September 9, 2021 (Memphis, TN) – As part of their quarterly Day of Service program, MIME (Made in Memphis Entertainment) partnered with Women in Music (WIM), Gender Amplified, and a local Memphis youth organization to commemorate Women’s Equality Day. In a celebration of the power of women in the music industry, MIME’s 4U Recording studio in Memphis welcomed 20 young women from ages 13 to 18 for a day of in-person recording experience and creativity on August 25th. The following day on August 26th, Ebonie Smith (Atlantic Records Audio Engineer/Studio Coordinator and Chief Curator of Gender Amplified)and Nicole Barsalona (artist manager and President of Women in Music) hosted a virtual program for the full MIME staff to learn about how they can advocate for women in the music business.
“During these Days of Service, MIME was honored to host the future of the music industry,” said Crystal Carpenter, Studio Manager at MIME’s 4U Recording studio in Memphis. “The young women we hosted at 4U Recording, and many more like them throughout the world, will innovate and create new music and new business opportunities from which we will all benefit, so long as they are given the opportunity. We are dedicated to being part of the solution by providing those opportunities.”
“Women in Music is committed to educating, empowering, and advancing the careers of women in the music business to create a more equitable industry,” said Barsalona. “We applaud Made in Memphis’ dedication to hiring diverse talent, and we hope that the time we spent with the MIME teams will inspire them to work even harder to seek out and cultivate the leaders of tomorrow.”
“Gender Amplified’s mission is to inspire and support the future of women in music production,” said Smith. “We know that the young women we mentored will succeed in whatever they chose to do in the future.”
On Wednesday, August 25th, young women from a local youth organization in Memphis were treated to an in-person guided tour of 4U Recording from Carpenter, herself a strong advocate for women working in the studio space. They worked in groups according to their age to learn from the most talented women in the business about harmonies, songwriting, session work, and production and then worked together to create and record their own songs.
On Thursday, August 26th, Smith and Barsalona hosted a virtual program featuring some of the most notable women executives from across the country, including Cotrina Jones (Owner and CEO of the public relations and event firm The Cjaye Group), Su-Rmi Givens (Universal Music Group
Manager, Process Innovation), Nikisha Bailey (VP, A&R Administration and Operations, Artist Partners, Atlantic Records), Ann Mincieli (a GRAMMY-winning producer), Heather Cook (Director of Marketing & Brands at Peermusic), and Selitta Legrand (Counsel, Business and Legal Affairs, EMPIRE & Chair of Operations, Black Entertainment and Sports Lawyers Association, Young Lawyers Division) They covered topics as varied as education, workplace culture, diversity, activism, and mentorship. Breakout sessions focused on music industry areas of concentration, including A&R, production and engineering, distribution and publishing, sync, and marketing. Photo below:
In celebration of Women’s Equality Day, MIME also sponsored 20 one-year memberships to Women in Music and Gender Amplified participants, among others. Visit www.mimecorp.com for more information.
About Made in Memphis Entertainment (MIME)
Made in Memphis Entertainment (MIME) is a Black-owned full-service entertainment group with global reach, but with its heart in the hometown of modern American music. Founded in 2015 by original Stax Records songwriter and Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee David Porter (CEO) and 20+ year business and legal veteran Tony D. Alexander (President and Managing Director), MIME is dedicated to re-establishing Memphis as a key music industry hub while expanding its influence around the world, all while developing and promoting diverse talent on both the creative and business sides of the industry.
MIME’s family of companies includes MIME Publishing, an independent music publishing company that handles Porter’s legendary post-Stax songwriting catalog and other copyrights of some of the most sought-after young producers in Hip-Hop and R&B; Heavy Hitters Music, a film, TV, and ad sync company with an all-female creative team and Emmy-winning music catalog; Beatroot Music, a leading music distributor in the U.S., as well as Beatroot Africa; and 4U Recording, a state-of-the-art recording studio in Memphis with more branches opening soon
About WIM
Established in 1985, Women in Music is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization committed to advancing equality, visibility and opportunities for women in the musical arts through education, support, empowerment and recognition. A diverse global community, WIM encompasses chapters around the world – from LA to Japan. Central to our educational mission at Women in Music are our events, which have featured a diverse array of both artistic and executive talent across the industry, and beyond.
About Gender Amplified
Gender Amplified, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) organization that aims to celebrate women music producers, raise their visibility and develop a pipeline for girls and young women to get involved behind the scenes in recording studios. Through community events and the use of multimedia, the mission of the Gender Amplified movement is to provide a platform for the advancement of women in music production and to identify and motivate the next generation of women music producers.