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How Artist Development is Breaking Down Stereotypes In Music

Better Noise Music is developing a powerful roster of diverse musicians who are taking the world of rock by storm.

On the heels of the 2020 Grammys, Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs said that the lack of diversity in the music business is “not a revelation.“ 

In a music industry that continues to stereotype artists, there are exceptions. Better Noise Music, home to Top 10 Active Rock artists Bad Wolves, Fire From The Gods, Mongolian rock band The Hu and Just Loud, have developed one of the most diverse groups of artists to ever reach Top 10 simultaneously.  With the support of major radio partners like iHeart, and Cumulus, the label is able to bring their roster to ever-expanding audiences.  “With the support of these radio platforms, we have been able to diversify rock.  There are many other genres that need to take this lesson, whether Country, Alternative, Rock or Pop.  The more diverse the music, the more your audience will engage,” said Allen Kovac, CEO of Better Noise Music.

Better Noise Music COO, Steve Kline, added “It is our label’s mission to evolve not just sonically, but to also move forward culturally.  As she leads the industry in rock radio market share, Jackie Kajzer (SVP Promotion) embodies these critical elements when partnering with radio to develop a broad range of artists telling their unique stories and engaging listeners.”

In the world of rock music, a genre whose “whiteness” belies its black music origins, some of the fastest-rising artists reflect a new sonic and racial diversity.  Fronted by Tommy Vext, Bad Wolves has dominated the Rock radio charts since their inception, with the band’s first four singles shooting to #1 at the format. 

SiriusXM/Pandora’s only Rock genre Artist to Watch for 2020, Fire From The Gods serves up music with a message of unity.  Lead singer AJ Channer, who was born in the Bronx and moved to Ghana as a kid, says “With this record what we’re trying to drive home is that our differences and where we are from doesn’t need to define who we are moving forward.”

Not only does the label take great pride in these artists, so do their contemporaries.  William DuVall of Alice In Chains sums it up well saying “I’m very happy for the success of Bad Wolves and Fire From The Gods. Tommy Vext and AJ Channer have such unique and interesting stories to tell. That’s what playing music is about: getting to tell your story, being seen so that you can hopefully make other people feel seen. For that, we need diversity in the landscape. It’s essential.”  DuVall, Vext and Channer represent a type of success that is not ‘traditional’ or ‘expected’ and is certainly not “urban.”

Want even more Bad Wolves content? Here are lessons every artist should learn from the band’s tireless work ethic:

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Inside Music #64 – Anna Maria (AbsolutePunk)

On this episode of INSIDE MUSIC, host James Shotwell calls writer Anna Maria to start an open dialogue about diversity in music writing, as well as the way blogs are covering accusations of sexual assault within the alternative music scene. Both these topics have become hot button issues over the last year, and together James and Anna hope to answer as many questions they feel people have as possible. James and Anna are planning a follow-up conversation, so if you have any additional questions please do not hesitate to tweet them to @insidemusic or @theeannamaria on Twitter. You can also email you thoughts and questions to james@haulix.com.

The music you hear in this episode is “Everybody Does” by 6131 Records artist Julien Baker.

You may already know this, but Inside Music is now available on iTunes! Click here to subscribe.

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Festival Raises Eyebrows With ‘Wage Gap Pricing’

There has not been a single week in 2016 so far that has come and gone without one or more major stories related to music industry and its ongoing problem with diversity. If such a time has passed, then it’s likely the big story that particular week was related to sexual assault and/or accusations of such despicable activity within the industry. When history looks back at this year in entertainment diversity, sex crimes, and the ongoing battle for equality will be the themes of the conversation, and it’s up to every individuals to decide which views and positions they promote. You can choose to do nothing, but that may be worse than taking what is perceived to be the ‘wrong’ stance.

Cinder Block Comedy Festival, which takes place in Williamsburg, has been garnering international attention over the last week for their decision to use what they call ‘wage gap pricing’ when setting submission rates for applications to perform. Specifically, the festival is offering a discounted rate to LGBT, people of color and women that is meant as a response to the ongoing disparity between the income of white males and everyone else. Some have called the actions unfair, while others have championed the festival for putting action behind their promise to offer a diverse lineup. Here’s what the festival organizers have to say:

“Over the past few days, we have received an overwhelming amount of feedback concerning our decision to employ ‘wage gap pricing’ in the application process for the Cinder Block Comedy Festival, charging women, people of color, and members of the LGBTQIA community 77 cents on the dollar, an acknowledgement of the pay disparity in the United States. We would like to publicly state that we stand by our decision and our commitment to creating a diverse comedy festival, showcasing talent from all backgrounds.

In addition, we have decided to open our wage-gap priced early bird discount to people with disabilities of all types, as they are an under-represented group as well, and the wage-gap priced early bird deadline will be extended until March 31st. General applications will become available on April 1st and that deadline has also been extended to April 30th.”

If you’re a white male who read the above statement and now are questioning whether or not the festival is even interested in your presence, stop being absurd. As the fest organizers explain in the FAQ section of their site, Cinder Block is open to everyone:

Q: I’m a white male. Can I still be in the festival?

A: Yes! Some of our favorite comics are white males. Cinder Block isn’t about excluding white guys. We’re about including a varietal rainbow of background and experiences, so as to cultivate a more exciting comedy experience for the audience.

It’s unclear at this time whether or not the actions of Cinder Block Comedy Festival will encourage other events to offer similar pricing structures, but it’s entirely possible. In a time when it seems everyone is looking for ways to be more diverse, wage gap pricing offers a small solution that could have a big impact on who gets to perform at certain events. 

Do you think ‘wage gap pricing’ is a good idea?

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