A new scholarship established in memory of pioneering musician SOPHIE supports underrepresented voices in audio production through We Are Moving the Needle.
The music world still feels the absence of groundbreaking producer and DJ SOPHIE, who died tragically in an accident at age 34 over four years ago. Her innovative approach to electronic music continues to influence creators worldwide, and now her legacy takes a new form through a dedicated scholarship fund.
Launched in partnership with nonprofit We Are Moving the Needle, the scholarship targets women, transgender, and non-binary individuals specializing in electronic music production. Recipients will receive financial assistance for college-level audio engineering and production programs, with awards ranging from $5,000 to $10,000.
Since 2021, We Are Moving the Needle has distributed more than $600,000 in scholarships. The organization focuses on increasing representation in technical music roles where women and non-binary people remain significantly underrepresented despite their creative contributions to the industry.
"SOPHIE's innovations continue to shape music's future" notes the organization. "As a Resonator Hall of Fame inductee, her boundary-breaking approach inspires countless creators, and we're honored to help her influence extend to the next generation".
U.S. citizens and residents can apply through the organization's website until April 27, 2025. The scholarship joins several other funding opportunities offered by We Are Moving the Needle to address persistent gender disparities in music production and audio engineering.
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Maya Torelli
Straddling the worlds of art and communication, this creative professional established People in 2009, a content agency specializing in the fusion of words and visuals. Over the years, her work has spanned a variety of projects, including magazines and documentary films. Beyond her commercial endeavors, she dedicates herself to exploring the nature of imagery, with a particular focus on its interplay with other media forms, especially music. Her passion for music not only fuels her writing but also deeply influences her work as a filmmaker, shaping both her documentaries and video installations. With a voracious appetite for knowledge across philosophy, sociology, anthropology, and various scientific disciplines, she weaves these diverse interests into a unique, interdisciplinary approach to content creation, perspective-taking, and writing.