This event is sponsored by Finessed Media, Inc. and hosted by Saige Defreitas.
In the music industry, there is a lack of accessibility that affects the majority of musicians and fans with disabilities. In this event, Cassie Wilson and Sabeerah Najee will be speaking to us about their initiatives and efforts to making the industry more accessible and why it can no longer be overlooked.
We will be joined by:
Cassie Wilson (she/her) - Founder of Half/Access
Sabeerah Najee - Artist/ DJ
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Agenda:
12 - 12:10pm EST Introductions
12:10 - 12:45pm EST Interview with Cassie Wilson + Sabeerah Najee
12:45 - 1:00pm EST Q&A with the audience
1:00 - 1:30 pm EST Community Networking Session
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Cassie Wilson fell in love with live music as a teen and could be found at every local show for her favorite upcoming artists in Portland. Born with a form of Dwarfism that led to her being an ambulatory wheelchair user, after a few years of being front row at every show, Cassie started speaking up on social media about the inaccessibility of concert venues. She connected with other disabled music fans across the country experiencing similar challenges and decided to start Half Access as a way to increase accessibility to live music for everyone.
Sabeerah Najee, a Long Beach native, has been surrounded by music since birth. During the 90s, Najee’s father was a security guard to many artists in the music industry. Her mother and grandmother filled the home with music by serenading their home and her grandfather has an impressive collection of every jazz record you could think of. Najee was born with Spina Bifida and requires the use of a wheelchair to get around. Despite these obstacles, her loved ones instilled in her that she can do anything she puts her mind to. Once she fell in love with DJing, her passion continued to be her driving force, as she is living out her dreams. Sabeerah has DJ’d the second annual Soulection Experience at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, has opened for legendary EDM producer Mr.Carmack on his tour, and recently DJ’d Coachella’s Mojave stage to name a few. She is also the Concept Producer for Goldenvoice’s accessibility initiative, Accessible+. Sabeerah is a firm believer in manifestation and that with the power of community, any dream is attainable.
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