CAMD’s Department of Music is excited to be represented at the 2019 Women in Musical Leadership Conference taking place in London this March. This conference will occur during International Women’s Day, with the goal of highlighting the importance of women’s participation in music leadership. Rebekah Moore, Assistant Professor of Music, will be leading this exhibition and bringing three Music Industry students with her to share their original research on women’s musical leadership.

“We are three women about to go into the music industry, and this conference will help us further understand our opportunities as well as challenges as we prepare to enter the workforce,” explained Northeastern student Allie Gurland. “We were all so excited when Professor Moore approached us, and we’re looking forward to providing the student perspective at a conference that doesn’t typically include students.”

Fourth-year Music Industry major Elizabeth Markow will give the first presentation of the panel, entitled “Preparing for Leadership in the Classroom: Lessons from Boston-area Music Students.” It will dive into the experiences shared by music students at local universities, highlighting experiences that Elizabeth collected in a qualitative research study. The goal is to help document what kinds of challenges women in this field will face and how they have been prepared to do so through their studies. Elizabeth has completed co-ops at Glassnote Records and Warner Bros. Records.

The second speaker, Allie Gurland, will use her internship experience to touch upon how comfort and support for women in the performing arts field can help their productivity, creativity, and ultimately their careers. The presentation, called “Women’s Leadership in a Performing Arts Institution: Lessons from the Kennedy Center,” will be supported by interviews and anecdotes that Allie had gathered during her time working as an intern at the Kennedy Center. She will also bring skills that she learned working as a co-op at the booking agency Concerted Efforts and as an ambassador for Grammy U to this panel.

Shannon Pires, a fifth year Music Industry student with minors in Music Recording and Business Administration, will address the corporate side of music in a presentation titled “Women’s Leadership in the Commercial Music Industry.” Drawing from experience at Glassnote Records, Universal Music Group’s Republic Records, and as a Grammy U ambassador, Shannon will explain the importance of reducing gender inequality within the music industry; something she has conducted research on herself. She is looking forward to gaining a comprehensive perspective on global music industry practices at this conference.

The fourth and final speaker in the panel is Professor Rebekah Moore, who will discuss her perspective on preparing women for music leadership through a college music industry curriculum in a presentation titled”Women’s Music Leadership Begins in the Classroom.” Moore has completed research involving the ethnomusicological concerns with music as a communicative medium that not only connects people from diverse backgrounds, but also acts as a tool for advancing social and environmental justice. She has worked in performance production, management, media relations, and arts administration in her impressive international career. Using her research and experience in the field, Moore will make recommendations on how building the correct curriculum can aid in establishing diversity, equity, and inclusion in music. Reducing the gender gap in specific music classes is also a goal of hers, and one that she will address during her time at this event.

“The International Women in Musical Leadership Conference is an interdisciplinary, international event that will attract scholars and creative practitioners from around the world to discuss the persistent challenges to women’s leadership in music and collaborate to identify effectual and expedient action to address the gender gap in both wages and professional and creative opportunities,” said Moore. “I am thrilled that my co-presenters, all of whom are graduating this year, will get to take part in these rich dialogues on the future of women’s music leadership. They are, in actuality, the future. And they will carry lessons learned from this conference into their future careers in music.”

Upon their return, these women plan to organize an event to present their research to the CAMD community and discuss their time at the conference. Congratulations to them on this amazing opportunity.