#57: Empowering Women In Music
It was wonderful to chat with musician, producer, activist and educator Xylo Aria about her career in music and her work with Music Production for Women (MPW).
From accountant to founder of a music school that empowers women to produce music, tune in for a fascinating podcast with Xylo Aria. Talented musician, songwriter, engineer and producer in addition to her work for MPW. Inspiring not only for women seeking their place in the music industry, but also for men who want to be their champions.
Audio Talks
A podcast on all things audio presented to you by HARMAN and our family of audio brands including JBL, Harman Kardon and AKG. Host Oisin Lunny, music journalist and audio enthusiast, will interview expert guests, legends of the music industry, and audio scientists to discuss the power of music and audio in all its facets.
About Xylo Aria
Xylo Aria is a singer, producer, entrepreneur and true visionary. Born in India, identifying with Australia but residing in the UK, Xylo brings her global perspective into her music and everything she does. Her journey in music began during her formative years while being introduced to traditional Indian Carnatic music by her grandmother. Sparking her interest, she began creating originals at the age of 12 and collaborating with numerous Melbourne based producers. This lead to her debut EP release, Arrow, followed by the single Paradigm both of which got significant coverage on Australian publications including Tonedeaf, Music Talks and Australian Music Scene as well as radio coverage on numerous independent radios such as PBS and Triple R.
In 2017 Xylo took the decision to produce her own music, after which she released her first self produced track Pig which was the first of a few tracks with an environmental message. The track was hailed as “A haunting slice of downtempo electronica dealing with some heady issues” by music blog Pile Rats and it did indeed have a unique ambient quality which would soon become her signature. After the release of collaboration track MRI, Xylo began reflecting on the hardships she faced as a female musician working with a choice of only male producers and also the challenges of learning to self produce one’s music in an area of music which was heavily dominated by men. This self-reflection planted the seed for the online education platform MPW – Music Production for Women. Launched in 2019, which she founded and created.
About MPW
MPW was created to go beyond the realms of educating women, and become a movement in the music industry which would empower and encourage more women to take their first steps into music technology. Within it’s first few months of conception MPW has been asked to participate in a Leverhulme Trust funded study undertaken by Portsmouth University exploring the causes of female under-representation in music production, featured in numerous podcasts and included in various articles on the topic and received support from music software giant, Ableton Live. Xylo’s sheer determination and persistence in proactively equipping any interested women with the skills she needs to enter music production is truly inspirational. “It’s time we started empowering ourselves and each other, if we wait for others to provide the stepping stone, we’ll be waiting forever” she says.
About HARMAN
HARMAN engineers solutions to enhance life’s experiences, simplifying the way people interact with technology and connecting them to the world around them.
HARMAN designs and engineers connected products and solutions for automakers, consumers, and enterprises worldwide, including connected car systems, audio and visual products, enterprise automation solutions; and connected services. Our talented workforce and innovation strength create value for our stakeholders by enabling rich experiences through the connected car, connected enterprise and connected lifestyle.
Audiophiles from every generation call on HARMAN to deliver the best in sound in the studio and on the stage, at home and on the go. HARMAN’s portfolio of legendary audio brands includes AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®, Lexicon®, Mark Levinson®and Revel®. More than 50 million vehicles on the road today enjoy an enhanced driving experience, thanks to HARMAN audio and infotainment. We extend the same spirit of innovation to the world’s leading performance and sporting venues, providing everyone with the best seats in the house.
Seizing the rich opportunities of today’s global markets requires more than legendary sound. HARMAN has reshaped our organization and cost structure to make the Company more agile in a changing world and addressed the rising importance of highly integrated, software-rich products and services. Most importantly, our track record of innovation, which has distinguished HARMAN and its premium audio and infotainment brands for more than 60 years, continues.
Audio Talks is presented by Harman.
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