Face The Music Now Foundation launched to highlight sexual abuse and harassment in the music industry and empower survivors

As the first-ever female A&R executive for Atlantic Records, Dorothy Carvello has dealt with her own unfair share of discrimination within the music industry. It’s the rotten work, all part of climbing the ladder to have a room of one’s own in a company dictated by men. That’s been the reality of women in music for decades – a reality that propelled Carvello, now an acclaimed author and verified music industry veteran, to start her Face The Music Now Foundation for survivors of sexual abuse within the industry.

Carvello’s foundation is dedicated to supporting the mental and financial well-being of survivors and dedicated to teaching up-and-coming music industry leaders about how to create fair workplace environments to ensure the industry continually progresses toward a standard of equality and safety.

Face The Music Now’s website highlights shocking statistics regarding assault within the music industry. According to the foundation’s homepage, 72% of female musicians report having experienced discrimination, 67% report sexual harassment, and an unfortunate 85% of victims chose not to report their experiences due to the industry’s toxic culture.

The foundation will also serve as an outlet for victims to come forth and share their experiences in order to demand accountability and change from industry figureheads. In a statement posted to the homepage of the website, Carvello declares that the foundation is an outlet for survivors to share their stories; however, she promises, “For those afraid to come forward, I’ll tell their stories for them.”

Music industry activist Beverly Keel, singer-songwriter Bruce Roberts (whose work has been sung by iconic artists such as Barbara Streisand and Elton John), and Rob Savage, an ex-Secret Service special agent within Los Angeles county, all join Carvello in an impressive board of directors dedicated to tackling Face The Music Now’s mission.

Personally drawn to the foundation, Keel shared, “It’s lonely being the only woman in the room.” In 2020, the MTSU Dean of the University’s College of Media and Entertainment co-founded Nashville Music Equality in order to promote an anti-racist culture within the Nasville music industry. She has received awards for her efforts within changing industry standards and for her music journalism, which has appeared in many publications around the world.

Carvello, who started as a secretary at Atlantic Records in 1987, retired from the label scene in 2006 before publishing her revelatory book, Anything For A Hit, in 2018. The tell-all exposed the realities of the industry and sparked its #MeToo movement, opening up a channel for discussions surrounding women’s cruel experiences within the music industry. Face The Music Now is Carvello’s next step in her fight for industry progression, and it’s an uphill battle she refuses to give up on. Luckily, she’s not alone.

"This is about the decades old and widespread abuse of power in the music industry,” Carvello said of Face The Music Now’s purpose. “We want to help survivors find their voices and take back some of what they have lost."

All proceeds raised will be directed toward the mental and financial well-being of survivors. Browse Face The Music Now Foundation’s website to read more about their mission.