ACM, Change the Conversation To Present Las Vegas Forum

The Academy of Country Music and Change the Conversation, a coalition formed in 2014 to fight gender inequality in country music, are joining forces to present Change the Conversation: ACM Edition, a special free and open-to-the-public forum to discuss women in country music. The event will feature singer/songwriter Cam, and Change the Conversation co-founders Leslie Fram, Tracy Gershon and Beverly Keel. The event is scheduled for Saturday, April 14 at the David Copperfield Theater at MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

“To be perfectly clear, the future financial stability and cultural relevancy of the music business depends on how we can fully incorporate women into ALL areas of the business – from creators to distributors,” said Cam. “The Academy recognizes their responsibility in the current climate, and is choosing to create space to discuss the solutions. Women’s voices need to be at the center of this discussion, and some of the key points we hope to address are first, identifying inhibitive attitudes, practices and people that prevent gender equality. Second, how to raise awareness about key areas of gender disparity and enforce accountability. And finally, engaging with allies and supporting initiatives that allow our business to flourish independently of gender. I’m so happy to be a part of this conversation and help our community progress.”

“We are grateful that the Academy of Country Music is taking a leadership role in addressing the issue of gender inequality in country music,” says Keel, who is also Chair of MTSU’s Department of Recording Industry. “By holding this event during ACM Awards weekend, they are providing a prominent platform that will offer female artists education and support, while creating a forum for industry leaders to work together to find solutions.”

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Lorie Hollabaugh

Hollabaugh, a staff writer at MusicRow magazine, has over 20 years of music business experience and has written for publications including American Profile, CMA Close Up, Nashville Arts And Entertainment, The Boot and Country Weekly. She has a Broadcast Journalism and Speech Communication degree from Texas Christian University, (go Horned Frogs), and welcomes your feedback or story ideas at lhollabaugh@musicrow.com.

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