Dedicated to Women Guitarists and Bassists
SXSW2014 54

OMG WE GOT INTO SXSW 2016


October 20, 2015
Written by
Fabi Reyna

Truly, we can’t believe this is real. If you had told us in 2012, when we started She Shreds, that in three years we’d get a chance to address what the future of women in music could/should/will look like to a bunch of industry- changing-capable-hands, we’d most likely laugh and say “yeah, we probably will”. Thanks to the extreme loyalty and dedication of our readers (you!) throughout the years, we’ve been able to create a platform where issues of gender and equality, dissection of language and introspection of relationships don’t just play into the way women are viewed and treated in the music industry but also how instruments and music are marketed, talked about and presented to the public eye.

To have a conversation about the music industry without including the intentional progress of the way women are treated is to say that the music industry doesn’t seek progress at all. At this point it’s no secret—women play instruments, they’re in bands. Lots of them. So why are we still treating women like they’re not? Who’s perpetuating this and how can we move away from it entirely?

Five , even three years ago we might’ve looked the other way at an ad showcasing a naked woman straddling a guitar; today similar images spark conversations and arguments against a way of thinking that we should be far beyond.

 

Thankfully, that old mentality has created platforms and movements for the mere purpose of having a voice in the densely male dominated industry. We are a political statement but more than anything we are the first step in creating a new direction for the guitar industry to follow—one that could be an example for other industries where women are marginalized (technology, filmmaking, corporate America).

Thanks to your votes, your comments, your shares, and your voice we’re able to continue building and moving forward. We can’t thank you enough for your efforts in making this happen. Your trust means the world to us and we treasure it with all of our hearts.

Check out the full details of the panel below. We have a couple more special guests to announce in the following weeks so stay tuned!

 


 

Representation of Women in Music Media

Female musicians rock. Beyoncé is a feminist, and bands like HAIM, Alabama Shakes, and Pussy Riot have progressed recognition of female musicians in recent years. As more and more female musicians gain awareness, it’s become increasingly important to take a step back and analyze how female musicians are represented in mainstream media and advertising today, what improvements have been made and what challenges we still face as an industry. In this session moderated by She Shreds founder and CEO, Fabi Reyna, industry leaders will come together to discuss the present and future of representations of women in music media.

Fabi ReynaFounder / Editor in Chief
She Shreds
Fabi Reyna is the Founder of She Shreds Magazine and organizer for Shred Fest. She began playing guitar at the age of 9 and has been an integral part of her music community ever since. Past music gigs include U.S and European tours as a guitar and bass player with numerous bands as well as booking shows during SXSW and even more fun basement shows. Current and past bands include The Ghost Ease, Newman/Schonberg/Reyna Group, Reynosa, Sexhair, and Chain & the Gang.

Michele Fleischli / Artist Relations
The Windish Agency
Michele has been an artist manager for two decades, having guided the careers of Bad Religion, Sonic Youth, Beck, Tenacious D, Ryan Adams and Charlotte Gainsbourg, as well as provided support for Foo Fighters, Beastie Boys, Rage Against The Machine, Queens of the Stone Age, Norah Jones, Jimmy Eat World and Band of Horses. Michele has produced wide-ranging and large-scale projects from Tenacious D’s now-annual music and comedy festival (Festival Supreme) to Beck’s collaboration with Lincoln Motor for the car company’s “Hello Again” campaign. “Hello Again” featured 160+ musicians performing live in the round, with Beck at the center of it all, and was captured by visionary director Chris Milk.

Sadie Dupuis / Guitarist
Speedy Ortiz
With an MFA in poetry and once a teacher at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst (she ended her tenure to devote herself full-time to the band), her impeccable use of language is glaring in both her unconventional storytelling lyrics and her day-to-day living. Whether she’s getting real and upfront about her experiences as front-woman and guitarist of Speedy Ortiz, or just sounding off on Twitter, Dupuis is never at a loss for words.

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