Women Who Rock Founder Melinda Colaizzi Shares on Music, Equity, and Health

Rock pioneer Melissa Etheridge is one of those rare artists who truly lives at the intersection of women’s health and rock n’ roll . But these aren’t the only reasons that Melinda Colaizzi, a musician and founder of Pittsburgh-based organization Women Who Rock, felt so excited when Etheridge signed on to headline her organization’s annual benefit concert on August 28 at Pittsburgh’s Stage AE, presented by Gibson Gives.

“Melissa was such huge inspiration when I was a teenager, playing guitar and singing. I actually got my scholarship to Berklee College of Music performing, ‘Like the Way I Do,’” Colaizzi recalls. “She’salways somebody that I wanted to be part of this.”

During the event, which will also feature special musical guest DJ Femy, an Etheridge-signed 1968 Les Paul Custom Reissue will be up for auction. All event and auction proceeds benefit Magee-Womens Research Institute in Pittsburgh.

This week we caught up with Colaizzi to talk about the important work Women in Rock is doing to improve gender equity in music, and why supporting organizations like Magee is so critical.

Rockmommy: Hi Melinda! You’ve been in the music industry for a long time. What sparked you to create an organization devoted to change and opportunity – specifically Women Who Rock?

Melinda Colaizzi: I think it was a buildup of many years to [when] that one moment — I call it the lightning bolt moment — happened. For years, even at Berklee, music was very much male dominated. And then as I worked in the industry, both as a performer and on the business side, and when I lived in LA, it was still like, “Where are the women, or why aren’t we being treated equally?”

I can’t tell you how many times that I’ve shown up to a gig and somebody thinks I’m just someone’s girlfriend. But when this USC Annenberg study on women in music first came out, it truly opened my eyes — it was incredibly depressing to see the stats, like, for example, that just 3% to 4% of music producers are female. The music festival lineup is nowhere near equal. That really resonated with me.

Rockmommy: Can you tell us why women’s health also resonated with you at the same time?

Melinda Colaizzi: My mom is a cancer survivor, so through her journey, I learned a lot about the power of research and clinical trials, which saved her life. I’ve gone through my own health issues that have been dismissed by doctors, and I’ve had to advocate for myself.

Then, [around 2017] when I was performing at a small benefit for a friend of mine … a couple researchers came up on stage from Magee-Womens Research Institute, and they started to talk about the research that was happening here in Pittsburgh, and the state of women’s health.

And that’s when I thought, ‘My goodness, if we could have this platform that empowers women, shines a spotlight on women in music, but through that, is also [spotlighting] women’s health, that could be something really powerful.’

Rockmommy: So in 2017, you held your first Women Who Rock event. What did that first event go?

Melinda Colaizzi: I mean, that first event, I just did it with no support. I knew that I had to put this concert on, but I had no funding. I had no sponsors. And really, I just walked into the Hard Rock Cafe here in Pittsburgh and I said, ‘Listen, I really want to host this concert, we have so many incredible musicians.’ At that time, we featured a local lineup from Pittsburgh – we had so many great female musicians here that I wanted to put them on this stage.

I knew that I wanted Magee to be the beneficiary, even at that early stage of it. So basically, with a lot of passion and a vision and a credit card I put on that first concert, and maybe there were 75 people there. But what did happen that night is the energy in the room was electric, and I think that everybody knew that this was the start of something.

Rockmommy: So how did you continue to grow Women Who Rock?

Melinda Colaizzi: So, then the second year, we returned to the Hard Rock Café in Pittsburgh, and I made a phone call to Sheila E, someone I looked up to my whole career. While the event wasn’t big enough yet for her to headline it, she did say, ‘I want to come see what this is about. I want to tour the Research Institute. Let’s do a book signing, and a VIP ticket, where you can meet Sheila E and get a book signed.’

She came and it was just like magic having her here. She loved everything about it. She loved the Magee-Womens Research Institute. So she said, ‘I’m bringing my whole band back here next year.’ The next year, we had move the concert to a larger venue. From there, it just became so much more than an event — it turned into a brand and a movement.

Rockmommy: That’s awesome. And now you’ve got Melissa Etheridge on board. How did you approach her to headline the event on August 28?

Melinda Colaizzi: Melissa was such huge inspiration as a teenager, playing guitar and singing. I actually got my scholarship to Berklee College of Music, performing, ‘Like the Way I Do.’”

She’s always somebody that I wanted to be part of this. And she was breast cancer survivor, and, like you said, experienced the tragic loss of her son [who struggled with opioid-use disorder].

When we spoke with our partner Gibson Guitars, they thought Melissa would be great and helped make an introduction. When she learned about the cause and women in music, and, you know, just saw some of the incredible footage from our past events, she was all in. And we couldn’t be happier.

[SEE RELATED: 5 New Signature Electric Guitars by Female Artists]

Rockmommy: Do all proceeds from the August 28^th Women Who Rock event go to Magee-Womens Research Center?

Melinda Colaizzi: For the benefit concert, the sponsorships and the proceeds do go straight to the beneficiary. We also donate a portion of our apparel line to Magee.

One of the things that is really unique about Magee-Womens Research Institute is that it has a program that helps women who are pregnant and addicted to opioids get the care that they need. They don’t always get that care and are often shamed by their physicians. Magee focuses on every aspect of research.

Rockmommy: Can you talk about why you love having Gibson Guitars (and Gibson Gives) as a partner?

Melinda Colaizzi: Their support helps us to be able to put the show on every year. A lot of great female artists, like Orianthi and Emily Wolfe play Gibson guitars, and help women have more performance opportunities. Gibson is really committed to showcasing more women artists and guitarists, specifically on their platform, which is starting to reshape the conversation around women in rock music.

Marisa Torrieri Bloom is the editor and founder of Rockmommy.