ASU music professor earns Keychange Inspiration Award

Erin Barra-Jean’s deep commitment to mentoring and developing the next generation of creative talent has earned her the acclaimed Keychange Inspiration Award.

Barra-Jean, assistant professor in Arizona State University's School of Music, Dance and Theatre and director of the popular music program, received the award at Europe’s Tallinn Music Week festival in Estonia on April 10.

The globally nominated award honors and celebrates inspirational figures who have made an extraordinary and pioneering contribution to the music industry in areas of gender equity, diversity, inclusion, access and sustainability.

Founded in 2017 by Vanessa Reed, British music executive and current chief executive of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Keychange promotes gender equality in the music industry. The Keychange Inspiration Award was created in February 2018 with singer and songwriter Dua Lipa as the first recipient.

“Receiving the Keychange Inspiration Award at Tallinn Music Week is a genuine honor — one that lands at the intersection of everything I have been building for the past decade,” said Barra-Jean. “Keychange is one of the most respected gender equity initiatives in the global music industry, and being recognized by that community, in that room, leaves me honored and grateful.”

As a multifaceted leader at the intersection of music, technology, education and equity, Barra-Jean received four nominations and was one of eight finalists for the award.

Barra-Jean first learned about Keychange and their initiatives in and across Europe and the United Kingdom at a University of Groningen gender studies conference in 2019.

“Much of their work has given me inspiration about how we might navigate the same issues in the states and the Global South as well,” said Barra-Jean. “I was on the shortlist for the award last year and was lucky enough to win this year. Being recognized in this way is important because it brings visibility and credibility to the work that we are doing locally and around the world.”

In addition to her position at ASU, Barra-Jean is also the executive director of We Make Noise, a global nonprofit advancing gender equity in music and technology. She said the nonprofit's three pillars — education, community and professional development — are similar to the culture within ASU's popular music program.

“The impact of this award for ASU is confirmation that the work happening inside the popular music program is connecting internationally,” said Barra-Jean.

In 2023, Barra-Jean created the music industry career conference, renamed this year to ASUPROX, to bring together trailblazing music professionals, aspiring creatives and cultural leaders to engage, inspire and redefine the music industry.

“We’re not just teaching students how the industry works — we’re actively shaping what it becomes,” said Barra-Jean. “That’s the kind of presence a university should want in the world.”

For We Make Noise, she said the award affirms that their model of sessions, partnerships and direct artist development is making an impression.

We Make Noise has worked with hundreds of artists across the U.S., Spain and Colombia, said Barra-Jean, and the results confirm sustained collaboration, new recording credits and careers that actually move.

“An award like this puts that work on a bigger stage and opens doors to the partnerships and funding that help us scale it up,” said Barra-Jean.

“For me personally, this award is a reminder of why I do this,” Barra-Jean said. “I came up as a musician, I came up in rooms that were not always built for people like me, and a lot of what drives my work is the desire to change that math. Being recognized for it — internationally — feels like the work is speaking for itself.”