, Spencer had posted a cover of "Crowded Table" by The Highwomen, a country supergroup of which Morris is a member. Spencer released her debut EP last fall, and she has since been named to CMT's "Next Women in Country Class of 2021."
A Baltimore native who moved to Nashville in 2013, Spencer says she was inspired by crossover artists like The Chicks and Dolly Parton. But Spencer's sound and the subjects she sings about are entirely her own.
Amazon spent $11 billion on video and music content last year
Amazon spent $11 billion on content for its streaming video and music services last year, the company disclosed Thursday in its annual report , the latest sign of the company's willingness to invest heavily in entertaining Prime members.
It quickly ramped up spending on video and music content in 2020 as consumers spent more time indoors looking at screens amid the coronavirus pandemic. Amazon has also pursued more costly film projects as its profile in Hollywood has risen .
Music Industry Moves: Def Jam Strikes Label Deal With Poo Bear - Variety
Def Jam Recordings has struck a joint venture label deal with Grammy-winning producer-songwriter Poo Bear , best known for his work with Justin Bieber, as well as Usher, J Balvin, DJ Khaled and Dan + Shay. The label will be called Bearthday Music (because Poo Bear frequently greets people by saying “Happy birthday”).
“Poo Bear is one of the singular songwriting talents in music today,” said Def Jam interim chief Jeff Harleston. “His innate ability to understand artists, to help them find their voices, and to articulate the universality of a song is simply phenomenal. We’re excited to develop artists with Poo Bear according to his unique vision.”
“I’m extremely grateful for Bearthday Music to have partnered with Def Jam and Universal,” said Poo Bear. “This is truly a dream manifesting to have the support of Def Jam , and their belief not only in me but in the artists I believe in. I’m looking forward to what’s to come from this new promising venture. Thank you to Lucian Grange, Jeff Harleston and Naim McNair for this opportunity. HBD!!!!”
+ Imanbek , the Kazakhstan-born DJ whose remix of Saint Jhn’s “Roses” has over 244 million streams on YouTube, has signed with ICM Partners and Primary Talent International for worldwide representation. He has also collaborated with Usher, Marshmello, David Guetta, and earlier this year released “ Bang ,” a four-track EP with Rita Ora. He will be represented at ICM Partners by Clarkson and Paul Gongaware in the Americas and by Paul McQueen at Primary Talent outside of the Americas. Imanbek continues to be managed by Kirill Lupinos at Effective Records.
+ Questlove has announced the publication of his next book, “Music Is History,” to be released in October by Abrams Image. In it, he’ll explore popular music through the lens of American history over the past 50 years. One essential track from each year will connect issues of race, gender, politics and identity from the musician and director’s personal point of view.
+ Marc Byers , the former GM of Motown Records, has joined technology company AMP Global as Strategic Advisor. Byers will be responsible for identifying and creating innovative partnerships in Hollywood and emerging markets including Africa.
“We couldn’t be more excited to welcome Marc Byers to the AMP Global team and have him share his deep insight, creativity and conviction with us,” said founder and CEO Derrick Ashong. “Marc Byers brings a unique prowess in understanding youth audiences, trends and culture. His joining the team will help AMP Global grow our connections to world-class creatives, and culturally relevant content, fulfilling our mission of turning culture into currency, by amplifying and rewarding youth audiences.”
Added Byers: “I am honored to join the AMP Global team where I can lend my relationships and innovation toward new opportunities in the US and beyond. This is a movement, and Africa is rich with talent and growth for the future of entertainment and technology.”
+ CCS Rights Management has launched a neighboring rights division and signed deals with singer Tate McRae , children’s entertainment company Spin Master , the Higher Reign Music Group and more. CCS is now the administration company of both the publishing and performing rights for sound recordings of Spin Master’s entertainment properties and animated series, including “PAW Patrol,” “Rusty Rivets,” “Abby Hatcher,” and others.
Ballston Spa Music Department Receives National Recognition
BALLSTON SPA — The Ballston Spa Central School District has been honored with the Best Communities for Music Education designation from the NAMM Foundation for its outstanding commitment to music education.
Ballston Spa is one of the 4% of public school districts across the nation receiving the prestigious award in 2021. The district has received the recognition for five consecutive years, starting in 2017.
The Best Communities for Music Education designation is awarded to districts that demonstrate outstanding achievement in efforts to provide music access and education to all students. To qualify for the Best Communities designation, Ballston Spa answered detailed questions about funding, graduation requirements, music class participation, instruction time, facilities, support for the music program, music education during the COVID pandemic, and about community music-making programs.
This award recognizes that Ballston Spa is leading the way with music learning opportunities as outlined in the federal education legislation, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The legislation designated music and the arts as important elements of a well-rounded education for all children. The NAMM Foundation's Best Communities for Music Education Award and the state level implementation of the federal ESSA law bring attention to the importance of keeping music education part of curriculum offerings and available to all students. It also highlights music's vital role in students' overall success in school and the personal benefits of making music.
The district annually celebrates Music in Our Schools month during March with several special events, including an annual Pops Concert for the school community and acknowledging students who have performed in state and regional honors groups at a Board of Education meeting. The district extends congratulations to all the students, staff, and families, involved in the Ballston Spa music community. Additional information about the music program in the Ballston Spa schools is available on the department's webpage or call 518-884-7150.
Newport Music Festival's Gillian Friedman Fox talks about first season
This is the first season programmed by Friedman Fox, who previously worked as director of the contemporary and SOLUNA programs for the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. She said this first season presented a unique challenge, between COVID restrictions and getting familiar with her new team.
"The Dallas Symphony is an incredible organization that also has the benefit of having quite a large staff," Friedman Fox said. "It's been a real change to be able to work so closely with a team of just five, and to have the direct support and work directly with the board of directors. This really feels like a collaborative team effort to be able to put this festival forward."
This year, all the festival concerts will be held outside with reduced capacity and mask requirements. The concerts will also be limited to a 60-to-75 minute time frame without intermission.
"It will be the most safe for our patrons and also will just give us a different vantage point of those beautiful historic mansions," Friedman Fox said. "For decades, we've looked at the Breakers from the inside, and this summer, we will look at the Breakers from the outside, as well as the gorgeous ocean and sea side.
"So taking the concerts outside was a very significant change to allow us to be able to happen this summer."
Outside of increased safety protocols, the organization also has increased its commitment to diversity and inclusion in its programming. In her first 30 days as executive director, Friedman Fox instituted a new initiative for the festival where it commissions a woman or person of color to write a piece to premiere at the festival.
"This summer we have commissioned Stacy Garrop, who I really respect and find her writing to be deep and lyrical, and has a lot of intention behind her writing," Friedman Fox said. "We are very committed to ensuring equity and representation, both on and off stage, with the musicians that we've hired, with the repertoire that's being performed and the diversity of the composers whose works are being performed, as well as focusing on being more welcoming and creating a truly inclusive environment for more diverse patrons."
Garrop's piece "Beacon of the Bay," inspired by Castle Hill's lighthouse, will be premiered by the Boston Trio at Castle Hill Inn on July 12.
"Classical music for a long time amplified the voices, particularly of white men, and so I think it is really important that those of us working in the classical music space today now to turn our focus to also amplifying the voices of women and composers of color who aren't as often programmed and aren't given as much of the same recognition in classical music programming," Friedman Fox said.
Jack Daniel's & Remezcla Launch The "New Calle" Music Program Featuring
New Calle looks to empower the emerging Latin urban music scene through the creation of a new anthem featuring one of today's most sought-after Latin artists, De La Ghetto. The critically-acclaimed reggaeton powerhouse not only helped to compose the new song, but he also invited up-and-coming artists from across the country to help give a voice to the growing Latin urban music scene.
After a fierce online competition featuring emerging Latin urban artists from Los Angeles , Chicago , Houston , New York City , and Miami , voters from across the country selected Doeman Dyna to join De La Ghetto in the creation of the anthem.
A Mexican-American emcee who hails from Houston , Doeman Dyna not only helped co-write and record the new song, but the rising hip-hop artist was later joined by De La Ghetto for the filming of the music video in the streets of his hometown.
ABOUT REMEZCLA:
REMEZCLA is an independent media brand. Founded in 2006, REMEZCLA was the first premium digital publication for young US Latinos. Today, the brand has become the go-to, on-the-pulse source to discover fresh Latino culture. REMEZCLA is also the preferred partner for leading brands interested in creating culturally relevant content and experiences for a new generation of Latinos. REMEZCLA and its best-in-class editorial and creative agency teams have earned awards across several categories, including Webby, ANA, One Show , Cannes Lions, Clio, Ex Award, and Reggie Award, among others.
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