Last week, Time Magazine has announced the voices behind #MeToo as Person of the Year 2017. Beware, it’s not over yet.
Take for example the scandal we recently had in the Netherlands. Maan, 20 year old winner of Voice of Holland, got sexually intimidated at a live performance at Radio538. She closed her eyes during part of the performance. When opening her eyes again, a naked male stripper was in front of her in the studio. She was so shocked and afraid, that she started to cry. The radio DJ’s, who hired the stripper, where laughing out loud at her reaction. All live on radio.
It all happened mid of November. Only when begin of December some other musicians started to protest against the DJ’s, the DJ’s apologized. Maan accepted the apologies. It might be interesting to know, that her label is owned by the same media company as the radio station.
This is just one example of sexual intimidation in the music business. It showed me that we, women in the music business, can’t wait for men to change. We have to be able to defend ourselves now. Sexual intimidation is about power, and power is in the mind.
When I contacted various institutions in the Netherlands about mental health of musicians, like GGZ, Mind, Rutgers, Stichting Korrelatie, they all told me that they don’t have any programs specific for musician, like they have in the UK, in Sweden or in Australia.
It shouldn’t matter where you live. That’s why I have developed a 4-week training for women in the music business in mental-self-defense. It’s available in skype too. Please check it out.
It might be the best present any women in the music business can give herself, to have a powerful start of the new year.