I had just finished my third studio album as a recording artist but my career was rapidly moving to the other side of the glass without much effort or consent on my part. Additionally, there are too few females in the spotlight and I think if more of us had the opportunity to shine, other women would aspire to that same brightness.īeats By Girlz started as an idea I had during a meeting in October of 2013. But I think a good start would be to create more content which represents women, is geared towards educating women and marketed towards them. The issue is complex and has a lot to do with how our culture evolves (.slowly). What do you think the music technology community can do to address the gender imbalance?

The fact that it's being taught from one woman to another and the support it provides makes a huge difference. I used my experience as a women in music technology to create educational content and situations that were female powered and centric, which I think is the key. I think it's hard for most women to comfortably learn in an environment where they're surrounded by men and even more so when you're dealing with young adults and teens.

I've always received feedback from fellow females telling me that they like learning from me because I'm a woman, that they feel comfortable and finally feel like they’re being understood. How did your personal experience as a female musician inform your approach to Beats by Girlz? We spoke to Erin about the project, and how it relates to her own music and experiences. Drawing from her experience as a female electronic and pop musician, New York-based Erin Barra started Beats by Girlz, a series of production and recording classes for women, offered at the Lower Eastside Girls Club.

Go to any festival, however, and you’re likely to notice a heavy bias towards male performers. The past five years have seen an explosion in popularity of dance music festivals, in particular in the US.

Making beats on ableton