Color of Music Collective: Amplifying BIPOC and LGBTQ+ Voices
Graphic by Color of Music Collective
Color of Music Collective is a groundbreaking organization with a unique mission to amplify BIPOC and LGBTQ+ individuals in the music industry. Written in their mission statement is the phrase, “It is too easy to feel like the only one in the room.” For so long, BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities have had to endure discrimination in their day to day lives. Although this is still a reality to many minorities, Color of Music Collective was created to enact a shift in the way the general public values marginalized communities.
Mia Van Allen, founder of Color of Music Collective, talks about her inspiration, the overall purpose behind the organization, what it means for the BIPOC and LGBTQ+ community and how their movement has changed the lives of the people that they were so proudly fighting for.
[UNPUBLISHED:] What was the inspiration behind Color of Music Collective and how did it start?
[MIA VAN ALLEN:] Throughout my college career I’ve experienced many forms of racial discrimination, especially when it comes to hiring, which a lot of people don't believe. They're like, “if you're a minority then you must have a stronger chance of getting the job”. [There was one time when] I was really upset during a trip to LA that my school hosted. All the top agencies were there, [including record labels and studios]. It was a dream to even be in that room, but I was really upset because there was clearly some racial tension in the offices that I was applying to. In many of them, I felt like I wouldn’t be comfortable walking into their offices every single day. I started the interview process, got some job offers, but then COVID-19 happened and George Floyd died. With George Floyd’s passing, I personally didn’t think it would receive all this attention. I was sickened, but this has happened so many times and I didn’t think that it was going to create as much racial division as it did.
I wanted to use this opportunity to start having conversations in the music business. I had my first panel and I didn’t think it was going to be this successful. We got tons of DMS (probably over 100) and people were saying that this was their first time meeting a BIPOC and LGBTQ+ person in the music industry. It really broke my heart that so many people were saying it was their first time. I wanted to use my connections to start having these conversations that a lot of companies were too afraid to have. I was expecting to have only one panel and that was it. The reason why I continued was because of the anger I felt. How so many were saying they had never met a single black or queer person in the industry, and I felt like that had to change.
[UNPUBLISHED:] How did you establish the Color of Music Collective brand? What was your thought process and how did you choose your people (i.e. your panelist, your team members)?
[MIA VAN ALLEN:] I grew up listening to a lot of blues and rock. I’m from Chicago, I was born in music. Everyone in my family plays music. It’s just what I lived through. I wanted that to reflect on my company. We weren’t originally going to have team members. But some of the people who came to our first panel were reaching out and they were like, “This is an amazing company and I want to volunteer.” And they were all a part of the BIPOC and LGBTQ+ community. There are so many talented [BIPOC and LGBTQ+] individuals that companies are too afraid to hire because of their race [and/or] sexuality. Personally, I only hire BIPOCs and LGBTQ+ because that’s our mission. If they don't relate or believe in our mission, then they're not going to stick with us in the long term. We have over 50 volunteers now, which is insane. My staff is extremely driven. I’ve been saying that I’m incredibly blessed to have this energy in our staff and I think that we are heading in the right direction.
[UNPUBLISHED:] The reception from BIPOC and LGBTQ+ community has been great so far. You had a lot of people coming to you, wanting to help and volunteer, and even sending you resumes. Do you have any specific stories of people describing how your organization has affected them or changed them?
[MIA VAN ALLEN:] We’ve been getting a lot of messages recently and some of them are very heart wrenching. People have no idea some of the stuff that people go through. They do everything in their power to hide it. There’s one story, it was the most incredible story that I have ever heard. Someone [that had been to one of my panels] messaged me on LinkedIn. They recently came out officially as trans. They told me that our panels influenced them to fully come out. It was their first time seeing someone who was trans in the music industry being successful while also having the courage to tell their story of growing up in a republican neighborhood, going to a Catholic school, moving out, getting their own apartment, getting a job, and paying off their debt. It was through their story that this person decided that enough was enough. They needed to be comfortable in their own skin. The fact that I influenced them to do that was the most incredible thing that I have ever felt in my life.
[UNPUBLISHED:] Last month, major music labels (Warner, Sony, Universal) pledged millions of dollars to social justice and anti-racism charities. Universal even established a task force to examine the internal biases in its operations. It seems as if people are finally giving black artists the recognition they deserve. What do you think this means for the music industry going forward and how do you think your organization will fit into this "new normal"?
[MIA VAN ALLEN]: Not to be negative, but I’m a very realistic person when it comes to this. Yes, it’s great. So many labels and agencies are assembling these task forces in hiring diversity and inclusion. A lot of money has been going into that; however, many people don’t know where that money should go. They’ve just been throwing it to diversity inclusion because they think that’s the only place it needs to go. There is so much more than diversity inclusion. They need to support their POC artist and staff. Take a poll, analyze, go to meetings, get a sense before just shoving money in the face of diversity and inclusion. I know people in the [diversity and inclusion] agencies are overrun because they don’t have enough staff. They have too much money now, that is just sitting there, and they have no idea where it should be spent. I think they’re moving in the right direction.
However, they need to take a deeper look into what is necessary, and if money is necessary for things to change. You can do a lot that doesn’t involve money to see actual improvement. Black Lives Matter has only heightened these conversations, especially for my company, which is one of the main reasons why I want to continue it. We’re not that much of a political organization. The music business is so anti-politics. People hate talking about politics, so I always say we’re more of an advocacy organization, [even though] we are a liberal organization [and] are obviously pro Black Lives Matter. We keep an open mind and just focus on education, which is rare for any music company to do. When I started this, I wanted to educate people because no one else was doing that.
[UNPUBLISHED]: What is the future of Color of Music Collective?
[MIA VAN ALLEN:] The future of Color of Music Collective is to take things in person. I’ve already had an offer to teach a seminar to the NYU incoming freshman class for a couple days during the orientation week to talk about racial discrimination in the music industry. The New York High School of Art and Design has offered their auditorium to do a panel and they also offered to give me their students to volunteer, because a lot of them are BIPOC and LGBTQ+ [individuals] who want to work in the entertainment industry.
[We recently had a call with] Music Biz, one of the largest music organizations in the world [who are] known for being the first organization to have a conference in the music industry. They’re inviting us to their conferences and giving us free tickets. They also want me to moderate their conferences. [Music Biz] is a dream organization that I never thought we’d get, [but now] I think there’s going to be hundreds more. We’re planning a lot of stuff post-COVID. We’re just focusing on advocacy and educating. My dream is to be on a panel with other huge music executives. I would love for them to ask me questions about what they can do [to promote more BIPOC and LGBTQ+ artists].
[UNPUBLISHED]: For years, the black community has gone through a lot of pain and suffering. Even now with police brutality and systemic racism, it feels as if we can never really catch a break. It also feels like the media and the world, in general, are somehow attracted and obsessed with our pain. We see a lot of black trauma everywhere. We must remember that the black community has conquered so much, and we are more than just our hardships. As a black woman, what does happiness mean to you? What is your version of black joy?
[MIA VAN ALLEN]: Black joy for me, is self-love and music. I am not myself unless I’m playing something in the background. I just think music is so underestimated for the soul. It is a form of art, they’re called artist, musical artist. You wouldn’t believe the science behind it; music has the power to mentally bring joy. There’s a chemical imbalance that creates joy. I’m such an advocate for mental health. I’ve always had anxiety. I always focus on doing at least one thing for myself, but I also have a problem with that because I love giving back. I do it so much and there are a lot of people who take me for granted because of that. But the one thing I’ve learned from this company is to always stand up for yourself. If you want something, you go after it.
It is hard for people of color, but I think that now things are finally starting to change. Never underestimate a black person’s power. I honestly think that people are intimidated by us because they know what we’re capable of. I want more offices to look like the world I walk in every single day. I feel like it’s up for white people to use their power to uplift us. In my opinion, we need more allies, so that we know going down the line we can rely on them. In our lifetimes, what would make me happy is to see more allies.
Unpublished would like to thank Mia Van Allen for her time and wonderful interview on behalf of Color of Music Collective.
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