WOMEN OF NAMM I BY NATALIE MORRISON Building Community One Conversation at a Time
I want to pose a question. How does a digital tool, like a pod- cast, build community? In a saturated market with podcasts on every topic imaginable, the answer might seem simple: the dedicated listeners make up the larger community. We see examples of this first-hand. In my early 20s, after moving to New York City, I discovered the podcast “Almost 30.” It produced a huge following of women trying to understand and navigate this volatile, uncertain period of early adulthood. At a time, pre-COVID, Facebook groups became a space to meet new people and discuss common questions or concerns, and regional
We Are Moving the Needle. Each month, the podcast in- vites more individuals into the small-but-mighty community we continue to build. Each NAMM show session gets big- ger, and each episode challenges us to open new conversations. Stephanie, Julia and I don’t just work together in real life; we’re friends who strive to model the kind of supportive, values-driven community we hope to cultivate through every episode, event and conversation. Community is not exclusive. My hope for all of you is that when you listen, you find a connecting point with a guest and encourage yourself to reach out and make that connection. You never know what could come of it. You might gain a mentor, a friend or simply be- gin to build a web of people to lean on. Sometimes, just one conversation can open the door to your future. Note: “ReVoicing the Fu- ture” is a Women of NAMM podcast, supported as a NAMM member service to the entire industry. New episodes are re- leased on the second Tuesday of every month on all major streaming platforms. Be sure to catch my team presenting at this year’s NAMM show, where we’ll continue building community — one conversa- tion at a time. MI Natalie Morrison is the senior segment marketing specialist for education at Yamaha, founder of the podcast “ReVoicing the Future” and serves on the NAMM YP board of directors. She is also a member of Women of NAMM.
chapters formed to host meetups and bring community to life. Unbeknownst to me at the time, I met one of my clos- est friends through the podcast. Now, fast-forward five years after I launched the podcast “ReVoicing the Future,” a Women of NAMM podcast with co-founders Stephanie Lamond and Julia Olsen, the mission continues to stand true: to provide a platform to learn from and celebrate the women who make up the music industry with the goal of helping to create more equitable gender representation. But, it wasn’t until we started speaking in person at The NAMM Show that we noticed the impact of im- pact of bringing communities together. FINDING YOUR ‘MICRO-COMMUNITY’ What makes our industry unique is its mosaic of micro-communities, each connected by a shared love for music — from pro-audio to lighting to band and
Natalie Morrison, center, with ReVoicing the Future’s Julia Olsen and Stephanie Lamond.
“What makes our industry unique is its mosaic of micro-communities, each connected by a shared love for music.”
orchestra, guitar, percussion, education, nonprofits and more. For women seeking community within the industry, the trio of Stephanie, Julia and I discovered that, within the microcosms, there were avenues for women to grow in these dedicated spaces. At The 2024 NAMM Show, our “ReVoicing the Future” session, “Creating Sustainable Careers Through Community,” featured an hour exploring not just why and how to find your community, but also spotlighted the many organizations support- ing women across the industry. It was a chance to build those connections in real time: organizations like Women of NAMM, The Women’s International Music Network, Women’s Audio Mission, SheQ Audio, Girls Make Beats, Amplify Her Voice and
30 I MUSIC INC. I OCTOBER 2025
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