How do we make room for more people on the music scene? And how do we ensure that all newcomers don’t just become more white men? These were the two questions in focus at one of the many panel debates held on Friday May 3rd during SPOT+ 2024.
The panel included Luna Bülow Ersahin, Signe Hede-Tobiassen, Rosa Lois Balle Yahiya, Katrine Villadsen and Thomas Sandberg.
The latter, who is a musician and has been the chairman of DMF since 2023, opened today’s debate with an introduction to the issue. Here he boldly put himself on the line with the following words:
“In short, I think we need more musicians who don’t look like me. 73% of all musicians in Denmark are men, and a good network is crucial for success – but studies show that minority musicians find it much more difficult to get a network and often opt out due to fear of discrimination. It’s not okay,” stated Thomas Sandberg, thus setting the stage for the debate.
When am I good enough?
“It is important to remember that it is not only the music industry that has problems with creating more diversity. It is society and our whole culture.”
That was the first sharp insight from panelist and CEO of More Music Group, Signe Hede-Tobiassen. And although the rest of the panel nodded in appreciation, the five participants nevertheless quickly agreed that the music industry is more challenged than other industries on several parameters.
“It is interesting that business life is in many ways further ahead than cultural life. Cultural life is exceptionally good at providing advantages and pockets, and this characterizes the industry. It’s as if something is working against the agendas,” said Rosa Lois Balle Yahiya, who is a musician and founder of the association Another Life.
She was then supported by Signe Hede-Tobiassen.
“Business life is typically more transparent. In the business world, education automatically gives access to certain positions and areas of responsibility. It’s much muddier in the music business. Here, you never quite know when you are good enough and when you are selected for or from,” said Signe Hede-Tobiassen.
The microphone then went to Thomas Sandberg, who emphasized that the music industry has so-called ‘gatekeepers’ – typically men – who sit at the top of the industry and have the power to decide which musicians make it to the top and which don’t. According to him, a large part of the solution can therefore be to train a far more diverse and qualified team of future gatekeepers, who can spot the industry’s blind spots and create a more representative music environment.
It’s not about pushing anyone out
For a full 45 minutes, today’s five panelists held the attention of the packed conference room. Several of the attendants sat on the edge of their seats to catch every word, and from time to time there was a shout of “Hear!” according to the statements of the panelists. Just before the time ran out, the panel was the last to emphasize one of the perhaps most important points of the day:
“We must work for a more diverse music industry and to make the music industry bigger. In other words: The ‘poor white cis men’ should not be pushed out – we just need to have even more space for even more music,” said Signe Hede-Tobiassen, and the panel quickly backed up.
“Undoubtedly. The goal is for us to have each other and support each other. There is no right answer or right view, but there must be room for us to be different without it being a disadvantage for anyone,” said Luna Bülow Ersahin, musician and singer in the group AySay.
With this message in place, today’s debate was then rounded off with questions from the audience and several rounds of applause for the five panelists.
Text by Katrine Kynde Knudsen
Photo by Stine Rosemunte
Hvordan skaber vi plads til flere på musikscenen? Og hvordan sikrer vi, at alle nytilkomne ikke blot bliver flere hvide mænd? Sådan lød de to centrale spørgsmål ved én af de mange paneldebatter, der fredag d. 3. maj blev afholdt under SPOT+.
I panelet sad Luna Bülow Ersahin, Signe Hede-Tobiassen, Rosa Lois Balle Yahiya, Katrine Villadsen samt Thomas Sandberg.
Sidstnævnte, der er musiker og siden 2023 har været forperson for DMF, åbnede dagens debat med en introduktion til problemstillingen. Her satte han på modig vis sig selv i spil med følgende ord:
“Kort sagt mener jeg, at vi skal have flere musikere, der ikke ligner mig. 73% af alle musikere i Danmark er mænd, og et godt netværk er altafgørende for succes – men undersøgelser viser, at minoritetsmusikere har langt sværere ved at få et netværk og ofte vælger det fra på grund af frygt for diskrimination. Det er ikke okay,” fastslog Thomas Sandberg og satte dermed rammen for debatten.
Hvornår er jeg god nok?
“Det er vigtigt at huske, at det ikke kun er musikbranchen, der har problemer med at skabe mere diversitet. Det er samfundet og hele vores kultur.”
Sådan lød det første skarpe indspark fra paneldeltager og CEO hos More Music Group, Signe Hede-Tobiassen. Og selvom det øvrige panel nikkede anerkendende, blev de fem deltagere alligevel hurtigt enige om, at musikbranchen på flere parametre er mere udfordret end andre brancher.
“Det er interessant, at erhvervslivet på mange måder er længere fremme end kulturlivet. Kulturlivet er exceptionelt gode til at give fordele og forlommer, og det præger branchen. Det er som om, noget arbejder imod agendaerne,” sagde Rosa Lois Balle Yahiya, der er musiker og stifter af foreningen Another Life.
Hun blev herefter bakket op af Signe Hede-Tobiassen.
“Erhvervslivet er typisk mere transparent. I erhvervslivet giver uddannelse helt automatisk adgang til visse stillinger og ansvarsområder. Det er meget mere mudret i musikbranchen. Her ved man aldrig helt, hvornår man er god nok, og hvornår man vælges til eller fra,” sagde Signe Hede-Tobiassen.
Mikrofonen gik herefter til Thomas Sandberg, som fremhævede, at musikbranchen har såkaldte ‘gatekeepers’ – typisk mænd – der sidder på toppen af branchen og langt hen ad vejen har magten til afgøre, hvilke musikere der ryger til tops, og hvilke der ikke gør. Ifølge ham kan en stor del af løsningen derfor være at uddanne et langt mere diverst og kvalificeret hold af fremtidige gatekeepers, som kan få øje på branchens blinde vinkler og skabe et mere repræsentativt musikmiljø.
Det handler ikke om at skubbe nogen ud
I hele 45 minutter holdt dagens fem paneldeltagere det fyldte konferencerums opmærksomhed. Flere af de tilhørende sad på kanten af deres sæder for at få hvert et ord med, og fra tid til anden blev der råbt “Hørt!” efter paneldeltagernes udsagn. Lige inden tiden løb ud, nåede panelet som det sidste at understrege en af dagens måske vigtigste pointer:
“Vi skal arbejde for en mere mangfoldig musikbranche og for at gøre musikbranchen større. Med andre ord: De ‘stakkels hvide cis-mænd’ skal ikke skubbes ud – vi skal bare have endnu mere plads til endnu mere musik,” sagde Signe Hede-Tobiassen, og panelet bakkede hurtigt op.
“Uden tvivl. Målet er, at vi skal have hinanden og støtte hinanden. Der er ikke et rigtigt svar eller en rigtig opfattelse, men der skal være plads til, at vi er forskellige, uden at det er en ulempe for nogen,” sagde Luna Bülow Ersahin, der er musiker og sanger i gruppen AySay.
Med dette budskab på plads blev der herefter rundet af for dagens debat med spørgsmål fra publikum og flere runder bifald til de fem paneldeltagere.
Tekst af Katrine Kynde Knudsen
Foto af Stine Rosemunte
