The Sound of Equity: Women’s Equality Day Concert Succeeds For Take The Lead

Marina Arsenijevic performs at Take The Lead’s Women’s Equality Day Concert.

“We are determined to take this opportunity, to take the losses and turn them into gains,” says Gloria Feldt, co-founder and president of Take The Lead in the opening introductions of the Women’s Equality Day Concert featuring internationally renowned composer and pianist Marina Arsenijevic.

Tickets still available to stream Women’s Equality Day Concert to benefit Take The Lead

““We are determined to take this opportunity, to take the losses and turn them into gains,” says @GloriaFeldt, co-founder and president of @Takeleadwomen in the opening introductions of the #WomensEqualityDay Concert. #genderequality #progress”

Timed for the recent Women’s Equality Day (with tickets still available for access to the virtual event), the extraordinary opportunity to share the original music, arrangements as well as legendary musical works performed by globally acclaimed musical artist Arsenijevic was a rare chance for sponsors, supporters and a wide audience to salute the past, present and future. With joy and intention.

Read more in Take The Lead on Marina Arsenijevic

The event aligns perfectly with the mission of Take The Lead, says Feldt, to “prepare, develop, inspire and propel” women of all identities and intersectionalities into leadership positions across all sectors by 2025.

With sponsors Arts Rock, W Marketplace, DoorDash and Women Connect 4 Good, Take The Lead is able to offer the hour-long event to audience members with multiple levels of packages and engagements.

Read more in Take The Lead on Women’s Equality Day

Rhodessa Jones, founder of the Medea Project and co-artistic director of Cultural Odyssey, introduces the concert with insights into the need for the efforts of Take The Lead at a time when “women’s power in the 21st century” is “undiscovered.”

At this chaotic time following 18 months of COVID-caused restructuring, economic fallout, challenges and sacrifices by millions of women in the workforce, and newly exacerbated by the Delta surge, it is urgent to address what is needed to put women at the center of the economic recovery.

“At this chaotic time following 18 months of COVID-caused challenges and sacrifices by millions of #women in the #workforce, it is urgent to address what is needed to put women at the center of the economic #recovery. ”

“Women are struggling to be relevant, to be powerful and in the lead,” says Jones. “Can you stand alone and still speaking your truth?” That is a challenge all women face, she says.

Tickets and packages still available for Women’s Equality Day Concert

Narrating the introduction to the concert and the relevance of Take The Lead’s programs, initiatives and offerings, Jones adds, “You have a right to a life. In changing your life, you are going to learn so much you can share with those who come after you and those who are around you who all have a right to a life.”

“Narrating the introduction to the @Takeleadwomen #WomensEqualityDay concert, Rhodessa Jones, founder of the Medea Project, says, “You have a right to a life. In changing your life, you are going to learn so much you can share with those who come after you.” #progress ”

Take The Lead is investing in “individual and systemic change,” says Dr. Lily McNair, former president of Tuskegee University, in an introduction prior to the concert.

Watch Dr. Lily McNair here in Take The Lead’s Virtual Happy Hour

In an interview with Feldt at the start of the event, Arsenijevic explains her origin story of growing up in Serbia and her ongoing efforts “to continue my mission of uniting people through music.” She adds, “Piano is still my challenge, but also a tool to communicate with the rest of the world.”

Years after she says she was “welcomed in the United States with open arms,” Arsenijevic lays out a program of eight carefully chosen songs she performs on the piano with accompaniment by Sonia Lee, violinist with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, as well as separate input from tenor John Riesen. Each song has a profound meaning for women and the equality that is rightfully theirs.  

Before flawlessly performing Frederic Chopin’s “Fantasie Impromptu,” Arsenijevic explains Chopin’s relationship with the writer and author George Sand, a woman who adopted a male pen name to push for recognition of women in the arts and society in the 19th century.

Next is an exceptional performance on piano of Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel’s classic, “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” that is a metaphor, Arsenijevic says, for “the tools that are a bridge for women to refresh career skills and get back in track to leadership” at this crucial time post-pandemic.

An original piece created for Take The Lead, “Fire & Soul,” is a performance with Arsenijevic on piano and Lee on violin.

“Voice is an essential power for women,” says Arsenijevic who salutes the iconic Celine Dion in her vocal and piano performance of “Power Of Love.”

““Voice is an essential power for women,” says pianist Marina Arsenijevic who salutes the iconic Celine Dion in her vocal and piano performance of “Power Of Love” at the @Takeleadwomen #WomensEqualityDay concert. #powerfulwomen ”

A second original piece, “Danube Rising,” is a salute to Serbian-American engineer and inventor Nikola Tesla, who was a great supporter of women in the mid-20th century. “Created during COVID, this is a melody of hope for the future,” Arsenijevic says.

Opera singer Riesen performs the Irish melody, “Isle of Hope, Isle of Tears,” with Arsenijevic, as a salute to immigrants in this country and around the world.

Closing the concert is a replay of the live performance with the West Point Band of the U.S. Military Academy, of George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue,” which was a PBS special replayed for many years.

The crucial need to put women at the center of the economic recovery from the pandemic is an impetus for this event, says Feldt.

Felicia Davis, founder of the Black Women’s Collective and CEO of Joyful Transformations, says Take The Lead is in a prime position to address this effort. “We have cracked the code on what holds women back,” she says in an introduction to the concert.

“The crucial need to put women at the center of the economic #recovery from the #pandemic is an impetus for @Takeleadwomen ‘s #WomensEqualityDay concert, says co-founder and president @GloriaFeldt. ”

Feldt writes in Newsweek about the damaging effects of COVID on women in the workplace, “On the other hand, these conversations overlook something much more optimistic: major disruptions like a pandemic give us a unique opening to consider new ideas and innovative solutions to problems that held us back in the past. It's time for us to recognize this opportunity and change the narrative about women—for everyone's good. Frankly, organizations can't afford to lose female talent and will have to make changes that will make the workplace more equitable for all.”

In closing remarks at the Women’s Equality Day concert, Feldt reminds participants of the goal to reach leadership parity by 2025.

“We’re going to get there by 2025 with your help.”

“In closing remarks at the #WomensEqualityDay concert, @GloriaFeldt reminds participants of the goal to reach #leadership #parity by 2025. “We’re going to get there by 2025 with your help.””