For the inaugural Get Talking episode, our very own Martina Comuzzi (Music Licensing Manager, USA) sat down virtually with composers, songwriters and artists Cheyenne Jolene and Moa Munoz about ‘Women Making Music.’
Over the past few years, numerous studies have been conducted on gender representation in the music industry. Whilst conversations and positive changes are being made, the statistics on women who make music—performers, producers and songwriters—are still extremely discouraging.
From a 2021 study by the University of Southern California Annenberg Institute* on music creator demographics, women still make up an inadequate percentage of artists, songwriters and producers on music charts and award-nominations slates, marking “no meaningful and sustained increase”. Women represented 21.6% of artists, 12.6% of songwriters and 2.6% of producers. Only 9 out of 1,291 producing credits went to women of colour.
Martina used these figures to initiate her discussion with Cheyenne and Moa, seeking their opinions on gender representation in the music industry, drawing on their personal experiences as women in the music industry. They also shared tips and insights on how to get into the industry and start making music, as well as discussing those who inspired them along the way.
Both Los Angeles-based, Cheyenne and Moa have immense powerhouse vocals and distinctive sounds. They’ve both created a range of different albums for our West One Music and And Then Some labels, featuring their unique styles, from Cheyenne’s Gospel Pop to Moa’s Minimal Beat Pop.
Cheyenne Jolene, aka BodaciousThang, is an incredibly talented singer and composer making waves in LA with her vibrant vocal performances that range from sassy and confident to warm and soulful. Her catchy and relatable lyrics and music have been featured in popular reality TV shows, including Love & Hip Hop Miami (VH1), Too Hot To Handle (Netflix), Paradise Run (Nickelodeon), Dance Moms (Lifetime) and more.
Los Angeles-based Moa Munoz is a multi-instrumentalist pop singer-songwriter with powerhouse vocals and a distinctive sound. Her songs have been featured in tons of TV and Films, including Vanderpump Rules (Bravo), Real Housewives of Orange County (Bravo), Too Hot to Handle (Netflix), and many more.
Join the conversation with #GetTalking and #WomeninMusic. Follow Cheyenne on socials at @bodaciousthang and Moa at @givememoa
In our 2021 International Women’s Day blog post, we shared some resources on international organisations that support women in music, from funding, education and networking, find out more here.
*You can read the fourth annual iteration of the ‘Inclusion in the Recording Studio’ report conducted by Stacy L.Smith and the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, with funding from Spotify here.
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