Registration is now open for the next PRS Connects event, Mothers in Music.
PRS Connects, which debuted last month, is a new event series that provides opportunities for PRS's music-making and entrepreneur communities to come together to learn from experts and one another.
Set to take place at PRS for Music's London hub on September 12, the Mothers in Music session will offer advice and support for mothers and parents who work in the music industry, giving participants an opportunity to share their experiences and reflect on the challenges of raising children while working in music.
Featuring a panel of experts - including One Dance singer Kyla (pictured), 17Days Music's Lucy Francis, US singer/songwriter Maegan Cottone and Oh Yeah Music Centre's Charlene Hegarty - who will be moderated by PRS Members' Council President Michelle Escoffery, participants will also be able to join in the discussion around parenthood and music, make connections with fellow PRS members and build a support network that extends beyond PRS Connects.
You can reserve your place at this PRS Connects event, as well as find out more information about the Mothers in Music session, by heading here.
Speaking about why space needs to made for mothers and parents in the music industry, Kyla told M Magazine: 'Being a mum in music comes with its own difficulties and challenges that non-mothers don’t experience. Making space for, or being more considerate to mothers is something that would have helped me when I was signed to Virgin, as the expectations within the music industry are far more time-consuming than in many other [sectors].
'While those expectations are important [to an extent], they pale in comparison to being a parent/mum, which could make somebody working in the industry neglect their children for somebody else’s vision: not good!'
Michelle added of her experience: 'I have never understood this idea of choosing between motherhood and having a successful career. I have always been self-employed and fending for myself, so I worked the whole nine months of my incredible pregnancy and saved to be able to take some months off. I enjoyed my pregnancy, and found the changes in my vocal range and relationship with musical expression fascinating.
'Five days after I gave birth, I rehearsed Liberty X in my front room. Five days after that, I was in the studio with a Moses basket recording and producing the group's vocals and feeding my daughter every two hours! It never occurred to me to quit or divert from making music.
'Apart from family, there were no support systems in place for mothers who wanted to work, and definitely no paid maternity leave for self-employed mothers like myself. We should not be made to feel like we have to choose between having a family or a career, or seen as any less professional because we’ve chosen to do one of the most natural things in life. In most cases, having a child makes us more focused and determined to succeed than ever, because now we have a life that is literally dependent on us for their survival.'
Speaking to M Magazine about her experience of motherhood, All Saints singer and songwriter Shaznay Lewis said: 'I do think I had good creative support when I had my son. I went back into the studio quite soon after [giving birth] to work on an album with Greg Kurstin. I live outside of London, and the label was helpful and able to find a little studio near my house, and we did our sessions together at night when my baby was sleeping. It was a lot, but I wouldn't have been able to travel to London and work during the day.
'One thing that requires more consideration is the total flexibility regarding working hours for mothers during studio sessions. If they could dictate the times which work for them, writing sessions would be more productive. More often than not, a session will start at the traditional time of noon and end at 6pm. Most mothers have to leave to collect their children from nursery or school at 3pm, which frustratingly doesn't allow much time for creating - merely clock-watching and being under pressure to write a hit.'
