How mentorship can support women in Australian music

These multimedia stories were created by ECU Journalism students and are shared in collaboration with RTRFM.

There is no reason why women in music should live by other people’s rules, writes Mya Grieve.

Through various programs and courses we can see that women in music are trying to take that extra step forward in their music careers.

One of these programs is The Women in Music Mentor Program.

CEO of the Women in Music Mentor Program Maria Amato believes “music is important for our cultural enrichment, it tells stories, it expresses thoughts, it uplifts and inspires and at times consoles us.”

The idea that it is able to “bring people together and provide joy” is what embeds music into Australian culture.

Since its initiation in 2020, the four-year nationwide mentoring program has aimed to empower women in the Australian music industry.

The program is designed to help in “contract negotiation, financial literacy, marketing and leadership,” all of which are skills young and inspiring female artists must develop.

The program has also taken into account the responsibility of being a safe and “open to women and non-binary participants working in or aspiring to work in creative, technical and business roles in the music industry.”

A program like this aims to boost the confidence of young female artists, as it has not always been easy for women to find their way in the industry.

Georgia Wilkinson-Derums, a local Perth artist from Body Type among other outfits, hasn’t participated in the mentoring program, but has her own story of how she began in the music world.

Although she had much support from her musically orientated family, she has still had to work just as hard in creating her own name and style in the music world.  

Below is a short conversation with Georgia, who was lovely enough to join me and tell me her story.