*With “cultural diversity” being a hot phrase as of 2020—no doubt influenced heavily by the global protests over racial injustice—Black women particularly have been thrust into the spotlight. From better recognition in media, politics, and business to science and tech; there is an empowerment effort taking place to bring skilled women to the forefront. As a businesswoman, with a diverse background from IT and other high-tech fields to multimedia entertainment, Andrea LeMusique exemplifies maneuvering myriad talents to better harness opportunities. Her artistic talents in music, voicing, and radio define other areas of discipline that she employs in developing new technology.
A prodigy that pursued her interest at a young age in multiple areas, she appeared on Sesame Street and was signed to GNR Records (supported by Aaron Neville) at the age of 12. Often among the first in many areas, she received two congressional nominations, making her the only African American female to be granted entrance to one of the 5 Federal Academies, The United States Merchant Marine Academy. She completed her studies in mainframe computer programming and computer science even while pursuing the arts including modeling abroad, appearing in two major motion pictures, and being the lead actress of “Deceptions” an off-Broadway play. After a stint at Bad Boy Records as a studio singer, she continued to work in music as the Midday Diva on WFXE aka Foxie 105 Jams in Columbus Georgia in the early 200s and the surrounding areas earning #1 Arbitron ratings. She’s been the co-host of three radio shows, one on iHeart Radio.
With such a background in media and performance, she saw the need to bridge that world with the fast-growing digital realm, or many creative artists would get lost. The age of the .com is passing as apps take over almost all of our gadgets. Her main motivation behind working in technology grew close to home.
“My mother was one of the first black women to be a mainframe computer programmer in the United States. It was her creativity and the team that she had behind her at Merrill Lynch international that created the Electronic Funds Transfer System which is now the basis for everything that we do from cash app to direct deposit. It’s in the blood for me.”
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With limits on black women in advanced technology fields and a scant presence in Silicon Valley, it is remarkable what innovators like Andrea have been able to produce in spite of. When asked about the complexity in creating apps and the challenges, she explains, “The biggest difficulty for the average person is going to be the sheer cost of creating an app. Just like websites that can actually be built using a template process or simply researching how to code basic HTML; apps really aren’t that much different. But because most of us don’t know how to do that and many businesses don’t have time to do this research, they have to pay someone else to take what is in their mind (which is creativity) and find someone who has the coding ability (the technology).“
To stand out in the field she would have to produce something different and that process took time as she filtered through other platforms devising ways to build her own. She states, “I made my first app through iHeart radio using a service called Spreaker. But like anything you do through something that uses a template, there are a lot of limitations on creativity. What makes the LEMUSIQUE app different is its ability to house a radio station, podcasts, television shows, and movies all in one place AND allow extraordinary people from all over the world to have a “part” of the app that opens and expands into literally their own content and world. They can create content for the general public and even monetize exclusive content without limitations or ridiculous prices. Non-profits and movements that are for the greater good of humanity can submit their information to be on the app completely at no cost. This app does it all. And it can connect you to that featured business, show, or celebrity’s social media accounts—all of them, from one place.
“The other thing that makes this app different is while there are celebrities and businesses on the app – there are everyday people that are doing extraordinary things. Those are the people and the store that matter most, and we focus on people of color because we seem to get “lost” in other apps at times. This app allows us to shine with purpose and unity, though you will see people from all cultures represented. And the biggest thing… it’s deliberate content, meaning you can’t just “sign up.” You have to be invited by the LeMusique Team or approved so you can ensure that the content is always quality and always awesome.”
Andrea LeMusique utilizes her own creativity as a performer and media personality while designing her app with other creatives in mind. She brings the two worlds into focus clearly stating, “If you think about it, technology and creativity go hand-in-hand. It’s always been that way. Back in the day, we as artists went from a reel to a CD to an mp3, and the app is just the next level of us staying in the game. There are no machines behind artists now, you have to build and promote yourself and this is another tool for that.”
Andrea feels the app itself offers a sense of empowerment to its users because of its multiple capabilities.
“We encourage celebrities to support the community and help us spread the word that it’s going to take People of Color to provide for People of Color—especially in the digital realm, and to stop looking to other groups and large businesses for what is needed—even when it comes to designing our own devices. You have the ability to capture your audience in an app that they go to because they can see you and only you. You can LIVE stream, have TV-like content, on-demand podcasting, be on the radio, and have all your social media (FB, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and Twitter) in one place. This isn’t just a company or app… it’s a movement. That’s actually one of our slogans and our creed.”
You can access the free LEMUSIQUE app from your Android and iPhone stores and https://andrealemusique.com/gettheapp and socially connect at https://www.instagram.com/andrealemusique/
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