Femme It Forward has announced the expansion of its mentorship endeavors with the launch of “MUSE” (Musicians Uplifting Stars Everyday), a new Mentorship Program specifically created to guide and advise emerging female artists and creatives in the music industry. New mentors include Erykah Badu, Alicia Keys, and Teyana Taylor.
Under the direction of FIF’s Founder and President, Live Nation Partner Heather Lowery, “MUSE” will serve the creative side of the business and complement FIF’s existing Next Gem Femme mentorship program, which offers a mentorship track for rising women of color executives and entrepreneurs to find space in the entertainment industry.
MUSE is a multi-pronged initiative that will bring together women across different disciplines within the music industry to inspire, empower, and mentor one another, uplift their communities, and generate new music.
“I have made it my mission to pave the way for future generations of women to be equipped with the tools they need to sit at any table,” says FIF’s President and Founder, Heather Lowery. “MUSE has lived in my heart for the last 3 years, and I am honored to release it into reality as a high-powered program to combat the inequities, disparities, and disturbing statistics around the historic underrepresentation of women in the music industry, especially women of color.”
Lowery recruited music industry powerhouses Alicia Keys, Erykah Badu, and Teyana Taylor as MUSE advisors. They will each participate in a moderated conversation and unique Q&A programming, led by Heather Lowery, to serve as an open forum for the creatives in the MUSE program to receive advice and anecdotes to illuminate new career paths.
“Heather’s MUSE is creating a powerful circle of women from different backgrounds and across multiple generations,” Erykah Badu said. “I am choosing to share my legacy by becoming a MUSE advisor to encourage and educate this circle and help the next generation become an improvement on the design that precedes them.”
In addition to these advisors, a bench of award-winning artists and creatives will serve as hands-on mentors including producer and songwriter duo Nova Wav, songwriter and artist Nija, songwriter and artist Jozzy, and 4x Grammy-winning engineer Ann Mincieli. Rapper Rapsody is paired with Brittany Carter, Trina is paired with Kaliii, and Amber Riley is paired with Jane Handcock under the MUSE mentorship umbrella.
Visit Femme It Forwards’s MUSE website for more information.