 New York, NY (September 5th, 2018) - Since the organization’s launch in Spring 2017, #WomenCrush Music’s Founder/Executive Directress Ashley Kervabon and her team (now including over 30 dedicated volunteers) have made it their mission to connect, educate and inspire rising women songwriters. The organization has hosted over 80 events across 13 cities in the USA and Canada including showcases, networking events, and educational workshops, landing them local and national features in notable media outlets such as Lenny Letter, SF Station, KGW News, and more! Now, with a full Board of Directors comprised of radio hosts, national touring artists, and experienced industry professionals, they are ready to take their mission to the next level with a crowdfunding campaign launching through IndieGoGo on Tuesday, September 18th. Donations from the campaign will fund the nonprofit through the remaining months of 2018, and set its' team up to accomplish the goals in store for the new year.
The aim of this campaign is to raise money for the tax exemption application, program costs, merchandise, and staff education. As with most startup nonprofits, the staff has been working out of their passion for the cause, without pay. This crowdfunding campaign, however, will bring #WCM closer to some of its long-term goals which include: providing a salary for the core staff members, stipends for the chapter leaders, competitive base pay for artists and speakers who are a part of ongoing #WCM events, and hiring even more creative women to provide photography/videography services at events. “This is only the beginning of our ultimate vision for the organization,” says #WCM Founder Ashley Kervabon. “Longer term, I’d love to be able to get A-list celebrities involved in mentoring our artists and promoting the organization. It is also my ambition to award recording scholarships, host songwriting retreats, own properties to accommodate touring women artists, and much more!” #WomenCrush Music has entered the picture at a precise cultural moment when the value of supporting women is being emphasized by individuals and industries stronger than ever. At the same moment, this concern has brought to light the personal challenges and systemic obstacles many women still encounter in their careers. A recent study cited in Billboard reported that in 2017, 83.2% of artists in popular content were men and only 16.8% were women. Of the study’s sample of 2,767 credited songwriters, only 12.3% were female. Statistics such as these have inspired #WCM to start The Crush blog, where readers can hear stories from women within the music industry; and The #WomenCrush Music Collective, a career-focused Facebook mastermind group. At such a pivotal time, it is no wonder how the #WCM community has flourished. The money raised by this campaign will now be integral to the furtherance of the organization’s promising work. Please see below for a schedule of upcoming events for September & October 2018: SHOWCASE - San Jose @ Art Boutiki - Thursday, September 13th, 8PM SHOWCASE - Portland @ The White Eagle - Wednesday, September 19th, 8PM SHOWCASE - Nashville @ The Local - Thursday, October 4th, 7PM Also in October: Stay tuned for the relaunch of the Chicago chapter and the unveiling of a NEW chapter! About #WomenCrushMusic In early 2017, Ashley Kervabon organized a live showcase to address the need for a stronger community among women songwriters in Portland, OR. The event’s humble turnout but overwhelmingly positive feedback struck a chord in Ashley. She quickly reached out to women in other cities, who also expressed the need for similar showcase series. Realizing this was an industry-wide gap, Ashley knew it was time to make a change: and so #WomenCrush Music began. Starting with Ashley’s hometown connections in NYC, #WomenCrush Music became a growing vision for women artists and the music industry at large. As the organization expanded to Nashville, and across borders to Vancouver BC, the #WomenCrush mission started attracting artists from across the USA and beyond in search of both local performance opportunities as well as a more expansive network of like-minded ladies. By January 2018, #WomenCrush was present in 13 cities, cultivating communities through events designed to connect, educate, and inspire. Since then, a Lenny Letter feature and big-name partnerships by the likes of SoFar Sounds have established #WomenCrush Music as a powerful positive force in today’s music industry. Ashley, her fellow team members, and a full board of directors look forward to the developments ahead in 2018 and 2019. To set up a feature, please contact the Founder directly: Ashley Kervabon-Stoyanov ashley@womencrushmusic.com # # #
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |