Mentor, Panelist, and Teacher Bios
Marshall Altman  Highly sought-after producer and songwriter. Former A&R executive at Columbia, Capitol, and Hollywood
Records. Had a # 1 hit song with Shawn Mullins, and produced highly-acclaimed Marc Broussard record.
Michael Anderson  Mentor for Country, Contemporary Christian, Gospel  Award-winning Artist/Songwriter. Wrote #1
Country hit Maybe It Was Memphis (Pam Tillis). Also has cuts with John Fogerty, Juice Newton, and many more. As an artist, he
released two albums on A&M, and has five #1 Contemporary Christian singles.
Fabian Alsultany  Director of A&R and Festivals at Palm Pictures and founder of Globesonic Entertainment; formerly at
Putumayo Records.
John Battaglia  Founder and President of Rockstar Image, an image-building and personal coaching firm for artists. Author of
the book, The Rockstar in You: The 7 Keys to Creating a Rockstar Mindset, Building a Rockstar Image, and Having a Rockstar
Life. Formerly the imaging and marketing agent for Beyonce, Usher, Collective Soul, Jessica Simpson, Brandy, and Eve.
Laura Becker  Mentor for Pop, Rock, Singer-Songwriter, Film & TV  Has worked in the industry as a Manager, Music
Publisher and A&R executive with such clients as Herbie Hancock, Maxwell, Don Was, Eminem, Bush, Linda Perry and more. A
talent scout for The New Star Search, the Missy Elliott Project, and the music/talent producer for R U The Girl (w/TLC), as well
as The Search for the Next Pussycat Doll.
Jason Blume  Hit songwriter who has had singles on the Pop, Country, and R&B charts -- all at the same time. His songs are
on three Grammy nominated albums, have sold more than 50 million copies, and have been recorded by artists including Britney
Spears, the Backstreet Boys, Jesse McCartney, John Berry, the Oak Ridge Boys, and more. Author of three best-selling
songwriting books and teaches acclaimed songwriting workshops throughout the US and internationally.
Bobby Borg  Major label, independent and DIY recording/touring artist. Serves as a music business educator at Musician’s
Institute and UCLA, and is an A&R consultant to music supervisors, labels and producers. Feature magazine columnist and the
author of Billboard Publications bestseller: The Musician’s Handbook, A Practical Guide to Understanding the Music Business.
Kirk Boyer  Senior Dir. of A&R at Lyric Street Records, Nashville. Formerly at the Welk Group, Polygram Music, and Peer
Music. Has worked with artists such as Rascal Flatts, SHeDAISY, Trent Tomlinson, and Josh Gracin.
Jeff Brabec  V.P. of Business Affairs for Chrysalis Music Group, representing such catalogs as OutKast, Elvis, Blondie, Paul
Anka, and Billy Idol, among others. Previously worked in Business Affairs for Polygram, The Welk Music Group and AristaInterworld. A graduate of NYU School of Law, is a former attorney and recording artist and songwriter. Contributing Editor to the
Entertainment Law & Finance Magazine. Co-author of Music, Money and Success: The Insiders Guide to Making Money in the
Music Industry.
Todd Brabec  Executive V.P. and Director of Membership for ASCAP. Graduate of NYU School of Law, a former attorney
and recording artist, and has written over 200 published articles. Past Board Member of NARAS and the Academy of Country
Music. Co-author of Music, Money and Success: The Insiders Guide to Making Money in the Music Industry.
John Braheny  Mentor for Country,
Pop, Adult Contemporary  Author of The Craft and Business of Songwriters which has
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sold over 70,000 copies with the 3 edition just released in September 2006. Co-founded and ran the Los Angeles Songwriters
Showcase for 25 years. Past president of California Copyright Conference and former board member of the L.A. chapter of
NARAS. Has interviewed more than 600 songwriters and industry pros.
Rosemary Butler  A “Four Octave Mezzo Soprano High Chest Belter with a Cry in the Voice” whose achievements include
background singing, touring and recording with the likes of Linda Ronstadt, James Taylor, Jackson Brown, Bruce Springsteen,
Whitney Houston, Bob Seeger, Sarah Brightman, Julio Iglesias, Neil Diamond, Roseanne Cash, Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney and
many more superstars. Has toured the world and has played for Prince Charles and Lady Diana, The Prince’s Trust, President
Clinton’s Inaugural Ball, Super Bowl Pre-game Show and The Grammys.
Carl Byron  Mentor for New Age, Jazz, AAA, World, Christmas, Reggae  Keyboardist/Music Director/Composer/Music
Critic. Has recorded and performed with artists such as Anne McCue, Low and Sweet Orchestra, Michelle Shocked, Ryan
Hedgecock, David Baerwald, Diego Sandrin, The Young Dubliners, and numerous others. Creates scores for theater, dance and
performance art projects, and reports on classical music for numerous publications.
Rob Chiarelli  Producer, Mixing Engineer and/or Re-Mixer of over 70 RIAA Certified Gold and Platinum; Multi-platinum
albums include Will Smith, Quincy Jones, Madonna, Christina Aguilera, Hilary Duff, Luther Vandross, Puffy, Jesse McCartney,
LeAnn Rimes, Yolanda Adams, Ray Charles and Janet Jackson, as well as numerous Motion Picture Soundtracks including Men
In Black I & II. Owner of Final Mix, Inc.
Meredith Chinn  Mentor for Dance/Electronica, Modern Rock  D.J./A&R/Composer and Producer. Formerly Sr. Director
of A&R for Warner Bros. Co-founded the independent label Fingerpaint (Beck, Radar Bros, Further). Produced records such as
Sense Field's’ Tonight and Forever. Currently writing music for the film Thank You For My Eyes and has composed music for the
Hewlett Packard commercial with Jay Z.
Mark Christian  Mentor for Country, Rock  Accomplished session guitarist who has worked with such successful producers
as Jaques Morrallie (Cher, Village People), Bill Kennedy (Nine Inch Nails), Michael Dumis and Dusty Wakeman, as well as
artists such as Berlin, The Monkees, Heather Myles and more. Has been signed to Elektra Records and Chrysalis with the band the
Big F.
David Cat Cohen  Mentor for Pop, Jazz, R&B  Songwriter with cuts by artists Cheryl Lynn, Syreeta, Freddie Hubbard and
Bo Diddley. Has had songs and instrumentals featured in the HBO movie The Rat Pack, and Universal’s Undercover Brother. Cat
currently teaches at UCLA Extension and Musician’s Institute.
Barbara Cohen  Mentor for Singer-Songwriter, Dance/Electronica  Composer, Vocalist and Multi-instrumentalist. Former
Virgin Records recording artist and co-founder of the trip-hop band Brother Sun, Sister Moon. Has worked with such artists as
England’s Orbital and France’s Air. Has done score, arrangements and has had songs placed in such film and T.V. projects as the
Academy Award winning short The Confession to the Whimsical Horn, American Shopper, Broke Down Palace, Dancing at the
Blue Iguana and NBC’s Third Watch.
Michael A. Colledge  VP and Senior Financial Advisor, Merrill Lynch; Musician and Singer/Songwriter; Specializes in
wealth management for the musician community including artists, bands, managers, agents and radio and record executives. He
oversees client assets of over $425 million in 35 states, from New York to California.
Wendie Colter  Mentor for Singer-Songwriter, Film & TV  Songwriter/Singer/Composer and Producer. Has released three
albums internationally, both solo and with her band Box The Walls. Formerly Sr. Music Supervisor for Killer Tracks, BMG.
Currently is the Creative Development Manager and producer/composer for Megatrax Production Music..
Kim Copeland  Mentor for Country  Songwriter and Producer. Staff writer at Sage House Music (Nashville) whose songs
have been recorded by numerous artists in Canada, Europe and the U.S. Has also released two critically acclaimed albums of her
own. As a producer, worked with such artists as Keith Norris, Barbara Harley and is currently producing former Nashville Star
Finalist, Rachel Williams.
Jorge Corante  Founder and CEO of Urban Authentic, an L.A. based Urban music marketing company which specializes in
film, television and movie trailer placement. Formerly signed with Motown Records and EMI Music Publishing. Has produced
and written for such artists as Paula Abdul, Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds and Janet Jackson.
Steven Corn  Co-founded Big Fish Media, LLC, a digital distribution company whose current clients include iTunes, eMusic,
Napster, MusicNet, MSN, Sony Connect and more. Also created Corn Music Services, Inc., a music, sound effects and images
licensing company. Past Executive VP of Licensemusic.com and has also served as the V.P./General Manager of Megatrax
Production Music.
Ben Davis  Mentor for Modern Rock, Rock  Writer/Producer/Engineer; Founding member of the pop/rock band Sugarcult;
Has major label engineering/production credits with Matt Wallace (producer of Maroon 5 and Faith No More) ;
Songwriting/production credit on numerous mainstream radio singles; music has been featured on NBC's Emmy award-winning
Starting Over.
Kara DioGuardi  One of the industry’s most sought after Hit Songwriters, whose songs and productions are consistently
topping the charts and winning awards worldwide. Recent songs include Christina Aguilera’s Ain’t No Other Man, Kelly
Clarkson’s Walk Away, Ashley Simpson’s L.O.V.E. and Pieces of Me, Gwen Stefani’s Rich Girl and I’m Feeling You, and the first
Santana single with Michelle Branch. Kara is also currently collaborating with Dave Stewart in the band Platinum Weird.
Andy Dodd  As a result of a TAXI forward, Andy’s song Beautiful Soul (with co-writers Adam Watts and Jenn Shepard)
landed on Jesse McCartney’s debut CD and became a huge hit. The song has been included on numerous Disney compilations
that have also gone Gold and Platinum. Along with partner Adam Watts, Andy has become a first-call writer/producer for many of
Disney’s top projects, including the breakout hit, High School Musical.
Michael Eames  President of PEN Music Group, Inc. The company’s primary focus is on placement of music in film, TV and
advertising (with over 250 placements each year). Besides film/TV placements, PEN Music has cuts with artists such as Christina
Aguilera, Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Luther Vandross, and Rod Stewart, among many others.
Denny Earnest  Highly successful TAXI member who has had a long history of placing his tracks with many music libraries,
publishers and music editors because of his TAXI membership. Some of his most notable Film and T.V. projects are Blue Crush,
Real World, Passions, Simple Life 2, and Judging Amy, among many, many others.
Mike Farley – Mentor for Pop, Rock, Singer-Songwriter, Indie Rock – Publicist and owner of Michael J. Media. Since early
2002, has promoted almost 200 clients from across North America. His roster now includes clients from Canada, Los Angeles,
Cincinnati, Boston, San Francisco, Atlanta, New York and Nashville.
Tony Ferguson – V.P. of A&R at A&M/Interscope, working with Gwen Stefani, B.B. King, Reeve Carney, and Butterfly
Boucher. Tony is one of our favorite panelists, and has been on the Major Label A&R panel at all but one Road Rally.
Fett  Mentor for Pop, Rock, Country, Singer-Songwriter  Producer/Engineer/Musician. Currently, Technology Editor for
Performing Songwriter Magazine and owner of Azalea Studios in Nashville. Has worked in the music industry for more than 25
years with clients as diverse as Davy Jones of the Monkees, Grammy-winning songwriter Don Henry, and international recording
artist Clive Gregson. Co-author of the Songwriter's Survival Kit audio education series and SongU.com faculty member.
Dicki Fliszar  Mentor for Rock, Modern/Alt. Rock  Musician/Songwriter/Producer. Has worked with well-known artists
Bruce Dickinson and Anna Nalick as well as producer/writers John Shanks, Keith Olsen and Ron Aniello. Has toured all over the
world, had a top ten album, a # 1 Rock album and four Top 40 singles in the UK. Has been signed to major labels Warner Bros.,
Parlophone, and Atlantic. Has also produced/written songs for artists Shelly Bonet and Wonderlove.
Robin Frederick  Mentor for Pop, Singer-Songwriter, New Age, Adult Contemporary  Former Director of A&R at Rhino
Records; writer and producer of over 500 songs for television and artists’ albums. Recording artist with Higher Octave/Virgin.
Jeff Freundlich  Co-founder and President of Wild Whirled Music, which specializes in music for film and television and can
be heard on television seven days a week and in major studio & indie motion pictures. Wild Whirled’s music has been featured in
hit shows including NBC’s My Name Is Earl and ER, The CW’s One Tree Hill and America's Next Top Model.
Frank Fuchs  Mentor for Adult Contemporary, Americana, Folk, Blues, Pop, R&B  Musician, Producer, Songwriter and
two-time Grammy nominated Producer of over 50 Woody Guthrie songs with various artists like Taj Mahal, Joe Ely, Billy Bragg,
and more. Recorded and wrote over 40 songs for films & current TV shows. Played guitar with Cissy Houston, Whitney Houston,
among others.
Jesse Goodwin  Music Supervisor at Seismic Productions. Has helped score and supervise such trailer campaigns as Pirates of
the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, Click, Saw 3, Nacho Libre and countless more. He also does custom composing and temp
scores, and has licensed several of his own songs for movies, TV and advertising.
Mike Gormley  Manager and President of L.A. Personal Development. Has managed top artists The Bangles, Oingo Boingo,
Wall of Voodoo, Angelique Kidjo and Concrete Blonde. Was key in the signing of the legendary New York Dolls and Kraftwerk
to Mercury Records. Has also served as a music supervisor, at one time giving the unknown James Newton Howard his first shot
at scoring a film. Besides management, Mike also has two publishing companies.
Don Grierson  Mentor for Pop/Rock/Alternative  Legendary Sr. Vice President of A&R departments at Epic, Capitol, and
EMI. Directly responsible for signing some of the world’s biggest artists including Celine Dion, Heart, Iron Maiden, Sheena
Easton, Joe Cocker, Wasp, Bad English, George Clinton, J. Geils Band, Kate Bush, among many others. Has also worked with
Gloria Estefan, The Jacksons, Duran Duran, Tina Turner, Queen, Indigo Girls, Kenny Rogers, Alice Cooper + an extensive list of
other hit artists.
Meg Hansen  Mentor for Modern Rock, Singer-Songwriter, Film/TV  A&R Consultant for labels such as Universal,
Columbia and Geffen Records.
Bud Harner  A&R Consultant specializing in Jazz for Rendezvous Entertainment. Professional musician for 17 years; spent
10 years as drummer and Co-Music Director for Barry Manilow. Was recently VP of A&R for Verve Records. Received a 2005
Grammy Award nomination for Pop Instrumental Producer.
Jennifer Herbig  Mentor for Modern Rock, Singer-Songwriter, Pop  Artist/Songwriter/Co-Owner of Triple Scoop Music and
former Film & TV Creative Manager for PEN Music Group, Inc. Has received many songwriting awards and has had numerous
songs licensed in film, TV, animated features and online web projects. Performed the title song for Scooby Doo and The Legend
of The Vampire.
James Dean Hicks  Mentor for Country, Pop - Hit Songwriter, who has written FIVE Number One Songs including “This
Crazy Love” by the Oak Ridge Boys, and “Jesus and Mama Always Loved Me” by Confederate Railroad. Has had over 150 songs
recorded by artists like Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Charlie Daniels, Aaron Carter, Jessica Simpson, Blake Shelton, Kenny
Chesney, Lonestar, Reba McIntire and Vince Gill.
Matt Hirt  Songwriter/Composer/TAXI Member. Another one of TAXI’s most successful members whose can be heard on
television almost every day, including Oprah (over 100 placements in the past year), America's Next Top Model, Law & Order,
American Idol, Las Vegas, Access Hollywood and many more. Has also had songs in several feature films, including last year's
blockbuster hit Mr. and Mrs. Smith.
Travis Howard  Mentor for Country, Folk, Bluegrass  Cast member on the first season of Nashville Star in 2003. Has
written for rising country star Miranda Lambert's platinum-selling debut, Kerosene, as well as her upcoming sophomore release,
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. Currently has songs in the Nick Cassavettes film, Alpha Dog, starring Justin Timberlake and The Garage, in
which he co-stars as himself.
Teresa James  Mentor for Country  Artist/Songwriter/Producer. Has written songs for movies, television, and radio and has
sung for such notable songwriters as Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil, Steve Dorff, Carole King, Burt Bacharach and Melissa
Manchester, among others. Has recorded or performed with many artists including Randy Newman, Eric Burdon, Spencer Davis,
Delbert McClinton, and Jeffrey Steele.
Darius Jones – Director of A&R Urban for Capitol Records. Has worked with D-12, Ice Cube, Ciara, the Ying Yang
Twins, Kanye West, Chingy, Snoop Dogg, Faith Evans + many more. Previously A&R at Priority Records.
Tamara Jordan  Mentor for Hip-Hop, R&B, Pop  R&B  Singer/Songwriter for thirteen years. Currently a staff writer
for EMI Music Publishing in the Urban Music Department. As a vocalist she’s performed with Fantasia (American Idol),
Lauryn Hill, Will Smith, Jermaine Dupree, Kanye West, Gerald Levert, Brandy, and numerous others.
Jai Josefs  Mentor for Pop, and R&B  Songwriter/Producer/Musician with more than 30 songs recorded by such artists as
Jose Feliciano and Little Richard, as well as for artists on MCA, RCA, Motown and Disney. Has song placements on every major
TV network as well as numerous feature films. He is the author of Writing Music for Hit Songs, which has been endorsed by many
hit songwriters including Diane Warren.
Randy Kaye  Mentor for Electronica, Singer-Songwriter, Reggae  Former VP of A&R at Warner Bros. and Head of A&R at
Slash Records. Has worked with such artists as Soul Coughing, L7, Grant Lee Buffalo, Violent Femmes, Faith No More, the
Misfits, and the Germs among others.
Fiona Kernaghan  Mentor for Country, Singer-Songwriter, Pop, Adult Contemporary, AAA  Has also been signed to
Warner/Chappell Nashville as a staff songwriter. Has written TEN #1 songs and has had over 100 cuts around the world in genres
as diverse as Country, Pop, Adult Contemporary, AAA and Rock. Awards include APRA’s Country Song of the Year and Media
Song of the Year. Previously a major label recording artist signed to ABC/EMI Records and was awarded Best New Australian
Talent at the Australian Recording Industry Awards.
Kenny Kerner  Discovered and produced KISS! Also produced Badfinger, Gladys Knight, Jose Feliciano, and many more.
Was Senior Editor at Music Connection magazine, and as a music journalist has interviewed such artists as John Lennon, Cher,
Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson and Ringo Starr. Currently, Kenny is Director of the Music Business program at Musicians
Institute in Hollywood.
Dan Kimpel – Mentor for Pop, Pop-Rock. Adult Contemporary, Pop-R&B – Music Journalist who has recently interviewed
Usher, Alicia Keys, Jason Mraz, and the Black Eyed Peas. Writes, interviews, and produces music programs segments for TED
Airlines, Regal Cinemas, and Air Force One and Two! Author of Networking Strategies for the New Music Business and
Networking in the Music Business. On faculty at Musician’s Institute and lectures across the U.S. and Canada.
Linda Kordek – Owner of The Linda Kordek Agency, which reps film and TV composers and music supervisors. Created the
Film and TV Division for The Agency Group whose clients include The White Stripes, David Gilmour, Matisyahu, 3 Doors
Down, Nickelback, Cake and INXS, among others. Also a professional Orchestral Flautist.
Marlice Kraemer – Mentor for Country, Contemporary Christian and Gospel – Publisher who has worked with CCM
songwriters such as Michael W. Smith, Gary Chapman, Bill and Gloria Gaither and others. Background singer for various
Country and Gospel artists including Emmylou Harris, Brenda Lee, Pat Boone, Vince Gill, Cynthia Clawson, Boxcar Willie and
many more.
Daniel Kresco  Mentor for Country, Pop, Rock  Producer/Engineer/Songwriter. Has worked with such diverse artists as Reba
McEntire, Luis Miguel, LeAnn Rimes, Lee Ann Womack, Garth Brooks, Limp Bizkit, Barenaked Ladies, Guster, Jennifer Lopez,
Michael Jackson, Boys II Men and many others.
Joanne Ledesma  Mentor for Neo-Soul, R&B, Latin-Pop, Film & TV  Owner of Ledesma Music, which has had tons of
placements in film, TV, and video games as well as corporate, in-flight, and special event medias/opportunities. Has worked with
Carlos Santana, Tom Petty, Kenny Loggins, David Crosby, Andrea Bocelli and countless others. Just authored a book entitled
Prepare Your Music, a practical guide to selling your songs.
Lis Lewis  Voice Teacher and Performance Coach who has been training recording artists for over 30 years and has worked
with such remarkable talent as Gwen Stefani, Britney Spears, Jimmy Eat World, All American Rejects and Linkin Park. Currently
is the vocal coach for the CBS television show Rockstar: Supernova.
Chris “Hot Rod” Long  Manages two bands he found through TAXI – Platinum-selling, Crossfade (Columbia) and Jonah,
among others. He’s the Director of Creative Development for new music portal fuzz.com. Former A&R at Chameleon Records
where he was responsible for signing Kyuss, and has worked with such bands as Stone Temple Pilots, Rage Against the Machine,
and Ice T’s Body Count.
Cassie Lord  General Manager and Executive Producer for 5 Alarm Music. Also General Manager of Rescue Records.
Formerly with BMI, has also held posts at APM and FirstCom Music, and has worked with Thomas Dolby at Beatnik Music.
Ted Lowe  President of Choicetracks, Inc., a music publishing company with extensive placements on hit prime time and cable
TV shows, as well as in film, movie trailers, and advertisements for clients such as Honda, Coors, Pepsi, Telemundo, and the CW
network. Exclusively provides original music (along with partner Position Music) for the Pimp My Ride video game, based on the
MTV hit show. Prior to Choicetracks, Ted was an A&R Executive at Sony and Warner Bros., specializing in Urban Music .
Karl Louis  Owner of Moral Compass Management, and represents Test Your Reflex (RCA) and soon to be signed Firekills.
Previously with Warren Entner Management, whose clients include Deftones, Faith No More, and Rage Against the Machine. Karl
was also Limp Bizkit's first A&R representative at Flip Records and also held positions at KROQ-FM, Hits Magazine and Album
Network.
Pat Luboff  Mentor for Pop, R&B, Country  Co-author of hit songwriting books, 88 Songwriting Wrongs and How to Right
Them and 12 Steps to Building Better Songs. Partner in Pea Pod Music; publisher/writer of Body Language - a Gold record for
Patti LaBelle; and title song of Michael Ajakwe, Jr.'s acclaimed musical. Along with Pete Luboff, teaches songwriting workshops
in Nashville and throughout the U.S. and offers songwriting and music business consultations.
Pete Luboff  Mentor for Pop/R&B/Country  Former Vice-Chairman of the National Academy of Songwriters (NAS), and
Vice-President of NARAS' L.A. Chapter. Platinum-selling songwriter with cuts by Patti LaBelle, Bobby Womack, Snoop Dogg,
Michael Peterson and many others. Owner of Pea Pod Music Publishing. Co-author of hit songwriting books, 88 Songwriting
Wrongs and How to Right Them and 12 Steps to Building Better Songs.
Mike Mallinger  Mentor for Hip-Hop, Urban  Manager/Promoter whose clients include producer OhNo (De La Soul, A.G.,
Frank N Dank, Murs, Phife) DJs P-Trix (99US DMC Champ) Spinobi (Ozomatli), among others. Has negotiated numerous record
deals, major endorsements (clothing and equipment), set up national tours and bookings, licensing deals with various video games
and TV shows. Has worked with various artists such as J-Dilla, Madlib, Dilated Peoples, Jurassic 5 and more.
Guy Marshall  Hit Songwriter and Producer whose credits include Pat Benatar and The Tuesdays and such film & TV
productions as Baywatch, Lionheart, Cobra, Shop Erotic TV along with various shows on TNT. Has also teaches at the Musicians
Institute, UCLA, the Los Angeles Recording School, and The Songwriters Guild.
Michelle McAfee  Mentor for Pop-Rock, Singer-Songwriter, Country  Was a staff writer with Warner/Chappell, Sony Tree
and Bluewater Music. Has had chart success with artists ranging from County to Christian Pop in the U.S. and Canada. Michelle
has also written with Jewel, Plus One, Jude Cole, Robin Lerhner and Richard Leigh, among others.
Danny McCloskey  Mentor for Pop, Film & TV, Rock, Pop-Rock, Modern Rock  Music Director/Artist and Song
Management/A&R/Music Supervisor. Currently President of Songs With Vision, a management company that represents artists
for film, TV, commercial, and video game placement opportunities/projects. Previously held positions include Asst. Music
Director at WBCN in Boston, Promotion Manager for Atlantic Records in New England, Artist and Song Management with
NEXT STEP Music Management and A&R at Mango Records and Boston Krowne Records.
Steven Melrose  Head of Leftwing Records and is also an A&R person for Virgin Records. Has worked with such Electronic
acts as The Crystal Method and has signed Midnight Movies, Giant Drag, Layton and Dirty Little Secret.
Steven Memel  Mentor for Vocalists  Internationally acclaimed Voice, Speech and Vocal Performance coach whose clients
include artists that have recorded on Sony, BMG, Jive, Warner, Epic, DreamWorks, and J Records, including the Grammy Award
winning group Maroon 5. Has taught at the Musician's Institute & the Hollywood Pop Academy and continues his private practice
developing new artists and bands as well as working with established groups.
Ric Menck  Mentor for Alt./Modern Rock, AAA, Singer-Songwriter, Indie Pop  Has been playing drums professionally for
nearly 30 years with acts as diverse as Matthew Sweet, Susanna Hoffs, Liz Phair, Willie Nelson, Marianne Faithfull, Aimee Mann,
the Pernice Brothers, the Gigilo Aunts, and the Tyde. Continues to perform and record with his own band, Velvet Crush. Also runs
several independent record labels and has just completed his first book, Notorious Byrd Brothers.
Gilli Moon  Singer/Songwriter/Artist/Producer. Has worked with highly respected artists such as Simple Minds, Placido
Domingo and Eric Idle. Is a songwriting award winner in the Netherlands, U.S. and Australia. Her songs have been featured in
independent films and network U.S. television programs. Co-founder, President and CEO of Songsalive!
Nancy Moran  Mentor for Singer-Songwriter, Folk-Rock  Independent Folk-Rock Singer/Songwriter. Has four critically
acclaimed solo albums with radio airplay from coast-to-coast. Co-owner of Azalea Music Group, Nancy teaches music education
workshops and does consulting/career coaching. Regular speaker for organizations such as NSAI, Just Plain Folks, and SGA and
is also the former Asst. Editor of American Songwriter Magazine.
Fuzzbee Morse  Mentor for Instrumental, Jazz, Pop, Rock, Reggae, Film & TV  Composer/Producer/Songwriter/Multi-
instrumentalist who has played with Bono, Frank Zappa, Peter Gabriel,
Lou Reed, Aaron Neville and many more. Has had songs
and scores in many films and TV shows with Paramount, ABC, 20th Century Fox, Comedy Central and on labels such as A&M,
Universal, Epic, Geffen and Warner Bros.
Jimmy Muffin  Mentor for Country  Artist/Manager/Producer/Performing Songwriter for over 25 years. Was V.P. of
Creative Development for Ash Street Music Publishing. As an artist, he’s performed with Jeffrey Steele, Allan Rich, Steve Dorff,
Al Anderson, Billy Dean, Gary Baker, Gretchen Peters, Marco Beltrami, among others .
Ronan Chris Murphy  Producer/Mixer/Artist. Has worked with artists such as King Crimson, Terry Bozzio, Steve Stevens
and many more. Contributing writer for the Grammy newsletter, Fuse Magazine and Just Plain Folks.
Ralph Murphy  Vice-President of Membership, ASCAP, Nashville, and a former President of NSAI. An
artist/producer/writer with cuts Call My Name (James Royal – a European #1 song), as well as other Country hits such as Good
Enough to Be Your Wife (Jeannie C. Riley), He Got You (Ronnie Milsap) and Half the Way (Crystal Gayle), among others.
Rob “Blasko” Nicholson  Mentor for Metal, Hard Rock, Alternative Rock  Widely recognized as the bass player for
legendary hard rock acts Ozzy Osbourne, Rob Zombie, and Danzig. Currently in the studio recording Ozzy’s new record (to
be released in early 2007). Recently co-founded Mercenary Management, Inc., an artist management company dedicated to
the underground Metal and Hardcore markets.
Prescott Niles  Mentor for Contemporary Christian, Pop, Adult Contemporary  Best known as the bass player for the Knack.
Has worked with George Harrison, Mick Jones, Holly Knight and more. Performed with Josie Cotton on albums and in the movie
Valley Girl. Presently still performing with the Knack and also writing his book 4 Strings and the Truth.
Don Paccione  Mentor for Rock, Modern Rock, Hard Rock, Pop, Singer-Songwriter  Former Creative Director at EMI
Music, Warner Bros. Music, and Director of A&R at W Recordings. Has signed and worked with such acts as White Zombie,
Pantera, Biohazard, The Smithereens, Ace Frehley, Europe, Megadeth and Dream Theatre. Has also worked with songwriters
Carole King, Richie Supa, Sammy Cahn, Doc Pomus, Jack Ponti, Glenn Burtnik and Kip Winger and Surface.
Rick Palombi  Mentor for Pop-Rock, Pop, Country  Has worked with, produced and had songs recorded by artists Natalie
Imbruglia, Meatloaf, Neil Young, Amy Grant, Brian Wilson, Vince Gill, Michael W. Smith and Susanna Hoffs. Has co-produced
with Glenn Ballard (Alanis Morissette, Gwen Stefani, Christina Aguilera) and Fabian Waltman (U2). Also worked with such
accomplished producers as David Kershenbaum, the Matrix, Steve Lindsay, Chris Lord Alge, and more. Has had two major record
deals: SBK/EMI and Straightline/Atlantic. Has appeared as a performer on MTV, VH1, The Tonight Show, and The David
Letterman Show. Has performed for President Bush at two separate events.
Pat Pattison  Professor at Berklee College of Music where he has developed three online lyric writing courses and is the author
of three books, Writing Better Lyrics, The Essential Guide to Lyric Form and Structure, and The Essential Guide To Rhyming.
He has written over 30 articles for Home & Studio Recording Magazine, and Performing Songwriter. Continues to present
songwriting clinics across the US, Canada, and internationally. Several of his students have won Grammies, including John Mayer
and Gillian Welch.
Elliott Park  Mentor for Country  TAXI member since 2002. Signed with Extreme Writers Group in Nashville and has
been gaining interest on Nashville’s Music Row ever since. His first co-writing session ever, with legendary songwriter Walt
Aldridge, resulted in the song I Loved Her First which was recorded by Heartland and just recently went # 1 on the Billboard
Country charts.
Tanvi Patel  Vice President of Crucial Music and Point Classics; former V.P. of Production and Marketing at One Music, and
a true veteran of the Production Music Library world.
John Pondel  Mentor for Jazz, Orchestral, Instrumental  Guitarist/Composer/Educator – Has written music for Six Feet
Under + other HBO programming and promotional spots, Court TV, and more. John has done albums for Atlantic and A&M
and has recorded with George Benson, Bob James, Barry Manilow, and Natalie Cole, among others
Michael Puryear  Mentor for Contemporary Christian, Gospel, Country  Currently owns his own publishing company,
Final Four Music, which is partnered with Universal Music Group to create the first Christian music entity within Universal
Music; through Final Four, Michael has had successful cuts with The Oakridge Boys, Michael W. Smith, Diamond Rio and
many more. Formerly headed the Gospel Division for BMG Music Publishing.
Liz Redwing  Mentor for Modern Rock, Rock, AAA, Pop  Currently manages producers, and provides music business
consulting for artists. Got her creative start at MCA and Interscope Music, Interscope Record’s former publishing company. Also
scouted for Atlantic Records and has held positions with management companies, business management firms and law firms, as
well as having worked in video production.
Robbie Robertson  Legendary Musician/Songwriter and the guitarist in The Band. Co-produced The Band’s all-star concert
film The Last Waltz (directed by Martin Scorsese). Went on to compose the soundtrack for Scorsese’s Raging Bull as well as
worked on Scorsese’s movies The Kings of Comedy, The Color of Money and Casino and more recently acted as Music Director
on Gangs of New York. Has released four solo albums - they contain the singles Showdown at Big Sky, Sweet Fire of Love and
Somewhere Down the Crazy River. Has also worked in A&R at DreamWorks, where he helped develop new artists such as Nelly
Furtado.
Sebastian Robertson  Mentor for Modern/Alt. Rock, Rock  Recently produced bands such as Naked Movie Star and The
Fabulous Rudies and worked with Pop star Sara Martin. Began his career as a session drummer appearing on the Capitol Records
release Music for the Native Americans recorded by Robbie Robertson (yep, it’s his dad!). Performed with such bands as the
Tower of Power (on the Barry Levinson film Jimmy Hollywood) as well as Generica and Downset. Has recorded two EP’s, a solo
record, has written theme songs for NBC and has licensed countless songs to TV, film, and the internet.
Victor Rodriguez - Music Director of THQ, one of the world's largest video game publishers. A former management executive
at several music publishers and labels including Sony/BMG, he has worked extensively with the industry's top artists to provide
music for hundreds of games, films and television programs.
John Rosasco  Mentor for Contemporary Christian, Gospel, Country  Composer/Producer/Keyboardist/Arranger. Four-time
Grammy nominated producer in the Contemporary Christian genre and has written eleven #1 CCM hits. Former staff writer for
CBS Songs/Nashville. Has had cuts with Carman, Steve Green, Cynthia Clawson, Joe English, Debby Boone, Steve Camp, the
Imperials, Cathedral Quartet, Roy Clark, the Cruse Family, the Jets and many more. Composes music for the Documentary
Channel, and has scored award-winning films, including the Academy Award nominated documentary Beatrice Wood: Mama of
Dada. Pianist for Hour of Power T.V. show.
Betty Rosen Ziff  Mentor for Country, Contemporary Christian, Singer-Songwriter, Film & TV  Former top executive in
Nashville and Los Angeles for 14 years running three independent publishing companies; worked with songwriters such as Jimmy
Dale Gilmore, Shelby Lynne, and Matthew Ryan. Placed songs in film/TV projects with country artists Trisha Yearwood, David
Kersh, and more. Co-founder of the non-profit and innovative Film Music Workshop, Inc. Currently a songwriting consultant.
Guy Routte – Co-owner of Renegade Media, Inc. and an A&R person at Sony Records. Began his career in the 80s as part of
the Hip Hop/R&B duo Aftershock and has since then worked with artists the Famly Stand, Shyheim, Goodfellas, and Corey
Glover. Under Guy’s direction, Renegade Media will release new CDs by Sara Devine, King Reign, and Rah’Saan. Renegade
Media will also have TV shows debuting on VH1 and BET.
Debra Russell  Mentor for all genres  Certified Life Coach. Blends a unique understanding from her past life in the
entertainment industry with sophisticated tools to create transformational experiences for her clients. An experienced and dynamic
speaker, she will give you concrete methods to craft success on your terms.
Alan Roy Scott  Mentor for Country, Pop, Adult Contemporary  Pro songwriter for over 25 years with cuts by Celine Dion,
Luther Vandross, Notorious B.I.G., Gloria Estefan, Cyndi Lauper, Patti LaBelle, Neville Bros., Roberta Flack, Oak Ridge Boys,
and many more. Former staff writer at EMI Music and Jobete Music. Has had songs in films such as Coming to America, Top
Gun, First Wives Club and many TV shows.
Steve Seskin  Hit songwriter who has written seven #1 songs, including the Grammy nominated Grown Men Don’t Cry (Tim
McGraw) and Don’t Laugh at Me (Mark Wills), which was the winner of NSAI Song of the Year and Music Row Magazine Song
of the Year 1999. Also a successful performer, recording artist, active keynote speaker and songwriting teacher.
Derek Sivers  Founder, President, and Programmer of CD Baby and Host Baby. CD Baby has become the largest seller of
independent CDs on the web, with over $30 million in sales for over 140,000 musician clients. Esquire Magazine's annual "Best
and Brightest" cover story said, "Derek Sivers is changing the way music is bought and sold... one of the last music-business folk
heroes." Winner of the 2003 World Technology Award.
Lou Simon  Mentor for Country, R&B, Adult Contemporary  Has spent 30 years programming successful radio stations
across the United States. Previously was Program Director, Music Director, and on-air personality on commercial radio stations in
New York City, Los Angeles, and Phoenix. Also was VP of International A&R at both RCA and Arista Records, as well as at
Mariah Carey's imprint through Island Records. Has placed #1 hits with artists on the R&B, AC, and Country charts.
Judy Stakee  Senior V.P. of A&R at Warner/Chappell Music Publishing, and has worked with and signed artists such as
Sheryl Crow, Michelle Branch, Jewel, Kellie Coffey, and Matt Scannell (Vertical Horizon). She also manages staff writers John
Shanks, Wayne Kirkpatrick, Franne Golde, Shaun Shankel, James Michael and Kevin Kadish.
Dave Stewart  Singer/Songwriter/Musician and Record Producer who is best known for his work with Eurythmics. His entire
catalogue, from Eurythmics classics, to the hits he has written for other artists, has been with BMG Music publishing since 1982.
Dave has produced Aretha Franklin, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Mick Jagger, Bob Dylan and the Neville Brothers. He is
currently part of Platinum Weird with hit songwriter Kara DioGuardi. Also will be hosting an HBO music-themed interview show
(Musicians on Musicians) which will begin airing in November - Bono and The Edge from U2 as his first guests.
Dominic Thiroux  Mentor for Jazz  Performing musician for over 10 years; singer/bass player on numerous movie
soundtracks, commercials, TV shows and recordings. Has toured in Canada, Europe, Australia, Japan, and the entire US.
Elan Trujillo  Mentor for Modern/Alt. Rock, Rock  Producer/Mixer/Recording Engineer. Has worked with producers Dave
Jerden, Rob Cavallo, Mikal Reid and Joe Zook, as well as The Offspring, Alice in Chains, The Webb Brothers and MxPx. In
addition, he is one of the creators and engineers of the popular BFD & BFD XFL drum library software programs.
Stacy Turner  Mentor for R&B, Rap, Hip-Hop, Urban-Pop  Independent consultant and owner of producer/artist
management company Turn It Up! Entertainment. Currently handles Grammy nominated producer & writer Rex Rideout, who's
worked with Luther Vandross, Angie Stone, Lalah Hathaway, Will Downing and others. Stacey was also Director of A&R for
Quincy Jones' Qwest Records, working with artists Quincy Jones, Tamia, Tevin Campbell and Patti Austin.
Susan Tucker  Mentor for Country, Singer-Songwriter  Singer/Songwriter/Musician and Author of two acclaimed books on
songwriting, The Soul of a Songwriter and The Secrets of Songwriting. She is the owner of Sage House Music in Nashville where
she oversees the careers of four staff writers.
Tony van Veen  Executive Vice-President of Sales and Marketing for Disc Makers, the nation’s largest CD and DVD
manufacturer for independent artists, filmmakers, and businesses. A musician and former owner of an indie label, he has combined
his love for the independent can-do spirit with his marketing experience to help Disc Makers grow fifteen-fold during his tenure
there.
Adam Watts  As a result of a TAXI forward, Adam’s song Beautiful Soul (with co-writers Andy Dodd and Jenn Shepard)
landed on Jesse McCartney’s debut CD and became a huge hit. The song has been included on numerous Disney compilations
that have also gone Gold and Platinum. Along with partner Andy Dodd, Adam has become a first-call writer/producer for many of
Disney’s top projects, including the breakout hit, High School Musical.
Jonathan Weiss  Mentor for Modern Rock, Singer-Songwriter, Rock, Pop, Film & TV  Has worked in A&R for Capitol
Records and MCA Music Publishing before moving into music supervision for film and television. Worked on the CBS TV show
The Education of Max Bickford (starring Richard Dreyfuss), Interscope Presents the Next Episode (Showtime), and UC:
Undercover (NBC), as well as several feature films.
Diana Williamson  Mentor for Pop, Singer-Songwriter, Dance  Has had a #3 Billboard Hot Club Chart single entitled
Awakening. Has had songs cut by writer/producer Narada Michael Walden, House of Blues artist Jimmy Rip, Warner Bros. artist
Judith Lefeber, as well as songs on RCA, EMI, Neurodisc and Water Music Records. Her songs have been in the films Queen of
the Damned, Return of the Universal Soldier, the upcoming Two Hitmen and Ping on the Dar, as well as TV shows on NBC,
ABC, HBO and Disney.
Mike Zarin  Sr. Director, Film Trailers and New Media for Groove Addicts. Prior to Groove Addicts, co-founded Sencit
Music, Inc. in Boston, MA, a licensing company dedicated to placing music of independent artists into film and television.
Stuart Ziff  Mentor for Country, Singer-Songwriter, R&B  Guitarist/Songwriter; Currently the guitarist for the
Funk/Latin/R&B band WAR. Songwriter with # 1 Country song Thinkin’ Problem by David Ball. Has had cuts by Anita
Cochran, rock artist Gary Hoey and the late Johnny Adams. He’s also an instructor at the Musician’s Institute.