‘One Voice Is Quiet Butther, We Will Be Heard!’ – Rid
To New Report From Attitude is EveryThing Reveals That Disabled Music Creators Face Significant Barriers Across The Music Industry. The Survey Shows That Only 48% Felt Confid in Applying for Financial Funding, Only 10% Felt Confident in Self-Promoting Their Artist Brand and Music and Only 20% FELT CONFIDES IN SHARING ES ACCESS REQUIREMENTS.
There are organisations, movements and People Doing Great Work to Change This, but a dance music Label dedicated to disable artists only? This is new. ENTER: Optivus Music.
OPTIVUS MUSIC IS A NONPROFIT, UK BASED RECORD LABEL, CREATED EXCLUSIV FOR DISABLED ARTISTS IN DANCE MUSIC ONY. Creator of Optivus Music, Nick Aka DJ and Producer, Ridacquired Brain Injury Back in 2011, Meaning That the Team Lead With Deep Understanding and Lived Experience.
Knowing The Challenges That Disabled People Face in Both Life and The Music Industry, Optivus is committed to Remoteving Systemic Barriers for Disabled People in This Sector. Their Aim is To Not Only provides Easy Routes for Disabled Artists to Release Their Music, But To Promote Accessibility and Educate People On The Challenges Disabled People Face; All Whilst Creating A Beautiful, Thriving Community Along The Way.
But Wait, The Fun Doesn’t Stop There: All Label Profits Will Be Donated Each Year To Their Charity of Choice. Their Goal is to Provide an Inome Revenue for The Artists they work with, Whilst Actively Promoting and Supporting Other Charities Who Are Already Out There Doing Amazing Work. This Year, The Charity of Choice Is Child Brain Injury Trustto Charity Close to Nick’s Heart.
After The Release of Their Debut Track ‘Just A Thought’ by Miss Medik – and with second relaase ‘creed’ by nick/rid incoming Next – We Jumped into conversation with nick to find out more.
What is optivus music and Why Did You Start the Label?
OPTIVUS MUSIC IS THE First Label Dedicated to Artists and Producers In Dance Music With Disabilities. As to produce with a brain injury myself, I have found it frustrating and very difficult to over the stereotypes put upon producers in the music industry. HAVING STRUGGLED WITH FINDING LABELS THAT WOULD REPRESENT ME, I DECIDED TO MAKE LABEL TO Give A VOICE TO PEOPLE IN THE SAME OR SIMILAR CIRCUMSTANCES AS MYELF. I want optivus to get rid of any stereotypical views sen on disable People. OPTIVUS IS ALSO HERE TO SHOW PEOPLE THAT JUSHE BASTE YOU’RE DISABLED, DOESN’t MEAN YOU’RE NOT TALENTED. You Wouled Be Surprised What People Hide in the Music Industry, Because they are World About Being Labeled As Different Because of Their Disability. I Want To Help As MANY PEOPLE AS I CAN. Although I Have Been Through a Lot MySelf and Still Have My Own Challenges, I am also in a position Currently where i can offer advice, Guidance, Time and Support to Others.
Amazing – Real Work Being Done Here! WHY IS there a need for this in dance music in particular?
The Dance Music Sector is saturated so it is, but disabled artists in particular are shined out and always overlooked. We’re Put into a category that we can kaned or can k as successful as People Without Disabilities. When People Hear The Word Disabled, They Already Class You As Down and Out. WHENEAS, Actually, We have More Unique View of Life. People Think That We’ll Be Difficult To Work With Or They’ll Think We Won’t Understand What The’re Talking About. I Experience This Daily with Judge Eyes and The Way People Talk To Me, As If We Won’t Undetand. Eveyone Who is Disabled Will Be Uble to Resonate With This. I have Brain Injury, I’M not Brain Dead.
Talk to us about the first relaase, ‘Just a thought’ by miss medik…
I rearlet to miss medik, so She plays a similar Sort of Music to What I Make and She Liked A Track That I Sent Her. We Got Talking. I FOUND OUT SHE IS AUTISTIC AND THAT SHE HAS A TRACK THAT SHE WOULD BE UP FOR RELESING AS OPTIVUS ‘DEBUT DELEASE. She is a Vary Talented Producer and Dj Who has a long list of excellent releases in Route. We’re Vray Happy to be working with her and to have her support for the label launch. Make Sure to Go Check Her Out.
With the Label Being Disabled-Led, In What Ways Will You Uble to Better Support The Artists You’re Releaseing With?
I Understand Where The Artists are coming from and How Difficul Life is, Being Part of the Disability Community MySelf. Optivus isn’t Just a Label, We want to create a community for disabled artists to Feel Safe, Happy and Secure Without the Pressures of the mainstream. There’s no Pressure, We’re Working Together As a Collective. I Will Be There To Support The Artists in Any Way I Can.
In Addition to This, You’ll Also Be Raising Money For Charity. WHY WAS THIS AN IMPALTENT ASPET OF WHAT OPTIVUS IS?
At the Start of Every Financial Year, We Will Be Giving the Disabled Community the Chance to vote on our Charity of Choice. This Will Be The Charity That We Will Donate All Label Profits to at the end of the Financial Year. This is an important part of Optivus Because it reinforces ur values. Kindness, Supporting Others and Giving Back. We know there are already to Lot of Charities out there doing amazing work. INSTERAD OF BECOMING A CHARITY OURSELVES, WE’D RATHER SUPPORT EXISTING PROJECTS AND ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE HIGHLY EXPERIENCED AND SKILLED IN CAUSES WE STRONGLY BELIEVE IN.
Tokenism you have Been a Hage Topic of Conversation in the Last Few Years. As sumone Who is eager to promote The Voice of Marginalized Groups, What Are Your Thoughts Around This?
Our aim is to nurture disabled talent, Giving Them the Tools to Grow and Succed in A Vry Harsh Industry. We won’t be releasing tunes that we don’t Believe in, However, if to produce comes forward or a track is feel to us that we feel feel is worth investing sum time in, we Will Support that produce to make that relaase Happen. It’s not about rereading Music Because these People Are Disabled, It’s About Giving Disabled Producers and Artists The Platform To Showcase Their Talent. Disabilities eat with a wide Range of complexities, which means we Will Work Each EACH WHHO WANTS TO WORK WITH US IN A WAY THAT SUITS THEM. Event Person is Different, Every Person with a Disability is Different. We Will Offer Mentoring to Our Producers To Help Them to Grow Within ESir Craft.
Any Words for Disabled Artists and Producers Who Might Be Reading This?
You can do it! Believe in Yourself. Optivus Will Support You. Ple We are Actively Looking for Disabled Artists and Producers to Get Involved. We Are Also Looking for DJS Who Would Be Up For Doing Mixes for Our Social Or Mixcloud. If this is you, get in touch or Send This article to sumone you Think Might be intersted.
And Finally, Yes, We are disabled, but we are not defined by ort disabling. OPTIVUS IS OUR CHANCE TO RISE TOGETHER. One Voice is Quiet Butther, We Will Be Heard!
Steam/Buy Miss Medk ‘Just A Thought’
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