While the 2024 edition of  South By Southwest roared in the streets of Austin, women from the Recording Academy’s Texas Chapter matched the festival's enthusiasm during the Women In the Mix brunch.

Held March 15 at the Four Seasons Hotel, the brunch and intimate mixer focused on the importance of leadership amongst women within the Recording Academy and music industry at large. The event concluded with a stunning, live acoustic performance by GRAMMY U member and winner of the Texas Block Party competition Jordan Curls.

Following a moving Women in the Mix event during 2024 GRAMMY Week, the Texas brunch brought together a diverse panel of industry experts. Panelists were Christine Albert, the Academy's Chair Emeritus of the Board of Trustees; Yolanda Adams, a Texas Chapter Trustee and multi GRAMMY-winning gospel artist, actor, and activist; and Gina Chavez, the Texas Chapter Vice President and Chapter’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Representative.

Texas Chapter Board Secretary Caren Kelleher moderated a conversation about the power of women serving in leadership roles, and the many ways women are breaking barriers in the music industry.

"We are seeing that change of voting women coming into the Academy, and are proud of the work we are doing together," said Christee Albino, Executive Director of the Texas Chapter. "It’s all about community, the relationships between music makers and professionals," added Chavez.

The Latin GRAMMY nominee asserted the value of building relationships amongst industry professionals with the same goals of elevating women and underrepresented communities.

True to the Academy's goals, women dominated the 2024 GRAMMYs, winning a majority of the major Categories. This showing at the 66th GRAMMY Awards further demonstrates the Recording Academy’s unwavering commitment to improving women’s representation through Chapter governance and on the GRAMMY stage. Seven of the eight Album Of The Year nominees were women, with Taylor Swift becoming the first four-time winner of the award.

Albert congratulated the exponential influx of female representation on the Texas Chapter’s board, specifically. Their presence had significant impact. "The Music Educator Award and Best Song for Social Change. The idea for Best Song for Social Change first came from the trustees," Albert said. "This is the kind of work that I’m really proud of." 

The Best Song for Social Change is a Special Merit Award established by the Recording Academy’s National Trustees in 2022 to acknowledge songwriters with message-driven lyricism that speaks to current social issues, demonstrating global impact. In 2024, Somali-Canadian artist K'naan won this award for his song "Refugee." 

The Music Educator Award was awarded to Virginia music teacher and orchestra leader Annie Ray for her outstanding commitment to furthering music excellence inside and outside the classroom. 

These new initiatives are designed as opportunities to invite marginalized voices to serve and lead on Chapter committees. The panelists expressed that without expanding the perspectives of their Chapter board members and committee members, expansion of GRAMMY Categories would not have been made possible.

*Jordan Curls performs at Women in the Mix brunch. Photo: Ken Eke*

"My voice had the power to help all of the people I was representing as a Governor," said Adams as she emphasized the collaborative nature between the Chapters and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion team at the Recording Academy.

Moving forward, Chavez highlighted that the most important question to ask a fellow Chapter member is, "Have you thought about running? Your voice deserves to be heard at the table."

As this inspiring question of service lingered in the minds of the brunch’s attendees, Sr. Director of GRAMMY U Jessie Allen introduced singer/songwriter Jordan Curls. As a member of the Washington D.C. Chapter, Curls and her band were selected as the winners of GRAMMY U’s Block Party Contest, where they performed at the Recording Academy’s Texas Block Party on March 13. 

Following the performance of an original song "Life After Sunshine" to conclude her performance, Curls was greeted with a standing ovation from all Women in the Mix brunch attendees, including her idol Yolanda Adams. 

Curls and Adams met for the first time following her performance, where Adams shared words of praise for the emerging New-Age/Neo-Soul artist and created a full-circle moment. 

There was no better way to end such an enlightening discussion, and the advice from Albert, Adams, and Chavez came to fruition through the first-hand promotion of mentorship and elevation of women across generations in the music industry.

Revisit The Action At The Recording Academy’s Texas Chapter Block Party During SXSW 2024