EqualizeHER Live! Puts Gender Equity Center Stage
EqualizeHer LIVE! Puts Gender Equity Center Stage at Sell-Out Kick-Off Event Industry and Fans Fill Legendary Troubadour in Support of Mission to Break Down Barriers, Create Opportunities for Women Aimee Mann, paris jackson, Tinashe Part of All-Female Line Up
EqualizeHer Co-Founders Linda Perry and Alisha Ballard take the stage for impromptu performance of What’s Up during EqualizerHer LIVE! kick-off at The Troubadour
Photo Credit: Heidi Zumbrun paris jackson performs at EqualizeHER! Live kick off at the Troubador
Photo Credit: Heidi Zumbrun
LOS ANGELES (October 13, 2022) - It was another legendary night at The Troubadour on Sunday, October 9, 2022, as EqualizeHer LIVE! - a new initiative to promote gender equity in the music industry – marked its official kick-off, receiving widespread industry support. Founded by industry powerhouse Linda Perry and philanthropist Alisha Ballard EqualizeHer LIVE! was the first in a series of planned events and activations to put talented women and girls on the stage and in the studio. The sold-out show brought together a femme-focused community to lend their talents and support to EqualizeHer and its goal of providing real-world opportunities for women and girls seeking careers in music. With an audience of hundreds of industry notables and fans, Sunday’s event – which included live performances by Aimee Mann, Tinashe and paris jackson - served as a showcase for young aspiring females to perform at the iconic venue. Said Linda Perry, “Alisha Ballard and I love the live music experience, so what makes EqualizeHer unique is what we did with this event by putting kids on the stage, giving them the opportunity to make mistakes, and most of all, letting them get the hunger from playing a song and seeing the audience respond. There’s nothing like that. That’s why we are doing this because it’s proactive - we’re getting it done, and we’re having fun doing it.” Added Alisha Ballard, “Seeing how tough it is for women to rise up and get ahead in the music industry is why we want to make kids aware from a young age about all the career opportunities available to them. You don’t have to be a rockstar to be a female in the music industry; you can do lighting, sound, be a producer, be an engineer. Tonight’s event is about raising awareness because that’s what is needed, and the time is now - it needs to happen.” Highlights from EqualizeHer LIVE! at The Troubadour Perry, who served as the night's emcee, got things started with a passion-filled message of giving young women and girls invaluable, real-life experiences to produce, create and perform before introducing 17-year-old singer/songwriter and Los Angeles native Ashley Del Cid (The Art of Giving Back participant, and affiliated with Music Will), who kicked off the evening’s first set with a performance of her own original material as she played her trademark ukulele. Whesli, a multifaceted talent from Tulsa, Oklahoma was next putting her talents as a musician, singer, and songwriter on display, blending organic textures and instruments with modern production, accompanied by heartfelt lyrics and melodies. Rounding out the first set, was a special appearance by Rhodes Perry, who at just seven-years-old, owned the stage as he performed Cher’s classic hit, Dark Lady with mother Linda on keyboards. Audley, a self-taught musician and LGBTQ+ artist and dancer born and raised in San Diego led off the second set with her unique blend of hip hop and funk, dominating the stage with her energy and strong, provocative vocals and her team of dancers. Making her live debut at the legendary venue was Tish, daughter of activist and author Glennon Doyle and up-and-coming singer/songwriter, whose soft yet powerful story-telling lyrics and acoustic performance drew thunderous applause from the audience. Wrapping up set two was Jasmine Star, the 19-year-old guitar virtuoso with millions of views and followers on Tik Tok, Instagram and YouTube, who turned out a bold, electrifying performance that had the audience rocking out. The final set of the night featured the event’s headliners, starting with Grammy-winner Aimee Mann one of the most distinguished singer-songwriters of her generation; multi-platinum-certified R&B disruptor singer, writer, and dancer who produces, mixes, engineers, directs and edits - Tinashe; and singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, actress, and activist paris jackson. Featured Performers paris jackson: “Not just as a woman in the industry, but as a human being that likes to make music, equality is something that I have been trying to preach since I first got on the stage. Since I entered the entertainment industry at 18, whether in fashion, film, television, or music - it’s always been part of my mission to do what I can with the platform that I have.” Tinashe: “I wanted to be a part of this event because it stands for something so important. I think women in the industry need so much support, and we need to continue to rally behind one another. It is a very male dominated industry historically, even now, though it’s getting better. But I think initiatives like EqualizeHer keep us moving in the right direction.” Music Industry Erin Workman, Executive Vice President and Department Head, Songwriting & Music Business, Los Angeles College of Music: “It’s up to us, as women in the industry, to show young artists the different paths available in music. We lack having women in leadership roles and who are externally promoting these career paths, so I think this is an amazing initiative and I hope that it just continues to build. There are women in the wings ready to go and there needs to be a place and a space for women to operate in the industry in a way that is powerful. The talent is there, the people are there, it really is just about making room.” Janice Polizzotto, Chief Relationship Officer, Music Will (formerly Little Kids Rock): “Whether it’s [becoming] a sound engineer, a roadie, or a songwriter, we are happy to be able to partner with EqualizeHer to create opportunities for girls to understand the various paths they can take to not only be lifelong music makers, but to have a career in the industry.” Youth Performers Jasmine Star: “I think EqualizeHer is super rad. There is a lot of work that still needs to be done to give more women and girls opportunity, so I think what EqualizeHer is doing is an awesome way to try and achieve that within the music industry.” Audley: “I’m here representing the underrepresented - which is what EqualizeHer is all about. I think a lot of the world tries to invalidate people because they are different, so remaining in your truth despite what others may say is so important, but I really feel like things are starting to change. Like tonight’s event - it feels good to be in a safe space where everyone is on the same page, empowering each other.” Tish Melton: “This was my first time playing live in front of people, so it was a little intimidating, but it was also very exciting. I think EqualizeHer’s mission is super important, because for me, most of my inspiration has come from women, who have been fighting for so long to have equal rights in the music industry. Whesli: “It’s important to give people a chance and a sense of hope that can push them towards becoming an artist or to work in the music industry in another way.” Ashley Del Cid: “I believe that an organization like EqualizeHer is needed, and I hope that with what they are doing, girls like me will get an opportunity to show people that we are here and that our voices are just as loud.” Rock x Philanthropy - A Force for Real Change With the goal to bring balance and gender equity across all facets of the music industry, EqualizeHer represents the shared passion and purpose of two women who lead their respective fields – music industry powerhouse, Linda Perry, and music-loving philanthropist, Alisha Ballard. Launched at SXSW 2022, EqualizerHer’s mission is to build a community with a shared focus on providing real-world opportunities for women and girls interested in pursuing careers in music. "I've been in this business for a very long time, and I've seen many people adapt to the industry standard of how females are represented and treated, and for me that's unacceptable behavior,” said Linda Perry. “We can't let people get away with things just because we don't want to stir the pot. To turn our back on what is still a very current issue is just as bad as the problem itself. We need to show our young females how to rise above and fight for what they believe in.” Added Alisha Ballard, co-Founder of EqualizeHer, “It’s time for the voices of the other half of the population to be heard and for their talents to be celebrated. To accomplish that, we wanted this event at The Troubadour to mark the beginning of a new era of opportunity for women by giving talented young female performers the chance to take the stage in one of the industry’s most iconic venues; by making sure the right people were in the room; and by kicking open the door to a range of career opportunities for girls in this business.” Leading by Example and Paying it Forward "I believe, as women, we have the responsibility of amplifying each other’s voices and personal experiences,” said Tinashe. “I am honored to work alongside EqualizerHer to inspire our youth to develop the confidence and power to disrupt the system, make an impact, and be whoever they want to be. Being surrounded by such incredible women in music has been so special for me and I hope this event makes a difference to all who attend, that it inspires them to pursue their music dreams and achieve success in whatever path they choose." "It's an honor to be surrounded by women who have worked their entire lives to level the playing field for me and other young artists," said artist/performer Tish Melton. Said Perry, “My partner, Alisha Ballard and I are going to lead by example and create a network for us all to stand in our power together. On October 9 we let our young female talent perform for the first time at the legendary Troubadour where so many iconic and powerful artists have played, giving them a taste of the possibilities because when you are on that stage, everyone is equal." The Facts For too long, women have been under-represented across all sectors of the music industry. Consider the following*:
As of March 2021, women represent only 21% of artists, 12.6% of songwriters, and 2.6% of producers
Fewer than 1% of popular songs are written only by women, while fewer than .3% of songs have a single woman writer
Only 13.4% of GRAMMY nominees from 2013 to 2021 have been women
About With a mission to take aggressive, solutions-driven action to create greater opportunities for women in the music business, EqualizeHer is focused on four actionable goals – release and distribute music produced, written, and performed by women; host live music events produced entirely by women; provide opportunities for young female artists to perform in front of live audiences to gain experience and be heard; and work with existing organizations to fill the gaps and join forces. What’s next? EqualizeHer NOW! – a first of its kind, family-friendly outdoor event scheduled for December 3 where young women will have a chance to connect directly with leading industry brands and businesses; and EqualizeHer: The Art of Giving Back (working title), a planned EP produced and performed by female talent. EqualizeHer supports women in various fields of the music industry – including songwriters, producers, audio engineers and many other career paths within the music industry. EqualizeHer is on a mission to address the gender inequity in the music business by providing resources and access to women so they can thrive in the music industry while helping others to do the same. EqualizeHer’s goal is to achieve equal representation of women across all sectors of the music industry – from recording studios, to stages, to board rooms. For more information, visit https://www.equalizeher.org/.