Content warning: this episode discusses sexual abuse.
Ep. 154: Caroline Heldman Ph.D and Samantha Maloney are co-founders of the Sound Off Coalition, which recently published a report that called out “the scathing history and financial impact of decades of sexual abuse and coverups in the music industry”. In the report, publicly-available information on reported allegations of sexual abuse, harassment and related misconduct involving musicians and music industry executives is catalogued in detail. Amongst its key demands is a call for an end to the use of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) that silence survivors.
While its mostly comprised of allegations - and the report notes that "all individuals should be considered innocent until proven guilty” – it’s still a sobering document: over 200 pages detailing allegations against some of the most well-known names in the music business.
We spoke to Caroline and Samantha about their work, the impact of the report, what they describe as a pattern of “covering up” by big music companies, the way they are using shareholder and political activism to try to make a difference – and the scale of the challenge.
> Links mentioned in the podcast:
Sound Off Coalition report: https://soundoffcoalition.org
The Representation Project: https://therepproject.org/campaigns-timeline/
The Punk Rock Therapist https://www.thepunkrocktherapist.org
Music Ally reporting on The Sound Off report: https://musically.com/2024/03/01/sound-off-report-targets-rampant-rape-culture-in-music-industry/
R. Kelly: The history of his crimes and allegations against him - BBC news: https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-40635526
Lady Gaga sexual assault - BBC news: https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-57199018
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