Backstage Chats Foundation

Backstage Chats Foundation (BCF) is on a mission to eliminate gender disparity in modern music by amplifying the stories and careers of women in music. We believe that: Music is the Great Uniter Uplifting others brings joy Sharing stories creates positive change Investing in women is wise Collaboration trumps competition In practice, BCF promotes women in music through entertaining podcast interviews and donates scholarship grants to organizations uplifting the next generation of female music makers through camps and workshops. The statistics are shocking when you consider that music is The Great Uniter. Women only account for: 12% of acts hired for major US music festivals (2012-2017) 5% of sound engineers 2% of music producers 9% of GRAMMY nominees (2013-2018) Yet, ~50% of ticket buyers and music streamers/buyers are female. *That* is gender disparity! If women do not hear or see other women expressing themselves creatively, how are they to do it themselves and set an example for future generations? "The Backstage Chats With Women in Music" podcast is produced by BCF and features women's stories and the adventures of working in all roles of the music industry: musicians, vocalists, songwriters, producers, audio engineers, managers, record executives, professors, music therapists, and more. The podcast launched in May 2019 and aired six episodes with 12 more recorded and ready for production as funding permits. Women are thrilled to share their perspectives and stories, which in turn, inspire the next generation of women. Add to that our scholarship grants, and teens who have no financial or social means to express themselves creatively or to build a music-related career suddenly have a support system that builds their confidence and experience in a male-dominated industry. Our first beneficiaries are Girls Rock Austin (GRA) and Soundgirls.org, both of which offer summer camps, workshops and mentorships for teens. Many qualified campers are foster kids, orphans, refugees, immigrants and other at-risk youth. "SoundGirls.org hosts sound camps for teens each summer because training and investing in the next generation is how lasting change happens. Backstage Chats Foundation understands that and is committed to helping us achieve our goals," says Leslie Gaston-Bird, SoundGirls U.K. Co-Director and Grants and Scholarship Committee. GRA Director Jamie Bahr says, "Squashing the 'imposter syndrome' that many girls experience takes not only mentorship and practice, but also media support. When campers hear women from around the world sharing their stories, they feel part of a community. It's a confidence booster." BCF founder Thea Wood has worked in online content publishing for over 25 years with experience ranging from managing local music magazines, to co-creating and expanding America Online's original music channel, to publishing an international online magazine empowering midlife women, to appearing as the premiere speaker at the inaugural TEDx UT Austin event. Thea has assembled a talented and growing board of directors and volunteers and raised over $10,000 through personal networking in the past five months. All while setting up the foundation and launching the podcast, websites, and social media. Expecting to be registered in all U.S. states within the next month, Thea is ready to take fundraising to the next level and reach BCF's ambitious goal of raising $75,000 by end of Year One. That covers startup and overhead costs and ~40 scholarships. That's where GlobalGiving comes in! With the support of your training, tools, and global network, we can meet or surpass our fundraising goal and create gender harmony in the music industry for the next generation.