Reflections: How the First Three Months of 2018 Changed Everything

Whew! 2018 is flying by, and it's hard to believe we're a quarter of the way through the year! How the heck is it almost April?

What happened so far?

With a quarter nearly down, I wanted to take some time to reflect on the awesomeness of 2018 for women in music so far. Women's equality in the music industry was brought to light in a tremendous way  in the first part of the year, and it will most certainly set the tone for the unforeseeable future.

We started out the year with the USC Annenberg Diversity Report: Inclusion in the Recording Studio, moved right into #grammysomale, which then lead to the outrage over comments made over women needing to "step up."

And that was all by the beginning of February.

Since then, the Recording Academy created a task force helmed by Tina Tchen, former chief of staff to Michelle Obama. Gail Mitchell's mentions in her article in the March 10, 2018 issue of Billboard Magazine that the purpose of this task force is to review and identify "the various barriers and unconscious biases faced by underrepresented communities throughout the music industry and, specifically, across Recording Academy operations and policies."

We've also seen panels at NAMM and SXSW, discussions and panels held by major companies in the industry, and female artists and industry executives stand up for themselves and for other women in the industry. People are talking and taking inspiring and encouraging action to not only highlight gender inequalities, but to discuss the steps we need to take as an industry to create an equal workplace. 

This is what's fueling this blog, and I can't wait to see what's to come in the next three months, six months, and year.

Album Releases: January - March

While some women stepped up to shed light on the inequities in music, others released phenomenal albums that need to be heard and shared. Here is just a small list of a variety of albums by women released January - March. Give them a listen, share, and go see them play live!

Charlotte Day Wilson - Stone Woman

I'm With Her - See You Around

Brandi Carlile - By The Way, I Forgive You

Screaming Females - All at Once

Haley Kiyoko - Expectations

Ashley McBryde - Girl Going Nowhere

Kacey Musgraves - Golden Hour

Dorothy - 28 Days in the Valley

Lucy Dacus - Historian

Katie Herzig - Moment of Bliss

Haley Heynderickx - I Need to Start a Garden

Bea Miller - Aurora

Moving Forward: Reflections and What's to Come

What positive action did you see come to light in the first three months of the year? Did you hear a phenomenal release by a woman this year? What releases are you anticipating in the next few months? What actions do you think we can take to create equality in the music industry for artists, songwriters, producers, and executives?

Comment below to share your thoughts!