Scott Mager’s Post

Not really the platform to be sharing my own music on but outside of work creating music is my escape. This song and video is all about equality & diversity which in my job we cover each month with our learners. Written, recorded, mixed, mastered and video by myself. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did creating it 😊 #equality #diversity #equalitydiversity #equalityanddiversity

⚡  🤝 Transforming the Music Industry Through Allyship  🤝 ⚡ My journey in the music industry has taught me the profound impact of allyship. Beyond everyday support, true allyship involves leveraging our own privileges to uplift and create space for marginalized communities. This topic was central to my recent presentation at the Baltic Artist in Development gathering in Krakow, where I explored how active allyship can reshape the music scene. 💡 The essence of our discussion highlighted the necessity of allyship in fostering diversity and equality within the music industry. By advocating for diverse festival line-ups, gender equality in studio hires, and promoting underrepresented artists, we're not just advocating for change — we're enacting it. Allyship opportunities are all around. They manifest in diverse festival lineups, gender equality in live event productions, the amplification of underrepresented voices on social media, and many many more places. Here are seven steps to embody allyship in our daily lives: ☞ Be curious — engage with and learn from the diverse stories around us. ☞ Look inward — recognize and address our biases. ☞ Be open — use our privilege to support and learn from others. ☞ Listen and ask — approach injustice with empathy and understanding. ☞ Talk honestly — foster safe spaces for open dialogue. ☞ Be open to feedback — embrace diverse perspectives, especially those that challenge us. ☞ Take action — employ the voices and actions for meaningful change. Try it! Adopting these practices helps transition from concept to action, building an industry where everyone feels they belong, and we can create a more inclusive, innovative, and equitable music industry.  🤝

The 25 Best Pride Songs of 2024 (So Far): Staff Picks https://ift.tt/SMigbl4 At a time of year where calls for increased representation reach a fever pitch, the LGBTQ+ community is especially in need of greater depiction in the music business. As a recent survey conducted by Queer Capita, The Orchard and Billboard found, nearly half of surveyed LGBTQ+ workers said they found the music industry’s current levels of representation to be lacking, while a mere 8% felt their respective companies provided adequate resources for their queer-identifying employees. Simply put, queer music professionals are ready to see real change happen for their community. Related Love Letters to the LGBTQ Community: Read the Notes From Doechii, UMI, Allison Ponthier… 06/01/2024 It’s a sentiment shared by the queer community at large today — while state legislatures around the U.S. have already introduced over 500 anti-LGBTQ bills, reporting shows that public reception of such legislation has shifted. The Human Rights Campaign released a polling memo in May, showing that according to a number of national polls, a majority of Americans agree that legislation against the LGBTQ+ community has gone too far. Yet in an industry where queer professionals feel they’re not being adequately platformed and a time where LGBTQ+ people are actively under attack, it sure feels like 2024 has been a banner year for queerness in music. Across genres and styles, LGBTQ+ artists have provided fans with some of the most-loved music of the last six months. Some queer artists have even managed to find massive success on the charts, a feat considered practically impossible in musical eras past. If the first few years of the 2020s marked a queer awakening in popular music, then 2024 may well serve as the start of an official queer renaissance. With so many excellent entries from LGBTQ+ musicians to choose from in 2024, which ones stand out amongst the rest? Below, Billboard staffers offer our picks of the 25 best songs from LGBTQ+ artists released in 2024. via Billboard https://ift.tt/3t6jFcM June 26, 2024 at 01:00PM

Recently, I wrote an op-ed for OutJamZ about the importance of live music for LGBTQ-disabled individuals. Please take time to read this. Furthermore, I would love to talk to venue staff, tour managers, and artists about this ongoing issue. I believe that everyone who works in the music industry should care about this, whether you are a creator, artist, producer, usher, or lighting tech. Staff who work at venues need to be better educated on disability rights and accommodations. There is enough discrimination in the LGBTQ and disabled communities as it is. Concerts should not create stress and discouragement, they should be places for fans to be free and happy. I hope to work at a venue or on a tour one day to improve accessibility. "Advocating for a more inclusive live music experience for disabled and LGBTQ fans encompasses diverse strategies. Among the challenges faced by fans, obstructed views stand out as one of the most frustrating experiences. Hence, it is recommended to explore options such as relocating the ADA section or rethinking seating arrangements for disabled individuals. While it may not be feasible to eliminate all accessibility and discrimination issues, the most constructive approach is to educate oneself on the subject." https://lnkd.in/e_GaAmBC

Taylor Swift - positive role model. Taylor Swift is a highly talented and multifaceted individual known for several accomplishments: 1) Music: Taylor Swift is a highly successful singer-songwriter who has won multiple Grammy Awards for her talent in songwriting, catchy tunes, and ability to connect with a diverse audience. 2) Songwriting: Swift's exceptional songwriting abilities are widely praised as her lyrics often reflect personal experiences and emotions, resonating with listeners and contributing to her widespread appeal. 3) Versatility: Swift effortlessly transitions between country and pop, showcasing her musical adaptability while maintaining her signature style. 4) Business Acumen: Taylor Swift has demonstrated strong business acumen, advocating for artists' rights and successfully navigating the challenges of the music industry. She strategically manages her career, including negotiating record deals and retaining ownership of her master recordings. 5) Advocacy and Philanthropy: Swift has used her platform to champion various causes, including education, disaster relief, and LGBTQ+ rights. 6) Entrepreneurship: Besides music, Taylor Swift has established herself as an entrepreneur by launching fragrances, collaborating with brands, and exploring other business opportunities. 7) Public Relations: Swift's adept handling of media and public image contributes significantly to her ongoing positive reputation and success in the entertainment industry. 8) Creativity in Music Videos: Swift is renowned for her visually stunning and creative music videos that complement her songs. These videos often narrate a story and contribute to the overall artistic experience of her music. 9) Fan Engagement: Swift's strong connection with her fan base is evident through her social media engagement, surprise album drops, and personal interactions, creating a dedicated and supportive fan community. Overall, Taylor Swift has demonstrated immense talent in music and other areas of the entertainment industry as a savvy businesswoman and an advocate for positive change. #rolemodel #mindset #talent #socialmedia

New Post: Nearly Half of LGBTQ+ Professionals Say the Music Industry Doesn’t Provide Enough Resources - https://lnkd.in/gbyZYJ8Y - With an unprecedented number of openly LGBTQ+ artists making waves in the music industry, a casual observer could argue that representation in the business has reached a new high. But according to workers within it, representation is still severely lacking. In a new survey published by Queer Capita, in partnership with Billboard and The Orchard, nearly half of LGBTQ+ music industry respondents revealed that they felt insufficiently represented within the industry. The State of the LGBTQ+ Music Industry Professional Survey gathered responses from nearly 300 LGBTQ+-identifying professionals within the music business. Related Love Letters to the LGBTQ Community: Read the Notes From Doechii, UMI, Allison Ponthier… 06/01/2024 A majority of respondents (77%) said that they felt somewhat or very comfortable being open about their sexuality in the workplace, while 64% of respondents said that the industry fosters a somewhat or very inclusive and supportive environment for LGBTQ+ professionals. That outlook changed, though, when professionals were asked about representation across all sectors of the industry. While an overwhelming 92% of respondents referred to LGBTQ+ representation as either “important” or “very important” for the industry, nearly half (48%) said they felt the community is somewhat or very poorly represented across all sectors of the business. “As a manager, I feel good about my particular company. My concern is that as you get into the different formats and genres, many of them are not welcoming, and do not feel like supportive places as musical industries,” one respondent wrote in the survey’s open-ended response section. When it comes to active support for LGBTQ+ people in the industry, the survey found that a mere 8% of respondents felt that their companies provided “adequate resources” for LGBTQ+ employees. Meanwhile, 21% said that their companies provided no resources to LGBTQ+ employees. One respondent took that concern further, saying that the burden of support for the community should not fall solely on queer and trans professionals. “It’s critical to tackle unconscious bias for trans people. This should not fall on your resource groups or LGBTQ+ in addition to full-time jobs,” they wrote. “Many times, I was pigeonholed into DEI work on top of my full-time job. In reality, I don’t want to be in DEI, I want to work in music. We need to stop making our LGBTQ+ colleagues do all the work in addition to smashing glass ceilings.”

Happy International Women's Day! At Pandion Music Foundation, we are so proud to have an all women-led staff and Board, and an audience of 60% women music creators. We want to take a moment to mention the amazing work that USC's Annenberg Inclusion Initiative is doing to study and track data surrounding diversity and inclusion in the music industry. Without this research, we would not be able to accurately measure growth, or pinpoint areas that still need improvement in the industry. 
 The report’s Associate Professor of Communication, Stacy L. Smith states, “‘The changes for songwriters are doubtlessly due to the work of numerous groups working to support women in music…Whether She Is The Music, Spotify Equal, Moving the Needle, Women’s Audio Mission, Be the Change, Keychange, Girls Make Beats, or others, there has been a groundswell of support for women across the last several years. This advocacy and activism is propelling change in the industry. While there is work to be done, these groups are well-positioned to keep fighting for change.’” 
 We are honored to be another nonprofit doing this imperative work to help shift the industry toward one that is more supportive across all lines of diversity.    Check out more stats from the Annenberg report here: https://lnkd.in/gPBayKk8 #internationalwomensday #womenshistorymonth #musicians #nonprofit

New Post: Live Music Experts Weigh In on DOJ’s Live Nation Suit: ‘We Have an Industry to Save’ - https://lnkd.in/gx2hRTvw - Live music experts are anticipating the antitrust lawsuit brought by the U.S. Department of Justice against Live Nation to take years to resolve, given the wide scope of the claims against the concert giant and the various stakeholders in the live music ecosystem.   Related Live Nation Hit With DOJ Antitrust Lawsuit: ‘It’s Time to Break It Up’ 05/23/2024 “It is going to take a couple of years, at least,” Lee Hepner, senior counsel of anti-monopoly group the American Economic Liberties Project, said at the NIVA 2024 conference in New Orleans on Tuesday (June 4). The conference is put on by the National Independent Venue Association, which formed in 2020 to secure federal funding from the government during the pandemic. The upside, for Hepner and other speakers on the panel called Ticket Tyranny: The Unseen Grip of Market Dominance, is the “massive potential in restructuring the industry.” Ant Taylor, founder and CEO of ticketing competitor Lyte, agreed on Tuesday saying, “Given how big the scope is, it is going to be challenging to see it through… What excites me about this moment is the opportunity we have as an ecosystem to look — not just at Live Nation — but to look at the way we do business together and the conditions in which Live Nation has thrived.”  Specifically, Taylor added, “What’s the business model of ticketing and why, for 40 years, has there been so little innovation around it?”  Ticketmaster has been a dominate force in the ticketing business for decades — its 2010 merger with Live Nation only strengthened its position in the U.S. market. The DOJ lawsuit claims that Live Nation-Ticketmaster has “unlawfully maintained monopolies in several concert promotions and primary ticketing markets and engaged in other exclusionary conduct affecting live concert venues, including arenas and amphitheaters.” A major concern for the DOJ and the group of 30 states that jointly filed the suit on May 23 is Live Nation’s “flywheel model,” which the DOJ describes as a “self-reinforcing business model that captures fees and revenue from concert fans and sponsorship, uses that revenue to lock up artists to exclusive promotion deals, and then uses its powerful cache of live content to sign venues into long term exclusive ticketing deals, thereby starting the cycle all over again.”  Unlike the consent decree that Live Nation has been under since the merger, which was designed to prevent the company from abusing its position, Kevin Erickson, director of Was

Recently, I have been studying the idea of identity and culture in relation to the country music industry. Specifically, how does this genre intersect with personal identity and gender? The cultural aspect significantly impacts an artist's success in country music. Why is it notoriously hard to break into when an artist already has an established career? Consider the most recent crossovers from Post Malone and Beyoncé's "Cowboy Carter," which features two country music legends. If Dolly Parton endorsed it, what argument could anyone possibly have against it? Additionally, transitioning from the country music genre can be just as challenging, as evidenced by Faith Hill's "Cry" and Taylor Swift's "1989." What role does gender play in shaping perceptions and opportunities within the country music industry? How does sexism manifest, and what impact does it have on artists and fans? Do other music genres provide a comparable sense of individual and community identity, or are they more fluid due to diverse cultural audiences? Join the conversation! 🎶 #culture #identity #genres #crossover #country #music #beyonce #dollyparton #taylorswift

My latest Winnipeg Free Press column aims to challenge traditional gender norms at the turntables. In a music scene that's been historically dominated by men, a local workshop is empowering underrepresented genders to redefine the traditional DJ scene. Mama Cutsworth’s DJ Academy for Underrepresented Genders offers a hands-on workshop for adults whose genders are traditionally overlooked in the DJ realm, including cis or trans women, two-spirit and non-binary individuals. Whether it’s on festival stages or in club lineups, women and underrepresented genders are in the minority. A survey by female:pressure, an international network of female, transgender and non-binary artists in the fields of #electronicmusic and digital arts, found women made up about one-quarter of the acts booked for electronic music festivals worldwide in 2020 and 2021, while men accounted for just over 59 per cent, non-binary for 1.3 per cent and mixed for 9.1 per cent. Learn more about the academy and how it's shaking up the status quo. https://lnkd.in/gzW6JZVC #genderequality #musicindustry #Winnipeg