Meet digitalmusic.org

Leaders

As a lifelong skier, I learned three important lessons on the hill that I’ve carried with me in all aspects of life — go big or go home, keep your eyes up, and always have a good song in your head.

Community Mgr., digitalmusic.org

Antony Bruno Strategic Advisor

My tenure in the music business is one of pure luck. After several years as a technology reporter — including a stint at a wireless industry trade association — I found myself in the offices of Billboard magazine applying for a job with admittedly no knowledge of the music business other than that of an average fan. The following seven years proved quite educational. I discovered not only a whole new world of music, but a vibrant and exciting digital music community full of passion, innovation and vision. I’ve covered both record label lifers and disruptive tech startups, and for all the spotlight given to their differences, I’ve found both share a love of music. It’s that commonality that will drive this transition forward. With my days at Billboard now behind me, I’m honored to serve this industry as an independent strategic advisor, working with digitalmusic.org as a community manager to help facilitate the complex conversations and cooperation necessary for all involved to thrive in the process.

When I graduated from the UW and promptly disappointed my parents by taking a job answering phones at Geffen Records on Sunset Blvd., it was because I love music.

Co-Chair, digitalmusic.org

Christina Calio Relationships and Strategy at Microsoft

When I graduated from the UW and promptly disappointed my parents by taking a job answering phones at Geffen Records on Sunset Blvd., it was because I love music. I soaked in the atmosphere of that building owned and built by Hoagy Carmichael, the artists who walked the halls, and revered the men and women expert at the artful commerce of music. Today, I’m even more respectful of my colleagues who are finding ways to connect artists and their music to fans in a world where “the music business” defies simple definition. Many of us are dependent on others for licensing, technology, delivery, services, and sales and face similar challenges. The NARM Digital Think Tank provides a unique opportunity for thoughtful discussion among partners and competitors alike, and the opportunity to come together to find and build solutions to common problems.

In an industry that's been slow to embrace change, I am the exception to the stereotypical music-exec rule. Of course, when you start a career on the road with The Sex Pistols, Prince and Van Halen, you're more primed for the unexpected.

Advisor, digitalmusic.org

Ted Cohen Managing Partner at TAG Strategic

Known throughout the technology and music industries as being "part ambassador and part evangelist," Cohen was instrumental in crafting the licensing agreements upon which the Rhapsody subscription service and the iTunes Music Store were built. TAG Strategic, launched in 2006, is the premier digital entertainment consulting firm providing expert strategy, market intelligence, product ideation, business modeling and business development services to multinational companies and select emerging businesses. In his previous role as Global SVP of Digital for EMI Music, Cohen led next-generation digital business development worldwide. He served as both a strategist and key decision-maker for EMI's global digital and anti-piracy efforts. He worked to establish company-wide digital policies, which have provided EMI's artists and labels a substantial advantage in the digital music arena. Prior to his role at EMI, Cohen served as Exec. VP, Digital Music Network Inc., where he co-founded and served as Chairman of the groundbreaking Webnoize conferences.

What can I say except ‘My life was saved by Rock 'N' Roll!’

Co-Chair, Archival & Contextual Metadata Work Group

Maureen Droney Sr. Exec. Dir. at GRAMMY Producers & Engineers Wing

I started in the music business at the legendary Automatt Studios in San Francisco and went on to engineer for George Benson, Whitney Houston, John Hiatt, Tower of Power, and Santana, among many others (including Santana’s GRAMMY-winning album, "Blues For Salvador"). I earned a degree in Broadcast Communication Arts from Cal State, San Francisco. Prior to joining The Recording Academy, I was General Manager of the Kiva family of Studios, including the House of Blues Studios in Los Angeles and Memphis and East Iris Studios in Nashville. I was also the longtime Los Angeles Editor of "Mix Magazine," am a contributor to numerous performing arts publications, and the author of "Mix Masters," a Berklee Press recording text book.

Whether it’s having a guitar in my hand, a plastic controller, or a mobile phone, I’ve always felt that the best way to develop and cultivate a passionate embrace for music is in finding ways to put the listener ‘inside’ the content. Technology is now able to provide an infinite number of expressive ways to accomplish this – the days of passive listening over. Music is and should be promoted as an interactive experience.”

Chair, Apps, Music & Gaming Work Group

David Iscove Dir. at EMI North America’s Works Hub Initiative

Working on Guitar Hero, I learned first-hand that video games can be a great way to introduce people to new music,” said Iscove. “Now, with mobile games and apps gaining in popularity, music companies have a whole new medium with which to reach new customers. I’m looking forward to sharing my experiences with digitalmusic.org’s members and working together to address this field’s unique challenges.

When I was 7 years old, I forced my grandma to take a “double-transfer” bus trip, so we could get to E.J. Korvettes to buy a Beatles album. Ever since, my daily schedule is a negotiation with the world, to consume the most music possible. This has led to the early adoption of some ridiculous trends, technology, and travel itineraries – all for the love of Rock and Roll ... and Jazz, Country and Hip-Hop.

Chair, Music Subscription Work Group

Jack Isquith Sr. VP, Strategic Development at Slacker Radio

I’ve also been fortunate enough to work with some of the greatest artists in the world. From my stints at A&M Records, through Rebel Waltz Management, CDNOW, AOL Music, Warner Bros. Records and now Slacker I have seen the business from a variety of angles. We are in a transformative era, where new thinking will surely be rewarded. In fact, I think there are only two constants I can count on — 1: Expect change. 2: If you have discovered a new band, gadget, radio station, web site, jazz club or vinyl emporium — I want to hear it, see it, and be in the middle of it, ASAP.

Since my talents don’t extend to song-writing (yet), playing an instrument (ever) or singing (banned under several international treaties) helping get music organized is probably my best way to contribute to the health of the industry.

Co-Chair, Archival & Contextual Metadata Work Group

Paul Jessop Counsultant at County Analytics

I spend much of my time explaining that I’m not a recording engineer, I’m an engineer who works in the recording industry. For someone as untidy as I am, I get rather exercised by giving numbers to things so you can find them later – music in this case. Only if the industry cooperates properly to do this will everyone get paid. I am amazed I can listen to music at all because my ears are still ringing from a very loud Nazareth concert in 1977. Since then I have consistently missed the wave, listening to progressive rock when the world was embracing punk, Tudor polyphony when the market was shifting bucket-loads of Mozart, and Sinatra when Old Blue-eyes was becoming terminally uncool. I camp in the mud at the Glastonbury Festival every year – believing that growing old disgracefully is an important lesson to teach my teenage kids who go with me. I am a flight instructor in gliders and motor-gliders, spending much of my spare time supporting “junior gliding” getting other people’s teenage kids involved in flying

All of my gigs at Warner Music Group, Ning and now at Red Magnet Media have driven me to help find ways to connect people to each other and to help them express themselves.

Co-Chair, Product Development Work Group

Rachel Masters Co-Founder at Red Magnet Media

Growing-up in Pittsfield, MA I craved the streets of New York from a very young age. Dancing in my bedroom to Duran Duran, David Bowie and Madonna, I wished that I was at the Palladium. I devoured the pages of Tiger Beat, Interview, Vogue and Details from a weirdly young age of 13 and struck-up pen pal friendships with teenage girls in London who shared my taste in music, fashion and art. Imagine how powerful I would've been if I had the Internet ... All of my gigs at Warner Music Group, Ning and now at Red Magnet Media have driven me to help find ways to connect people to each other and to help them express themselves. The more innovative the better. The NARM Digital Think Tank allows me to meet like minded people who also share the desire to help find new ways to connect people to the music and people they love.

Growing up in the immigrant melting pot that is Israel, I was fascinated by my Yemeni neighbors who danced passionately while drumming on a simple tin pickles can and by my Russian neighbors who played odd Folk music loudly on their convertible car stereo. How can such different sounds move such inherently different people to express a similar passion?

Co-Chair, Digital Supply Chain Work Group

Shachar Oren Founder at Neurotic Media

My interest in learning more about music brought me to the USA where I studied Music Industry and Production at Georgia State University (B.S. School of Music, 1995). I worked in radio a bit, as well as in A&R and marketing roles. I also ran my own indie label for a while. I first got involved in doing so digitally in 1998 at Amplified Holdings. When the opportunity came to establish my own company in 2001, I knew what would become Neurotic Media’s core mission: Helping content owners and brands deliver music that moves fans to action.

Back in the day, I subscribed to every music magazine I could lay my hands on, and then special-ordered obscure 7" singles that eventually made it to my door — often weeks later — via snail mail. Then, along came the Internet, and with it, the first bulletin boards. Wow, here, I was, a music and information junkie, just handed the keys to the kingdom. Granted access to those priceless peer recommendations, I could finally become an Alt-Rock know-it-all.

Co-Chair, Product Development Work Group

Nikke Slight Founder at Act 3

Today, with technology moving at the speed of thought, there are multiple ways to discover new music, but very few products achieve the critical mass. Moreover, few products leverage current technology in order to deliver a breakthrough music experience. The sheer effort and knowledge required for innovators to navigate complex music rights is overwhelming. The NARM DTT is addressing this need, providing a dynamic new channel willing to address the tough issues, and facilitate open discussion between developers and rights-holders in order to accelerate time-to-market. It's about those aha moments, when the innovators and repertoire owners recognize each other and find common ground. Just like discovering a new song. Nikke Slight is Founder of Act 3, a digital business and product development consultancy based in NYC. She is a founding member of the Atlantic Records new media department, a division she ran for 12 years before transitioning to Warner Music Group to become Sr. VP, Global Product Development.

Music helped me survive and transcend growing up in the cultural-no-fly zone of the NYC suburbs. I still remember the first album I ever bought in the 4th grade (Kiss) with my dad at Korvettes, and how crestfallen I was to receive not one, but six copies of Frampton Comes Alive for my 1976 birthday bowling party.

NARM Staff Liaison

Bill Wilson VP, Digital Strategy & Biz Dev. at NARM

As I grew into middle and high school, Black Sabbath and AC/DC, then Iron Maiden and Slayer helped ease the pain of adolescence. It simply couldn't be faster or loud enough. In the mid 80s I found a home and lifelong friends in the gritty downtown NYC Hardcore Punk scene, and eventually starting my own indie label that I ran for close to 15 years. Music became my life. I've worn a few hats during my journey, bouncing from the analog indie life in the 90s, to the startup world in the earlier part of last decade, and back to music, where I run all things digital for NARM. Working with Christina Calio and David Levin to build the Digital Think Tank has been a rewarding experience, and the launch of digitalmusic.org is another great step. We want digitalmusic.org to be a force for positive change in the business, to sustain the livelihoods of the artists and the people that work behind the scenes to help a new generation of music fans, escape their own (suburban) nightmares.

Members

In 1999 when I created chameleon Music I wanted a company that reflected my tastes in music and where I saw the Internet populations’ tastes going due to the expansion of music availability through the Internet.

Kurt Andrew CEO at chameleon Music LLC

Late in 1999, Kurt took off to further his business education overseas in Italy for an MBA in International Business and Consulting. He maintained the chameleon Music web site and presence during his journey and came back to the U.S. at a time when Napster had taken over the digital music arena and people were not buying songs online. Chameleon Music survived through Kurt’s new experiences with managing the band Invisible Green and getting into street promotion. 2006 became a huge turning point with a part ownership for chameleon Music in IDC (Independent Distribution Collective) – a physical distribution company. With this partnership, Kurt has helped elevate the careers of emerging and established artists by allowing artists to release, market and distribute their music on their own terms. Besides chameleon, Kurt founded a 501(c)(3) Music Charity named Chameleon Music Foundation. The concept was to help support unsigned musicians in the bay area through various programs. Over the years, the non-profit has started, Unsigned Artist.org (Local Music Showcases), AMP3 (Bay Area Music Networking Organization) and Peanut Butter and Jam Music Sessions for Kids (Empowering Young people 6-17 with Music Business Knowledge).

Bob's career has been focused on identifying creative and innovative opportunities to apply new technologies in the media, sports, communications, and music industries. Throughout the vast technological evolution of the past twenty years, Bob has continued to leverage these advances to develop strategic solutions and in some cases entire businesses for many of the world's largest marketers and content owners

Bob Barbiere COO at Dubset Media Holdings

Bob's foray into the music industry took place in 2006 when he took the platform he developed for the communications industry that was managing 5% of the world's voice traffic and used it as an electronic intermediary between independent music labels, digital retailers, and the PROs. Broad Street Digital was the leader in successfully enabling thousands of independent labels to electronically manage, distribute, and monetize their content before the company was ultimately acquired. Currently, Bob is operationalizing an incredibly exciting NYC startup (Dubset) that is revolutionizing the club and mixtape music markets.

I do not remember a time in my life where music wasn’t present. I grew up in a family that listened to everything from Soul, R&B, Pop, Reggae and Calypso. When I was introduced to Hip Hop by my older cousin, my life was never the same.

Nakia Booth Mgr., Biz Dev at Beyond Oblivion

Most of my fondest memories are centered around music, including choreographing dance routines to the latest Run DMC record or memorizing the lines to every MC Lyte song on her debut album, "Lyte as a Rock." What I love about music is its ability to miraculously speak to you and deliver the message or emotion you are craving. Most of the people who are closest to me are “in the business” in some fashion, either on the business side or as an artist. I am in awe of artists who are not afraid to share their thoughts and emotions with us. Whether at an independent record label or internet startup, I have found a way to incorporate music into most of my work for the past 15 years and will continue to do so going forward. My current role at Beyond Oblivion fuses my two loves, music and technology and I am excited to be a part of the future of music.

Somehow, music still evokes the same naïve joy from me today as it did when I was 14. It is still magical. I still get the same rush as I did the first time I heard “Hunky Dory” and “Songs in the Key of Life”.

Jonathan Dworkin Global Head, Music Biz Affairs at Nokia

I have run the gamut of the industry, from engineer to artist manager to digital business development executive with one consistent thread- I want to provide people with that life-changing, unifying, powerful experience that music has been for me. At Nokia, we aim to take the incredible distribution power of the world’s largest mobile handset manufacturer and leverage it as a massive distribution network to deliver the power of music, truly, across the globe.

After five years on Wall Street, I decided to leave that world and see if there was a way I could mesh my interests in technology and entertainment during the next phase of my career.

Jake Dwyer CEO at instinctiv

Instinctiv lies in the center of those two interests, as we look to capitalize on the growing mobile and digital music landscape and develop technologies to make it easier to manage and enjoy your music on multiple devices.

The central theme of my life has always been music, and my passion is finding creative ways to connect music with other people that love it as much as I do.

Audrey Faine VP Of Marketing at CBS Records

I’ve spent most of my life immersed in music — from attending shows in San Francisco with my mom as a child, to working the counter at the local indie record store after school, to running sound at a Punk club, and then onto promotion and marketing for a variety of venues, concert promoters, festivals and indie labels. I’m currently the VP/Marketing for CBS Records, an indie label owned by the CBS Television network. We mainly focus on releasing soundtracks for the various television shows and promoting them via several in-house divisions: programming, social media, mobile, interactive, and more. I’m excited to work with music every single day, and I enjoy volunteering for a number of music-based non-profit organizations — A2IM, The Recording Academy, NARM.

When I was eight years old my dad taught me to program an Apple II Plus. Writing code while my Walkman blasted Black Flag made it crystal clear I'd end up working with music and technology sooner or later. Thanks Dad!

Jason Feinberg VP, Digital Strategy at Concord Music Group

At Concord, I manage digital strategy and development initiatives including internal systems, digital business development initiatives/partnerships, and fan-facing efforts from the label and our artists. In my spare time, I am the owner of On Target Media Group, a music industry digital marketing agency and direct-to-fan expert consultancy, as well as an instructor of "Online Music Marketing Using Topspin" for the Berklee School of Music. I regularly speak on panels at conferences ranging from music festivals like CMJ to niche conferences such as Bandwidth. I collect Punk and Post-Punk vinyl, 70s and 80s, US and UK, Black Flag, Misfits, Sisters of Mercy, Chameleons, etc...

Of all the physical-to-digital transformation projects I’ve worked on over the past 20 years, music has been the most fun for me. Know what gets me up early every day? Anticipating yet another story about consumers who get so excited discovering a long-lost album – they cry tears of joy. Or about young urban customers who can’t afford iTunes or Comcast who are grateful they, too, can make a mixtape.

Bob French President at Mix & Burn

Bob has been with Mix & Burn since its founding and the driving force behind the successful development and logistics required for launch. He is now helping retailers nationwide put the digital music market in brick-and-mortar stores drawing on his experience with optimizing the performance of in-store music kiosks. Bob has led several technology start-ups over the past 15 years and was co-founder of Ruckus Interactive, one of the top 100 U.S. interactive advertising agencies in 2000. He is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis.

I remember the look on my parents face when I informed them I was taking an unpaid internship at PolyGram a month after graduating from college. I told them simply 'this is what I love and I will find a way to be happy first and how to make money second.' Luckily, I’ve stumbled upon both.

Josh Gertz VP, Mktg/Content at Hip Digital Media

I have been working with digital music since before there was iTunes, before MP3 s and before the Internet was in your house. I’ve been fortunate to work with some of the most talented people in the music business at PolyGram, MP3.com, Neurotic Media and now Hip Digital. At Hip Digital Media, I manage our content relationships with record labels, book publishers and various digital content owners around the globe. Our team is creating some of the most innovative and cutting-edge promotions with digital content found anywhere. Our white-label solutions are on your grocery shelves, on-pack of the most popular consumer goods and on your favorite brands Facebook page. Our mission to is integrate social rewards into every type of marketing program offline, online and mobile. I am one of the fortunate few who love what I do and can’t imagine doing anything else.

I have been involved with the music business in NYC for the last decade. My passion for music as a child led me to Indiana University, home of one of the most prestigious music programs in the country. There, I surrounded myself with musical talent and learned from some of the best educators in the country.

Melissa Goodman VP, Biz Dev at TuneSat

Melissa has an extensive background in Business Development, Music Production, Advertising, Artist Management and Fundraising. She has also played a large role in the success and expansion of several well known NYC based music production companies. Melissa's unique ability to understand the needs of each client, combined with her straightforward and friendly interaction with customers, have been a major attribute of her continued growth and career success. Melissa joined TuneSat as VP of Sales and New Business Development in March 2009.

I left the European leisure and entertainment industries behind and joined the ever-changing and challenging mobile market in 2009.

Tom Greiter Ambassador at Mobile Backstage

Tom Greiter joined Mobile Backstage in Fall 2010 as Ambassador for US/North America and Canada. Prior to his position with Mobile Backstage, he worked for Motor Music Entertainment as a marketer, for the online music magazine motor.de, and as an Event Promoter and Marketing & Sales Manager for various companies in the leisure and entertainment industries in Europe. He first explored mobile space in 2009 as sales manager for the search engine x-ops.mobi.

Music and the creative people that surround it have inspired me from my youth to pursue, support, and work to grow the value and enjoyment music holds. Computers, the world wide web and the digital music market place have created a new network of businesses and ideas to help in our process. The Digital Think Tank is helping me learn and progress in this space.

Tor Hansen Co-owner at Redeye Distribution

Redeye, which started out in the basement of Hansen's home with no external funding, now has a staff of over 50 and nationally and internationally distributes CDs, DVDs, LPs, digital music and merchandise for such artists as Grizzly Bear, Sharon Jones & Dap Kings, Mars Volta and Nick Lowe, among others. Prior to Redeye, Hansen was employed by companies including Rounder Records, Hear Music and Borders Group.

Coined "one of the sharpest minds in digital music," by CNN Money, Jim is focused on accelerating the pace of scholarly research, especially through collaborative tools, sharing and open access to knowledge.

Jim Griffin Managing Dir. at OneHouse LLC

In addition to serving as an agent for constructive change in media and technology through his works at OneHouse, Jim is an author, serving as a columnist for magazines, and is on the boards of companies and associations. Jim started and runs Choruss LLC, incubated by Warner Music Group. He started and ran for five years the technology department at Geffen Records. Prior to Geffen he was an International Representative for The Newspaper Guild in Washington, D.C. Jim is co-founder of the Pho group. Named after a bowl of Vietnamese soup, Pho is an organization that meets for discussion-oriented meals in cities around the world, electronically linked by the Pho mailing list. Pho's many thousands of readers enjoy dialogue on the digital delivery of art and the new economy in music, movies, books and all media.

My love of music is obvious in my work as a musician as well as a marketing professional.

David Hazan COO at Mobile Backstage

David was previously Chief Marketing Officer at UGC Ltd, creators of theBizmo and HitorNot. His extensive music marketing experience includes senior positions held at Warner Music, The Orchard, MTV Networks, Universal Music Group, Putumayo World Music and Wind-up Records. David began his career as a musician before starting his own Toronto-based entertainment marketing agency, Music Matters. He lives in Nyack, NY with his wife and two sons.

Music is the thread that runs through all of life’s most memorable moments and connections. During my years at BMG, Windham Hill, GRP, Verve and The HiFive Group, I was fortunate to work with passionate, talented, inspirational colleagues who were driven to share a great song, an amazing band or an incredible live experience. We all can reminisce about favorite experiences infused with the musicians and the art that moved us from head to toe. As one of my mentors Tommy LiPuma liked to say about music, “I know it’s good when it makes my ass shake.”

Michael Kauffman Sr. VP, Corp. Comm. & Content at Rightsflow

Now as SVP of Corporate Communications & Content at RightsFlow, a global licensing and royalty service provider, I get to build and share products and service offerings that connect the dots between consumers and creators. By simplify the complexities of licensing transactions and processes for both enterprise clients and individual artists, we’re helping to ensure that music is delivered, heard, and monetized transparently, legally, and efficiently. NARM’s Digital initiatives provide a forum for both the creative and the commerce sides of the equation to connect and conduct business, ultimately keeping us all tuned in, turned on and connected to life’s soundtrack.

What I love is how the music and the digital landscape are constantly evolving and how there is still the same level excitement for new opportunities to connect artists with fans through new discovery and engagement platforms.

Ed Kiang VP, Digital Platforms Group at Wind-up Records

I got my start in music as an intern at Castle Records back in 1996 helping to design artist web sites. In 2000, I began my trek through the ranks for Wind-up Records, first as Web Manager, then Director Of Technology; VP, Technology; VP Marketing Technologies, and currently VP, Digital Platforms Group. What’s great about the NARM Digital Think Tank is how it has become a great forum to move the industry forward by tackling tough issues through an agenda of collaboration rather than competing proprietary protocols.

Music means everything to me. Artists are the messengers we need to listen to. Technology helps to get the job done. In a place as complicated as the music business — from standards, to formats, rights, monetezation and compensation — we need to work together.

Cornelius Claudio Kreusch CEO & Founder at MUSICJUSTMUSIC

Through MUSICJUSTMUSIC and together with my technology partner, CTO & Co-Founder Jürgen Fey, I am passionately working to provide the best global online and mobile music and media aggregation, licensing network, integrated royalty accounting platform for artists, labels and industry organizations worldwide. As a Steinway artist the Boston Globe says that my music sounds like no one else - endlessly fascinating to hear.” I performed the first live Internet concert on two pianos across the Atlantic together with Herbie Hancock back in 1995, years before the arrival of Skype.

I’ve been in data and digital media for 15 years, having made my bones in the first dot-com boom. I’m a rubbish musician, with fingers like sausages, and the only way that I can contribute to the music industry is with the technology companies that I fund and develop.

Gregory Kris CEO at Decibel

As a geek of long standing, I feel that music gets better and gathers meaning the more (relevant and irrelevant) information you know about it. As such, we’re proud to be members of Work Group on Archival & Contextual Metadata.

We've been on the forefront of each successive wave of new media technology and know changing music industry well. I'm passionate about assisting digital music companies, record labels, publishing companies, and more sort out their legal needs to drive more quickly toward success in the music industry.

Steve Masur Sr Partner & Founder at MasurLaw

Steven Masur is a Senior Partner of MasurLaw. Steve has over 15 years of experience working with digital media and entertainment companies on their corporate and intellectual property transactions and day-to-day operations. He helps our clients with corporate finance and governance, M&A transactions, their most important intellectual property and business transactions, and business structuring questions. Since 1994, Steve has helped our clients create and define a wide array of new business models and licensing schemes in music, film, video games, mobile and wireless services, licensing, advertising, publishing, media delivery, software and hardware. Steve has helped clients organize, write contracts, work out complicated legal and business problems, and pursue mergers and other strategic opportunities in complicated competitive environments.

I've been at the forefront of online music retail since 1997. With a love for music as a business man and a musician, I love the continual change and the possibilities of the future.

Adam Mirabella Global Dir., Digital Mktg. at Nokia

Currently, I manage the key relationships with Facebook, Twitter, Google and Foursquare among others for the Digital Marketing team within Nokia. My main goal is to leverage the global scale of Nokia’s digital marketing resources in order to deliver a very relevant and “localized” marketing message for the communities that Nokia serves. Previously, I have held positions at Atlantic Recording Corp., the Warner Music Group, and The Coca-Cola Company.

As the music industry and scope of business continues to transform and grow, it is the consistently diverse cast of people working together, that show the vitality of music’s role today and in the future.

Erica Moats Exec, Sales Coordinator at Naxos of America

Erica’s career with Naxos of America distribution allows her to work directly with major retailers, independent labels, artists, managers, publicists and other organizations who share in the excitement of the industry. Her background in communications, marketing and design come into play often, and provide a perfect climate for her style and personality.

Music has been an integral part of my life since I can remember. One of my fondest memories is of listening to rock albums on the turntable with huge headphones while making tapes. This awoke my interest in recording.

Dennis Murcia Marketing/A&R/Digital Strategist at Tropisounds/Codiscos

I toured with bands in the 80s, 90s, and 00s. I have always been a musician and have been blessed to have always worked in the entertainment industry. I joined the NARM Digital Think Tank because I am always trying to find solutions for reaching consumers in the digital age. I believe that instant gratification has diminished the music experience, and the challenge is creating excitement. I am a bass player, producer and entertainment industry executive who has worked in A&R, radio programming and ad sales. I cut my teeth at KRBE radio, Telemundo, and was International production consultant for CARACOL radio in Latin America. One of my “claims to fame” was being A&R for Sony Music in Colombia, where I helped develop multi-platinum artist Shakira before the “Latin boom.” I have produced albums for Sony Music, Universal Music, Univision Music, Discos Fuentes and Codiscos. Even though I am a rocker at heart, I have 3 Latin Grammy nomination credits. I am currently Marketing/A&R/Digital Strategist for Tropisounds/Codiscos, a Latin music company and one of the oldest music labels in the Americas. The company has also been developing apps since 2009. At the company, we had a moment of serendipity while experimenting with the creation of an iPhone app, and now we have developed over 25 apps for iPhone and iPad becoming an interesting profit center.

Music has always been central to my life - from hanging out in record shops as a kid...to producing live events and radio...to licensing indie music in China...and now making music and technology available in the 7digital platform. I love music and working with innovative companies and people who are helping to rebuild the music industry.

Vickie Nauman VP, North America at 7digital

I specialize in digital media and content strategy, the intersection of technology and music, and international business development. Currently serving as Vice President-North America for 7digital, I am leading all US strategy and business partnerships for the innovative London-based media company and platform. Previous experience includes leading global partnerships for Sonos, international consulting, KEXP online in Seattle, Real Networks/MusicNet, National Public Radio network, and Procter and Gamble.

Music has always been important to me — from playing in the background to help me concentrate, to providing relaxation, to setting the mood at events and parties. The move to digital media has made it so much easier and more immediate, with a far richer experience.

Martin Redington Sr. VP, Product Mgmt. at Microgen

My background in Financial Services IT has meant I can see great benefit in bringing "back-office" process efficiencies to the digital media supply chain to both increase profit (for all those involved) and speed up the delivery royalties down the chain to the artists.

I was one of those rare people who knew what I would do for a living by the age of 8. It was all about music.

Kelli Richards President & CEO at The All Access Group, LLC

From my earliest days in A&R at EMI, to birthing and driving music initiatives during my 10-year tenure at Apple, to helping create the digital music revolution — my core passion has always been to help artists engage with their fans (directly) and make a living in music. The disruptive, innovative technologies we create, along with the new business models fueled by new forms of distribution, are what fuels this. I’m proud to be a catalyst and change agent to help drive these changes on behalf of artists, fans, and the whole music industry ecosystem.

I am a Digital Media Technologist with broad experience building digital media platforms. My background is deeply technical with a focus on business. I contribute on many levels — strategy, technical, management, operational, product and business.

Pat Scandalis VP of Technology at Liquid Digital Media

Pat has worked for Silicon Valley High tech companies for the past 28 years. He has held lead engineering positions at National Semiconductor, Teradyne, Apple and Sun. He has spent the past 17 years in Digital Media. He was a Digital Audio Signal Processing Researcher at Stanford University’s CCRMA lab. He co-founded and was the VP of Engineering for Staccato Systems, a successful spinout of Stanford/CCRMA that was sold to Analog Devices. He has held VP positions at TuneTo.com, Jarrah Systems and Liquid Digital Media. He holds a BSc in Physics from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

Four years ago I started RightsFlow in my apartment on the Upper East side of Manhattan. My years spent learning the business and building licensing platforms at The Orchard, eMusic, The Harry Fox Agency, NMPA, and elsewhere, helped me to fine tune the approach of our company via constant innovation and data-driven efficiencies. This core value of improvisation reflected an attitude and discipline similar to those I sought to develop back when I was a jazz studies major at SUNY-New Paltz and through my teaching fellowship at NYU.

Patrick Sullivan President & CEO at Rightsflow

Given the ease of access to distribution channels and the toolkit available to artists today, opportunity exists for all musicians to successfully create community and connect with fans globally. We’re proud to have created a pipeline for artists and content providers to compensate rights holders globally. This fluid transaction model between licensee users — artists, labels, distributors and online music companies — and the licensor community of songwriters and publishers is an indication of the new day dawning for our industry, a future that demands sustained innovation and complete transparency. We’re proud to be part of NARM’s virtual roundtable of key stakeholders engaged at this intersection of art and commerce.

Music was always part of my life. I studied music since I was a child, then I get into the musical production business as a recording technician, and finally I started working for different digital music projects joining my two passions: technology and music.

Ivan Talkowski Founder at Beat Mobile

I started working with the major and independent labels developing a local office to negotiate new media licenses. Then, in 2005 I worked for EPSA Digital, a new company of EPSA Group in charge of digital music distribution, and we developed one of the first online music stores of South America. In 2007, I took over the business of my own project, Beat Mobile, working with love and passion everyday for the new challenges of music in the new technology environment. Now, I’ve joined the Digital Think Tank because I want to share experience with my colleagues.

I've been around music my whole life. My dad is a professional cellist and I grew up playing cello, guitar, piano, and bass fronting a band in high school and working at a local recording studio. I've lived first hand through the transition of the music industry to the digital world.

Alex White Co-Founder & CEO at Next Big Sound

I believe that data has the power to transform the music industry, as it has done in many other fields. I feel very fortunate that I get to spend my days helping artists and the industry make more informed business decisions that ultimately lead to sustainable careers.

From the first time I pointed a followspot on the mainstage for the Calgary Stampede at the age of 16, I was hooked to the energy of the live experience. Over the past three decades, I’ve spent more time behind the scenes than in the audience so I’ve gained a unique insight to how the magic of LIVE touches the fan. Whether it’s a crowd of 100 or 100,000, a special energy seems to takes over once the band walks on stage.

Peter Young Co-Founder & CEO at Alive Drive Interactive

2008 saw the launch of Alive Drive Interactive (ADI), a technology and support services company designed to give fans the ability to re-experience an event through the combination of physical and digital solutions. ADI’s sustainable business models allow the industry to not only capitalize on the music, but also the excitement that surrounds an event. I’m excited how technology is allowing us to continually collect more unique content and deliver it directly to fans in a fraction of the time it once took. I believe the emotion of the live event experience is the catalyst of what drives entertainment today and I’m proud to be part of this evolving industry. With all the innovative technology emerging, the Digital Think Tank is just what the music business needs to discover and inspire viable solutions.

When I started theconneXtion in 1997 focused on direct2fan distribution, it was all about physical fulfillment — merch catalogs inside CDs were the hot idea. Fast forward to now and theconneXtion still does physical fulfillment, but we are more of a technology company now, focused on how to deliver (and package) the digital content in new and eXciting ways which will spur fans to buy ... what a long strange trip it has been (and continues to be).

Todd Young President & Founder at The Connextion

I began working in the music industry in 1996 for a small management company while living with the drummer for the largest act on their roster. They sold tons of merch ($30k + per month) but he never saw a dime of it ... and since I was managing the merch business I followed the money and realized why: there were too many hands in the pie. It was then that theconneXtion and our philosophy of direct-2-fan distribution crystalized and ever since then we have been on a singular mission to provide the infrastructure to artists (musicians/filmmakers/authors/etc) to handle their d2f business so they can focus on what really drives sales - the creation of the ART!

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