This week we’re swaying a little bit away from strictly vinyl to vinyl adjacent in order to shout out a Woman and cause that we feel is important to share.  Phebean Adedamola Oluwagbemi (Febe) is a recording and mixing engineer of both live and digital music based in Nigeria, she is also a co-founder for the non-profit organization Audio Girl Foundation working to support women in audio tech and the music business in Nigeria and across Africa.

Audio Girl works to increase the involvement of women as music creators and professionals, and is committed to empowering and equipping young African girls and women with audio technology and music business skills, providing them with the adequate support and professional network to be able to scale up their careers in the music industry. They do this through carefully crafted training, workshops and mentorship programs that run all through the year both online and physically.  These programs involve digital and real-life events to build your career, grow your music brand, and reach your goals. Their Hackathons, Mixers, and Sessions are held every quarter along with bootcamps for singer-songwriters, DJs, Producers, engineers and music execs.

Outside of work Febe enjoys going to the movies, and traveling. We recommend reading the SoundGirls feature for more on Febe and how she found her way to what she’s doing now. In that article by April Tucker, Febe states:

“Instead of focusing on the statement ‘the industry is male-dominated,’ let’s showcase women who are already in the field so that people see that even if we have so many men in the industry, there are women who are doing great jobs who are doing their best and brightest. Seeing is believing. When I see other women do it, it will encourage a young girl anywhere to say, ‘if she can do it, then I can do it.’ So it’s more of a visibility problem and awareness, which is why we all have a role to play in it. Everybody has to work to make that happen.”

We couldn’t have said it better ourselves. 

How did you get into your industry / What motivated you to get into it? 

My love for music events and also music gears.

What is a day in the life like?

In front of my laptop working on a project or sending out emails to potential Audio Girl partners, then I kick back with my favorite TV series for the “101th time”, Friends.

In your opinion what has been your favorite / the coolest thing you’ve worked on?

Working on any Audio Girl projects has been my favorite thing to do as I love how we are able to create more opportunities for women in music technology with our workshops and trainings.

What has been / is the most difficult part of your job?

Dealing with People as I am naturally not a people person but I do my best… lol, the irony!… as that is a huge part of my job.

What advice do you have for someone wanting to get into pursuing what you’re doing?

Get an education in a music related course (very important), learn the music business, and also you need to be self-motivated and surround yourself with people who would support you emotionally as it can be draining sometimes.

Are you a vinyl collector yourself? What drew you to it? 

Not at the moment, but I’d love to someday.

What types of things are happening in your industry / with vinyl that you’re excited or worried about? 

I’m excited about the fact that the world is now a big global village, ease of access to information and network but then I worry that we are loosing the whole essence of why we do music in the first place and so the pressure is now on being more commercial than staying true to who you are.

During this time we’re currently in, what message do you have for music and vinyl fans? How can we support you, the industry?

Embrace Diversity, be open to collaborations but retain your originality. Support Organizations who are working to empower more women/people in the industry.

Anything else you want to share? If not, tell me what you’re listening to: 

I’m tending towards Gospel and inspirational music at the moment, Hillsong United, Elevation, Bethel music, etc. so refreshing!

Find Febe:

Instagram: 

Febe: @helofebe

Audio Girl: @audiogirlafrica

Facebook: @audiogirlafrica

Twitter: @theonlyfebe

YouTube: @backstagewithfebe

Patreon: www.patreon.com/audiogirlafrica

Website: www.audiogirlfoundation.org