Women in the Music Industry

Ketty Lester sang several ballads while in a recording studio in Los Angeles in 1963, under the assumption that the point of the session was an audition to explore her musical range and style. In fact, that session was recorded to tape and at the very end when the producer asked for one more song...
Gail Muldrow is a vocalist and guitarist who grew up completely surrounded by music. Living in the Oakland area, she would often take trips into San Francisco to experience the vibrant music scene. One of her close friends while in high school was Sly Stone of Sly and the Family Stone. Sly allowed...
Beverly Noga learned all she knows from her mother about the music business. Helen Noga was one of the owners of the Blackhawk Club and the Downbeat Club in San Francisco, California, who later became the woman who discovered Johnny Mathis and brought him to the height of his career. Later, Beverly...
Rosa Gil del Bosque was the only female founder of Amigos de la Guitarra de Valencia, an organization dedicated to presenting concerts that showcase the classical guitar in and around Valencia, Spain. Rosa, who began playing guitar as a child, wrote several songs for the guitar including “...
Consuelo Diez was strongly encouraged by her piano teachers growing up. One in particular suggested she focus on composition, which altered her career. As a composer, Consuelo wrote works for piano and full orchestras as well as electronic musical instruments. During her 2020 NAMM Oral History...
Donez McNeely sang in choir during her school days, following in the footsteps of her older sister who was a lead singer in a band. In 1980, Donez (whose name is derived by combining her two grandmother’s names) was hired by Samuel Music in Illinois as a filing clerk. The founder, Lowell Samuel,...
Karrie Keyes grew up with a deep appreciation and understanding of art. She played in both band and orchestra at school. As a teenager in Los Angeles in the early days of the punk rock movement, Karrie began helping load out gear for local bands. The staging company Rat Sound hired her and before...
Smaragda Chrysostomou is a board member of the International Society for Music Education and serves as an advocate throughout the world in such organizations as the International Coalition during each Anaheim NAMM Show. Her dedication to music education runs deep and covers the concerns of general...
Jodi Siegel grew up in a musical family and developed a passion for music at a young age. Jodi started playing the ukulele because of its size but quickly moved onto the guitar. A big influence for her was Duane Allman, whom she would try to figure out how to replicate the sound of without...
Andrea Fernandez and her business partner (and husband), Fernando Jimenez, opened a small music store to support local musicians. The company name, DON Bolivia, means a gift from above, which reflects their belief in the power of music. Her main focus is working with manufacturers, understanding...

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