Making Music While Facing the Music
Being a woman in music is no easy task. While it may look fun, exciting, and glamorous, many tell a different, grim story. The idea of creating and executing the Elephant in The Room – Queens of R&B “No Boundaries Tour was born out of a music business/gender inequality conversation held with Ms Johnnie Walker, CEO of NABFEME and several artists who were discussing the challenges they’ve experienced in furthering their music careers. The women identified disparities from pay equity to show lineups, the lack of performance opportunities, sexism, inappropriate behavior, and blatant disrespect shown by bookers, promoters, and event organizers.
It’s no secret that music remains a male-dominated industry, and it continues to be a challenge for women to gain and maintain a power space in any part of this industry — whether that space is professional or creative. When we think of the Elephant in The Room… this disparity alone should have the attention of the entire room! And while many of the issues women face persist, we believe many won’t change until the power structure changes. The Elephant In The Room Tour is a “social responsibility” initiative aiming to take a deep dive into the problems plaguing our communities; however, women in music have issues that also require a “deep dive.” We believe by showing unity while initiating discussions… we can heighten the awareness and increase the volume of our voices. Silence is complicity; therefore, we speak out! For this tour, “No Boundaries” means we are comfortable addressing uncomfortable issues. Those un-talked-about topics we tend to avoid but desperately need to address. Support our Queens of R&B as they share their creative gift while adding the power of music to this vital initiative.