More about: Moving The Needle

Welcome to our column in association with the wonderful Moving The Needle, the brand new charity helping women of all ethnicities and backgrounds to navigate the music industry and develop their careers - tutoring them as they go.

Every fortnight, Hannah Browne will be meeting women, fielding conversations between them and delivering some white hot advice on how to move the needle that is gender equality within the music industry. 

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“Gosh, how did I get started in the music industry?” says Siofra McComb, as I stump her with a million-dollar question that’s worth a lifetime of anecdotes. Director of Positive Subversion, a new start-up specialising project management and marketing consultancy for artists and labels, including Innovative Leisure, Run The Jewels, Peggy Gou, and Moby, Siofra started her career working in a record store whilst DJing and promoting events in her early 20s. “I always thought ‘oh no, an actual job in the music industry? That’s not possible'" though she was soon hired as a publicist for a distributor and record label based in Holland.

“After five to six years, I felt like I’d hit my ceiling of what I could do. I decided to move to London because I thought this was a better place for me to be, as a woman specifically. I applied for a job in a PR company who brought me on board, and I felt very lucky that I was immediately in a company that was run by an excellent senior woman”, she continues. “It was quite funny because people outside of the company seemed to think that we hired women specifically, but it was actually that we hired the best people for the job, who just happened to be women”. Siofra later became the Head of International Sales & Marketing at !K7 Music and was also appointed as a board member of AIM (Association of Independent Music).

Also on our call is Mary Rose, CEO and Creative Director of music industry charity, NEKO Trust. “I come into music from a different and very objective standpoint – I’m seeing it very fresh” she comments. Formerly training as a theatre actor at a drama school, Mary spent her formative years working in management at iconic London theatres including The Old Vic and Tramshed. Speaking of her experience she shares “It’s where I actually met my first incredibly inspiring female boss, who was really smart and said ‘if you want to do that, no one else is doing that, so why don’t you do it?' She was also extremely supportive of me having a dual career where I was progressing up the chain of commands within theatre but was also having acting work. In the end, I decided that I would try to focus on doing a job that wasn’t on the road all the time.” Soon after, Mary joined Channel 4 as a Project Manager: “They’re really great in terms of being diverse and equal”, she shares. “You see it through their programming, boards, and management.” 

Siofra McComb

Speaking about their differing experiences between companies, Siofra continues: “When I was a DJ, I think I was one of three of four women in my city that were DJ'ing at the time, and when I became a publicist, every other woman there was either a secretary or a cleaner. I think that the only time the owner of the company spoke to me was to compliment me because he said I looked nice – never anything about my work at all. I felt like I had to move to London to actually be able to progress, and when I came here, I noticed that the discussions had progressed a lot further, it was a very positive experience”. 

Mary comments: “In music, as well as theatre, there’s this general sense that you’re on a level playing field once you’ve proved your abilities, but sometimes you’re treated with clear disdain and disrespect until you get there. In my career, especially when I was younger, I would turn up for a meeting and people would immediately assume that I was the secretary or the PA. Equally, I’ve got to quite senior roles in the creative industries where I felt, even though I have a lot of responsibility, that I am servicing the career of the man in the creative role within that organisation.”

“I’m really passionate about talent development”, Mary continues, “making people aware of the job opportunities there are especially within the touring and production fields of music”. Siofra interjects, “It’s an issue. I think a lot of people can look at the industry from the outside and think it’s all about the artists and the music, but there’s a whole team of people around them that have very different roles and talents”. “Educating also moves beyond the school remit because a lot of young people might not trust the school system. It’s really about drilling down into those external networks and community leaders to build up trust so that young people have connection that know what they’re talking about, are inspired by, and ultimately are helped with progressing”.

Considering artists being at the public forefront of the industry, more influential stars than ever are speaking out on social and political issues. Contemplating the role of social responsibility, Siofra mentions “I think it’s a heavy burden to place on artists, that they have to be outspoken about absolutely everything. It’s hard because people do look up to them, but without education it’s not right to be forced to comment on something. I think it can weigh heavily on mental health if you’re being put into a role that you’re either not ready or willing to take up”. “It’s a massive responsibility” Mary continues. “There are some high-profile artists that have genuine desire to create change in terms of having a more diverse crew, for instance, it is about effecting change by actually doing it behind the scenes, on the ground”.

Mary Rose

Continuing to discuss the role that prestigious names have in these discussions, Siofra comments on events and panels. “When it comes to the Grammys and The Oscars, it’s not necessarily an unwillingness on their part to not be inclusive nowadays – a lot of it is to do with traditional structures that are in place. With the Grammy’s, if you’ve been nominated in the past then you’re automatically a part of the voting committee; but when you look, most people who have received a nomination are white men, so then the voting becomes increasingly white male dominated. This kind of change, in terms of diversity and equality, have to start from the ground up; a top-down approach  doesn’t work”. “It’s about leading by example and actually doing it rather than just talking about it” concludes Mary.

Mentorship is also a key aim for Moving The Needle’s leadership programme, with a focus on building vital career skills and networking. On this, Siofra shares that “mentorship is valuable at different stages, but the more senior you get, the lonelier you can become. Having a network is important for everyone – it’s a safe space to reflect whilst also having someone who can bring a different perspective. It’s about validation, and at a younger age, it’s about role models and opening up ideas and pathways”. Mary agrees, “it’s absolutely necessary to have conversations with someone that isn’t just focussed on the nitty gritty of the work, but about helping you see the bigger picture of finding your goals and objectives within your profession.” 

Concluding on the key factors of fruitful mentoring, Siofra continues “one thing I found is that good mentors constantly ask questions and listen to answers – not actually to give advice, but to help them find their own path”. “I definitely agree with that” says Mary, “it’s a real touch point and grounding moment to ask questions with no judgement and eventually get a person to navigate their concerns for themselves.”

Moving The Needle are generating plans and next steps in its mission to generate a gender-balanced UK music industry. To do this, they want to get to know YOU. Please fill in a brief survey that will help MTN achieve its vision! https://www.mtnnow.com/survey.

More about: Moving The Needle