Today we’d like to introduce you to Elle Naef, .
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I’ve been a geek for music for as long as I can remember. Growing up as the only child in the household and having more free time than most, music kept me company constantly. Combine that feeling with socializing, and I’m in my zone.
I remember first noticing this at my first school dance… I was nervous at first since I often felt like an outcast in regular school let alone a free-for-all like that. But in a strange yet fortunate plot twist I ended up dancing on a table on the stage and for one cathartic night not caring what anyone thought or what trials waiting for me when the night ended. I’d met my first love.
That love created from the combination of live music and community gatherings created a high I would go on chasing the rest of my life. I attended every dance through middle school and every basement and backyard show through high school, through sickness, and in health.
Once I graduated high school, I created the Denver Creative Movement. DCM was a collective of creatives who organized community events geared toward raising money for youth arts programs. The three years DCM was running were three of the best of my life. I not only had a community of inspiring people, but I was one huge step closer to establishing my mission… to be a bridge that connects individuals to communities so everyone can feel lifted up and loved.
That’s the beauty of music. Not only does it help us escape to another place, but it allows us to ground ourselves at the moment. It can even the playing field and create a place for people to be vulnerable in a space that not only welcomes but praises it. Music doesn’t care what class or culture you identify with.
Music doesn’t, but the music industry does. That was the lesson I learned for the following years I booked music. I began to grow jaded about the industry around the time I turned 22 but I couldn’t quite put a finger on why. I decided to take a break from it. One night, a band member explained to me he heard the news and “not to be discouraged that I can’t book big bands like his,” and as I held my tongue from telling him his band was like every other band in town, it hit me how true that statement was. Nearly every show I’d been to had acts comprised of… well, white men. There was (and is) a severe lack of representation in the Denver music scene and my personal network was a clear reflection of that.
Later, I joined Girls Rock, a feminist rock camp that helped me dig into the issue in the most satisfying way I could imagine: watching young girls have space to be themselves unapologetically for an entire week. I was even more delighted to find the other volunteers were badass activists and musicians. These girls were all so unique and talented and resilient. They deserved so much more. Where were their rock heroes? My world opened up to an entirely new network of bands and a mission to get back into the arts community to help increase representation in music so ALL kids can have heroes they can relate to.
Matthew Shaw, Co-Founder of HeadRoom Sessions also happens to be one of my best friends, so he was well aware of my qualms with the industry. He came to me with a proposition just in time: he wanted to begin a monthly production where we provide A/V recordings and photos for musicians and wanted me to curate the “sessions.”
It was like he handed me gold. It still is. I finally have a place where I could book who I want when I want no questions asked. No more explaining a hip hop show will be safe or worrying about a sound guy explaining one of the artist’s own instrument to her. This was a place where genres collide and with that, so do communities.
Since then, we’ve provided material for mini EPK’s for over 75 musicians, and have gained a rotating team of 20+ photographers, videographers, and other creatives. We also host 2-3 “Head Room Session Presents” showcases, one highlighting womxn of every genre. My love for music has returned and my vision crystal clear. I couldn’t be more grateful for the Denver arts community.
Has it been a smooth road?
My journey in the music industry was incredibly instrumental to my growth, and most of that’s due to the bumps in the road. Some of the biggest challenges were due to the fact that since birth my path has been far from “traditional” and I like it that way. I’ve never taken a linear route in my pursuits and had a hard time finding footsteps that felt right to follow in. I didn’t know my place in the music industry or why I was so drawn to it. At times my passion felt like a prison.
I watched my friends graduate from college and reminded myself of how I blew the money my brother gave me to pay off my financial freeze then the school loan after that. If only I hadn’t gone to any shows or I could have figured out how some people can work full time and go to school full time. I watched them get benefits from their office and go on fancy trips and wondered if I’d ever travel for any purpose but a tour.
There were many times working in the music industry I was degraded and belittled. That combined with some other unresolved issues caused me to build an identity around the feelings. I had a hard time with boundaries and impulse control and didn’t realize how low my self-esteem was because, well, I was having “fun.”
Thanks to persistence and some boundary work the path ahead began to appear piece by piece.
In turn, I learned some of the most valuable lessons of my life… like the strength my empathy holds, or how to set boundaries and be direct in communicating them. I learned I don’t need to speak in questions when I am, in fact, sure of what I’m saying, and I learned not everyone is going to take me seriously along the way. Family members will worry, acquaintances will scoff but to keep going and with genuine confidence, support will follow.
Please tell us more about what you do, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
This is a question I often fear as I’m a project person and it’s hard to create a concise description of what all I do. By day, I’m a digital marketer/social media consultant for nonprofits and coordinator for an equity advocacy organization. By night, I’m a music-curator-turned-aspiring-activist. That’s a thing, right? I serve as Creative Director of Head Room Sessions where I curate and help coordinate 3-4 events per month. I also work at Girls Rock Denver and Girls Rock Santa Barbara, this year as an intern coordinator and journalism instructor. All these projects serve one common purpose: to connect people to the resources and people they need to help them feel supported. I think that mission is starting to be recognized and find immense joy in being able to watch connections be made as a result of my work.
Do you think there are structural or other barriers impeding the emergence of more female leaders?
Since I work with female-identified youth one month of every year, I think about my advice for young women entering my field quite often. This is what I would have told a young me…
1. You are capable and deserving.
2. Work on impressing yourself before anyone else. I have never seen prioritizing self-love fail. Yes, even over your career. Yes, even over your friends. Grow and grow and grow THEN give and give and give.
3. Your instinct is on point no matter how confused your mind might be. Don’t ever be afraid to say no if something doesn’t feel right… that goes for business opportunities and beyond. No’s to some things are yes’s to others… oftentimes, they’re bigger and better than you imagined.
4. You’re valuable to your community. You’re needed.
5. Networking doesn’t have to mean being friends with everyone you meet. Learn the type of people who make you feel inspired, supportive and comfortable and stick to them.
6. If you want to help project the voices of others, you need to listen to them first.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.headroomsessions.com
- Email: headroomsessions@gmail.com
- Instagram: @denverdabbler
Image Credit:
Katie Langley Photography
Getting in touch: VoyageDenver is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
