In collaboration with She Is The Music, Guitar Center's 'Women on Record' event spotlighted trailblazing women producers, engineers, and creators shaping the future of music.
WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif., March 28, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Guitar Center's flagship Hollywood location was alive with energy on the evening of Tuesday, March 25, as artists, producers, engineers and music lovers gathered for a special Women's History Month celebration. In partnership with She Is The Music, the nonprofit founded by Alicia Keys and Ann Mincieli, this "Women on Record" event honored the creative powerhouses shaping today's sonic landscape while paving the way for future generations of women in music.
Moderated by Guitar Center's Chief Human Resources Officer Anne Buchanan, this special panel featured some of the most influential names behind the recording studio glass: engineer and She Is The Music co-founder and multi-GRAMMY® Award winner Ann Mincieli; GRAMMY-nominated genre-defying producer and Young Art Records founder TOKiMONSTA; and multi-GRAMMY-winning songwriting/production duo Nova Wav—Denisia "Blu June" Andrews and Brittany "Chi" Coney.
Buchanan opened the evening by sharing statistics from the 2025 USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, underscoring the gender disparities in the industry. While women now represent 37.7% of artists on the Billboard Hot 100, they account for only 18.9% of songwriters and a mere 5.9% of producers. "I think we all can agree, there's so much work that needs to be done," Buchanan remarked. To help drive change, Buchanan announced a $5,000 instrument grant from the Guitar Center Music Foundation to She Is The Music, reaffirming Guitar Center's commitment to fostering gender equity in music.
Each panelist shared personal insights into their journey through the music industry, highlighting the people and moments that helped shape their careers. Mincieli reflected on her decades-long collaboration with Alicia Keys and her efforts to make Jungle City Studios a sanctuary for creativity and inclusion. She also discussed her work with Sony's Global Studio Initiative, which is expanding access for women in recording spaces worldwide. TOKiMONSTA spoke about the evolution of her unique sound, the 10-year milestone of Young Art Records, and the resilience behind her latest album Eternal Reverie. Nova Wav (Denisia "Blu June" Andrews and Brittany "Chi" Coney), the duo behind hits for Beyoncé, Rihanna, and Jazmine Sullivan, provided an inside look at the songwriting and production process, emphasizing their role in shaping major cultural moments like Beyoncé's Renaissance.
"I've learned so much from mentoring personally," said Brittany "Chi" Coney of Nova Wav. "You're still the student… that's been so instrumental for us. Thank you [She Is The Music] for letting us be a part of that."
The panel also delved into creative rituals, must-have studio gear, and strategies for navigating challenges in a male-dominated industry. Attendees participated in a dynamic Q&A session, discussing mentorship, workflow techniques and favorite production tools.
"I think for me, just being a music producer beat maker in L.A., there weren't a lot of mentors, but because of that, I make sure that I am that person for other artists that are up and coming, struggling or need some support, because there's a lot of shortcuts that I can help people with so they don't have to suffer in some of the ways that I have," said Young Art Records founder TOKiMONSTA. "I grew up in this industry. I have all these tools that I can really impart on other people."
As the event concluded, Buchanan expressed gratitude to the panelists and audience, and Guitar Center presented each guest with a bouquet as a gesture of appreciation. The evening ended with an invitation for attendees to network, celebrate and continue amplifying the voices of women in music.
Recalling the upcoming anniversary of She Is The Music, co-founder Ann Mincieli remarked, "Seven years later, we've come a long way, and it's only the beginning! To look at all the committees that we have, the initiatives that we do, from Barbie to Mercedes to Gucci, everyone is on deck to really support the next generation so we're super grateful. And thank you to Guitar Center for hosting this today."
Guitar Center and She Is The Music remain dedicated to championing female-identifying artists and professionals in the recording arts, ensuring that the next generation of music makers has both the inspiration and the resources to thrive.
Click here to see highlights from the event. You can also watch the full video on Guitar Center's YouTube channel: Youtube.com/@guitarcenter
Media Contact
Robert Clyne, Guitar Center, 1 615-300-4666, [email protected], www.guitarcenter.com
Media @ Guitar Center, Guitar Center, [email protected], www.guitarcenter.com
SOURCE Guitar Center
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