Women in music to get industry business acumen
Women in Music SA (WIM), which empowers female artists to take control of their creative careers and destiny, is hosting a series of online seminars over four days.
The seminars will be broadcast to various online communities including the Southern African Music Rights Organisation's (SAMRO) vast Facebook audience with a keen interest in music.
Many talented women have seen their careers fizzle out soon after bursting onto the stage simply because they do not have access to necessary resources.
With August being Women’s Month, there is no better time to draw focus on these matters with a view of creating ongoing awareness year-round on the empowerment of women in the music industry.
WIM was founded three years ago on August 9 by renowned award winning South African artist Thiwe Mbola-Ranthimo. The non-profit organisation helps women in music acquire knowledge that enables them to be masters of their destinies.
“Over the years, women have either been pushed to a corner or are simply comfortable with the ‘performance’ part of their careers, without exploring the other aspects of the music business,” says Mbola-Ranthimo. “We need our female artists to appreciate the fact that it is important for them to take responsibility for the development of their careers.”
WIM, in partnership with SAMRO and Old Mutual, will host the online seminars to empower women in music.
The seminars, to be held from August 24 to 27, will provide female artists with the necessary knowledge to help them understand the business of music.
“Armed with knowledge from these seminars, our female artists will be able to inject some much-needed longevity into their careers by becoming more than just performers and composers,” says Mbola-Ranthimo. “WIM, together with our corporate partners, wants to sculpt businesswomen in music.”
“Music is a universal language, and even as styles and genres change over the years, the essence of music culture lives on. Through this partnership Old Mutual, SAMRO and Women in Music SA aim to connect meaningfully with the music and creative communities, especially women.
“This platform will provide mentorship, information, financial education and the tools they need to progress in their careers,” says Thobile Tshabalala, Head of Marketing and Brand at Old Mutual.
Commenting on the seminars, SAMRO’s General Manager for Marketing and Brand, Jacqui Mabuza, says out of a 100,000 membership, less than 20 percent are female composers.
"What is even more glaring for us is that SAMRO female members only enjoy 5% of the royalties we pay to our members. These are stats we simply cannot ignore," says Mabuza. "Although we are entrusted by our members with collecting license fees and distributing royalties, we want to play an active role in empowering more female musicians to develop their careers and earn more.
“Among our composer membership base, we would certainly like to see a narrower gender pay-gap. It is for this reason that we are pleased to partner with Old Mutual in supporting the WIM masterclasses 2020.”
Each year WIM collaborates with various music industry bodies and receives support from the Department of Sports Arts and Culture, to drive awareness of the challenges faced by female music practitioners.
(The seminars will be broadcast to various online communities including the Southern African Music Rights Organisation's (SAMRO) Facebook page)
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