In this episode, Alexa is joined by researcher, musician and founder of The F-List, Vick Bain, for an important conversation about gender equality in the UK music industry. Drawing on her PhD research and years of experience, Vick explores the barriers that women and gender-diverse musicians continue to face, from pay gaps and career progression to representation, discrimination and the realities of building a sustainable career in music. It’s a thought-provoking discussion that challenges assumptions, shares the evidence behind the headlines, and asks what role we can play in creating a more inclusive future for the artists we teach. Just to let you know some listeners may find some of the topics discussed distressing – take a pause, and we will be right there waiting when you’re ready.
WHAT’S IN THIS PODCAST?
1:28 About Vick’s PhD: Women’s Careers in the UK Music Industry
2:02 What are some of the biggest gender inequality issues currently?
5:50 Age discrimination and pay gap statistics
15:55 The ‘what about Adele’ question
25:06 Where are women missing?
27:13 What happens when women ‘over-represent’ in a field?
29:44 Being a freelancer
32:57 The red flags
36:11 Political landscapes
40:15 The F-List
About the presenter HERE
RELEVANT MENTIONS & LINKS
The UK Music Diversity Taskforce
Singing Teachers Talk – Ep.263 The Creative Juggle: Singer, Songwriter and Teacher
Musician Census of 2024
Independent Society of Musicians
Singing Teachers Talk – Ep.117 The ISM: What Singers and Singing Teachers Need to Know
ABOUT THE GUEST
Vick Bain is an EDI and Research Consultant with nearly 30 years’ experience in the music and creative industries. Formerly CEO of the Ivors Academy and Past President of the Independent Society of Musicians, she now leads a consultancy specialising in strategic research, impact evaluation, and diversity and inclusion. A Henley Business School MBA graduate, Vick is completing a PhD at Queen Mary University of London on women’s careers in music. She is the Founder of The F-List for Music CIC, a not-for-profit supporting women and gender diverse musicians across the UK and serves as a board director of the ISM. Her clients include IMPALA, Counterculture, Beggars Group, UK Music, Beatport and Attitude is Everything. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and Companion of LIPA – appointed by Sir Paul McCartney – she is included in both the Music Week Women in Music Roll of Honour and the BBC Radio 4 Woman’s Hour Music Industry Powerlist.
Vick trained as a classical singer in the early 1990s, holding Grade 8 singing, an HND in Classical Music (Voice) and a BA in Performing Arts. She recorded and performed with experimental artist Rapoon, sang for many years with the London Bulgarian Choir – during whose time they were runners-up in the BBC Choir of the Year and performed alongside numerous pop and rock acts. She recently joined a Cornish choir, continuing a lifelong relationship with singing.
