Real Talk with Women in the Music Industry (Part 5) featuring Cheryl Pawelski

12/22/23 • 30 min

Don’t miss the fifth episode of our Real Talk with Women in the Music Industry podcast series, featuring three-time GRAMMY-winning producer Cheryl Pawelski!
In this fun and revealing conversation, Cheryl gets real about her experiences preserving, curating, and championing some of music’s greatest legacies – and shares some incredible behind-the-scenes stories involving Aretha Franklin, Taylor Swift, and legendary Elektra Records founder Jac Holzman.
After a fateful ABBA show cemented Cheryl’s calling in the music industry, she held positions at Rhino, Concord, and EMI-Capitol Records before co-founding Omnivore Recordings.
Her journey is sure to inspire anyone looking to pursue a creative, courageous career and blaze a unique, uncharted trail. Tune in and rock on!
Special thanks to Gregg Bendian for connecting Cheryl with She Rocked It.
Watch the video version of this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/kJiAgV2C9WM

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Episode highlights:
[2:11] How Cheryl’s unique career in music took shape
[6:23] How Cheryl navigated the male-dominated music industry
[10:25] Why Cheryl pivoted from major labels and co-founded Omnivore Recordings
[12:35] Some behind-the-scenes stories featuring Aretha Franklin and Taylor Swift
[15:21] #Realtalk about Cheryl’s relationship with rockstar wife Audrey Bilger, president of Reed College – including how they met!
[25:15] Cheryl’s advice for up-and-coming women in the music industry
[28:10] Cheryl’s one tip to rock it
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Links from this episode:

Cheryl’s website: https://cherylpawelski.com/
Cheryl’s GRAMMY wins and nominations: https://www.grammy.com/artists/cheryl-pawelski/17213
Omnivore Recordings: https://omnivorerecordings.com/
Annenberg Inclusion Initiative study: https://www.newsroom.spotify.com/2022-03-31/usc-annenbergs-inclusion-in-the-recording-studio-study-finds-that-more-work-toward-gender-equity-is-needed/
Jeff Tweedy: https://jefftweedy.com/
Wilco: https://wilcoworld.net/
Aretha Franklin: https://www.arethafranklin.net/
Robbie Robertson: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robbie_Robertson
Jac Holzman: https://www.rockhall.com/inductees/jac-holzman
Bethany Lyons on the She Rocked It Podcast: https://sherockedit.com/bethany-lyons-owning-it-like-a-boss/
Gregg Bendian: https://www.bendianmusic.com/

If you’d like to join us for future podcast recordings and other empowering live events, head over to our website and subscribe to our email list! https://sherockedit.com/

If you’d like to join us for future podcast recordings and other empowering live events, head over to our website and subscribe to our email list! https://sherockedit.com/

Previous Episode

Courageous Entrepreneurship: Tanya Morgan

Tanya Morgan is using her creativity to help change lives for the better.
In 2022, she merged her roles as an actor, improviser, mental health professional, and social emotional learning (SEL) interventionist and opened the doors of the Sawubona Creativity Project – a theater space on the vibrant East Passyunk Avenue in South Philadelphia.
Tanya’s mission is to create “brave spaces where children and adults can learn and practice vital interpersonal skills,” and in this episode, you’ll hear about Tanya’s own brave journey to launching Sawubona Creativity Project and how she found the courage, support, and funding to make it happen.
Plus, Tanya gets real about raising her family while nurturing her dream creative business. Don’t miss this candid conversation with a creative, compassionate rockstar.
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Episode highlights:
[01:12] What led Tanya to opening the doors of the Sawubona Creativity Project
[05:30] How Tanya found the courage and the funding to manifest her vision
[11:02] Tanya’s struggle to make time for her own creativity – and the importance of delegating
[17:15] Why Sawbuona prioritizes a family-oriented space
[20:23] Tanya’s relationship with the word “No” — it’s a complete sentence, but not a closed door
[22:08] Why it’s so important for women to raise their voices and ask ALL the questions
[27:23] Tanya’s one tip to rock it

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Links from this episode:
Sawubona Creativity Project website: https://sawubonacreativityproject.org/
Sawubona Creativity Project Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sawubonacreativity/
Tanya’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ts_morgan/
Tanya’s Website: https://tanyamorganactor.com/
Daddy Issues Improv Comedy: https://www.facebook.com/daddyissuesimprovcomedy/
Bartol Foundation: https://bartol.org/grants/meet-our-grantees/
Philly Young Playwrights: https://www.phillyyoungplaywrights.org/

If you’d like to join us for future podcast recordings and other empowering live events, head over to our website and subscribe to our email list! https://sherockedit.com/

Next Episode

Real Talk with Women in the Music Industry: From Studio to Sync [NY Music Month Episode]

Recorded live at The Bridge Studio in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, #RealTalk with Women in the Music Industry: From Studio to Sync brought women making an impact on the NYC music industry together for an intimate panel discussion and podcast taping as part of New York Music Month 2024! NY Music Month is an initiative of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Media + Entertainment. GET TUNED IN: visit NYMusicMonth.NYC

Hosted by She Rocked It’s Karen Gross and featuring four rockstar panelists, this honest, inspiring, and informative conversation features real talk and actionable tips about gaining and maintaining a foothold in the music industry, and having the confidence to raise your voice and lead in an industry where women are still woefully underrepresented. You’ll hear from:
Mona Kayhan, Majority owner of The Bridge Studio (Williamsburg, Brooklyn), a classic, large-format “big room” analog and digital recording and video production studio (and our wonderful host for this conversation)
Jeanne Montalvo, Grammy-nominated audio engineer and award-winning radio producer
Jen Pearce, Founder of Low Profile, a music licensing & consulting agency based in Brooklyn, NY
Rashida Scott-Cruz, Professor of Music Industry at Monmouth University and mentor to future generations of music industry professionals
Plus, a special introduction from Shira Gans, Senior Executive Director of Policy + Programs at the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, and the creator and curator of NY Music Month!

This is episode six of She Rocked It’s Real Talk with Women in the Music Industry podcast series. Special thanks to The Bridge Studio and the NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment for their collaboration and support of this episode.
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Episode highlights:

[3:05] Introduction from NY Music Month creator and curator Shira Gans – including how Shira met Karen Gross at Wesleyan University while they were living at Womanist House
[8:10] Learn how panelists Jeanne Montalvo, Mona Kayhan, Jen Pearce, and Rashida Scott-Cruz are rocking it in the music industry
[19:43] Hear lessons from the panelists’ professional journeys — how they gained a foothold in the music industry and maintained it over the years
[33:08] Obstacles and opportunities for women working in music in NYC
[38:46] Top tips for artists looking to break into the world of sync
[44:45] How to support women in recording studio environments
[49:53] Tips for mustering the confidence and courage to lead
[55:45] Host Karen Gross and the panelists share their tips to ROCK IT

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Links from this episode:
She Is The Music: https://sheisthemusic.org/
Amplify Her Voice: https://www.amplifyhervoice.org/
Women in the Mix study from the the Recording Academy, Berklee College Of Music, and Arizona State University: https://www.grammy.com/news/women-in-the-mix-study-2022-results-key-findings-recording-academy-arizona-state-university-berklee-college-music
Audio Engineering Society: https://aes2.org/
DISCO: https://www.disco.ac/

For additional resources, visit our episode page here

If you’d like to join us for future podcast recordings and other empowering live events, head over to our website and subscribe to our email list! https://sherockedit.com/

She Rocked It - Real Talk with Women in the Music Industry (Part 5) featuring Cheryl Pawelski

Transcript

SHE ROCKED IT / KAREN GROSS: Hello, and welcome to the She Rocked It podcast. I'm your host, Karen Gross. So happy to be back with another episode of our Real Talk With Women in the Music Industry Series.

This is kind of a bonus episode because I had this conversation with Cheryl Pawelski on Instagram Live and realized that we had to share it here on the podcast because Cheryl is a woman in the music industry that you need to know about. If you don't know her name, well, I highly sugges