Women in Music – Berklee Chapter

Women in Music is a non-profit organization that was founded in 1985 whose mission is to, “... advance the awareness, equality, diversity, heritage, opportunities, and cultural aspects of women in the musical arts through education, support, empowerment, and recognition”. This organization is composed of men and women who want to bring awareness to the disproportionate representation and mobility of women in the music industry. There are many mediums through which the organization educates and empowers including seminars, panels, showcases, and youth initiatives. The organization, headquartered in NYC, has 13 chapters worldwide and now for the first time has a presence in Spain. Berklee selected three students, Amisha Patankar, Hillary Storm, and Peter Robaudo, to work alongside Clara Barberá in bringing the new chapter to life at Berklee Valencia. Each student was assigned a separate role: Patankar/Marketing, Storm/Sponsorships, and Robaudo/Operations. The team worked over the course of six months to launch the chapter and build its brand not only within the Berklee community, but also within the greater Valencian public. Along with the initial launch mixer, the Women in Music Berklee chapter executed a total of eight events featuring prominent guests such as Patrice Rushen, Susan Rogers, and Yvette Noel-Schure. These events included multiple performances, speeches, and workshops all geared towards bringing a wealth of knowledge on the roles of women in the music industry, skills related to working in the industry, and the power of being a woman and supporting women. To round out the successful launch, the team also worked on a special project with Disrupción Records. This project, a compilation album, was the perfect way for the team to celebrate the accomplishments and relationships established throughout the last six months of the chapter and was properly recognized with a launch party at Sala Matisse on April 11, 2018. Overall each event was unique according to location, topic, guest, and audience. The outcomes were equally diverse but came together to form a beautiful mosaic of values, students, community members, and lessons. All of these established Women in Music Berklee as another branch of an essential organization, seeking to play a role in disseminating positivity and unison within the industry and communities we all love.https://remix.berklee.edu/graduate-studies-global-entertainment-business/1231/thumbnail.jp