Women in Music UK Blog

Composer Janet Beat is the first recipient of the Scottish Women Inventing Music (SWIM) Lifetime Achievement Award. SWIM is a new collective of music creators and industry professionals who identify as female, and was launched on International Women's Day, 8 March 2019.

https://glasgowmusiccitytours.com/2019/02/25/swim-scottish-women-inventing-music-guest-blog/

More information about SWIM here

https://www.scottishwomeninventingmusic.com/ 

You will know Shingai Shiniwa .... the charismatic and bold lead singer and bassist from The Noisettes who were huge in the 90s and brought an African sensibility into punk.  Now having taken her time Shingai launches her solo career with music that goes right back to her Zimbabwean roots in a different way starting with her wonderful single 'Coming Home' which is a tribute to her uncle Thomas Mapfumo with shades  of his globally renowned track Shumba .

Shingai joined Debbie Golt, Women in Music chair, in her weekly show The Outerglobe on Resonance 104.4fm/ DB Londonwide and www.resonancefm.com  worldwide to  talk about her music and her new direction . Here's the show  link www.mixcloud.com/resonance/the-outerglobe-7th-march-2019

You can watch the video for the single 'Coming Home' from the  EP 'Ancient Futures'  here: and get tickets for her upcoming show at the Jazz Cafe London here

Good news there is the Musicians Union Women in Music Conference in Manchester on March 28th 2019 with a whole host of speakers and practical workshops on getting your music out there and sustaining income streams as well as plugging the gender gap and lots of networking opportunities. You don't even have to be a member and it is FREE

It's interesting how the title Women in Music that we pioneered back in 1987 has become a mainstream concept! Our work is far from done, however that is a welcome sign of the times.  If you get the opportunity do mention that you heard about it from Women in Music the original organisation itself!

https://www.musiciansunion.org.uk/Home/Events/2019/Mar/WomensConference

Calling all women* looking for inspiration, advice and skills to advance your career, change direction or strike out on your own.

Join the Musicians’ Union (MU) team, plus a powerhouse line up of musicians, entrepreneurs, career coaches and inspiring women who are changing the future of the music industry.

Enjoy a day of game-changing talks, workshops and insider advice, all packed into one bespoke event designed to arm you with the skills, tools and motivation to achieve your potential and take your career to the next level.

This week The Daffodil Perspective explores the meaning of International Women's Day.

Does it drive towards a more gender balanced world?

Or has the work been corrupted to create more imbalance and more inequality?

https://thedaffodilperspective.com/2019/03/08/gender-equality-is-for-life-not-just-international-womens-day/

This is a CD-release concert of works by women composers from Donne: Women in Music, at St Gabriel's Church, Warwick Square, London at 7 pm on Thursday 7 March.

PROGRAMME DETAILS  

7pm - Pre-concert talk
With all recording artists as well as soprano Gabriella Di Laccio - Founder & Curator of Donne - Women in Music  

7.30 – CONCERT 
Presenting repertoire from both CDs: 

http://www.drama-musica.com/LeDonneeLaChitarra.html
19th Century solo guitar works by women composers
Works by Emilia Giuliani, Athenaïs Paulian and Catharina Pratten
JAMES AKERS - Romantic Guitars

http://www.drama-musica.com/Homage.html
Women composers from Brazil & Italy  
SUSIE GEORGIADIS – Soprano  

Special Guests Performers:
GABRIELLA DI LACCIO - soprano  
CLELIA IRUZUN - piano
Presenting songs by Avril Coleridge-Taylor and Clara Kathleen Rodgers

 
More details here

http://www.drama-musica.com/Donne_Concerts.html

What's on the show this week? Well..

1. Very excited to feature Arlene Sierra on the show this week, exploring her 20 years of composition along with contemporaries Kenneth Hesketh and Gordon Beeferman. 

The Daffodil Perspective's latest blog post highlighting one of the problems faced in getting women composers noticed. It examines the gatekeepers on music websites choosing the 'most interesting' new releases to talk about to consumers and how it affects the music industry.

https://thedaffodilperspective.com/2019/02/10/whats-the-point-a-brief-look-at-one-of-the-problems-faced-to-get-women-composers-noticed/

The Daffodil Perspective is a weekly radio show championing female composers. Playing a mix of female composers alongside famous male composers to provide musical and historical context for their stories, in this way the show works to rewrite classical music history.

This week it's a jam packed show, exploring the life and work of Scandinavian romantic composer Amanda Maier with her friends Grieg and Brahms. I'm also thrilled to have music from two of my favourite trailblazing organisations this week. Firstly it's my monthly look at Illuminate Women's Music and secondly in my album of the week section I have music from label Drama Musica and their new album of guitar music, La Donne e La Chitarra. All this plus music from American composer Juliana Hall in Contemporary Corner and special surprises from Lutoslawski and Handel.

https://www.mixcloud.com/TheDaffodilPerspective/the-daffodil-perspective-5th-february-2019/