Musicians Equal Opportunities for Women (MEOW) will be conducting its inaugural conference (MEOW Con) from October 24-26, 2013 at the Renaissance Hotel in Austin, TX and is the largest music conference for women ever held according to its Director and Founder, Carla DeSantis Black. Ms Black also stated in a recent press release about the conference, “Our goal is to elevate the state of women in music in every way. We want to ensure women have opportunities to achieve success on their own terms, and that artists at every level of their career have a voice. MEOW Con is the place for everyone to strategize ways to end sexism in the industry.”
As reported earlier, MEOW Con will be jam packed with two days and three nights of performances, educational sessions, and networking opportunities for musicians, journalists, academics, students, bloggers, filmmakers and industry professionals in all musical genres.
Attendees will enjoy music showcases, learn from industry experts by attending numerous panel discussions, mentor sessions and workshops, attend film screenings about women in music, and explore the latest on product demos and more at the Image Alley Trade Show. Sit down one-on-one with author Patricia Keneally-Morrison, singer-songwriter and author Linda Chorney, and feminist punk band Frightwig.
The theme for the panel discussions is Impact, Career and Equality (ICE) with topics from “Britney to Miley – Why do Music’s Good Girls go Bad?” to “U.N.I.T.Y. – Women Building Communities” and many more informative topics. Among the many music industry experts confirmed to speak at MEOW Con are Kristin Hersh (Throwing Muses), Jeanne Fury (journalist), Leni Stern (guitarist), Beth Harrington (filmmaker), Laina Dawes (author), Sally Browder (producer), Allison Shaw (brand management expert), Tish Ciravolo (founder, Daisy Rock Guitars), Meg Frampton (Meg and Dia), Evelyn McDonnell (Writer/”Queens of Noise”), Robin Lane (Songbird Sings), Theresa Jenkins (NARAS), Leanne Summers (Los Angeles Women in Music), Laura Taylor (VP Operations, Guitar Center), Kim Kelly (journalist), Shannon Void (Anthropic Records), Gretta Harley (Creator of the play “These Streets”), Caroline Burris (Moody Theater), Nancy Coplin (ABIA), Jenni Alpert (musician), and many more.
The Queen of Rock, Suzi Quatro, will be the keynote speaker at the Women of Valor Award Dinner on Oct. 24 and will receive the 2013 Women of Valor Award for her 50 years of contribution to the music industry. Suzi has sold over 50 million albums worldwide since the beginning of her career as a bass player 50 years ago. “That’s a lot of gas stations, hamburger joints, dives and long white lines,” she says. Quatro will also perform at the dinner, so be sure and get your tickets to this kick-off event by clicking here. Suzi will join the list of past recipients of this prestigious award: Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart (2000), Patti Smith (2005) and Fanny (2007).
Quatro stated in a recent press release, “I am absolutely honored to be receiving this award in Austin from MEOW. In fact, I’m purring like a kitten.” “Suzi is the female Beatles,” says MEOW Director, Carla DeSantis Black, who says that Suzi’s influence is both global and personal. “She is a legend, an icon and a true inspiration. As a bass player myself, I never would have known it was possible for a woman to play rock music if I hadn’t first seen Suzi Quatro rocking out on ‘Happy Days.’ She changed the course of my life.”
Presenting the Women of Valor Award is fellow bassist Kathy Valentine, formerly of The Go-Go’s, and Kathy will also be a Keynote Speaker on Saturday, Oct. 26.
Scheduled performers from all genres announced to date are MilitiA (New York), Sheryl Diane (New Orleans), Jane Lee Hooker (New York), Allison’s Invention (New York), Cinderella Motel (Los Angeles), Deborah Crooks (California), Denae Gardner (Boise), Kate Diaz (Chicago), Shantell Ogden (Nashville), Gabrielle Pepino (Brazil), BugGiRL (Austin), Robin Lane (Boston), Eljuri (Ecuador), Janet Robin (Los Angeles), members of Los Angeles Women in Music, with more still to be announced.
For ticket pricing and up-to-date news on guest speakers, performers, films and more, please visit MEOW Con’s website at www.meowcon.com.
MEOW was founded by Carla DeSantis Black and is dedicated to ensuring that women’s voices are heard in every genre of music and at every level of an artist’s career. For more information on MEOW, visit their site at www.meowonline.org.
Source: Press Release