BCWM
What moment changed our life? To start, two moments changed our lives:
The first moment that changed our lives? Where it all started…attending Latto’s Toronto concert on November 7, 2024 together. The three of us, Jahlyssa, Jennifer and Shaneka, were able to enjoy the show and rap along to our favourite anthems. We knew the moment we shared was special, because the very next day several women from the Canadian music industry inquired about our next outing and wanted to be involved. We knew from then we had something special going on, that would change our lives.
After the concert, the three of us continued to notify each other of local networking opportunities within the Canadian music industry. We all currently work in the Canadian music industry (different areas), and we share the common goal of wanting to network more and meet more people who look like us.
The second moment that changed our lives took place on November 20, 2024. We, Jahlyssa, Jennifer and Shaneka, created the Black Canadian Women in Music (BCWM) Instagram group chat, which instantly changed our lives.
Our group chat started organically, and we spent that day asking other Black Canadian women in music that we already knew, if they wanted to join our group chat.
The warm responses paired with excitement and
curiosity let us know what we created really mattered.
We saw a missed opportunity for Black Canadian women like us who love music, and that work in the Canadian music industry behind the scenes, to link up and network amongst one another. There’s nothing better than to be seen and heard by someone who looks like you, in a different environment outside of your workspace.
COMMUNITY is at the core of what makes BCWM but the
CONNECTING aspect is what makes our story continue to thrive.
What is BCWM?
Black Canadian Women in Music (BCWM), is an initiative dedicated to networking & building community amongst Black Canadian women & Black Canadian gender-diverse individuals within the Canadian music industry, who work behind the scenes.
Currently with over 80 group members and hundreds of community supporters, BCWM has created space for members to build connections, gain employment, and link up! Our community connects primarily through Instagram, however we have taken the online connection offline with our successful mixers, Mixer 001 & 002, and collab events, The Gift Shop x BCWM – Vinyl Painting at Sunset and Cyro Sounds x BCWM – Cyro’s World Toronto Edition. These events, along with our active Instagram group chat, havestrengthened our community’s reach.
It feels great to know that BCWM is appreciated and seen.
Our curated calendar of mixers, activities, and events along with our online chat community, allows our members to share opportunities, exchange insights, and find ways to work together toward their goals.
Words cannot explain how it feels to attend industry events where we see our own members greeting each other and networking outside of our circle. It’s safe to say that most likely, any Black Canadian woman/gender-diverse individual based in Toronto, that works in the Canadian music industry, is aware of what BCWM is. This is not an easy accomplishment, especially within our first-year of operation.
Our Future
Other than continuing to expand and strengthen our thriving community in Canada, we aim to grow by building meaningful connections, hosting impactful initiatives and activating opportunities in Ottawa, Montreal, Vancouver, and other major Canadian cities.
Till Our Next Link Up!
We can’t imagine where our careers would be without BCWM. Taking that initial leap of faith changed everything. It feels great to see the impact of the community we’ve built together, especially as we created our own lane, in our own way. The growth, support and opportunities that have come from BCWM remind us why we started.
This is bigger than us and BCWM is here to stay.
Find out more at BCWM in Music
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