Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood Pledge Support to Women Producers, Engineers
Two major country acts are lending their support to inclusivity in music. Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban have both signed their names to the Recording Academy Task Force on Diversity and Inclusion's Producer & Engineer Inclusion Initiative, which aims to provide more opportunities for female producers and engineers, as women make up only a mere five percent across both fields in popular music.
The task force's new Producer & Engineer Inclusion Initiative calls upon those in hiring positions to make a final decision after meeting with a variety of candidates that includes a minimum of two women. It also asks producers to be mindful of gender diversity challenges.
"We want people to use their artistic judgment and use who they want to, but we want to make sure they're also looking at a full range of diverse candidates when they're making that decision," Tina Tchen, chair of the diversity task force tells CBS This Morning. "Because we know from the research if we at least make sure that women get a chance to be seen and heard, we're going to increase the number of women."
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Several other country stars have thrown their support behind the initiative. Others who have signed their name include Maren Morris, Kacey Musgraves, Kelsea Ballerini, Dierks Bentley and Brothers Osborne.
The Recording Academy's Task Force on Diversity and Inclusion works to support all underrepresented voices in the music industry, including women and minority groups. It counts country act Cam, along with artists of all genres including Sheryl Crow, Common and Andra Day, as members.
Urban and Underwood have both done their part outside of this new initiative to support female voices. Urban released the illuminating "Female" in 2018, brought Ballerini on tour with him and invited newcomer Kassi Ashton to sing a duet with him on his Graffiti U album. Underwood, meanwhile, is launching her all-female Cry Pretty 360 Tour with Maddie & Tae and Runaway June this spring.
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