FIRST THOUGHT: Following Your Dreams at Any Age
It seems like as early as 1st grade, people ask what you want to be when you grow up. In high school, they ask where you’re going to college and what your major is going to be. When you graduate college, you’re supposed to be all set in your life-long career.
When you get older, you realize that’s not how it works. People change, and with them, so do their careers. We are no longer afraid to seek out new opportunities. Do you remember a time when you were brave enough to jump into the unknown abyss?
WOMEN IN NUMBERS: 32.2 Percent
It’s no secret that the music biz is tough to get into. Dreams of getting discovered at a karaoke bar are typically just that, dreams. But what if you want to get a job in the music industry? If you’re a guy, no problem, but if you’re a woman, it’s a long shot.
According to the nonprofit Creative & Cultural Skills, a measly 32.2 percent of music-industry-related jobs are held by women. Sure, we can try to be Almost Famous-style groupies, but we want more than that. We deserve more.
WOMAN TO WATCH: Andra Liemandt, Drummer of The Mrs.
Not only is the whole being a woman thing an obstacle in the music industry, but age also plays a major factor. Despite what Hollywood would have you believe, women don’t stay 25 forever, and their dreams don’t disappear once they hit 30 or 40 or 50.
Andra Liemandt was your average 35-year-old mother of two daughters. Then she picked up the drumsticks and started a girl band called The Mrs.
Music-industry giants dismissed the band, saying they were just too dang old. Fortunately, the Internet exists and those music executives would soon eat their words.
The Mrs. released a catchy song about insecurities and self-acceptance called Enough, on YouTube. The non-traditional music video will bring you to tears (in a totally uplifting way).
Five million views later, the band appeared on Good Morning America and graced the pages of People magazine. Enough isn’t just a song for Liemandt and her band members, it’s their mission.
Now in her 40s, Liemandt continues to connect with women through her music and The Mrs. movement, called #ImEnough. The band even has an app called Magic Mirror that allows users to send supportive messages to friends and families.
The Mrs. released their debut EP in 2015 (Retail Therapy is my jam), and at South By Southwest this year, they rocked out at a celebration hosted by Empowering a Billion Women, a movement that provides women entrepreneurs with the funding and educational tools they need to be successful.
The band recently unveiled Enough Remix, an electrifying anthem you’ll belt out at a club with your girlfriends or in the shower before you start the day. Liemandt says this message is what The Mrs.’ music is all about. Now say it with me: “I’m enough.”
Their latest single, Draw The Line, was just released with all proceeds going to SAFE, the acronym for Stop Abuse for Everyone. That’s quite an encore for The Mrs.!
QUITE THE QUOTE
While many know Audrey Hepburn spent her younger days acting, she spent her later years as a dedicated humanitarian. Hepburn once remarked: “And the beauty of a woman, with passing years, only grows!”
That’s all for now. Be sure to share this so more women can have a voice! Thanks for getting ready with us.
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