New foundation launched to support sexual abuse survivors in the music industry
A new foundation, Face the Music Now, has been launched to combat the culture of abuse which exists within the music industry.
Announced last week by author and talent manager Dorothy Carvello, the foundation aims to educate and expose the prevalence of sexual abuse within the industry, while providing a safe space for those who have survived it.
A statement from the foundation reads: “Despite the rise of the #MeToo movement across other industries, the music industry continues to tolerate widespread abuse and harassment. The Face the Music Now Foundation was established to highlight the reality of what has been going on for decades, demand accountability and change, and pave the way for survivors to tell their stories and reclaim their lives.
“A key goal of the foundation is to expose and stop the use of non-disclosure agreements that silence survivors and allow abusers to continue their predatory behaviour.”
According the foundation’s website, 72 percent of female musicians report discrimination, and 67 report that they have been the victim of sexual harassment. On top of this, 85 percent of victims did not report it, primarily due to the culture in the music industry.
As the first female A&R executive at Atlantic Records, Dorothy Carvello endured the systemic culture of abuse and saw how it affected other survivors within the music industry. Dorothy created the Face the Music Now foundation to initiate industry-wide change and put a stop to the institutionalised abuse.
“As a survivor myself, I have seen and experienced firsthand how sexual harassment and abuse shatters survivors psychologically, financially, and professionally,” said founder Dorothy Carvello: “It’s not a matter of money; it’s about helping them put the pieces back together. This is about the decades old and widespread abuse of power in the music industry. We want to help survivors find their voices and take back some of what they have lost.”
Find out more about the Face The Music Now foundation here.
