Check out our mentor list to get an idea of what's in store for you at the 2025 conference!
In alphabetical order.....
Graham Barton - Songwriter, Producer
Graham Barton is the creator of the Sync Beast Accelerator, where he mentors producers and songwriters to make music that lands with the world's biggest brands. With over 2,700 placements for Google, Netflix, EA, Meta, Adidas, and more, he has learned how to combine authenticity with precision to create music that brands love. As Marmoset's staff composer since 2016, Graham has crafted award-winning music and an intuitive methodology that others now use to find their unique voice in sync licensing. His mission is to help you make the best music you’ve ever made with the mentorship and community you need in the fast-changing sync industry.
Graham Barton is the creator of the Sync Beast Accelerator, where he mentors producers and songwriters to make music that lands with the world's biggest brands. With over 2,700 placements for Google, Netflix, EA, Meta, Adidas, and more, he has learned how to combine authenticity with precision to create music that brands love. As Marmoset's staff composer since 2016, Graham has crafted award-winning music and an intuitive methodology that others now use to find their unique voice in sync licensing. His mission is to help you make the best music you’ve ever made with the mentorship and community you need in the fast-changing sync industry.
Brother Noland – Artist, Songwriter
Brother Noland is a legacy Hawaiian artist who has deeply influenced contemporary Hawaiian music. For nearly 40 years Brother Noland has filled the airwaves with original compositions that have become local classics and island treasures. He is most famous for timeless hits such as “Coconut Girl” and “Are You Native”, and is often credited with the birth of "Jawaiian" contemporary style music by infusing traditional Hawaiian music with reggae, jazz and blues sounds. He has won numerous Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards including Best Reggae Album and most recently the Slack Key Kiho’alu Legacy Award in 2018. His music is featured in several movies including "Pineapple Express" and "Snakes in the Plane." Brother Noland was honored in 2014 by the State of Hawai'i with a "Lifetime Achievement in Music" award and is a recipient of Hawai’i Academy of Recording Arts highest award, the Lifetime Achievement Award for the year 2019. As a Lifetime Achievement Awardee, Brother Noland is designated as a Life Member of the Hawai‘i Academy of Recording Arts.
Brother Noland is a legacy Hawaiian artist who has deeply influenced contemporary Hawaiian music. For nearly 40 years Brother Noland has filled the airwaves with original compositions that have become local classics and island treasures. He is most famous for timeless hits such as “Coconut Girl” and “Are You Native”, and is often credited with the birth of "Jawaiian" contemporary style music by infusing traditional Hawaiian music with reggae, jazz and blues sounds. He has won numerous Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards including Best Reggae Album and most recently the Slack Key Kiho’alu Legacy Award in 2018. His music is featured in several movies including "Pineapple Express" and "Snakes in the Plane." Brother Noland was honored in 2014 by the State of Hawai'i with a "Lifetime Achievement in Music" award and is a recipient of Hawai’i Academy of Recording Arts highest award, the Lifetime Achievement Award for the year 2019. As a Lifetime Achievement Awardee, Brother Noland is designated as a Life Member of the Hawai‘i Academy of Recording Arts.
Charles Brotman - Songwriter, Producer
Former President of Hawai'i Songwriting Festival, composer, Grammy award winning producer, and multiple Na Hoku award nominee and winner. He owns and runs the Lava Tracks Recording Studio and is a co-founder of Palm Records on the Big Island, where he has produced Grammy nominated albums for local artists Sonny Lim and Kahulanui. His music placements in film and TV include Black-ish, NCIS, Chicago Med, The Path, Good Morning America, Portlandia, Hawaii 5-0, Dateline, Days of Our Lives, Magnum PI, The Descendants, Two and a Half Men, NBC Nightly News, Brooklyn 99, FIFA World Cup, Anderson Cooper, Beverly Hills 90210, Criminal Minds, All About Steve, The Deadliest Catch, Oprah, Nickelodeon, Saturday Night Live, The Today Show, America's Most Wanted, Animal Adventures, Prime Suspect, and many others.
Former President of Hawai'i Songwriting Festival, composer, Grammy award winning producer, and multiple Na Hoku award nominee and winner. He owns and runs the Lava Tracks Recording Studio and is a co-founder of Palm Records on the Big Island, where he has produced Grammy nominated albums for local artists Sonny Lim and Kahulanui. His music placements in film and TV include Black-ish, NCIS, Chicago Med, The Path, Good Morning America, Portlandia, Hawaii 5-0, Dateline, Days of Our Lives, Magnum PI, The Descendants, Two and a Half Men, NBC Nightly News, Brooklyn 99, FIFA World Cup, Anderson Cooper, Beverly Hills 90210, Criminal Minds, All About Steve, The Deadliest Catch, Oprah, Nickelodeon, Saturday Night Live, The Today Show, America's Most Wanted, Animal Adventures, Prime Suspect, and many others.
Julia Brotman - Attorney
In addition to serving as the President of the Hawai'i Songwriting Festival, Julia is an entertainment and intellectual property attorney at Settle Meyer Law, LLLC in Honolulu. She works closely with legendary music attorney Bill Meyer to serve an eclectic clientele of music creators, actors, artists, writers, and businesses, including some of the biggest names in the industry, aspiring entrepreneurs and novice creatives who are just getting started, and everyone in between. Their practice includes: litigation; government affairs; business formation and management; contract drafting and negotiation (including a wide variety of entertainment and music related contracts); and endless protection, enforcement, and licensing matters involving copyright, trademark, patents, trade secrets, and rights of publicity. Before returning to Hawai'i to work at Settle Meyer Law, Julia spent four years in Los Angeles learning how to navigate the entertainment industry. Past work experience includes Warner/Chappell, CBS Television Network, Marmoset, NBCUniversal, and Sony/RED. She graduated from Whittier Law School summa cum laude and is licensed to practice law in Hawai’i and California.
In addition to serving as the President of the Hawai'i Songwriting Festival, Julia is an entertainment and intellectual property attorney at Settle Meyer Law, LLLC in Honolulu. She works closely with legendary music attorney Bill Meyer to serve an eclectic clientele of music creators, actors, artists, writers, and businesses, including some of the biggest names in the industry, aspiring entrepreneurs and novice creatives who are just getting started, and everyone in between. Their practice includes: litigation; government affairs; business formation and management; contract drafting and negotiation (including a wide variety of entertainment and music related contracts); and endless protection, enforcement, and licensing matters involving copyright, trademark, patents, trade secrets, and rights of publicity. Before returning to Hawai'i to work at Settle Meyer Law, Julia spent four years in Los Angeles learning how to navigate the entertainment industry. Past work experience includes Warner/Chappell, CBS Television Network, Marmoset, NBCUniversal, and Sony/RED. She graduated from Whittier Law School summa cum laude and is licensed to practice law in Hawai’i and California.
Kristian Bush - Artist, Songwriter
Kristian is a MULTI-PLATINUM-selling, two-time GRAMMY Award winner most known for being half of the record-breaking Country duo Sugarland. The Sevierville, TN native launched his professional music career in 1994 with the Folk-Rock duo Billy Pilgrim. Within the decade, Kristian moved on to form Sugarland with Jennifer Nettles. The pair, who released debut single "Baby Girl” in 2004 went on to chart five No. 1 hits and 12 Top 10 songs.
His “Southern Gravity” solo debut in 2015 produced Top 20 hit "Trailer Hitch." Kristian made a foray into television theme songs in 2016 with "Forever Now (Say Yes)," which he penned and performed for TLC's popular show "Say Yes to the Dress."
The multi-instrumentalist is also a founding member of Rock Jam band Dark Water alongside his brother Brandon Bush and esteemed guitarist Benji Shanks. In addition, Kristian co-wrote a song for the Atlanta staging of Stephen Schwartz's "Working: A Musical” and has written three musicals. "Troubadour" (2017) and "Darlin' Cory" (2021) opened at Atlanta's Alliance Theatre and "Me Before You" is set for Miami in 2023."
Kristian is a MULTI-PLATINUM-selling, two-time GRAMMY Award winner most known for being half of the record-breaking Country duo Sugarland. The Sevierville, TN native launched his professional music career in 1994 with the Folk-Rock duo Billy Pilgrim. Within the decade, Kristian moved on to form Sugarland with Jennifer Nettles. The pair, who released debut single "Baby Girl” in 2004 went on to chart five No. 1 hits and 12 Top 10 songs.
His “Southern Gravity” solo debut in 2015 produced Top 20 hit "Trailer Hitch." Kristian made a foray into television theme songs in 2016 with "Forever Now (Say Yes)," which he penned and performed for TLC's popular show "Say Yes to the Dress."
The multi-instrumentalist is also a founding member of Rock Jam band Dark Water alongside his brother Brandon Bush and esteemed guitarist Benji Shanks. In addition, Kristian co-wrote a song for the Atlanta staging of Stephen Schwartz's "Working: A Musical” and has written three musicals. "Troubadour" (2017) and "Darlin' Cory" (2021) opened at Atlanta's Alliance Theatre and "Me Before You" is set for Miami in 2023."
Jarred Causly - Music Supervisor
With a 15-year tenure in the music business, Jarred Causly has influenced music creators to compose beyond the boundaries of everyday listening and create with an ear of visual imagination.
Starting with a musically trained ear at an early age, Jarred synchronized his personal compositions to dubbed videotapes of his favorite animated action scenes. He began showcasing his work at the many creative music outlets across Los Angeles, which soon led to his first apprenticeship with world-renowned composer and music producer, Robert Rettberg. While under Rettberg’s tutelage, Jarred quickly gained the attention of his peers with an innovative visual sound that would catapult him into becoming a creative licensing standout.
He was soon recognized for his amazing “sync-ear” and within months, his work began to gain traction with securing music placements with brands like Adidas, Ford and Nascar; along with getting music featured in major television networks across the globe.
With having early success in landing placements, Jarred turned his passion for sync licensing into a career. His start began with a three-year tenure at the Winogradsky/Sobel (WinSo) Music Licensing Firm. He locked in as the head of Sync A&R and Lead Music Curator. While working for WinSo, his production catalog maintained its traction and secured further placements with ABC’s record-breaking sitcom, “How I Met Your Mother” TNT’s “Franklin and Bash” and NBC’s “Criminal Minds”.
After his time at WinSo, Jarred focused on building a network of independent creative licensing professionals. This collective would form the Illiad Music Library which was a platform comprised of fellow music composers, artists, and producers. The Illiad Music Library was responsible for hundreds of music placements in TV, Film, Documentaries and Advertisements. The success of the library led to Jarred and his team writing custom music for the APM music library. These works are still being used by production houses to this day.
Jarred Causly continued to navigate his way through the music business, forging his way through the ever-changing world of sync licensing. He has worked for a handful of music companies throughout his journey, including the illustrious Universal Music Group. Working for UMG opened his perspective and helped him broaden his skill-set - leveling up his expertise in creative sync and honing his music clearance savvy.
Causly then made his way over the industry leading marketing agency, Trailer Park Group, where he was brought on as the Lead Music Supervisor of TV Promo and Trailers. Jarred worked on projects for a myriad of brands and TV platforms like Tubi, Freeform, ABC, NBC, Hulu, Disney+, BET+, and more. He was responsible for selecting music to support TV promos, TV trailers, and network sizzles for Trailer Park’s producers, editors, and clients. When conducting music searches, he worked with major and indie labels alike, along with dozens of music publishers and music libraries in order to find the perfect compositions to pair with media.
Today Jarred Causly finds himself taking on the role as Sr. Music Supervisor for marketing giant, Saatchi & Saatchi. He will be taking his innovative style of music taste to the world of automotive marketing for the Toyota brand. His story has yet to be written at Saatchi, but this adventure can be sure to be one of wonder, amazement and greatness.
With a 15-year tenure in the music business, Jarred Causly has influenced music creators to compose beyond the boundaries of everyday listening and create with an ear of visual imagination.
Starting with a musically trained ear at an early age, Jarred synchronized his personal compositions to dubbed videotapes of his favorite animated action scenes. He began showcasing his work at the many creative music outlets across Los Angeles, which soon led to his first apprenticeship with world-renowned composer and music producer, Robert Rettberg. While under Rettberg’s tutelage, Jarred quickly gained the attention of his peers with an innovative visual sound that would catapult him into becoming a creative licensing standout.
He was soon recognized for his amazing “sync-ear” and within months, his work began to gain traction with securing music placements with brands like Adidas, Ford and Nascar; along with getting music featured in major television networks across the globe.
With having early success in landing placements, Jarred turned his passion for sync licensing into a career. His start began with a three-year tenure at the Winogradsky/Sobel (WinSo) Music Licensing Firm. He locked in as the head of Sync A&R and Lead Music Curator. While working for WinSo, his production catalog maintained its traction and secured further placements with ABC’s record-breaking sitcom, “How I Met Your Mother” TNT’s “Franklin and Bash” and NBC’s “Criminal Minds”.
After his time at WinSo, Jarred focused on building a network of independent creative licensing professionals. This collective would form the Illiad Music Library which was a platform comprised of fellow music composers, artists, and producers. The Illiad Music Library was responsible for hundreds of music placements in TV, Film, Documentaries and Advertisements. The success of the library led to Jarred and his team writing custom music for the APM music library. These works are still being used by production houses to this day.
Jarred Causly continued to navigate his way through the music business, forging his way through the ever-changing world of sync licensing. He has worked for a handful of music companies throughout his journey, including the illustrious Universal Music Group. Working for UMG opened his perspective and helped him broaden his skill-set - leveling up his expertise in creative sync and honing his music clearance savvy.
Causly then made his way over the industry leading marketing agency, Trailer Park Group, where he was brought on as the Lead Music Supervisor of TV Promo and Trailers. Jarred worked on projects for a myriad of brands and TV platforms like Tubi, Freeform, ABC, NBC, Hulu, Disney+, BET+, and more. He was responsible for selecting music to support TV promos, TV trailers, and network sizzles for Trailer Park’s producers, editors, and clients. When conducting music searches, he worked with major and indie labels alike, along with dozens of music publishers and music libraries in order to find the perfect compositions to pair with media.
Today Jarred Causly finds himself taking on the role as Sr. Music Supervisor for marketing giant, Saatchi & Saatchi. He will be taking his innovative style of music taste to the world of automotive marketing for the Toyota brand. His story has yet to be written at Saatchi, but this adventure can be sure to be one of wonder, amazement and greatness.
John Cruz - Artist, Songwriter
A long-time member of the HSF Board of Directors and Advisory Council, John performed on Hawai'i's first Grammy award winning album, and has also won multiple Nā Hōkū Hanohano awards. John has distinguished himself as one of the most talented artists that has ever come from Hawaii. He was named the Best Singer Songwriter by Hawaii Magazine in 2008.
A long-time member of the HSF Board of Directors and Advisory Council, John performed on Hawai'i's first Grammy award winning album, and has also won multiple Nā Hōkū Hanohano awards. John has distinguished himself as one of the most talented artists that has ever come from Hawaii. He was named the Best Singer Songwriter by Hawaii Magazine in 2008.
Phoebe Danskin - Songwriter, Producer
Phoebe Danskin is a songwriter and producer with a passion for creating electronic-based pop for big brand ad campaigns. Her punchy, powerful, and playful music lands with brands like Adobe, Maybelline, Whole Foods, Toyota, and Six Flags/Coca-Cola. She is an ongoing enrollee in the Sync Beast Accelerator, and collaborates with agencies like Marmoset. Phoebe thrives in rooms where strategy, growth, and creativity converge, empowering others along their creative journey. She hails from Vermont, graduated from Berklee, and loves video games, animals, rollerblading, and playing ice hockey.
Phoebe Danskin is a songwriter and producer with a passion for creating electronic-based pop for big brand ad campaigns. Her punchy, powerful, and playful music lands with brands like Adobe, Maybelline, Whole Foods, Toyota, and Six Flags/Coca-Cola. She is an ongoing enrollee in the Sync Beast Accelerator, and collaborates with agencies like Marmoset. Phoebe thrives in rooms where strategy, growth, and creativity converge, empowering others along their creative journey. She hails from Vermont, graduated from Berklee, and loves video games, animals, rollerblading, and playing ice hockey.
Wendy Day - Indie Artist Consultant
Wendy Day is one of the most respected and influential advocates in the music industry. She founded Rap Coalition in 1992 to level the playing field for artists—fighting against exploitation and helping those with little to no leverage gain power and control over their careers. Over the past 33 years, Wendy has negotiated some of the most artist-friendly deals in history and has been instrumental in creating many music industry millionaires. Her work has helped shaped the careers of Eminem, Tupac, Master P, Twista, Cash Money Records, David Banner, Do Or Die, Fiend, Boosie, Webbie, Trouble, Foolio, C-Murder, LaRussell, Flawless, and many more—with her clients collectively selling over a billion units.
Wendy’s mission has always been clear: empower artists with knowledge, strategy, and independence. Through her consulting, her how-to books, and artist-first business models, she’s helped hundreds of artists build their own successful labels and careers. Today, Wendy is launching an educational platform and an artist incubator designed to teach artists how to monetize their music, build their brands, and succeed on their own terms. She also hosts two weekly podcasts and has a reality TV show in development with Lifetime. A sought-after speaker and thought leader, Wendy has spoken at Harvard, Stanford, NYU, Georgia Tech, Berklee, University of South Carolina Law School, and other leading institutions. Based in Atlanta, Wendy continues to be a fearless voice for truth, fairness, and artist empowerment in the music business. Follow her on Instagram: @RapCoalition and YouTube: YouTube.com/@ThisIsWendyDay
Wendy Day is one of the most respected and influential advocates in the music industry. She founded Rap Coalition in 1992 to level the playing field for artists—fighting against exploitation and helping those with little to no leverage gain power and control over their careers. Over the past 33 years, Wendy has negotiated some of the most artist-friendly deals in history and has been instrumental in creating many music industry millionaires. Her work has helped shaped the careers of Eminem, Tupac, Master P, Twista, Cash Money Records, David Banner, Do Or Die, Fiend, Boosie, Webbie, Trouble, Foolio, C-Murder, LaRussell, Flawless, and many more—with her clients collectively selling over a billion units.
Wendy’s mission has always been clear: empower artists with knowledge, strategy, and independence. Through her consulting, her how-to books, and artist-first business models, she’s helped hundreds of artists build their own successful labels and careers. Today, Wendy is launching an educational platform and an artist incubator designed to teach artists how to monetize their music, build their brands, and succeed on their own terms. She also hosts two weekly podcasts and has a reality TV show in development with Lifetime. A sought-after speaker and thought leader, Wendy has spoken at Harvard, Stanford, NYU, Georgia Tech, Berklee, University of South Carolina Law School, and other leading institutions. Based in Atlanta, Wendy continues to be a fearless voice for truth, fairness, and artist empowerment in the music business. Follow her on Instagram: @RapCoalition and YouTube: YouTube.com/@ThisIsWendyDay
Jamie Dominguez - The MLC (Mechanical Licensing Collective)
Jamie Dominguez is the National Director of Industry Relations at the Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC), where she creates and maintains relationships with industry organizations and their stakeholders such as songwriters, publishers, business managers and music industry attorneys. With 25 years of experience in the music industry, Jamie collaborates with creators across all genres and specializes in rights management, music publishing, artist development and education initiatives. In her role at The MLC, Jamie is responsible for amplifying the identity and mission of The MLC by communicating critical messages. She actively participates in industry events and conferences strategically positioned to reach key audiences and effectively tell the story of The MLC. Additionally, Jamie follows current and emerging music trends to facilitate a steady influx of new songwriters and
partners across all genres and platforms.
Beginning her career in Austin, Texas, Jamie earned a BA in Journalism, Mass Communication and Media Studies from the University of Texas. During college, she gained experience in radio and entertainment PR. After graduating, Jamie moved to New York City to join SESAC, where she spent 19 years growing within the company, identifying, curating and nurturing their extensive roster of songwriters. As Senior Director of Creative Services, she led the New York-based team in supporting and creating opportunities for SESAC-affiliated songwriters and publishers, while also forging alliances with other industry organizations and their stakeholders. Jamie's dedication to building a healthy music industry ecosystem by encouraging fair business practices and empowering creators led her to join Sound Royalties in July 2020 as Regional Director of Business Development & Artist Relations, where she launched the company's New York presence. In this role, she provided music creators with financial insight and alternative funding strategies that allowed them to access capital without sacrificing ownership of their copyrights or independence.
A committed mentor and educator, Jamie joined the BerkleeNYC faculty in September 2021 to teach Business and Entrepreneurship in the Creative Space as part of their Master of Arts in Creative Media and Technology program at the Power Station in Manhattan. Passionate about supporting creatives and building community, Jamie volunteers for various non-profit organizations. She is currently serving her third term as Governor of the Recording Academy's New York Chapter and sits on the Board of Directors for Mono Stereo Groove and Filipinos Advancing Creative Education (FACE). She has also previously served on the Library of Congress National Recording Preservation Board and the Education Special Projects Committee for the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Jamie Dominguez is the National Director of Industry Relations at the Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC), where she creates and maintains relationships with industry organizations and their stakeholders such as songwriters, publishers, business managers and music industry attorneys. With 25 years of experience in the music industry, Jamie collaborates with creators across all genres and specializes in rights management, music publishing, artist development and education initiatives. In her role at The MLC, Jamie is responsible for amplifying the identity and mission of The MLC by communicating critical messages. She actively participates in industry events and conferences strategically positioned to reach key audiences and effectively tell the story of The MLC. Additionally, Jamie follows current and emerging music trends to facilitate a steady influx of new songwriters and
partners across all genres and platforms.
Beginning her career in Austin, Texas, Jamie earned a BA in Journalism, Mass Communication and Media Studies from the University of Texas. During college, she gained experience in radio and entertainment PR. After graduating, Jamie moved to New York City to join SESAC, where she spent 19 years growing within the company, identifying, curating and nurturing their extensive roster of songwriters. As Senior Director of Creative Services, she led the New York-based team in supporting and creating opportunities for SESAC-affiliated songwriters and publishers, while also forging alliances with other industry organizations and their stakeholders. Jamie's dedication to building a healthy music industry ecosystem by encouraging fair business practices and empowering creators led her to join Sound Royalties in July 2020 as Regional Director of Business Development & Artist Relations, where she launched the company's New York presence. In this role, she provided music creators with financial insight and alternative funding strategies that allowed them to access capital without sacrificing ownership of their copyrights or independence.
A committed mentor and educator, Jamie joined the BerkleeNYC faculty in September 2021 to teach Business and Entrepreneurship in the Creative Space as part of their Master of Arts in Creative Media and Technology program at the Power Station in Manhattan. Passionate about supporting creatives and building community, Jamie volunteers for various non-profit organizations. She is currently serving her third term as Governor of the Recording Academy's New York Chapter and sits on the Board of Directors for Mono Stereo Groove and Filipinos Advancing Creative Education (FACE). She has also previously served on the Library of Congress National Recording Preservation Board and the Education Special Projects Committee for the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Michael Eames - Music Publishing
Michael Eames is a trained composer, songwriter, and pianist who majored in music at Cornell University and completed the Certificate Program in Film Scoring at UCLA Extension; he also secured a minor in Business Management from Cornell.
As president of PEN Music Group, Inc., Michael oversees all aspects of the operation as well as focuses on pitching the catalogue to all media and business development. He was chosen to serve (along with 4 other independent music publishers and 5 songwriters) on the Unclaimed Royalties Oversight Committee (UROC) of The Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) that commenced blanket mechanical licensing of the digital services in the U.S. on January 1, 2021 and currently serves as the UROC Chair. He also proudly serves on the Independent Publishers Advisory Council (IPAC) of the National Music Publishers Association (NMPA) and on the Advisory Board of Songwriters Of North America (SONA). He also previously served as the National President of the Association Of Independent Music Publishers (AIMP) from 2015-2018 and served as its National Vice President from 2013-2014.
Immediately prior to starting PEN, Michael oversaw the international and film & TV departments of Don Williams Music Group where he was responsible for song catalogues such as Jimi Hendrix, Chicago, and Roy Orbison among numerous others. He also worked previously for Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys and the management and music supervision firms The Derek Power Co and Seth Kaplan Entertainment.
Michael wrote the music publishing section of the Hal Leonard/Rowman & Littlefield-published book entitled Five Star Music Makeover: The Independent Artist’s Guide for Singers, Songwriters, Bands, Producers and Self Publishers (2016) and is co-author (with Bobby Borg) of the book Introduction To Music Publishing For Musicians which was published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2021 and is already used in many curriculums. He is a frequent guest speaker in both real and virtual classrooms, festivals and panel discussions worldwide and co-teaches (also with Bobby Borg) the online UCLA Extension class Music Publishing: A Creative And Business Perspective.
Michael Eames is a trained composer, songwriter, and pianist who majored in music at Cornell University and completed the Certificate Program in Film Scoring at UCLA Extension; he also secured a minor in Business Management from Cornell.
As president of PEN Music Group, Inc., Michael oversees all aspects of the operation as well as focuses on pitching the catalogue to all media and business development. He was chosen to serve (along with 4 other independent music publishers and 5 songwriters) on the Unclaimed Royalties Oversight Committee (UROC) of The Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) that commenced blanket mechanical licensing of the digital services in the U.S. on January 1, 2021 and currently serves as the UROC Chair. He also proudly serves on the Independent Publishers Advisory Council (IPAC) of the National Music Publishers Association (NMPA) and on the Advisory Board of Songwriters Of North America (SONA). He also previously served as the National President of the Association Of Independent Music Publishers (AIMP) from 2015-2018 and served as its National Vice President from 2013-2014.
Immediately prior to starting PEN, Michael oversaw the international and film & TV departments of Don Williams Music Group where he was responsible for song catalogues such as Jimi Hendrix, Chicago, and Roy Orbison among numerous others. He also worked previously for Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys and the management and music supervision firms The Derek Power Co and Seth Kaplan Entertainment.
Michael wrote the music publishing section of the Hal Leonard/Rowman & Littlefield-published book entitled Five Star Music Makeover: The Independent Artist’s Guide for Singers, Songwriters, Bands, Producers and Self Publishers (2016) and is co-author (with Bobby Borg) of the book Introduction To Music Publishing For Musicians which was published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2021 and is already used in many curriculums. He is a frequent guest speaker in both real and virtual classrooms, festivals and panel discussions worldwide and co-teaches (also with Bobby Borg) the online UCLA Extension class Music Publishing: A Creative And Business Perspective.
David Fisher - Music Licensing
David has over 20 years experience in the music industry. As a recording artist David had record deals with Interscope, Geffen Records, and Big Machine Records and recorded with producers, T. Bone Burnett, Roy Thomas Baker and Nathan Chapman among other prominent musicians. David released three major label records under the names Big Blue Hearts and Fisher Stevenson, and spent five years as a songwriter for Bluewater Music in Nashville. He has toured domestically and internationally supporting major artists such as Chris Isaak, Lyle Lovett, Lady Antebellum, Gary Allan, Taylor Swift, and Carrie Underwood. After his career as a recording artist, David founded Songs for Film & T.V. in 2010, a music services agency specializing in music supervision, music production and music curation. David and his team have secured thousands placements in advertising, film, television and video games for clients such as Airbnb, Reebok, MINI, Sheraton, Massage Envy, REI, Revlon, Blue Moon, Google, Nationwide, Audi, Mercedes, Gevalia, Under Armour, Hershey’s, Pepsi, PlayStation, Absolute, Phillips 76, Conoco and American Idol. Network television and film studio clients include HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, The Movie Channel MTV, NBC, ABC, CBS, PBS, Fox, FX, Bravo, AMC, 20th Century Fox, Disney, Paramount, Warner Bros., and many more.
David has over 20 years experience in the music industry. As a recording artist David had record deals with Interscope, Geffen Records, and Big Machine Records and recorded with producers, T. Bone Burnett, Roy Thomas Baker and Nathan Chapman among other prominent musicians. David released three major label records under the names Big Blue Hearts and Fisher Stevenson, and spent five years as a songwriter for Bluewater Music in Nashville. He has toured domestically and internationally supporting major artists such as Chris Isaak, Lyle Lovett, Lady Antebellum, Gary Allan, Taylor Swift, and Carrie Underwood. After his career as a recording artist, David founded Songs for Film & T.V. in 2010, a music services agency specializing in music supervision, music production and music curation. David and his team have secured thousands placements in advertising, film, television and video games for clients such as Airbnb, Reebok, MINI, Sheraton, Massage Envy, REI, Revlon, Blue Moon, Google, Nationwide, Audi, Mercedes, Gevalia, Under Armour, Hershey’s, Pepsi, PlayStation, Absolute, Phillips 76, Conoco and American Idol. Network television and film studio clients include HBO, Showtime, Cinemax, The Movie Channel MTV, NBC, ABC, CBS, PBS, Fox, FX, Bravo, AMC, 20th Century Fox, Disney, Paramount, Warner Bros., and many more.
Gilles Godard - Music Publishing
Gilles is President of Publishing at Anthem Entertainment Nashville. The position focuses on all of Anthem's publishing interests in Nashville, as well stakeholders and industry relations worldwide, he is also responsible to identify and initiate strategic acquisitions and create market opportunities on an international scale. Gilles also continues to provide advice and counsel to the creative teams and liaise with artists, composers and songwriters in Nashville, LA, New York, Canada and Europe as
well as the business development team at Anthem.
Godard has been with Anthem for 18 years, first as a writer, then as its Chief Creative Officer, Vice President of Corporate Affairs, Senior Vice President Publishing and recently appointed as President Anthem Publishing Nashville, and has been an integral part of its growth over this time. During his tenure with the company Gilles has been instrumental in identifying strategic acquisitions for the Business Development team facilitating acquisitions such as Jody Williams Music containing several Taylor Swift cuts including White Horse, Tim McGraw, Pictures to Burn, Fearless and Teardrops on My Guitar, the Blacktop Catalog with cuts by Rascal Flatts, Kenny Chesney, Blake Shelton and Joey & Rory, the Better Angels Catalog which includes cuts by Cody Johnson including the 2023 Grammy Award winning # 1 hit single “Til You Can’t” cuts by Thompson Square, Jason Aldean, Brad Paisley, and Kip Moore. Gilles was also instrumental in signing Jordan Davis, and identifying and initiating the Timbaland deal for Anthem which includes cuts by Justin Timberlake, Suit & Tie, Mirrors, Sexyback, and cuts by Jay Z Holy Grail featuring Justin Timberlake, Beyonce as well as the acquisition of the Paul Cardall, Carl Falk and Rami Yacoub catalogs among others.
Gilles is also an award winning writer, publisher, artist and producer, he has had Juno award nominations, won a Felix Award as an RCA French Recording Artist, received the award as “Record Industry Person Of The Year” by the Canadian Country Music Association, has two BMI Awards and four SOCAN awards including an International Songwriter Achievement Award. He has had over 400 of his songs recorded by artists such as Terri Clark, Patty Loveless, Anne Murray, Ednita Nazario, Dan Seals, Ricky Skaggs, Blackhawk, Balsam Range, Lee Greenwood, Tracy Byrd, Janie Fricke, The Road Hammers, Tommy Hunter, Eddie Eastman, Colleen Peterson, Ronnie Prophet, Michael B. and the Power, Willie Mack and Lace. In September 2024 Gilles was inducted in the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame as and Industry Builder for his work in the industry over the last 40 years.
Gilles is President of Publishing at Anthem Entertainment Nashville. The position focuses on all of Anthem's publishing interests in Nashville, as well stakeholders and industry relations worldwide, he is also responsible to identify and initiate strategic acquisitions and create market opportunities on an international scale. Gilles also continues to provide advice and counsel to the creative teams and liaise with artists, composers and songwriters in Nashville, LA, New York, Canada and Europe as
well as the business development team at Anthem.
Godard has been with Anthem for 18 years, first as a writer, then as its Chief Creative Officer, Vice President of Corporate Affairs, Senior Vice President Publishing and recently appointed as President Anthem Publishing Nashville, and has been an integral part of its growth over this time. During his tenure with the company Gilles has been instrumental in identifying strategic acquisitions for the Business Development team facilitating acquisitions such as Jody Williams Music containing several Taylor Swift cuts including White Horse, Tim McGraw, Pictures to Burn, Fearless and Teardrops on My Guitar, the Blacktop Catalog with cuts by Rascal Flatts, Kenny Chesney, Blake Shelton and Joey & Rory, the Better Angels Catalog which includes cuts by Cody Johnson including the 2023 Grammy Award winning # 1 hit single “Til You Can’t” cuts by Thompson Square, Jason Aldean, Brad Paisley, and Kip Moore. Gilles was also instrumental in signing Jordan Davis, and identifying and initiating the Timbaland deal for Anthem which includes cuts by Justin Timberlake, Suit & Tie, Mirrors, Sexyback, and cuts by Jay Z Holy Grail featuring Justin Timberlake, Beyonce as well as the acquisition of the Paul Cardall, Carl Falk and Rami Yacoub catalogs among others.
Gilles is also an award winning writer, publisher, artist and producer, he has had Juno award nominations, won a Felix Award as an RCA French Recording Artist, received the award as “Record Industry Person Of The Year” by the Canadian Country Music Association, has two BMI Awards and four SOCAN awards including an International Songwriter Achievement Award. He has had over 400 of his songs recorded by artists such as Terri Clark, Patty Loveless, Anne Murray, Ednita Nazario, Dan Seals, Ricky Skaggs, Blackhawk, Balsam Range, Lee Greenwood, Tracy Byrd, Janie Fricke, The Road Hammers, Tommy Hunter, Eddie Eastman, Colleen Peterson, Ronnie Prophet, Michael B. and the Power, Willie Mack and Lace. In September 2024 Gilles was inducted in the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame as and Industry Builder for his work in the industry over the last 40 years.
David Ryan Harris - Artist, Songwriter, Producer
Over the last several decades, David Ryan Harris has established himself as an in-demand singer, songwriter, producer and musician who always brings a sense of passion and versatility to his collaborations and solo work.
Harris first rose to fame as front man for the seminal Atlanta rock band Follow For Now in the late 1980s; after the band’s dissolution in 1994, Harris struck out on his own as a solo artist while also working with singer and former Arrested Development member Dionne Farris. He’s released five solo albums and an EP under his own name, as well as one album as a member of the rock trio Brand New Immortals, and he’s written and produced for a wide range of artists including Zayn, Wanda Jackson, India.Arie, and Hootie & the Blowfish. Harris recently won an APRA AMCOS for Billions Milestone for his work on Nelly’s 2010 single. “Just a Dream,” which recently surpassed one billon streams; he also co-wrote the Guy Sebastian and Lupe Fiasco collaboration “Battle Scars” in 2012, which is certified platinum by the RIAA and went nine-times platinum in Australia.
With further in-studio and onstage collaborations with artists like Mariah Carey, Alicia Keys, John Mayer, Dave Matthews, Santana, and more, Harris is constantly collaborating with music’s brightest lights to add his own special touch to their work.
Over the last several decades, David Ryan Harris has established himself as an in-demand singer, songwriter, producer and musician who always brings a sense of passion and versatility to his collaborations and solo work.
Harris first rose to fame as front man for the seminal Atlanta rock band Follow For Now in the late 1980s; after the band’s dissolution in 1994, Harris struck out on his own as a solo artist while also working with singer and former Arrested Development member Dionne Farris. He’s released five solo albums and an EP under his own name, as well as one album as a member of the rock trio Brand New Immortals, and he’s written and produced for a wide range of artists including Zayn, Wanda Jackson, India.Arie, and Hootie & the Blowfish. Harris recently won an APRA AMCOS for Billions Milestone for his work on Nelly’s 2010 single. “Just a Dream,” which recently surpassed one billon streams; he also co-wrote the Guy Sebastian and Lupe Fiasco collaboration “Battle Scars” in 2012, which is certified platinum by the RIAA and went nine-times platinum in Australia.
With further in-studio and onstage collaborations with artists like Mariah Carey, Alicia Keys, John Mayer, Dave Matthews, Santana, and more, Harris is constantly collaborating with music’s brightest lights to add his own special touch to their work.
Richard Harris - Songwriter, Producer, Mentor
Richard is a #1 selling songwriter, producer and mentor. Transplanted from the UK over a decade ago to Los Angeles California, Richard quickly signed a staff writer publishing deal with Peer Music landing multiple major label song cuts all around the world resulting in several Billboard #1's, top ten singles and Platinum and Gold records.
Richard has landed hundreds of TV, Film and Ad song placements through Peer and the major music libraries he has composed for. His music has been used in hit TV shows including "Empire", "Nashville", “Pretty Little Liars”, “The Bold Type”, “The Rookie”, “Good Trouble”, "One Tree Hill", movies "This Means War" and "Single Moms Club", commercials placements for eBay, TJ Maxx, Hyundai and Vivo and trailer/promos for The NFL, HBO, AT&T and Fox TV.
Richard is also consulting as head of Film and TV for Nashville based publisher Demolition Music and is on the lookout for great artists, producers and writers focused on writing for sync.
Richard is also a songwriting mentor and recently launched a new company SongWriterCamps (www.songwritercamps.com) with long-time collaborator, Pam Sheyne.
Richard is a #1 selling songwriter, producer and mentor. Transplanted from the UK over a decade ago to Los Angeles California, Richard quickly signed a staff writer publishing deal with Peer Music landing multiple major label song cuts all around the world resulting in several Billboard #1's, top ten singles and Platinum and Gold records.
Richard has landed hundreds of TV, Film and Ad song placements through Peer and the major music libraries he has composed for. His music has been used in hit TV shows including "Empire", "Nashville", “Pretty Little Liars”, “The Bold Type”, “The Rookie”, “Good Trouble”, "One Tree Hill", movies "This Means War" and "Single Moms Club", commercials placements for eBay, TJ Maxx, Hyundai and Vivo and trailer/promos for The NFL, HBO, AT&T and Fox TV.
Richard is also consulting as head of Film and TV for Nashville based publisher Demolition Music and is on the lookout for great artists, producers and writers focused on writing for sync.
Richard is also a songwriting mentor and recently launched a new company SongWriterCamps (www.songwritercamps.com) with long-time collaborator, Pam Sheyne.
Ben Hochstein - Music Supervisor
Ben Hochstein has been working as an independent music supervisor in film and television for 18 years. Some of his notable credits include the Jackass franchise (Paramount), Awkward (MTV), On My Block (Netflix), Freeridge (Netflix), YO! MTV Raps (MTV), and The Kardashians (Hulu).
Ben Hochstein has been working as an independent music supervisor in film and television for 18 years. Some of his notable credits include the Jackass franchise (Paramount), Awkward (MTV), On My Block (Netflix), Freeridge (Netflix), YO! MTV Raps (MTV), and The Kardashians (Hulu).
Greg Holden - Artist, Songwriter, Producer
Greg Holden is a multi-platinum selling songwriter, artist, and producer. The Scottish singer moved to New York City in 2009 where he spent eight years honing his craft in the New York music scene before relocating to Los Angeles. During the pandemic he left the California sunshine for the rainy forests of Portland, OR where he currently calls home. Over the years Holden has toured and performed with Brandi Carlile, Ingrid Michaelson, Grace Potter, Butch Walker and many others while touring extensively in bars, clubs, theaters, and arenas around the world.
In 2014, he was awarded an ASCAP Award for co-writing the hit song “Home” for American Idol-winner Phillip Phillips, which sold over six million copies and streamed over two hundred million times.
Greg Holden is a multi-platinum selling songwriter, artist, and producer. The Scottish singer moved to New York City in 2009 where he spent eight years honing his craft in the New York music scene before relocating to Los Angeles. During the pandemic he left the California sunshine for the rainy forests of Portland, OR where he currently calls home. Over the years Holden has toured and performed with Brandi Carlile, Ingrid Michaelson, Grace Potter, Butch Walker and many others while touring extensively in bars, clubs, theaters, and arenas around the world.
In 2014, he was awarded an ASCAP Award for co-writing the hit song “Home” for American Idol-winner Phillip Phillips, which sold over six million copies and streamed over two hundred million times.
Joey Hyde - Artist, Songwriter, Producer
Born and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Joey Hyde grew up listening to his dad’s record collection. His early influences were such bands as Led Zeppelin, Thin Lizzy, AC/DC, and Pink Floyd, which led him to a love of the guitar. Later, he found himself digging deeper into the lyrics of the songs he loved, which drove him headfirst into songwriting. Joey came to Nashville in 2006 and spent most of his younger days playing the honky tonks on lower Broadway, and across the Southeast.
It wasn’t long before he hit the road playing guitar for artists including Florida Georgia Line, Ryan Hurd, and HARDY, but after a couple years on the road playing for other artists, he felt a pull to make his own music and chase his own artistry. Joey then toured the country singing his songs for crowds that appreciated his blend of rock guitars and songwriter story telling. In 2019, Joey Hyde scored his first number one hit with “Made For You,” co-written with songwriters Benjy Davis and Neil Medley, and recorded by Jake Owen. Hyde’s credits include songs recorded by Kameron Marlowe, Ryan Hurd, The Band Camino, Kid Rock, and many more. As a producer, he currently has his first single at radio with Meghan Patrick’s song “Golden Child,” which Hyde also co-wrote. Joey is also producing and developing artists including Brian Fuller, Gable Bradley, and Callista Clark.
Born and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Joey Hyde grew up listening to his dad’s record collection. His early influences were such bands as Led Zeppelin, Thin Lizzy, AC/DC, and Pink Floyd, which led him to a love of the guitar. Later, he found himself digging deeper into the lyrics of the songs he loved, which drove him headfirst into songwriting. Joey came to Nashville in 2006 and spent most of his younger days playing the honky tonks on lower Broadway, and across the Southeast.
It wasn’t long before he hit the road playing guitar for artists including Florida Georgia Line, Ryan Hurd, and HARDY, but after a couple years on the road playing for other artists, he felt a pull to make his own music and chase his own artistry. Joey then toured the country singing his songs for crowds that appreciated his blend of rock guitars and songwriter story telling. In 2019, Joey Hyde scored his first number one hit with “Made For You,” co-written with songwriters Benjy Davis and Neil Medley, and recorded by Jake Owen. Hyde’s credits include songs recorded by Kameron Marlowe, Ryan Hurd, The Band Camino, Kid Rock, and many more. As a producer, he currently has his first single at radio with Meghan Patrick’s song “Golden Child,” which Hyde also co-wrote. Joey is also producing and developing artists including Brian Fuller, Gable Bradley, and Callista Clark.
Tim Jack - Social Media/Digital Marketing for Musicians
Tim Jack is an American entrepreneur, Emmy-winning filmmaker, and investor. He is the current Founder and CEO at Rise, an automated marketing platform, Tout, a music discovery and media brand, and author of forthcoming book "Make A Move". Previously, he Founded and served as CEO at JACKTV producing projects with Live Nation, Daimler-Benz, Razor, and many more.
Tim Jack is an investor in SpaceX, Starlink, venture capital fund Sweater Ventures, NFT fund Vertical Ventures, streetwear fashion startup Pathos of Things, and many others. He has been featured in Rolling Stone, Forbes, Huffington Post, The New York Times, The Seattle Times, and more for his work in marketing and filmmaking. Previously, he was co-founder and CEO of The Agent, an e-commerce brand accelerator that generated $100M+ in E-commerce revenue for its clients and acquired Shopify upstart "Bye Bye". At only 21 years old, Tim became the co-founder of global entrepreneurial events company House of Genius, which operated in 45+ cities around the world and hosted events at The White House and U.N. At its peak, the organization comprised a team of over 100 people. Tim Jack co-founded Capitol, one of Colorado's first co-working spaces for digital creatives and founded Baumhaur Group, a boutique design and branding agency. He was also selected by TechStars as one of it's first ever "HackStars", working in the earliest development of startups like Sphero and Kapost. In 2022, Tim Jack received an Emmy award for his first feature film, Enormous: The Gorge Story. He also owns Papa Belle, an orchard estate and luxury vacation rental on the island of Hawai'i.
Tim Jack is an American entrepreneur, Emmy-winning filmmaker, and investor. He is the current Founder and CEO at Rise, an automated marketing platform, Tout, a music discovery and media brand, and author of forthcoming book "Make A Move". Previously, he Founded and served as CEO at JACKTV producing projects with Live Nation, Daimler-Benz, Razor, and many more.
Tim Jack is an investor in SpaceX, Starlink, venture capital fund Sweater Ventures, NFT fund Vertical Ventures, streetwear fashion startup Pathos of Things, and many others. He has been featured in Rolling Stone, Forbes, Huffington Post, The New York Times, The Seattle Times, and more for his work in marketing and filmmaking. Previously, he was co-founder and CEO of The Agent, an e-commerce brand accelerator that generated $100M+ in E-commerce revenue for its clients and acquired Shopify upstart "Bye Bye". At only 21 years old, Tim became the co-founder of global entrepreneurial events company House of Genius, which operated in 45+ cities around the world and hosted events at The White House and U.N. At its peak, the organization comprised a team of over 100 people. Tim Jack co-founded Capitol, one of Colorado's first co-working spaces for digital creatives and founded Baumhaur Group, a boutique design and branding agency. He was also selected by TechStars as one of it's first ever "HackStars", working in the earliest development of startups like Sphero and Kapost. In 2022, Tim Jack received an Emmy award for his first feature film, Enormous: The Gorge Story. He also owns Papa Belle, an orchard estate and luxury vacation rental on the island of Hawai'i.
Haley Joelle - Songwriter/Artist
Haley Joelle is a 25-year-old artist and songwriter from Oregon, now based in Los Angeles. Known for her deeply personal and evocative storytelling, her songwriting has resonated with millions worldwide.Since her debut release in 2021, Haley's music has amassed over 200 million streams, earning placements on top playlists such as Spotify's New Music Friday, Chilled Hits, Chill Pop, Fresh & Chill, Sad Hour, Sad Songs, Today's Singer-Songwriters, and Morning Commute, as well as Apple Music's Breaking Pop, In My Room, Acoustic Chill, Today's Acoustic, New Music Daily, and more. Her songs have also been featured in Amazon's #1 most-watched non-English-language original movie, Culpa Mia, and Love Island USA. With over 450K engaged fans worldwide, Haley sold out venues in the US and abroad on her first mini-headline tour in 2023. Now, she is evolving her sound for 2025 and beyond, as well as writing a musical. Expect new music, fresh creative directions, and many HJ 2.0 releases in the year ahead.
Haley Joelle is a 25-year-old artist and songwriter from Oregon, now based in Los Angeles. Known for her deeply personal and evocative storytelling, her songwriting has resonated with millions worldwide.Since her debut release in 2021, Haley's music has amassed over 200 million streams, earning placements on top playlists such as Spotify's New Music Friday, Chilled Hits, Chill Pop, Fresh & Chill, Sad Hour, Sad Songs, Today's Singer-Songwriters, and Morning Commute, as well as Apple Music's Breaking Pop, In My Room, Acoustic Chill, Today's Acoustic, New Music Daily, and more. Her songs have also been featured in Amazon's #1 most-watched non-English-language original movie, Culpa Mia, and Love Island USA. With over 450K engaged fans worldwide, Haley sold out venues in the US and abroad on her first mini-headline tour in 2023. Now, she is evolving her sound for 2025 and beyond, as well as writing a musical. Expect new music, fresh creative directions, and many HJ 2.0 releases in the year ahead.
Flannery Johnston - Sync Licensing
Flannery Johnston is the Senior Manager of TV, Film & Advertising at Lyric House. Flannery secures placements for the Lyric House roster across various mediums, liaises with A&R on original song creation, and cultivates relationships within the sync licensing community. Some of her placements include Apple, Maybelline, Jeep, GoPro, Ulta, Guinness, Walmart, Scream 6, Grey's Anatomy, All American, The Cleaning Lady, The Rookie, 9-1-1, Love is Blind, Selling Sunset, Love Island, Welcome to Wrexham, MLB, NFL, UFC, and many more.
Flannery went to Chapman University for Television Writing & Production. It was during her time spent interning and working in a different entertainment sphere that she realized her passion for music within the world of film and TV. She got her start working in the sync department at APG and moved over to the team at Lyric House at the start of 2022.
When Flannery's not placing songs in TV, she's actively consuming it in her free time. She loves all things reality TV, though she still makes time for great scripted shows and frequents her local movie theater.
Flannery Johnston is the Senior Manager of TV, Film & Advertising at Lyric House. Flannery secures placements for the Lyric House roster across various mediums, liaises with A&R on original song creation, and cultivates relationships within the sync licensing community. Some of her placements include Apple, Maybelline, Jeep, GoPro, Ulta, Guinness, Walmart, Scream 6, Grey's Anatomy, All American, The Cleaning Lady, The Rookie, 9-1-1, Love is Blind, Selling Sunset, Love Island, Welcome to Wrexham, MLB, NFL, UFC, and many more.
Flannery went to Chapman University for Television Writing & Production. It was during her time spent interning and working in a different entertainment sphere that she realized her passion for music within the world of film and TV. She got her start working in the sync department at APG and moved over to the team at Lyric House at the start of 2022.
When Flannery's not placing songs in TV, she's actively consuming it in her free time. She loves all things reality TV, though she still makes time for great scripted shows and frequents her local movie theater.
Henry Kapono - Artist, Songwriter
Native Hawaiian and Grammy nominated, Henry Kapono, is a multiple award-winning vocalist, guitarist, songwriter, and composer. He is one of Hawaii’s most popular recording artists and is equally known for his community support and philanthropic endeavors, most recently launching the Henry Kapono Foundation in 2018 with a mission to support the community through music and the arts and by giving with Aloha.
Native Hawaiian and Grammy nominated, Henry Kapono, is a multiple award-winning vocalist, guitarist, songwriter, and composer. He is one of Hawaii’s most popular recording artists and is equally known for his community support and philanthropic endeavors, most recently launching the Henry Kapono Foundation in 2018 with a mission to support the community through music and the arts and by giving with Aloha.
Kenneth Makuakāne - Artist, Songwriter, Producer, Author
Kenneth Makuakāne, a native Hawaiian has written, performed, and recorded Hawaiian music for over 45 years. He is a record producer, tv producer, record engineer, arranger, songwriter, touring artist, author, pastor, inspirational speaker, community advocate, lover of all humanity and all creation, kanaka maoli. He has been one of the most active, versatile composers, recording artists, performers, arrangers, engineers, and producers that Hawai‘i has produced. With 24 Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards to his credit, he is a prolific composer of Hawaiian music with over 2,000 songs written and many recorded by numerous Hawaiian performers.
Kenneth has performed throughout the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, Korea, Japan, and other parts of the world. He has even performed twice at Carnegie Hall in New York City. He has over two hundred albums to his producing credits and participated in over four hundred fifty album projects, working with renowned Hawaiian artists such as Nā Leo, HAPA, O’brian Eselu, Jeff Rasmussen, Willie K, Mākaha Sons and Grammy-nominated artists such as Amy Hānaiali‘i Gilliom, Hoʻokena, and Raiatea Helm.
Kenneth Makuakāne, a native Hawaiian has written, performed, and recorded Hawaiian music for over 45 years. He is a record producer, tv producer, record engineer, arranger, songwriter, touring artist, author, pastor, inspirational speaker, community advocate, lover of all humanity and all creation, kanaka maoli. He has been one of the most active, versatile composers, recording artists, performers, arrangers, engineers, and producers that Hawai‘i has produced. With 24 Nā Hōkū Hanohano Awards to his credit, he is a prolific composer of Hawaiian music with over 2,000 songs written and many recorded by numerous Hawaiian performers.
Kenneth has performed throughout the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, Korea, Japan, and other parts of the world. He has even performed twice at Carnegie Hall in New York City. He has over two hundred albums to his producing credits and participated in over four hundred fifty album projects, working with renowned Hawaiian artists such as Nā Leo, HAPA, O’brian Eselu, Jeff Rasmussen, Willie K, Mākaha Sons and Grammy-nominated artists such as Amy Hānaiali‘i Gilliom, Hoʻokena, and Raiatea Helm.
Tracey and Vance Marino - Composers, Authors
Wife-and-husband music writing team Tracey Marino and Vance Marino are composers, songwriters, musicians, and producers with more than 3,000 songs and cues in their BMI catalog. They’ve had thousands of placements in shows including "The Voice," "The Tonight Show," “Saturday Night Live,” “Kelly Clarkson Show,” most other talk shows, Hallmark Channel movies, and many more. Their music is heard daily around the world and has been featured in hundreds of reality TV shows, sports events, films, trailers, documentaries, video games, toys, and several national commercials. They write and produce in their Pro Tools studios in San Diego, California.
Tracey is a pianist/keyboardist/singer originally from Boston, Massachusetts, and a graduate of San Diego State University. Vance sings and plays guitar, bass, drums, and most stringed instruments. Originally from Oahu, Hawaii, he is a graduate of Kamehameha Schools and attended Leeward College. The Marinos both studied music at UCLA Extension.
Tracey and Vance run the San Diego Chapter of The Nashville Songwriters Association International and are members of The Society of Composers and Lyricists and SongArts Committee; Association of Independent Music Publishers; The California Copyright Conference; and many other music organizations.
The Marinos’ new book about sync music licensing, Hey! That's My Song! A Guide to Getting Music Placements in Film, TV, and Media, is published by Backbeat Books and became a #1 Best Seller in Songwriting and #1 New Release in Music Business on Amazon Books. It is available at all major bookstores. For more information, visit Tracey and Vance Marino's company website SongMaker Productions SongMakerPro.com or their book website HeyThatsMySong.com
Wife-and-husband music writing team Tracey Marino and Vance Marino are composers, songwriters, musicians, and producers with more than 3,000 songs and cues in their BMI catalog. They’ve had thousands of placements in shows including "The Voice," "The Tonight Show," “Saturday Night Live,” “Kelly Clarkson Show,” most other talk shows, Hallmark Channel movies, and many more. Their music is heard daily around the world and has been featured in hundreds of reality TV shows, sports events, films, trailers, documentaries, video games, toys, and several national commercials. They write and produce in their Pro Tools studios in San Diego, California.
Tracey is a pianist/keyboardist/singer originally from Boston, Massachusetts, and a graduate of San Diego State University. Vance sings and plays guitar, bass, drums, and most stringed instruments. Originally from Oahu, Hawaii, he is a graduate of Kamehameha Schools and attended Leeward College. The Marinos both studied music at UCLA Extension.
Tracey and Vance run the San Diego Chapter of The Nashville Songwriters Association International and are members of The Society of Composers and Lyricists and SongArts Committee; Association of Independent Music Publishers; The California Copyright Conference; and many other music organizations.
The Marinos’ new book about sync music licensing, Hey! That's My Song! A Guide to Getting Music Placements in Film, TV, and Media, is published by Backbeat Books and became a #1 Best Seller in Songwriting and #1 New Release in Music Business on Amazon Books. It is available at all major bookstores. For more information, visit Tracey and Vance Marino's company website SongMaker Productions SongMakerPro.com or their book website HeyThatsMySong.com
Brian Naguit - Music Supervisor
Brian Naguit is the Vice President of Music, Creative for CBS Studios. In his position, Brian works to integrate music and artists performances into CBS’s programming. He is a part of the in-house music supervision team whose current shows include Blood & Treasure, Star Trek Discovery, Star Trek Picard, Star Trek Strange New Worlds, Evil, The Goodfight and NCIS Hawaii. In addition to placing songs, Brian has secured musical guest performances within CBS shows including Maren Morris, Gary Clark Jr. and X Ambassadors among others.
As part of the CBS Marketing Division, Brian acts as the music supervisor for brand, image and show campaigns for CBS Entertainment, CBS News, CBS Sports and Paramount +.
Prior to CBS Brian worked as a live sound engineer at Club Med and recording engineer at Westlake Recording Studios. Brian has an Associate’s Degree in Recording Arts from Full Sail University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Music from the College of Santa Fe.
Brian Naguit is the Vice President of Music, Creative for CBS Studios. In his position, Brian works to integrate music and artists performances into CBS’s programming. He is a part of the in-house music supervision team whose current shows include Blood & Treasure, Star Trek Discovery, Star Trek Picard, Star Trek Strange New Worlds, Evil, The Goodfight and NCIS Hawaii. In addition to placing songs, Brian has secured musical guest performances within CBS shows including Maren Morris, Gary Clark Jr. and X Ambassadors among others.
As part of the CBS Marketing Division, Brian acts as the music supervisor for brand, image and show campaigns for CBS Entertainment, CBS News, CBS Sports and Paramount +.
Prior to CBS Brian worked as a live sound engineer at Club Med and recording engineer at Westlake Recording Studios. Brian has an Associate’s Degree in Recording Arts from Full Sail University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Music from the College of Santa Fe.
Farnell Newton - A&R and Songwriter/Producer
Trumpet player, award-winning producer, music licensing A&R, and family man. Farnell Newton (he/him) is one of the most versatile musicians in the game, releasing dozens of records spanning jazz, funk, Latin music, soul, hip hop, low-fi and more.
Throughout his illustrious career, Farnell has toured the world playing with multi Grammy winner, Jill Scott, the legendary Bootsy Collins, and The Portland Cello Project to name a few. Farnell has also shared the stage with a who’s who of world-class artists, including Aretha Franklin, George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic, Preservation Hall, Stevie Wonder, Karl Denson, Lettuce, George Duke, and more.
When he’s not on stage, Farnell is composing and recording music for Marmoset and his own sync start-up, Formation Sound. His songs have graced commercials for Uber, Adidas, Puma, Facebook, NFL, Redbull, and many renowned brands. Farnell is based in Portland, Oregon.
Trumpet player, award-winning producer, music licensing A&R, and family man. Farnell Newton (he/him) is one of the most versatile musicians in the game, releasing dozens of records spanning jazz, funk, Latin music, soul, hip hop, low-fi and more.
Throughout his illustrious career, Farnell has toured the world playing with multi Grammy winner, Jill Scott, the legendary Bootsy Collins, and The Portland Cello Project to name a few. Farnell has also shared the stage with a who’s who of world-class artists, including Aretha Franklin, George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic, Preservation Hall, Stevie Wonder, Karl Denson, Lettuce, George Duke, and more.
When he’s not on stage, Farnell is composing and recording music for Marmoset and his own sync start-up, Formation Sound. His songs have graced commercials for Uber, Adidas, Puma, Facebook, NFL, Redbull, and many renowned brands. Farnell is based in Portland, Oregon.
Nitanee Paris - Songwriter, Artist Development
Nitanee Paris is the Director of A&R at ArtistMax, founded by Grammy Award-winning producer Ken Caillat (Fleetwood Mac, Colbie Caillat). She is also the manager of their Dolby Atmos recording studio and mixing room, Marshmellow Skies, and she is the Owner and Creative Director of the micro sync label, Great Minds Sync Alike, with music credits including PARAMOUNT, NETFLIX, CBS Sports, MTV, BET, VH1, BRAVO, The CW, HULU, CMT, Comedy Central, VIACOM/CBS, the HALLMARK CHANNEL, Apple Fitness, Peloton, NFL Football, and Dignity Health.
Paris is proud to be on the Board of the Hawaii Songwriting Festival. She is also on the SongArts Committee for the Society of Composers and Lyricists, and she leads the Malibu Chapter of the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI).
Nitanee Paris is the Director of A&R at ArtistMax, founded by Grammy Award-winning producer Ken Caillat (Fleetwood Mac, Colbie Caillat). She is also the manager of their Dolby Atmos recording studio and mixing room, Marshmellow Skies, and she is the Owner and Creative Director of the micro sync label, Great Minds Sync Alike, with music credits including PARAMOUNT, NETFLIX, CBS Sports, MTV, BET, VH1, BRAVO, The CW, HULU, CMT, Comedy Central, VIACOM/CBS, the HALLMARK CHANNEL, Apple Fitness, Peloton, NFL Football, and Dignity Health.
Paris is proud to be on the Board of the Hawaii Songwriting Festival. She is also on the SongArts Committee for the Society of Composers and Lyricists, and she leads the Malibu Chapter of the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI).
Whitney A. Pilzer - Music Supervisor, Consultant
Whitney Pilzer is a Music Supervisor for TV & film.
Some of her recent credits include The Umbrella Academy on Netflix, Atlanta on FX, The Company You Keep on ABC, Will Trent on ABC, School Spirits on Paramount+, WeCrashed on AppleTV, The Offer on Paramount+ and Yellowjackets Season 1 on Showtime.
She has also contributed to blockbuster projects such as Euphoria (HBO), Thirteen Reasons Why (Netflix), Crazy Rich Asians (Warner Bros.) and Ocean’s Eight (Warner Bros.)
Previously, she served as an executive at Lionsgate/Starz, overseeing the robust Starz television slate, including projects such as The Power Universe and Blindspotting.
Whitney Pilzer is a Music Supervisor for TV & film.
Some of her recent credits include The Umbrella Academy on Netflix, Atlanta on FX, The Company You Keep on ABC, Will Trent on ABC, School Spirits on Paramount+, WeCrashed on AppleTV, The Offer on Paramount+ and Yellowjackets Season 1 on Showtime.
She has also contributed to blockbuster projects such as Euphoria (HBO), Thirteen Reasons Why (Netflix), Crazy Rich Asians (Warner Bros.) and Ocean’s Eight (Warner Bros.)
Previously, she served as an executive at Lionsgate/Starz, overseeing the robust Starz television slate, including projects such as The Power Universe and Blindspotting.
Amy Roberts - Sync and Publishing
Amy Roberts has over two decades of diversified experience in synch, creative, licensing & admin. She has been part of PEN Music Group, Inc. since 2021. Early in her career she worked in licensing & admin for TouchTunes Music Corporation. From 2003 – 2020 she acted as synch & licensing manager for Bosshouse Music. From 2015 – 2020, Amy worked for Round Hill Music as Senior Director Creative Marketing. She additionally ran synch and licensing/admin for Sottophonic Music from 2017 – 2024. In 2014, Amy founded Broadest Spectrum Music representing artists and music catalogs in the US and abroad for synch. She has helped secure hundreds of synch placements over the years, with a stand-out achievement of 350 artist song placements in the Shameless series on Showtime. Amy is also a professional singer, songwriter and voice coach who received her BFA in Fine Arts from the Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music.
Amy Roberts has over two decades of diversified experience in synch, creative, licensing & admin. She has been part of PEN Music Group, Inc. since 2021. Early in her career she worked in licensing & admin for TouchTunes Music Corporation. From 2003 – 2020 she acted as synch & licensing manager for Bosshouse Music. From 2015 – 2020, Amy worked for Round Hill Music as Senior Director Creative Marketing. She additionally ran synch and licensing/admin for Sottophonic Music from 2017 – 2024. In 2014, Amy founded Broadest Spectrum Music representing artists and music catalogs in the US and abroad for synch. She has helped secure hundreds of synch placements over the years, with a stand-out achievement of 350 artist song placements in the Shameless series on Showtime. Amy is also a professional singer, songwriter and voice coach who received her BFA in Fine Arts from the Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music.
Livy Rodriguez-Behar - Music Supervisor
Livy is a music supervisor, and the founder of Dreamboat Music - a music supervision company servicing all forms of visual Media. Growing up in the musical city of Austin, Texas, Livy spent her youth attending live shows in the many venues around town - captivated by the indie music scene. Much akin to her love of music, movies had a similar effect. She developed a strong affinity for film scores and movie soundtracks, with favorites such as Almost Famous, School of Rock and Shampoo. Naturally, she went on to get her bachelor's in Music Business whilst interning for Randall Poster on HBO's VINYL and many other musical branding projects (Disney, Warby Parker and Target). In that same time she was mentored by composer Carl Thiel, whom she assisted on Sin City 2, and From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series, both directed by Robert Rodriguez. Currently, Livy dedicates her time to bringing indie films across the finish line whether it’s finding the right needle drop, commissioning an original work, or clearing the dream song, Dreamboat does it all. Dreamboat, while a young company has had the fortune of being invited to SXSW, CD Baby's DIY Musician Conference, MUSEXPO, UCLA and the annual Guild of Music Supervisors Conference. Livy's films have premiered at notable film festivals such as Cannes, Tribeca, and the Austin Film Festival, and have also been distributed to theaters, as well as, popular streamers like Disney+, Apple TV, Max, Paramount+ and Amazon Prime. Her latest feature, Jim Henson Idea Man directed by Ron Howard, was nominated for 8 Emmys winning 5, and earned her a nomination for Hollywood’s Music in Media Awards. Her projects have also been featured in Variety, Deadline and The New Yorker.
Livy is a music supervisor, and the founder of Dreamboat Music - a music supervision company servicing all forms of visual Media. Growing up in the musical city of Austin, Texas, Livy spent her youth attending live shows in the many venues around town - captivated by the indie music scene. Much akin to her love of music, movies had a similar effect. She developed a strong affinity for film scores and movie soundtracks, with favorites such as Almost Famous, School of Rock and Shampoo. Naturally, she went on to get her bachelor's in Music Business whilst interning for Randall Poster on HBO's VINYL and many other musical branding projects (Disney, Warby Parker and Target). In that same time she was mentored by composer Carl Thiel, whom she assisted on Sin City 2, and From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series, both directed by Robert Rodriguez. Currently, Livy dedicates her time to bringing indie films across the finish line whether it’s finding the right needle drop, commissioning an original work, or clearing the dream song, Dreamboat does it all. Dreamboat, while a young company has had the fortune of being invited to SXSW, CD Baby's DIY Musician Conference, MUSEXPO, UCLA and the annual Guild of Music Supervisors Conference. Livy's films have premiered at notable film festivals such as Cannes, Tribeca, and the Austin Film Festival, and have also been distributed to theaters, as well as, popular streamers like Disney+, Apple TV, Max, Paramount+ and Amazon Prime. Her latest feature, Jim Henson Idea Man directed by Ron Howard, was nominated for 8 Emmys winning 5, and earned her a nomination for Hollywood’s Music in Media Awards. Her projects have also been featured in Variety, Deadline and The New Yorker.
Pamela Sheyne - Songwriter, Singer, Mentor
Pamela Sheyne is a multi-platinum selling songwriter, singer and mentor. Her song writing career has achieved success on a global scale and includes international hit records and song placements in numerous films and TV shows. With 50+ million record sales, 100+ platinum sales, she is also a prestigious Ivor Novello Award winning songwriter.
As a singer, Pam has performed and recorded with artists including; Elton John, Celine Dion, The Pet Shop Boys, Cindy Lauper, Tom Jones, Laura Pausini, Lulu, Daryl Hall, and Dave Stewart.
Pam is best known for co-writing the global hit and Billboard #1 single, “Genie in a Bottle” for Christina Aguilera. Other artists who have recorded Pam’s songs include: Demi Lovato, Jason Derulo, Jessica Simpson, Dream, Seal, Corrine Bailey Rae, Cece Winans, Tina Arena, The Backstreet Boys and Camila Cabello who earned international recognition and platinum status in the USA, as well as a top 10 UK hit for the single “Crying In the Club”.
Pamela Sheyne is a multi-platinum selling songwriter, singer and mentor. Her song writing career has achieved success on a global scale and includes international hit records and song placements in numerous films and TV shows. With 50+ million record sales, 100+ platinum sales, she is also a prestigious Ivor Novello Award winning songwriter.
As a singer, Pam has performed and recorded with artists including; Elton John, Celine Dion, The Pet Shop Boys, Cindy Lauper, Tom Jones, Laura Pausini, Lulu, Daryl Hall, and Dave Stewart.
Pam is best known for co-writing the global hit and Billboard #1 single, “Genie in a Bottle” for Christina Aguilera. Other artists who have recorded Pam’s songs include: Demi Lovato, Jason Derulo, Jessica Simpson, Dream, Seal, Corrine Bailey Rae, Cece Winans, Tina Arena, The Backstreet Boys and Camila Cabello who earned international recognition and platinum status in the USA, as well as a top 10 UK hit for the single “Crying In the Club”.
Garrison Starr - Artist, Songwriter
Garrison Starr is a Grammy nominated singer songwriter and producer based in Los Angeles. She scored her first hit with 1997’s acclaimed “Superhero”, and then went on to release 15 solo albums, and tour with Melissa Etheridge, Mary Chapin Carpenter, and Lilith Fair. Starr’s songs have appeared on countless TV show like Grey’s Anatomy, Pretty Little Liars, Nashville, Hart od Dixie, Switched at Birth, and many others. Starr's shows have been described as "marrying pop smarts and Americana grit with a voice of remarkable power and clarity".
Garrison Starr is a Grammy nominated singer songwriter and producer based in Los Angeles. She scored her first hit with 1997’s acclaimed “Superhero”, and then went on to release 15 solo albums, and tour with Melissa Etheridge, Mary Chapin Carpenter, and Lilith Fair. Starr’s songs have appeared on countless TV show like Grey’s Anatomy, Pretty Little Liars, Nashville, Hart od Dixie, Switched at Birth, and many others. Starr's shows have been described as "marrying pop smarts and Americana grit with a voice of remarkable power and clarity".
Jessica Toon - Executive Director of the Recording Academy’s Pacific Northwest Chapter
A senior executive in marketing and communications, Jessica has dedicated her career to developing audience and supporting creative communities through mission-driven arts and culture organizations. Previously, she co-owned and operated an independent record label; served as Chief Marketing and Communications Officer for SIFF, the largest film festival in the US; was recruited as Head of Marketing and Audience Development to lead the strategic brand and growth initiatives for Paul Allen’s Experience Music Project (now Museum of Pop Culture), successfully pivoting the brand and eliminating reliance on founder funding; and has worked with multiple private clients to develop and manage their creative investments and philanthropic initiatives across the arts.
In 2017, she entered the blockchain space as Chief Marketing Officer at New Alchemy, and has helped to launch multiple startups including Snow Crash Author Neal Stephenson’s LAMINA1, a layer-one blockchain powering the open metaverse. She continues to serve as strategic advisor to several culturally relevant Web3, Metaverse, and AI projects focused on innovating tech that privileges artists and creators, builds safe and equitable spaces and experiences, incentivizes ethical behavior, and demonstrates commitment to offset environmental impact.
Jessica is currently Executive Director of the Recording Academy’s Pacific Northwest Chapter, and is mid-term in her Mayoral appointment as Seattle Music Commissioner, advising the City on music, arts, and nightlife-related policy and legislation.
A senior executive in marketing and communications, Jessica has dedicated her career to developing audience and supporting creative communities through mission-driven arts and culture organizations. Previously, she co-owned and operated an independent record label; served as Chief Marketing and Communications Officer for SIFF, the largest film festival in the US; was recruited as Head of Marketing and Audience Development to lead the strategic brand and growth initiatives for Paul Allen’s Experience Music Project (now Museum of Pop Culture), successfully pivoting the brand and eliminating reliance on founder funding; and has worked with multiple private clients to develop and manage their creative investments and philanthropic initiatives across the arts.
In 2017, she entered the blockchain space as Chief Marketing Officer at New Alchemy, and has helped to launch multiple startups including Snow Crash Author Neal Stephenson’s LAMINA1, a layer-one blockchain powering the open metaverse. She continues to serve as strategic advisor to several culturally relevant Web3, Metaverse, and AI projects focused on innovating tech that privileges artists and creators, builds safe and equitable spaces and experiences, incentivizes ethical behavior, and demonstrates commitment to offset environmental impact.
Jessica is currently Executive Director of the Recording Academy’s Pacific Northwest Chapter, and is mid-term in her Mayoral appointment as Seattle Music Commissioner, advising the City on music, arts, and nightlife-related policy and legislation.
Ralph Torrefranca - A&R
With 17+ years in the music industry under his belt, it’s no wonder that music has always been a real passion for Ralph Torrefranca. Starting his career as the youngest DJ in KJEE’s history in Santa Barbara, he moved onto doing PR for the likes of Ben Gibbard, Jackson Brown as well as touring with artists Other Lives, Radiohead and Local Natives. Then Ralph found his passion working directly with artists – helping to launch and grow their careers while sharing a mutual love of songwriting as part of teams at Red Light Management and Grandstand Media as well as managing artists independently.
As Sr. Director of A&R, Ralph currently oversees creative development of the diverse songwriters/artists and producers that make up the Angry Mob Music roster. As an early champion, Ralph identifies writers with a unique vision to their craft which includes his work with Jake Scott (Gold and Platinum #1 Records including Russel Dickerson's "She Likes It"), Joe Pepe (Iann Dior, Travis Barker) and Bus (Ty Dolla $ign, Kendrick Lamar) just to name a few. He is also the founder of the “New Normal Writing Camp”, a diversity focused writing camp that featured artists like UMI, Deb Never, Paravi and more during its inaugural camp in 2023. Ralph has also published a popular Op-Ed in Billboard Magazine calling out the industry at large for the lack of diversity within writing rooms today.
In addition to A&R, Ralph is the lead singer/guitarist of the national touring band Cuffed Up (KEXP, KCRW, BBC Radio).
With 17+ years in the music industry under his belt, it’s no wonder that music has always been a real passion for Ralph Torrefranca. Starting his career as the youngest DJ in KJEE’s history in Santa Barbara, he moved onto doing PR for the likes of Ben Gibbard, Jackson Brown as well as touring with artists Other Lives, Radiohead and Local Natives. Then Ralph found his passion working directly with artists – helping to launch and grow their careers while sharing a mutual love of songwriting as part of teams at Red Light Management and Grandstand Media as well as managing artists independently.
As Sr. Director of A&R, Ralph currently oversees creative development of the diverse songwriters/artists and producers that make up the Angry Mob Music roster. As an early champion, Ralph identifies writers with a unique vision to their craft which includes his work with Jake Scott (Gold and Platinum #1 Records including Russel Dickerson's "She Likes It"), Joe Pepe (Iann Dior, Travis Barker) and Bus (Ty Dolla $ign, Kendrick Lamar) just to name a few. He is also the founder of the “New Normal Writing Camp”, a diversity focused writing camp that featured artists like UMI, Deb Never, Paravi and more during its inaugural camp in 2023. Ralph has also published a popular Op-Ed in Billboard Magazine calling out the industry at large for the lack of diversity within writing rooms today.
In addition to A&R, Ralph is the lead singer/guitarist of the national touring band Cuffed Up (KEXP, KCRW, BBC Radio).
Chaz Umamoto - Songwriter, Producer
Çhaz Kaiolohia Umamoto is a multiple Nā Hōkū Hanohano award-winning songwriter, and music producer. Chaz is the co-founder of the startup music agency, Craft Brewz Music LLC, and the songwriting/ production team, TheBrewz. Prior to this Chaz performed in the group Streetlight Cadence, & Amanda Frazier & The Keepers. Chaz recently moved home from Los Angeles, CA with his wife Sarah, and 4 year old-Jojo.
TheBrewz are a songwriting machine and are actively facilitating writing camps and collaborations to bring the local community together to produce new music. Since 2019 TheBrewz have worked on over 400+ songs, including high-profile collaborations with Grammy-nominated artist Kimié Miner, 2x Nā Hōkū Hanohano award- winning rapper Thomas Iannucci, Crossing Rain, Ragamuffs, Sonny Sandoval, lead singer of multi-platinum band P.O.D., and former After School K-pop Idol Bekah Kim. Thanks to Marmoset Music and their label Infinite Companion, TheBrewz have landed over 200+ license placements in the last 3 years including placements with Adobe, Apple, Amazon, CBS, Fox TV, General Motors, Google, HP, Kona Brewing Company, MTV, OnePlus Nord, Pinterest, Samsung, Snapchat, T-Mobile, Verizon & Visa.
Çhaz Kaiolohia Umamoto is a multiple Nā Hōkū Hanohano award-winning songwriter, and music producer. Chaz is the co-founder of the startup music agency, Craft Brewz Music LLC, and the songwriting/ production team, TheBrewz. Prior to this Chaz performed in the group Streetlight Cadence, & Amanda Frazier & The Keepers. Chaz recently moved home from Los Angeles, CA with his wife Sarah, and 4 year old-Jojo.
TheBrewz are a songwriting machine and are actively facilitating writing camps and collaborations to bring the local community together to produce new music. Since 2019 TheBrewz have worked on over 400+ songs, including high-profile collaborations with Grammy-nominated artist Kimié Miner, 2x Nā Hōkū Hanohano award- winning rapper Thomas Iannucci, Crossing Rain, Ragamuffs, Sonny Sandoval, lead singer of multi-platinum band P.O.D., and former After School K-pop Idol Bekah Kim. Thanks to Marmoset Music and their label Infinite Companion, TheBrewz have landed over 200+ license placements in the last 3 years including placements with Adobe, Apple, Amazon, CBS, Fox TV, General Motors, Google, HP, Kona Brewing Company, MTV, OnePlus Nord, Pinterest, Samsung, Snapchat, T-Mobile, Verizon & Visa.
Grif Wakeman - Songwriter, Producer, Sync Licensing
Grif Wakeman is the co-creator of the Sync Beast Accelerator, where he helps producers and songwriters to break into sync, expand their success, and land placements with major brands like Toyota, Adobe, Ford, and Dell. Grif combines creative insight with a natural ability to bring clarity to their process, where they feel heard and equipped with confidence. He believes your best music flows when you're free from the noise and focused on what truly matters—finding your lane, going all in, and doing it consistently.
Grif Wakeman is the co-creator of the Sync Beast Accelerator, where he helps producers and songwriters to break into sync, expand their success, and land placements with major brands like Toyota, Adobe, Ford, and Dell. Grif combines creative insight with a natural ability to bring clarity to their process, where they feel heard and equipped with confidence. He believes your best music flows when you're free from the noise and focused on what truly matters—finding your lane, going all in, and doing it consistently.
Ryan Wines - Music Licensing
Ryan Wines is Founder and CEO of Marmoset: a global music agency based in Portland, Oregon. Ryan has done it all — from music supervision for global brand campaigns, to producing records, and scouting and signing award-winning talent. He’s launched and managed multiple record labels, managed bands, worked at advertising agencies, and was a college radio DJ at his alma mater, Southern Oregon University.
Under Ryan’s leadership, Marmoset became the first Certified B Corp in the industry, the first to invest 10% of profits into community partners, and the only music company brave enough issue an Annual Transparency Report, raising awareness to systemic inequalities in music, media and tech industries. A fiery advocate of creators, Ryan gave a TED Talk about "leading creatives amidst a modern landscape" and has given talks on music licensing, music producing, workplace culture, and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at places like SXSW, CMJ Music Festival, TechFest NW and regularly guest lectures at universities far and wide.
He’s a member of The Guild of Music Supervisors, has served on the Board of Governors for The Recording Academy (The Grammys), and in his free time, he’s committed to mentoring, equity work, and serves on multiple community boards. Marmoset is a longtime supporter of the Hawaii Songwriting Festival.
Ryan Wines is Founder and CEO of Marmoset: a global music agency based in Portland, Oregon. Ryan has done it all — from music supervision for global brand campaigns, to producing records, and scouting and signing award-winning talent. He’s launched and managed multiple record labels, managed bands, worked at advertising agencies, and was a college radio DJ at his alma mater, Southern Oregon University.
Under Ryan’s leadership, Marmoset became the first Certified B Corp in the industry, the first to invest 10% of profits into community partners, and the only music company brave enough issue an Annual Transparency Report, raising awareness to systemic inequalities in music, media and tech industries. A fiery advocate of creators, Ryan gave a TED Talk about "leading creatives amidst a modern landscape" and has given talks on music licensing, music producing, workplace culture, and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at places like SXSW, CMJ Music Festival, TechFest NW and regularly guest lectures at universities far and wide.
He’s a member of The Guild of Music Supervisors, has served on the Board of Governors for The Recording Academy (The Grammys), and in his free time, he’s committed to mentoring, equity work, and serves on multiple community boards. Marmoset is a longtime supporter of the Hawaii Songwriting Festival.
Lindsay Wolfington - Music Supervisor
Lindsay Wolfington has been working in Music Supervision for over 20 years. Passionate about music and what it brings to the moving picture, she is known for her work on One Tree Hill, where she featured over 1700 songs from breaking artists to iconic names like Led Zeppelin and U2, and more recently for her work on the Netflix sensations To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, To All the Boys: PS I Still Love You, and To All the Boys: Always and Forever.
Lindsay’s recent work includes Theater Camp (Searchlight), XO Kitty (Netflix), Virgin River (Netflix), Sullivan’s Crossing (CTV), Monster High 2 (Nickelodeon), Love at First Sight (Netflix), as well as upcoming films Recipe for Love, I Wish You All the Best, and Time Cut. She recently finished Warrior Nun (Netflix), Amber Brown (Apple TV+), Love in Taipei (Lionsgate), Hello, Goodbye & Everything in Between (Netflix), Monster High (Nickelodeon), and The Thing About Pam (NBC). Her previous work includes Fear Street (Netflix), Atypical (Netflix), Drama Club (Nickelodeon), Hulu’s horror anthology Into the Dark, The Village (NBC), Shadowhunters (FreeForm), and The Royals for E! (Lionsgate). Lindsay also took care of Music Clearance for Fuller House.
Lindsay received her first Children’s and Family Emmy Award nomination this year for her work on Monster High: The Movie. She has won 3 Guild of Music Supervisors Awards for her work on To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, To All the Boys: PS I Still Love You, and To All the Boys: Always and Forever, and has been nominated 8 times for her work on these films as well as The Royals and The Sing Off. In 2013, Lindsay won the Sunset Sessions Award for "Best Music Supervision in a Reality TV Show."
Lindsay is the current President of the Guild of Music Supervisors. She is a graduate of Brown University and currently teaches Music Supervision to graduate students at USC’s Thornton School of Music.
Lindsay Wolfington has been working in Music Supervision for over 20 years. Passionate about music and what it brings to the moving picture, she is known for her work on One Tree Hill, where she featured over 1700 songs from breaking artists to iconic names like Led Zeppelin and U2, and more recently for her work on the Netflix sensations To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, To All the Boys: PS I Still Love You, and To All the Boys: Always and Forever.
Lindsay’s recent work includes Theater Camp (Searchlight), XO Kitty (Netflix), Virgin River (Netflix), Sullivan’s Crossing (CTV), Monster High 2 (Nickelodeon), Love at First Sight (Netflix), as well as upcoming films Recipe for Love, I Wish You All the Best, and Time Cut. She recently finished Warrior Nun (Netflix), Amber Brown (Apple TV+), Love in Taipei (Lionsgate), Hello, Goodbye & Everything in Between (Netflix), Monster High (Nickelodeon), and The Thing About Pam (NBC). Her previous work includes Fear Street (Netflix), Atypical (Netflix), Drama Club (Nickelodeon), Hulu’s horror anthology Into the Dark, The Village (NBC), Shadowhunters (FreeForm), and The Royals for E! (Lionsgate). Lindsay also took care of Music Clearance for Fuller House.
Lindsay received her first Children’s and Family Emmy Award nomination this year for her work on Monster High: The Movie. She has won 3 Guild of Music Supervisors Awards for her work on To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, To All the Boys: PS I Still Love You, and To All the Boys: Always and Forever, and has been nominated 8 times for her work on these films as well as The Royals and The Sing Off. In 2013, Lindsay won the Sunset Sessions Award for "Best Music Supervision in a Reality TV Show."
Lindsay is the current President of the Guild of Music Supervisors. She is a graduate of Brown University and currently teaches Music Supervision to graduate students at USC’s Thornton School of Music.
Adam Zelkind - Songwriter, Composer, Producer
Adam Zelkind is an eight-time award winning songwriter/composer/producer. He has created cutting edge music for more than 2600 television episodes, feature films, records, and ads. His awards include ASCAP’s Most Performed Music on Television for two consecutive years. He has worked with artists and writers such as, Kenny Loggins, Glen Phillips (Toad The Wet Sprocket), Tom Higgenson (Plain White T’s), Jason Mraz, Kristian Bush (Sugarland), Amy Stroup, Chris Gelbuda, Spectre Jones, Katie Herzig, Bret James, Big Al Anderson, Josh Kelley, Walt Aldridge, Darryl Worley, Gary Burr, Ashley Gorley, Meghan Lindsey (The Voice & Steel Magnolia), Sara Watkins (Nickel Creek), Sara Lee Guthrie & Johnny Irion (US Elevator), Will Champlin, Dustin Christensen, Rob Kleiner, Marlin Hookman Bonds. He wrote & produced 8 songs for the feature film “The Big Ugly” on which he also served as the film’s executive music producer. His work has become a prominent force on many shows including the hit CW show Hart Of Dixie, having had 20 songs featured on this show. He co-wrote and produced with The Crazy Z’s feat. Stephanie Mabey “My Favorite Show”, which was an end titles feature on the HBO hit series The Leftovers. Some of his wildest composer credits include: Rock of Love, Flavor of Love, I Love Money, Real Chance of Love, The Surreal Life, From G's to Gents, I Love New York, Charm School, My Fair Brady, Out Back Jack, Next Action Star, Teen Mom, Below Deck, Beverly Hills 90201, The Steve Harvey Show, Many of his songs can be heard in films including the critically acclaimed film Disconnect, Marine Home Front 3, Slumber Party Slaughter, No Manches Frida, Can't Have You. Adam also serves on the Advisory council for the Hawaii Songwriting Festival.
Adam Zelkind is an eight-time award winning songwriter/composer/producer. He has created cutting edge music for more than 2600 television episodes, feature films, records, and ads. His awards include ASCAP’s Most Performed Music on Television for two consecutive years. He has worked with artists and writers such as, Kenny Loggins, Glen Phillips (Toad The Wet Sprocket), Tom Higgenson (Plain White T’s), Jason Mraz, Kristian Bush (Sugarland), Amy Stroup, Chris Gelbuda, Spectre Jones, Katie Herzig, Bret James, Big Al Anderson, Josh Kelley, Walt Aldridge, Darryl Worley, Gary Burr, Ashley Gorley, Meghan Lindsey (The Voice & Steel Magnolia), Sara Watkins (Nickel Creek), Sara Lee Guthrie & Johnny Irion (US Elevator), Will Champlin, Dustin Christensen, Rob Kleiner, Marlin Hookman Bonds. He wrote & produced 8 songs for the feature film “The Big Ugly” on which he also served as the film’s executive music producer. His work has become a prominent force on many shows including the hit CW show Hart Of Dixie, having had 20 songs featured on this show. He co-wrote and produced with The Crazy Z’s feat. Stephanie Mabey “My Favorite Show”, which was an end titles feature on the HBO hit series The Leftovers. Some of his wildest composer credits include: Rock of Love, Flavor of Love, I Love Money, Real Chance of Love, The Surreal Life, From G's to Gents, I Love New York, Charm School, My Fair Brady, Out Back Jack, Next Action Star, Teen Mom, Below Deck, Beverly Hills 90201, The Steve Harvey Show, Many of his songs can be heard in films including the critically acclaimed film Disconnect, Marine Home Front 3, Slumber Party Slaughter, No Manches Frida, Can't Have You. Adam also serves on the Advisory council for the Hawaii Songwriting Festival.