I CARE IF YOU LISTEN, the award-winning multimedia hub for living music creators, has officially become part of the American Composers Forum. After 10 years of operation as an all-volunteer enterprise, I CARE IF YOU LISTEN (ICIYL) was acquired by American Composers Forum (ACF) this month. “Over the past year, we have developed a number of initiatives in partnership with I CARE IF YOU LISTEN,” says ACF President & CEO Vanessa Rose. “The synergy between our two entities and our shared vision for our musical landscape were clear early on. ACF is thrilled that we can complement our work as part of one family, and equitably support the excellent staff and contributing team at ICIYL.”
Amanda Cook, ICIYL’s Editor-in-chief since 2017, will continue to serve in that role as a member of the ACF staff. Editorial decisions will be made at the discretion of the Editor-in-chief, in alignment with ACF’s organizational priorities. “Our new partnership with American Composers Forum provides I CARE IF YOU LISTEN with the crucial support and resources needed to center racial equity in everything that we do, from the content that we highlight on our platform to the writers creating that content,” says Cook. “ACF is a national leader in anti-racism work in the contemporary arts, and we could not have asked for a better partner to help usher in this next chapter for ICIYL.”
Saying goodbye to our Founder
Founded in December 2010 by Thomas Deneuville, ICIYL was born from a desire to create a dedicated space for talking about contemporary classical music. Through a unique blend of music criticism, promotional features, and multimedia content, ICIYL strives to be a leading advocate for artists who have been historically underrepresented or marginalized in Western classical music by highlighting equitable programming, facilitating challenging conversations, cultivating a safe platform, and creating educational resources.
“When I started I CARE IF YOU LISTEN, other media outlets already covered the new music scene,” says Deneuville. “Through 10 years of trial and error, from a blog on my website to an award-winning digital magazine, we found our unique voice and audience. Amanda Cook’s outstanding work has been critical to this success. I am thankful for all the contributors’ work and passion, and for the new music community’s support and readership. As I CARE IF YOU LISTEN embarks on a new chapter, I wish Amanda and ACF continued success in making the new music scene a more vibrant and inclusive field.”
A growing partnership
ACF and ICIYL have partnered on projects like Out of Context, a series of commissioned essays on cultural appropriation; ListN Up, weekly artist-curated playlists presented in collaboration with innova Recordings; and Uneven Measures, an initiative that highlights today’s women, trans, and nonbinary artists as we mark the centennial anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment.
Same content, equitably produced
While an ACF program, I CARE IF YOU LISTEN will maintain its same web platform as a separate brand, as well as much of the same content and framework it has become known for over the last decade. A new featured section called “At ACF” will offer promotional articles highlighting ACF programs and awardees. The one existing area that will sunset is ICIYL’s weekly concert round-up. Artists are encouraged to instead submit event information to ACF’s Events calendar by completing this form.
Call for new contributors
In the coming weeks, I CARE IF YOU LISTEN will announce a call for new contributing writers on its website and social media channels. ICIYL is committed to hiring contributors who further its racial equity goals and offer diverse perspectives. BIPOC writers are especially encouraged to apply. Read ACF’s published Statement of Commitment to Racial Equity–which includes ICIYL.
Support our next chapter
I CARE IF YOU LISTEN is powered by ACF with funding from individual donations and institutional grants. The acquisition was made possible through lead support from ACF’s Board of Directors with additional generosity from The Elizabeth & Michel Sorel Charitable Organization, Inc. for the Uneven Measures series. A gift to American Composers Forum helps support the work of I CARE IF YOU LISTEN. To contribute, click here:
ABOUT AMERICAN COMPOSERS FORUM
ACF supports and advocates for individuals and groups creating music today by demonstrating the vitality and relevance of their art. We connect artists with collaborators, organizations, audiences, and resources. Through storytelling, publications, recordings, hosted gatherings, and industry leadership, we activate equitable opportunities for artists. We provide direct funding and mentorship to a broad and diverse field of music creators, highlighting those who have been historically excluded from participation.
Founded in 1973 by composers Libby Larsen and Stephen Paulus as the Minnesota Composers Forum, the organization continues to invest in its Minnesota home while connecting artists and advocates across the United States and beyond. ACF frames our work with a focus on racial equity and includes within that scope, but not limited to, diverse gender identities, musical approaches and perspectives, religions, ages, (dis)abilities, cultures, backgrounds, sexual orientations, and broad definitions of being “American.” Visit www.composersforum.org for more information.
ABOUT I CARE IF YOU LISTEN
Founded in 2010, I CARE IF YOU LISTEN (ICIYL) is an award-winning comprehensive multimedia hub for living music creators born from a desire to create a dedicated space for talking about contemporary classical music. Over the past 10 years, I CARE IF YOU LISTEN has published nearly 2,000 articles by more than 100 contributors reporting from seven different countries. With a unique blend of critical and promotional content, ICIYL’s current offerings include album reviews, concert reviews, interviews, essays, opinion pieces, track/album premieres, video premieres, and curated playlists. ICIYL emphasizes an informed yet unpretentious tone to discuss music. I CARE IF YOU LISTEN also strives to be a leading advocate for artists who have been historically underrepresented or marginalized in the Western classical music space by prominently featuring artists, curators, venues, and record labels that embody equitable programming practices. The site attracts an average of more than 100,000 unique viewers annually. For more information, visit icareifyoulisten.com and www.icareifyoulisten.tv.