What is the Female Composer Safety League?
The Female Composer Safety League (FCSL) is a 501(c)(3) dedicated to providing a trauma-informed, safe community for women in the music industry who have been sexually abused, harassed, or harmed. We provide visibility, safety, advancement, and resources to help them in their healing journey. More can be learned here.
Is the FCSL trans-inclusive? If so, are the same resources available to trans-women/non-binary folk?
The FCSL welcomes anyone who self-identifies as female or non-binary as full members with access to our meetings and resources.
Did my harmful experience need to happen by someone within the music industry for me to be a part of your group?
No. If you identify as female or non-binary, and are part of the music industry, you are invited to be a part of our community.
Do you have a membership fee?
No. We believe that the support needed in times of healing should be readily available to all and not behind a paywall.
What are our group discussions like?
FCSL discussions are held usually every other Sunday at 10am PT on Zoom. Members will receive the Zoom link and weekly topic if they are signed up for our email newsletter. Most weeks we have a guest speaker who is a survivor and/or survivor advocate. Some weeks are reserved just for open member discussion and music sharing. Our meetings are for women and non-binary members only and are closed, including to recording or allowing others to listen in, in order to keep them safe and prevent any form of retraumatization. All meeting participants will be asked to actively affirm our group agreements (by speaking or typing “I agree” in the chat) before entering the discussion space. Our meeting facilitators (generally one of our board members) are trained in maintaining trauma-informed spaces, and our agreements reflect best practices as currently understood by trauma researchers and the survivor community.
How can men be involved in the FCSL?
We welcome male allies as a vital part of making our field safe for all, and have men serving on our board and as volunteers. We do not, however, generally allow men to participate in our Zoom discussions for the reasons described above. Please see other FAQ questions below about how to become an ally.
Do you work with accredited health professionals that give support and advice?
We don't currently refer our members to therapists due to the complexity of individual situations combined with the geographical diversity of our membership. However we do direct members to other trusted organizations to help with specific needs.
What is your organization's training to support women contacting you for help?
All members of the Board of Trustees are trauma-certified through the Echo Center for Nonviolence, and participate in ongoing professional development in trauma-informed care and survivor support.
Could you clarify how you aid survivors who come looking for help?
We have a network of vetted attorneys, security specialists, and other survivor advocacy groups with whom we partner. However each survivor is unique and may want different kinds of help and resources, so referrals are made on an individual basis as needed. We are firm believers that healing happens when power is restored to the survivor, that there is no “right” way to pursue this, and thus all of our support is survivor led. We will never pressure a survivor to come forward before she is ready, if at all. We believe that offering a safe community for survivors and allies to acknowledge experiences and support individual voices is an essential part of healing.
Do you offer a mentorship program?
Not currently. We recognize the importance of mentorships in the music industry to help grow the careers of new composers. As we acknowledge that many existing mentor/mentee spaces are not safe and often breed potential abuse through power dynamics, the FCSL is working to create a safety training program in partnership with other organizations who do provide mentorships, and to build our own mentorship program in the future to make these safe opportunities more available.
What are your community agreements?
Our community agreements are what help us build an environment of support and accountability in a one-on-one and group setting. They are a living document that reflects best practices as currently understood by the survivor community and trauma researchers. To view a sample upon which you can build your own agreements, please click here. If you would like to learn more, or are interested in creating community agreements for your studio or work environment, please email us.
What can I do to support survivors?
The most impactful thing you can do is to believe survivors and their lived experiences. When we express doubt or disbelief, retraumatization and compounded harm occurs. We do not need to agree with or like a survivor personally in order to believe them. Other forms of support include creating a space with equalized power dynamics and means of accountability in your studios, removing forms of retribution against those who choose to speak out about their abuse, and learning more about the effects of trauma.
How can I become more trauma informed?
Being trauma informed is an ongoing process, not a singular event, and is constantly being updated in this field of study. Our favorite books on the topic include Trauma and Recovery, by Judith Herman, Truth and Repair, by Judith Herman, What Happened to You? by Dr. Bruce Perry and Oprah Winfrey, and The Body Keeps the Score, by Dr. Bessel Van Der Kolk. We also encourage continued learning through echotraining.org.
How can I support the FCSL?
You can support us by having open, shame-free conversations about these topics with the people in your community, and by donating to our cause here.
The Female Composer Safety League (FCSL) is a 501(c)(3) dedicated to providing a trauma-informed, safe community for women in the music industry who have been sexually abused, harassed, or harmed. We provide visibility, safety, advancement, and resources to help them in their healing journey. More can be learned here.
Is the FCSL trans-inclusive? If so, are the same resources available to trans-women/non-binary folk?
The FCSL welcomes anyone who self-identifies as female or non-binary as full members with access to our meetings and resources.
Did my harmful experience need to happen by someone within the music industry for me to be a part of your group?
No. If you identify as female or non-binary, and are part of the music industry, you are invited to be a part of our community.
Do you have a membership fee?
No. We believe that the support needed in times of healing should be readily available to all and not behind a paywall.
What are our group discussions like?
FCSL discussions are held usually every other Sunday at 10am PT on Zoom. Members will receive the Zoom link and weekly topic if they are signed up for our email newsletter. Most weeks we have a guest speaker who is a survivor and/or survivor advocate. Some weeks are reserved just for open member discussion and music sharing. Our meetings are for women and non-binary members only and are closed, including to recording or allowing others to listen in, in order to keep them safe and prevent any form of retraumatization. All meeting participants will be asked to actively affirm our group agreements (by speaking or typing “I agree” in the chat) before entering the discussion space. Our meeting facilitators (generally one of our board members) are trained in maintaining trauma-informed spaces, and our agreements reflect best practices as currently understood by trauma researchers and the survivor community.
How can men be involved in the FCSL?
We welcome male allies as a vital part of making our field safe for all, and have men serving on our board and as volunteers. We do not, however, generally allow men to participate in our Zoom discussions for the reasons described above. Please see other FAQ questions below about how to become an ally.
Do you work with accredited health professionals that give support and advice?
We don't currently refer our members to therapists due to the complexity of individual situations combined with the geographical diversity of our membership. However we do direct members to other trusted organizations to help with specific needs.
What is your organization's training to support women contacting you for help?
All members of the Board of Trustees are trauma-certified through the Echo Center for Nonviolence, and participate in ongoing professional development in trauma-informed care and survivor support.
Could you clarify how you aid survivors who come looking for help?
We have a network of vetted attorneys, security specialists, and other survivor advocacy groups with whom we partner. However each survivor is unique and may want different kinds of help and resources, so referrals are made on an individual basis as needed. We are firm believers that healing happens when power is restored to the survivor, that there is no “right” way to pursue this, and thus all of our support is survivor led. We will never pressure a survivor to come forward before she is ready, if at all. We believe that offering a safe community for survivors and allies to acknowledge experiences and support individual voices is an essential part of healing.
Do you offer a mentorship program?
Not currently. We recognize the importance of mentorships in the music industry to help grow the careers of new composers. As we acknowledge that many existing mentor/mentee spaces are not safe and often breed potential abuse through power dynamics, the FCSL is working to create a safety training program in partnership with other organizations who do provide mentorships, and to build our own mentorship program in the future to make these safe opportunities more available.
What are your community agreements?
Our community agreements are what help us build an environment of support and accountability in a one-on-one and group setting. They are a living document that reflects best practices as currently understood by the survivor community and trauma researchers. To view a sample upon which you can build your own agreements, please click here. If you would like to learn more, or are interested in creating community agreements for your studio or work environment, please email us.
What can I do to support survivors?
The most impactful thing you can do is to believe survivors and their lived experiences. When we express doubt or disbelief, retraumatization and compounded harm occurs. We do not need to agree with or like a survivor personally in order to believe them. Other forms of support include creating a space with equalized power dynamics and means of accountability in your studios, removing forms of retribution against those who choose to speak out about their abuse, and learning more about the effects of trauma.
How can I become more trauma informed?
Being trauma informed is an ongoing process, not a singular event, and is constantly being updated in this field of study. Our favorite books on the topic include Trauma and Recovery, by Judith Herman, Truth and Repair, by Judith Herman, What Happened to You? by Dr. Bruce Perry and Oprah Winfrey, and The Body Keeps the Score, by Dr. Bessel Van Der Kolk. We also encourage continued learning through echotraining.org.
How can I support the FCSL?
You can support us by having open, shame-free conversations about these topics with the people in your community, and by donating to our cause here.