Femme it Forward, a female-led music and entertainment company, announced a new mentorship program that continues the organization’s legacy of uplifting women in music, according to a press release sent Wednesday. MUSE (Musicians Uplifting Stars Everyday) is a multi-pronged initiative that will guide emerging artists and other creatives across different disciplines in the music industry.
Alicia Keys, Erykah Badu and Teyana Taylor will serve as MUSE advisers. Each of them will participate in moderated discussions and Q&A programming where members in MUSE’s 2024 cohort will learn more about how to navigate the music business.
“I have made it my mission to pave the way for future generations of women to be equipped with the tools they need to sit at any table,” said Femme It Forward founder Heather Lowery in a statement. “MUSE has lived in my heart for the last three years, and I am honored to release it into reality as a high-powered program to combat the inequities, disparities and disturbing statistics around the historic underrepresentation of women in the music industry, especially women of color.”
In 2019, Lowery, a Delaware native and graduate of Spelman College, initially launched Femme It Forward as a live series platform to put more female musicians on stage.
Credit: Femme It Forward
Credit: Femme It Forward
“I did a panel for Billboard in 2018, and I was asked what I was doing to support women in music and live music,” Lowery previously told the AJC. “I just remember making something up and not really having an answer for it, but it was something that kind of bothered me and haunted me until I figured it out.”
Today, her company, which partners with LiveNation, is more than just a live series. It’s a movement. Femme It Forward regularly hosts events and programs that celebrate women in music while making the industry more accessible for them. For example, the Los Angeles-based company also has a Next Gem Femme program, which creates business opportunities for young women of color.
The inaugural MUSE cohort includes over 40 mentors and mentees — from songwriters to DJs to producers and more. Notable mentors include singer Amber Riley and rappers Rapsody and Trina. The program will run for seven months. Mentors, mentees and advisers will rotate each year.
Atlanta singer DaVionne will be mentored by singer/songwriter Jozzy. Legendary Miami rapper Trina will mentor Atlanta rapper Kaliii, who’s featured in the AJC’s documentary “The South Got Something to Say.”
“Heather’s MUSE is creating a powerful circle of women from different backgrounds and across multiple generations,” Erykah Badu said in a statement. “I am choosing to share my legacy by becoming a MUSE advisor to encourage and educate this circle and help the next generation become an improvement on the design that precedes them.”
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