Building a more representative music industry for (and with) young Black talent – with Pamela McCormick and Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE of United Development

Music Ally Focus

Episode 107: We’re joined by Pamela McCormick and Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE of London-based organisation United Development – they talk to Joe Sparrow about supporting and developing young black musicians and industry talent, the state of representation in the UK industry, and what you can do to help make gradual improvements around representation in the music business. Pamela McCormick is founder and CEO of United Development (UD), and Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE, was recently appointed chair. UD brings communities together around Black music and Black music culture. For 20 years, UD has acted as a bridge between burgeoning talent and the music industry, through business and employment support programmes, career guidance, access to resources and showcasing, and more. They explain the issues that the young people they work with face, the hurdles that are "baked-in” to the current industry structure, explain how to build intentional change into your business, and how to disrupt the “pipeline issue” that goes hand in hand with a lack of representation in the music industry.

UD website: https://www.udmusic.org/

Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE: https://aimafidon.com/

UD Industry takeover event: https://www.complex.com/music/ud-industry-takeover-2023

UD on BBC Radio 4: https://www.udmusic.org/blog/artists/ud-x-bbc-radio-4/

Chronixx - COOL AS THE BREEZE/FRIDAY: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qsCV2LBoAG0

Miles Davis – Kind of Blue https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nkfBmwK2t62J1xAsfhcwj9PVQG7N5UunA

Popsicles: https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/118197-most-ice-lollies-popsicles-eaten-in-one-minute

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