By Talia Witherspoon
On October 12, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) hosted its second annual “Women Behind the Music” series. Honorees included entertainment attorney Sandra Brown, General Manager of Grand Hustle Records Hannah Kang and singer/songwriter Kelly Rowland. In each of their careers, these women have become influential players in the entertainment industry.
V103 radio personality Rashan Ali hosted the event, which included a roundtable discussion on how the honorees navigated their way to success in a male-dominated industry. All of the ladies emphasized diligence and integrity as key traits when pursuing professional goals. Brown encouraged young women to “work hard and not think about the fact that you’re a woman.” “Success,” she added, “is not an overnight process.” Kang emphasized that aspiring artists should utilize new media outlets as ways to give themselves more platforms for exposure.
Social media has reinvented not only the way that people communicate, but also how they access and share connections. In entertainment, networking is crucial to one’s career. Roland insisted that in the process of building relationships, it is important to “remain who you are, and when it comes to business, do business first.” This is practical advice for any artist — musical, visual or otherwise.