Makeda McMillan from Small Green Shoots has been around music all her life, and now she’s leading from the front to make it accessible to others.
Tell us about your background, your upbringing, and your introduction to the world of music
I have always been around music, my mum sung in a band and my dad was a drummer and that’s how they met, so I was brought up in a musical home where I used to do vocal coaching and piano lessons. I knew I wanted to work in the industry but just wasn’t sure to what capacity. I’m from a big family with 7 siblings and from Caribbean heritage and we were raised Rastafarian, so reggae, roots and culture music was a huge part of my life.
How did you get into the music industry?
I met the founder of SGS early on, she was my live events apprenticeship tutor and had just started the organisation. Part of my course was to plan an event; I chose to do an anti-knife crime music event and got some well-known artists at the time to perform. That’s when I realised, I wanted to work in music. Nats had been in the industry for a while, so I asked to work at SGS and get my foot in the door and some experience. I was only 14 at the time, I didn’t know where id end up but knew I wanted to just be in the room to learn as much as I could from her.
What were some of the barriers you experienced, or still do experience, as a woman in the music industry, if any?
There are many, but a big one for me is being taken seriously for my abilities and not being judged for my gender. I was a young mum and had my son aged 17 which also comes with its own stereotypes. You’re basically written off as soon as you have a kid and must go above and beyond to prove yourself worthy. Now being a 28-year-old black female, from a deprived background AND a mother? The odds are stacked against me.
What would you say to your 16-year-old self about being a woman in music… what to expect, the difficulties, the excitements?
Keep going and surround yourself with the right people. Representation is so important. Also know your worth and don’t second guess it. Don’t take **** from people because you think you have to. You have a voice and it’s just as important as everyone else’s. Make sure you’re on job and your reputation will speak for itself.
What other exciting things have you been working on lately, either work or personally?
These past few months have been super exciting for me, I’ve taken on the role of MD at SGS, I’m still delivering creative projects through my organisation MakedaMakes, I really feel I’m in a good place in my life… I’ll be 30 next year too which I hear is your best era!
What can we look forward to from Small Green Shoots in the upcoming year?
We have our shoots and sharps programme expanding and are launching our official “Alumni” project in April.
This year is all about more collaborations and more success stories, the organisation is one of a kind and my mission is to ensure everyone knows it!
