A songwriter/keyboardist, Lorena Kelly is a senior staff member of SaskMusic, where she’s served in roles from artistic direction and event coordination to leading workshops, marketing initiatives, and Women in Music Saskatchewan activities, in addition to participating on numerous regional and national arts committees and juries. Lorena has toured across Canada, the U.S. and internationally, backing up numerous country/pop artists (primarily women) as a freelance keyboard player/vocalist in addition to releasing albums with her own bands, freelancing in web design/management and serving as Vice-President of CFM Local 446. She’s a proud single mama to a creative little girl.
The theme for IWD 2021 is #ChooseToChallenge. What does that mean to you in your personal or work life?
Challenging expectations and limits. I’m too stubborn to accept things without question. It can be tiring, and frustrating to push against all the perceived barriers that exist whether that’s the lower performance fees paid to female artists, or inequitable radio play, but I do feel that one way we are going to move fully forward as women is by being loud and challenging assumptions. There is no job, genre, or playlist that should be off-limits and we need to continue claiming space for ourselves. Hopefully, not by ourselves.
On International Women’s Day, what is the most important message you want to send out to young women thinking about their careers?
If your passion is leading you in an artistic direction, follow it. Reach out to your peers in the community, and the arts organizations that exist to help you navigate your way. It’s not a sign of weakness to ask for advice or support, rather I feel it’s a sign of maturity, and openness. Apply for the grant, release the single, do the thing. Careers in the arts aren’t easy, and particularly aren’t easy for women, but don’t let that stop you. There are more and more positive changes happening all the time. Progress may be slow but it IS happening.