Women’s History Month just wrapped up as March came to a close. However, some pioneering women at USC are bringing that celebration of female accomplishment and representation into April.
On April 2, Rowfest debuted on USC’s Greek row. The charity- driven live music event was put on by USC’s chapter of She Is The Music, showcasing female student musicians in the non-traditional setting of a fraternity house.
The event began as an idea — a piggybacking of concepts and desires of wanting to bring live music and a female-driven brand together as one.
The dream eventually became a reality.
Josette Chenaur is a sophomore music industry major and one of the co-ambassadors of USC’s chapter of She Is The Music. She felt the row lacked that live music element when brainstorming.
“I was thinking, love EDM, love house music, ” Chenaur said. “But nothing can beat the collective effervescence of being in a space where there’s live music and experiencing that in a community.”
Chenaur is quarterbacking this entire event alongside her fellow co-ambassador, Ariella Youssefyeh, who is also a music industry major. Each felt that bringing the row a new element of entertainment was important, but they also desired a strong female representation in such a male-dominated setting.
Founded by star female musician, Alicia Keys, She Is The Music is a non-profit organization that aims to support and encourage women in the music industry. Both Chenaur and Youssefyeh are trying to highlight She Is The Music’s goals within the USC student community through Rowfest.
The evening showcase took place at Pi Kappa Alpha, a male fraternity on the row. The social chairs and She Is The Music have been working for weeks to plan and organize this event from scratch, with no professional or industry help being given.
“To have an event that is almost fully led by women helping each other is a special thing to be a part of,” Youssefyeh said.
As a student-driven event, Rowfest hoped to bring people together for the love of music.
“Music is such a community-building thing,” Ayla Claire said, a sophomore popular music performance major with an emphasis in singing and songwriting who performed at the event.
Claire looked forward to the communal music element, but is also empowered by the female initiative the entire event represents.
“I am honored to be bringing music to corners of the school that aren’t focused on music regularly,” Claire said. “Especially for female leads and a female supporting organization.”
Rowfest aims to bridge any divides that may exist between female artists nowadays, especially by trying to combat any at USC through this event.
Chenaur discussed some of the discrepancies with women in the music industry. One of the goals of Rowfest is to interrupt patterns in performing stereotypes, such as who watches whom and who performs where.
“We really want to leave behind the idea that as women we are capable of so much when we really lift each other up,” Youssefyeh said, “and make the effort to give each other opportunities.”
Instead, She Is The Music’s position on this is to open up so many new spaces for women to perform, ones that have been perceived to be off limits before.
“The deeper message isn’t just inclusion,” Chenaur said. “It’s also rewriting the expectations and expanding what people believe is possible.”
There were be four female headliners for Rowfest, with sororities Delta Gamma, Delta Delta Delta, Alpha Delta Pi and Alpha Phi being represented by the musicians, Ayla Claire, Chenaur herself, Ziggy Sixx and Sophie Levy.
With a showcase of an array of female talent, all within the USC student body, Rowfest aspired to unite female artists with other female artists. Not only within Greek life, but also outside of it, as the audience becomes engaged in the event.
“It’s just gonna be a special environment of [female] support, supporting women and even men supporting women,” Chenaur said.
This female-driven and executed event hopes to propel She Is The Music’s overall mission of exposure, advocacy and career development for all women, as well as bridge any gaps within communities.
“[This] gives people a sense that they’re part of something bigger,” Chenaur said. “I want this to happen every single year.”
