Like many areas of the business world, the music industry is dominated by men.
That might come as a slight surprise if, when you think of music, you think of Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, or other popular singers whose talents and hard work propelled them to great success.
But the music industry is much more than the performers. Plenty of jobs exist behind the scenes, and while there are women who have had great success, we are definitely underrepresented as a group.
To get an idea of just how underrepresented women are, take a look at these statistics from a study released in 2019 by the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative. Researchers looked at 700 popular songs and found that women accounted for only 21.7% of artists, 12.5% of songwriters, and 2.7% of producers.
Those numbers could be deflating for young women hoping to break into my industry, but I’m here to say quite emphatically: Don’t let them be. With the right attitude and work ethic, it’s possible to find a niche for yourself within the industry.
As president of VEVA Sound, a company that verifies and archives projects in the music industry, I know this from experience. So, let me share with you what worked for me.
It starts with focusing on the work and knowing that if you just do that, everything else will take care of itself. When something needs to happen, make it happen, and show those around you what a valuable asset you are.
Put in your best effort even if the task placed before you is a menial one. Do it even if there’s no immediate reward being dangled in front of you and do it even if there is no clear indication that what you’re doing will result in a promotion, a raise, or other good things happening somewhere down the road.
Putting in the time and effort doesn’t necessarily guarantee success, but success can’t happen without that time and effort.
I’ve followed this approach to the working world as far back as my first studio internship. Whatever task was placed before me and needed to be accomplished, I would do it – right down to such humbling jobs as cleaning the toilets.
I think that I knew, even at a young age, that if I just kept my attention on the work and concentrated on what I was doing versus what everyone else was doing, success would find me.
That proved to be true, and this approach continues to pay dividends for me to this day – and maybe could do the same for young women who are probably much like I was several years back, cultivating dreams and ambitions.
In my case, I loved music, had a technical mind, and figured it might be wise to put those two things together. The result: I got my degree in audio engineering. Once I finished college, I began work as an archival engineer and moved up from there.
Yes, a young woman with ambitions to enter our industry will face challenges, but those challenges shouldn’t deter you.
After all, the music business is hard for everyone – male or female. Breaking in is tough and navigating the business once you’re in is difficult. Finally, it can be extraordinarily challenging to continue to succeed in the business over time, even after you’ve had your initial success.
My advice is to set aside any negative thoughts and focus on what you can control. Do the work and strive to learn everything you can about the business from everyone you can.
You’ve probably heard the saying, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” While people are fond of saying that, it’s not entirely accurate.
Who you know may bring opportunities initially, but what you know gives you staying power.
Ultimately, knowledge and determination have been the two most important factors in my success. I’m confident they can be for others as well.
WRITTEN BY
Deborah Fairchild