Celebrating 6 years of Musical Service! Join us, today!
As of July 1, 2013, we have 221 members, 107 musicians!
Music, the sound of the spheres, begins in the womb! ~ Diva JC
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MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
A supermoon in June granted us all access to the energy of the spheres, where the music resides. Women and the moon have been synonymous, since the beginning of humankind. Summer is full of possibilities and WIJSF members are taking full advantage.
WIJSF operates off of membership dues ($50 annually), CD sales, grants, and donations. To date, we’ve received $2,000 in memberships. CDs are available online. This year, three grant proposals that we submitted were denied by Florida State Cultural Division, Funding Arts Broward (FAB!), and Broward Schools Student Enrichment in the Arts (SEAS). Florida State budget cuts for culture have made it difficult for most cultural organizations like ours. That’s why I’ve utilized crowdfunding sites like GoFundMe to raise the money needed to get to Italy for the WIMUST Conference, in July.
Previously, I used Indiegogo, Kickstarter, StayClassy, and United States Artists, to no avail. I spent hours promoting these efforts. The glitch is, if you don’t raise ALL the money you request in the specified time, you don’t get one cent. These sites get lots of exposure at your expense. But GOFUNDME is different! You get every dollar you raise minus 9% and, to date, we raised $2,265 from over 50 wonderful donors, who see the vision.
The Annual General Meeting for WIMUST will be held in Fiuggi, Italy, with arrival during the afternoon of the 4th July, meetings on the 5th and 6th and departure on the morning of the 7th July. Hotels will be in downtown Fiuggi while meetings are in the medieval village of Fiuggi Città. Fondazione Adkins Chiti has offered my room at Euro 45 per night. The hotel is 200 metres from the train station, with swimming pool and beauty farm (spa?). The trip from Rome to Fiuggi is about 1.5 hours.
The language of the meeting is English. One session will be devoted to the investigation of mechanisms producing inequalities, with statistics regarding programming of women’s music by publicly funded institutions. At meetings in 2011 and 2012, we began a list of discrimination and passed this on to EUP parliamenterians and the media. It would be useful to have copies of articles or documents which demonstrate what the difficulties are. We must make concrete suggestions to overcome these – some proposals have arrived and range from (a) sending of letters to ministries, unions, teaching institutions (b) writing to chamber music organisations and festivals and (c) the setting up of a GuideBook for Self Help for women composers and musicians. Read the June Newsletter and sign the WIMUST Petition.
Now, I’m getting excited!!! My flight itinerary is confirmed from Hollywood, Florida to Rome, Italy, on July 2, 2013. We MUST thank the contributors to the crowdfunding site that has raised travel expenses to attend this important event. A 30-year–old organization, Donne in Musica has enlisted WIJSF as an International Honorary Committee Member and mentors our organization on issues of equity for women musicians. The report of the previous WIMUST Conference is telling about the inequity of opportunities and earned income of women musicians, when compared to those offered to male musicians. Men preponderate in the various fields and genres of music production with statistics that 85% of jazz musicians are male, according to researcher Joan Jeffri, in her report for the National Endowment of the Arts (NEA), Changing The Beat: A Study of the Worklife of Jazz Musicians.
I know the work we do is important, especially for the next generation of women musicians, who will follow in our footsteps. I know many of the musicians in our organization are concentrating on their musical production and performance. But we must consciously create opportunities for girls and young women pursuing musical careers. There are numerous opportunities for music in films, television, theater, concerts, festivals, community events, etc. If we are not consciously creating opportunities for women musicians, they will continue to be marginalized in the music industry. WIMUST means Women in Music Using Strategies for Talent. This movement is spearheaded by Fondazione Adkins-Chiti: Donne in Musica. If you have not read their 2012 report, take the time to do so. It will open your eyes to the dilemma women musicians face in Europe and worldwide. Click http://www.donneinmusica.org/wimust/ and read. Then, if you haven’t already done so, consider donating $5 or more to my travel expenses to this most important conference. http://gofundme.com/jc-wimust.
MANY THANKS to our new President Lorna Lesperance and Vice President Cleve Bryant for their generous donations to this effort. A past guests on MUSICWOMAN Radio, Magda Machedo sent $200 from Hong Kong by Western Union!!! Friends Qyneares Hanifa, Jackie Rule, and Dosica Johnson sent checks, as did members Oshunrire Naomi James and Janice Boursiquot! So many WIJSF members supported this effort, including Ronnie Dunayer, Dotti Anita Taylor, Kathy Yolanda Rice, Ellen Burton, LaQuetta Shamblee, Rory Ranucci, Bill French, Sharon Marie Cline, Yvette Norwood Tiger, Geetu Hinduja, Ragan Whiteside Johnson, and Glenda McQueen.
SPECIAL DEVELOPMENT: Our International President Cettina Donato will be participating in vocal workshops for Berklee students at the Umbria Jazz Festival. I’ve been granted a press pass to one of the concert venues and Cettina referred me to a small hotel, where I can stay inexpensively for four days. So, from Fiuggi, I will go on to Perugia for this exciting festival, where I’m sure to recruit some new members and spread the word about our mission and to meet Cettina face-to-face!
Also, new members: Robbie Bell (Miami, FL), Deanna Cannon (Atlanta, GA), Towanda Beatty (East Orange, NJ), Mary L. De Vattimo (our first Australian member!!!), and Denise St Patrick Bell (Margate, FL) donated $75 or more at the GoFundMe site, garnering their membership.
Listen to recent interview on MUSICWOMAN Radio with Music Engineer and Clarinetist Deanna Cannon. |
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YOUR STORIES: Members may submit photos, fliers, and announcements to Joan Cartwright at divajc47@yahoo.com by the 28th of each month.
With much love and appreciation,
Joan Cartwright
ACCOMPLISHMENTS and OPPORTUNITIES
Amanda Sedgwick, our Immediate Past International President performs on a new stage in Stockholm
Karin Hammar joins Amanda Sedgwick in big band in Sweden
On June 23, Jus’ Cynthia returned from a successful two-city tour in Russia. “My first stop was a 2.5 hour flight from Moscow to Ekaterinburg. I rehearsed with some good musicians. The show was even better. We did two 45-minute sets and the audience was very receptive. I didn’t get a chance to work up a sweat. Then, it was back to Moscow the next morning. In both cities, I was assigned an assistant for interpretations arranging for meals transportation and any other things I might need. I want this to be part of all future contracts. I arrived in Moscow on Friday morning and only had time to check into the hotel, then off to the radio station for an interview. This is Peter the DJ at 105.3 FM, the only English radio station in Moscow. Peter is from Winter Haven, Florida. For 20 minutes, we talked. He played two of my songs and advertised my Friday gig at The Union of Composers Jazz Club and Saturday at The B2 Jazz Club. The musicians were excellent. The audiences were great! They fed and treated me well and I got bouquets of flowers. What an adventure!” ~ Jus’ Cynthia
On June 19 and 26, Marika Guyton of AboutU4U, LLC and Priscilla Dames of Wingspan Seminars joined Joan Cartwright to address youth emerging from the foster care system about culture, entertainment, social interchange, image, career, service, and conflict resolution for a wonderful Miami non-profit Educate Tomorrow.
MUSICWOMAN RADIO will be on vacation, during the month of July. Check out the archived shows in June at BlogTalkRadio.
We are working diligently to get bookings for the Amazing Musicwomen Ensemble in South Florida, around the state, and the nation. Please share this link with any directors of cultural centers, museums, libraries, etc., where we may be able to book the performance. Get more information in the Press Release at http://wijsf.com/media.htm. You or your associates may contact our Marketing & Promotions Director Marika Guyton to discuss bookings. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.
Photo by Cleve Bryant
Encourage your friends and family to purchase one or more of our compilation CDs, featuring 27 fabulous women composers! These CDs featuring the original music of women make lovely gifts for your friends, family, associates, clients, and anyone you want to bless with good music.
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We’re calling for 10 women composers to submit one song for our fourth compilation CD to release in January 2014. It is imperative that you contact Joan Cartwright immediately, if you are interested in this great opportunity to join women composers on this special project. Send an email to divajc47@yahoo.com with the subject: SUBMISSION TO WIJSF MUSIC COLLECTION IV, today!
UPCOMING PERFORMANCES and EVENTS
Following a 9-day tour in the USA with Liviu Pop (d) featuring the Saskia Laroo Band with Bernhard Haaks on drums, and Duo Laroo/Byrd on trumpet and keypboards, and the Afro-Semitic Experience, Laroo/Byrd appear on Saturday, July 6, at the Kroepoekfabriek , Vlaardingen, Neterlands with students of dance master Noes Fiolet in a new, multi-disciplinair concert entitled “Dance to be Free” by the Saskia Laroo Band .
[Right] Radha Botofasina is featured in the Many bulbs/One current concert at the First Unitarian Universalist on Saturday, July 6, 2013 at 4:00 p.m. at Church of San Diego 298 West Arbor Drive, San Diego, California. On original work by Radhaplaying harp and singing selections from Meditations on the Supreme Suite, , along with several women from many cultures sharing their particular cultural musical prospective.
[Below] Besides being cast in four plays and producing a weekly WebTV Show, The Arts Reporter Mimi Johnson hosts events all over Atlanta, GA. Be sure to tune into her weekly show and attend events like this one below, if you live in Atlanta! Mimi continues to serve as the Secretary of WIJSF.
Thanks to all who came out to my performance at Jazz Pon Di River. Now, please support Jus’ Cynthia on July 26!!!
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Please consider donating $5 or more to Joan’s travel expenses to Italy for the WIMUST Conference and Umbria Jazz Festifal. This fund will remain open until it reaches $3,500, or until Joan’s return: http://gofundme.com/jc-wimust. — divajc (@divajc) June 18, 2013
Members may submit photos, fliers, and announcements to Joan Cartwright at divajc47@yahoo.com by the 28th of each month.
THE LAST NOTE
Please consider donating $5 or more to Joan’s travel expenses to Italy for the WIMUST Conference and Umbria Jazz Festifal. This fund will remain open until it reaches $3,500, or until Joan’s return: http://gofundme.com/jc-wimust.
Members may submit photos, fliers, and announcements to Joan Cartwright at divajc47@yahoo.com by the 28th of each month.
musicwomanarchive.com 