Gender Inequality in the Music Industry: When Will it End?

By Canyon

Aug 20, 2018

Gender inequality and misogyny have been fiercely brought into the limelight this year with the seemingly endless stream of sexual harassment allegations and the #MeToo movement. At the 60th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony, guests were told to wear a white rose to show their support for #MeToo.  With such a large focus set on gender inequalities and mistreatments in society, a diminutive 11 of 84 awards were won by women, “SZA, the most-nominated female act, went home without a single award”, writes Forbes staff member, Zack O’Malley Greenburg, but this isn’t really that surprising. Institutionalized misogyny has affected not only the music industry, but the TV and film industry as well. In the last five years at the Grammy’s, just 9.3% of nominees were female. But the issue isn’t just that women aren’t receiving the recognition they deserve when it comes to awards, there is also an obvious underrepresentation of women in the business/corporate department of the music industry.

The lack of women in the offices promotes a self-perpetuating cycle of discrimination. Companies and award shows that continue to neglect female involvement just might find themselves running out of business. When Greenburg spoke to Kim Kaupe, alum and cofounder of ZinePak, about the issue, she said, “I’m not going to keep begging and asking and begging and asking to have a seat at your table… I’m gonna go build another table or I’m gonna find other tables that let me have a seat.” Despite the discouraging statistics and the abrupt underrepresentation of women in the music industry, knowledge surrounding the issue continues to be brought forward.

The more well known the issue is, the quicker change can be achieved. Although it seems that institutions and society are bent on keeping women down, some strides have been made. Dr. Stacy Smith, coauthor of a study on gender and ethnicity in the music industry took a close analytical look at the 600 most popular songs in the last five years. She and her colleague found that only 22.4% of those performers were women, but amongst those 22.4%, half were nonwhite. Women recognize women, and diversity amongst female performers is thriving. Together they can rise up and create something beautiful. Canyon Entertainment Academy is a program that offers young and aspiring musicians the chance to explore and harness their talents, while promoting equality and social change. Their message is simple: Empowerment.

Whether you are a singer, dancer, instrumentalist, or dream of being a choreographer, Canyon Entertainment Academy has a place for you. The program encompasses all aspects of the performing arts and offers courses taught by knowledgeable instructors eager to have a hand in shaping the next generation of musicians and performers. Whether you are a beginner or advanced, find the instruction you need to take that next step forward at Canyon Entertainment Academy. 

To read the source content, please visit the Forbes website.

For more information about musical and other performing arts courses offered at Canyon Entertainment Academy, please contact us at info(at)canyonentertainmentgroup.com.

Sourced through Scoop.it from: www.forbes.com

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