Holly Clausius: Exploring The Transformative Power Of Music

Sometimes we pay more attention to what others are saying about us than actually who we are, and we end up getting lost in their noise. However, some people eventually can connect with their true self like Toronto-based musician Holly Clausius, thanks to music. Her social change single ‘Big Plans’ placed second in the Cross Canada Artist For Social Change competition in February 2021. This song focuses on marginalized youth and individuals who have been outcasted in society. She dedicated the song to those who felt isolated and pressured not to be their authentic self. Also, she wanted to take the idea of a tour indoors, with opening acts from people's kitchens, bathrooms, and bedrooms, making it a virtual apartment-wide tour to raise funds for Black Lives Matter Toronto. We talked to Holly Clausius about her latest album, BLM, the queer music industry, and more. Check out our interview below to find out more about Holly Clausius.

zIssue 36, ArtBaşak YirmibeşogluSeptember 29, 2021#music, #queermusic, #lgbti, #feminism, #BLM, #hollyclausius, music artist, queer, music, female artists, LGBTQ, bisexual, BL, blmComment

Erika Severyns: Raising A Voice Through Music

As we grow, we start to realize the truth about being a woman in this society — we face pain, assault, unjust gender roles, voices of judgments, and discrimination. But despite this, there are so many incredible women who fight to be strong everyday. Berlin-based songwriter Erika Severyns reminds us every woman has to be the strongest woman she knows with her single Strongest Woman. She gives courage to all women, writing a song about a traumatic event in her life and opening the door to discuss sexual assault. All the proceeds from her Bandcamp album are being donated to Good Night Out, a non-profit that’s creating a safer nightlife by training spaces, event organizers, and communities to respond to and prevent sexual violence. We talked to Erika Severyns about her music career, latest album, and the MeToo movement. Check out our exclusive interview with Erika Severyns to learn more about her.

Raina Sokolov-Gonzalez: Reckoning With Male Gaze

We’re all familiar with social patriarchy —a social world organized under compulsory heterosexuality. Only the heterosexual male desire is accepted as “natural” and “normal,” whereas all other sexual practices and desires are considered as “abnormal” or “an exception.” It’s a structure prioritizes men's pleasure. Raina Sokolov-Gonzalez who is a Brooklyn-based singer/composer created her latest single “Better For You” highlighting how women contort themselves physically and emotionally to be more desirable. It shows clearly the impact of the heterosexual male gaze on women but at the same time, it shows us how women can prioritize their pleasure. She invites us into her unique sonic world with harmonic nuance and lyrical poetry. We talked to Raina Sokolov-Gonzalez about her music and personal life. Check our exclusive interview with Raina Sokolov-Gonzalez to learn more about her.

Avianna Mynhier: Don't Wait For Inspiration To Come

While some people wait for their inspiration, actress Avianna Mynhier creates it. She landed her first gig on the hit series The Walking Dead as Rachel Ward in season 10. Then, more recently, she finished filming, during the middle of the pandemic, the Amazon Prime drama series 'Panic' where she can be seen starring as Abby. But this is far from the only thing she has done during the lockdown. Feeling dishearten by covid she decided to create a place for people to connect, her podcast 'Uprising.' In every episode, she aims to speak with a different kind of inspirational person. She is passionate about women empowerment and frequently participates in conventions including the Women Deliver and Professional Businesswomen of California conventions. We talked to Avianna Mynhier about her career, podcast, and women empowerment. Please read our exclusive interview below to learn more about her.

Tsu Nami: A Party You Just Don't Want To Be In

You are at a party. The music is loud and you are surrounded by many strangers. The anxiety wave is coming to your body. With Covid-19, we forget this feeling with the craving of socializing, but this feeling of anxiety has always been there. Producer Tsu Nami makes us feel this emotion with her recent song 'Party'. It is not like any other song about partying; it reflects the social anxiety of not wanting to be at a party, and even the energy of the song holds the anxiety. In addition to her music, Tsu Nami inspires other women, especially women of color, who want to pursue a career in electronic music, which is a male-dominated industry. She has some very illuminating ideas on the topic. Currently, Tsu Nami is sharing her music to thousands with the emergence of virtual festivals. We talked to Tsu Nami about her music career, anxiety, sexism, and being normal again. Please read our exclusive interview below to learn more about Tsu Nami.

Felin Destroys The Sexist Structures Of The Music Industry

Women in the music industry have been standing up, whether it’s via their music or their notions in society. Stockholm-based artist Felin is one of them. Her music, which she describes as “good pop melody with an edge and lyrics that makes a statement’,” represents a progressive shift in gendered power dynamics. She is aware that “Society keeps telling us we don’t have a choice but we can’t make too much noise” and her recently released latest single "Heroes and Villains" is making some feminist noises. The song is about women’s rights, gun violence, and social injustices. She also wrote a song called "C19" during the pandemic to deal with all certain feelings of loneliness and uncertainty. She is a vocal feminist and activist and has previously campaigned for women’s abortion rights and promotes women’s rights with The Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation in over 20 conflict-affected countries. We talked with Felin about her career and the representation of women in the music industry. Please read our exclusive interview below to learn more about her.

It's Time To Change The Male-Dominated Structure Of The Stunt Industry

“I didn’t realize there were female drivers. We just put a guy in a wig for a job.” This is the most common sentence that female stunt drivers hear when they are in the industry. Three accolade-studded female stunt drivers Olivia Summers, Dee Bryant, and Angela Meryl who have 60+ years of professional stunt driving experience in 500+ commercials and more than 300 films and TV shows launched the Association of Women Drivers (AWD) the first all-female driving team. They decided to challenge the male-dominated stunt industry and create their own platform.

Women are systematically excluded from the stunt industry and their skill sets are questioned by men. Thus, AWD speaks up against the unfair patriarchal structure of hiring practices and discriminations towards female drivers since male drivers constantly taking money out of a women’s pocket. They wanted to change the sexist and racist structure of the industry and encourage stunt driver casting that is more diverse. We talked with Olivia, Dee, and Angela about AWD, industry, wigging, and their experiences. Please read our exclusive interview below to learn more about AWD and the ladies behind it.

Turkish Women Are Not Mourning, They Are Uprising

These days, you can come across a woman who is sharing a black and white photo of herself as a "challenge." If you wondered what it meant, you may want to know the feminist agenda of Turkey.