Empowerment is a core value for Erin Barra, the Executive Director of We Make Noise and an Assistant Professor and Director of the Popular Music Program at Arizona State University.
“Empowerment seeps into all facets of my life — it’s why I gravitate toward education and advocacy work, it’s how I parent, and it’s the foundation of my relationship to music,” she says. “My parents always reinforced that I could do and be whatever I wanted, so whenever I’m confronted with the opposite sentiment, my impulse is to rage against the machine. As my career has evolved, I’ve learned to harness that energy and use it to empower people and change systems.”
Her teaching philosophy is built on three pillars:
- Education — giving people the skills and information they need in order to do work.
- Community Building — creating social networks and support systems since they are necessary for success in any industry.
- Professional Development — giving people real opportunities to work and get their foot in the door.
“I believe that when we focus on these outcomes and create the right environments for them to exist, then the rest falls into place,” Barra says.
In 2013, Barra founded We Make Noise, an organization that blends music creation, technology training, community building and career development to advance global gender equity and equip communities with tools that cultivate limitless potential. “There came a point in my career as a woman in music tech where I felt like I was one of one,” she recalls. “The more visible I became, the more othered and isolated I was. However, in the same breath, the more visible I became, the more people who shared my story and experiences were reaching out to me for support.”
We Make Noise started with a single classroom on the outskirts of Manhattan. Now, it operates in over 55 cities across six continents, in partnership with many regional leaders and collaborators. “There are a lot of people who have come through We Make Noise who are now working as engineers, producers, writers, playback engineers, educators, etc. Their success is what I’m most proud of,” Barra exclaims.
