Featured photo by Kerstie Wolaver
Story by Kerstie Wolaver
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National Songwriters Association International and Women in Audio held a spellbinding night of acoustic music, headlining talented female artists at the Chris Young Cafe on Feb. 23.
The Songwriters Showcase, complete with a lineup of all female artists, charmed the audience with storytelling and a style unique to each musician.
The lineup for the showcase included Aleya Fyffe, Maya Jones, Riley Newman, Brittany Evers, Lauren Teel and Ashlyn Dickerson, all of whom are pictures of songwriting talent as they share their personal stories with a Friday night crowd.
The main goal of this event was to connect female artists, help women find one another and allow female entertainers to gain exposure to the live sound environment, said Kelly Grenvik, president of Women in Audio.
The entertainers did just that, revealing a glimpse into their lives through their songwriting to an audience of music lovers, friends and family.
A particular artist, Riley Newman, said her favorite song is “Peach Tea,” and her new song, “Heat,” was released on March 8. Newman included both songs in her showcase setlist.
Other artists told the audience stories of their past, such as Brittany Evers, who shared that her next single, “Pretty in Pink,” is special to her as it is written about a close friend. Similarly, Lauren Teel performed “That Truck,” an especially sentimental song written about her dad.
In a male-dominated field, “it’s hard to find girls to connect to,” said Grenvik. Which is why the Women in Audio Club was born.
These women gravitate together because of the lack of women in their program. Professionally, about 7.7% of audio engineers are women out of the 9,796 currently employed.
“It can be isolating,” said Grenvik. “It’s nice to know that you’re not alone.”
The purpose of this event, and others like it, is just that, to let female artists know that they have a community on campus and to equip them to work in live entertainment as they meet other women in their field.
Grenvik expressed gratitude for the collaboration between Women in Audio and NSAI, saying it would not be possible without every single person who helped put on this event.
Kerstie Wolaver is a contributing writer for MTSU Sidelines.
To contact Lifestyles Editor Destiny Mizell and Assistant Lifestyles Editor Shamani Salahuddin, email lifestyles@mtsusidelines.com.
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