Online music tech conference for people of marginalised genders adds Jlin, Anu and Rachel K Collier to line-up

Bristol-based organisation Saffron has revealed details of its second annual 7 Days Of Sound event, designed to connect people of marginalised genders (trans and cis women, as well as all trans and non-binary people) in music tech.

After launching in 2021, 7 Days Of Sound will return this month, with a series of workshops that will look at include tech training and career advice and aim to cater to varying backgrounds, genres and levels of experience.

Jlin will present a workshop themed around ‘Versatility & Vulnerability’, with the Indiana artist exploring “the meaning of influence and inspiration, evolution and discovery and moving beyond your comfort zone to find your signature sound”.

Anu – who was nominated in the Best Radio Show category at DJ Mag’s Best of British Awards 2021 – will takeover the fourth day of workshops, presenting a session on ‘Radio with Personality’ which will see the NTS and BBC Asian Network share personal insights and tips from her time as a broadcaster. Bristol DJs Daisy Moon and Em Williams, part of the Mix Nights course which aims to support up and coming people of marginalised genders in learning to DJ, will also present a session that will talk through how to self-promote, how to network, and how to produce mixes, radio shows and other creative content.

Rachel K Collier will focus on sound design and her use of Ableton to produce inventive sound design techniques. The artist is credited as bringing expertise related to her multi-instrument technical setup which allows her to perform her song-focused, high-energy studio productions in a live setting.

Launching 7 Days Of Sound, Saffron cites a recent Annenberg report, which showed that less than 5% of the music tech industry is comprised of women, non-binary or trans people and less than 1% of these are people of colour. Saffron was founded in 2015, with the aim to empower and support marginalised communities within the music industry.

Day tickets for the workshops are available here, and there are also a number of donation tickets, priced at £1, for those who need them. They can be accessed via this form.

In 2020, Saffron launced a digital members club via Patreon to support the group’s work.