Meet the Team

Progressive banjo player, guitarist, composer, and producer Alison Brown lights up our lives with her virtuosic playing, skilled composing, and rich melange of styles from jazz and bluegrass, to rock, blues, celtic music, and wherever her curiosity leads her. Brown’s collaborative partners range from Alison Krauss to Béla Fleck, who joined her for her song “Leaving Cottondale” that took home a GRAMMY for Best Country Instrumental Performance; Brown’s albums Fair Weather and Simple Pleasures both enjoyed nominations for Best Bluegrass Album. Harvard University is proud to call her an alumna, and invited her to perform at their presidential inauguration in 2007.

Singer, songwriter, and music producer Claude Kelly is a four-time GRAMMY award nominee who earned his nickname “Studio Beast” writing and co-writing songs for an A-list of stars—Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Kelly Clarkson, Britney Spears, Ariana Grande, Bruno Mars, John Legend, Miley Cyrus, Martina McBride, Backstreet Boys, and Christina Aguilera to name a few. Kelly and co-conspirator Chuck Harmony comprise the R&B duo Louis York and launched the indie label and music collective Weirdo Workshop in 2015. Session singer turned music and media maven, Kelly served two seasons as the vocal producer for The X-Factor.

Penning songs for legends the likes of Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, and Elton John and superstars Justin Bieber, Beyonce, John Legend, and Justin Timberlake? Check. Producing music for TV and films like Perfect Pitch, Dreamgirls, and Shrek? Check. Forming his own media company? Sure. All in a day's work for Harvey Mason, Jr. who now proudly serves as the CEO of the Recording Academy, and donates his time and skill to causes like the MusiCares Foundation, the American Cancer Foundation, and now, the Salt Lick Incubator. Thanks, Harvey.

A brilliant, prolific, and accomplished musician, Jon Batiste studied and earned his B.A. and M.F.A. at the renowned Juilliard School in New York City. Since 2015, Batiste has been bandleader and musical director of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert on CBS. In 2018, he received a Grammy nomination for Best American Roots Performance; in 2020, he received two Grammy nods for the album, Chronology of a Dream: Live at the Village Vanguard and Meditations (with Cory Wong). In 2020, he won an Academy Award for Best Original Score for the Disney/Pixar film Soul, an honor he shared with fellow composers Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. Jon’s work on Soul also earned him a Golden Globe, BAFTA, NAACP Image Award and a Critic’s Choice Award. He is the second Black composer in history, after legendary jazz musician Herbie Hancock, to win an Academy Award for composition. Batiste’s latest studio album, WE ARE, was released in March, 2021 to overwhelming critical acclaim. Subsequently, he was nominated for eleven Grammys across seven different categories, a first in Grammy history. He went on to win five of those Grammys including Album of the Year.

Patrice Rushen is one of the most sought-after musicians and composers in the industry. A classically-trained pianist also revered for her jazz chops, she enjoyed success in the ’70s and ’80s with her signature fusion of jazz, pop, and R&B and the birth of her first hit song, “Forget Me Nots.”

A four-time Grammy nominee and celebrated symphonic composer, Rushen scores for film, television, and the symphonic stage. She was the first female musical director for the Grammy Awards, the Emmy Awards, the People’s Choice Awards, the NAACP Image Awards and HBO’s “Comic Relief V.”

Rushen’s collaborators comprise a constellation: Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock, Prince, Nancy Wilson, Ndugu Chancler, Carlos Santana, Christian McBride and Lee Ritenour. Rushen is the ”Ambassador of Artistry In Education” at Boston’s Berklee College of Music, and is the Chair of the Popular Music Program at USC’s Thornton School of Music.

Rushen devotes time and talent to the Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department, the “Grammy In The Schools” program, and most recently, the Salt Lick Incubator. Thank you for your service, Patrice!

Producer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, band leader, and recording engineer, Will Wells knows a musician’s journey unfolds one step at a time. His trek climbed the peaks, from a year of touring with Imagine Dragons to a stint as an electronic music producer for the Broadway hit musical, Hamilton. Wells co-wrote “Can’t Sleep Love,” the top single from Pentatonix’s eponymous chart-topping album.

He works internationally as music director for Kevin Garrett, Anthony Ramos, and Jasmine Cephas Jones. ESPN tapped Wells to compose the theme music for their Heisman Trophy Ceremony broadcasts. Wells co-produced “Stand Up” for the biopic Harriet; the song was nominated for a GRAMMY, an Oscar, a Golden Globe, a Critic’s Choice Award, and an NAACP Image Award.

With dual degrees in film scoring and music production and engineering under his belt, Wells flows fluently from stage to studio, working with luminaries ranging from Quincy Jones and Barbara Streisand, to contemporary masters Imagine Dragons, Wyclef Jean, Logic, DJ Premier, LMFAO, and Pentatonix.

Producer, guitarist, singer, and songwriter Joseph Henry “T Bone” Burnette’s star rose in the ‘70s as a guitarist in Bob Dylan's band. His work in music for TV and film, shines brighter still, crowned with GRAMMYs, Golden Globes, and Oscars; most notably, Cold Mountain, Walk the Line, Crazy Heart, and O Brother, Where Art Thou?, which took home Album of the Year in 2001. A gifted and in-demand producer (Elvis Costello, Willie Nelson, Leon Russell, Elton John), he’s the master gardener who cross-pollinated Robert Plant with Alison Krauss yielding the hybrid beauty, Raising Sand, winner of Album of the Year in 2008.

American pop singer/songwriter Charlie Puth began his career uploading acoustic covers to YouTube. Ellen DeGeneres was an early supporter and she signed the Berklee College alum to her ElevenEleven label. He went on to sign with Atlantic and has proven himself with the extraordinary success of four multi-platinum hits, "One Call Away," "Marvin Gaye," and "We Don’t Talk Anymore" from his platinum-selling, Top 10 debut album Nine Track Mind, as well as his breakout hit "See You Again" — the best-selling song of 2015 worldwide that spent 12 weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100, earned him three Grammy nominations (including Song of the Year), a Golden Globe nomination, and 9x-platinum certification in the U.S.

Alex Shahparnia is the Label and Promotion Partnerships Lead, North America at TikTok. Previously Director of Music Partnerships at ONErpm, Creative Manager for Rock & Pop at Spotify, and Manager of Digital Revenue & Streaming at Concord Music Group.

First Concert: Ozzfest

Alexa has worked for Spotify since 2017, overseeing K-Pop for the Global Social Media and Marketing Content team and acting as a producer and interviewer for Spotify social content at award shows, red carpets, and events. She is originally from Dallas and is now based in Los Angeles after obtaining her B.A. from Boston College. Alexa is a passionate pop superfan, from pop-punk to K-pop and everything in between.

First concert: Hilary Duff's Metamorphosis tour in 2003

Aliyia Williams is a passionate creative advocate and music enthusiast. After graduating from Berklee College of Music, she went on to support the creative marketing team at AWAL, the music industry’s leading alternative to the traditional record label, working in synch, brand partnerships, and other creative ventures. She is now at 10Q MGMT as project manager, where she contributed to the outstanding success of first time GRAMMY winner Coco Jones and the release of Normani’s debut album Dopamine.

First Concert: The Cheetah Girls. I was 8 years old. I kept hitting my mom because I was dancing so hard!

Brian is Executive Vice President of Strategic Planning and Advancement for Concord, where he helps lead strategy and business development for the independent music company. Previously Brian was on the board of Concord and other media companies as part of his role leading private media investment at Barings, a global financial services company.

First concert: Livingston Taylor

As Global Vice President of A&R at Downtown Artist & Label Services, Bryan Mooney oversees the signing of artists and labels to the company's distribution and label services division which currently supports artists who include American Authors, Colbie Caillat, Dom Corleo, Hunter Hayes, Jasiah, Judah & The Lion, Luis R Conriquez, Matt Hansen, mehro, Øneheart, Sadie Jean, and TV Girl, as well as labels including Alzada, Avex USA’s “Selene”, Kartel Music, Kurate, and New 11.

First Concert: Sting

Casper Schadt (they/she) is an experienced artist marketer and fan engagement enthusiast. Driven by a lifelong love of music, they take pride in providing authentic and cutting edge strategy to build an artist’s presence/brand. As the marketing coordinator at Roc Nation Label, she’s been recognized for her work ethic and aims to build an extensive career in digital marketing.

First concert: Katy Perry

Chloe Malushaga has a dual role as an A&R + Marketing Coordinator for Atlantic Records’ dance music imprint, Big Beat Records. Her previous experience was as an electronic music curator and marketing manager for Audiomack. Chloe is a recent graduate of Wesleyan University; it was there that she discovered her love of syncopated rhythmic patterns with prominent sub-bass frequencies, and glitter.

First Concert: The Cheetah Girls

Daniel Ramos serves as an Associate Producer, Music Casting at America's Got Talent. Daniel s a graduate of Berklee College of Music, where he majored in Music Business Management and minored in Psychology. He currently A classically trained flautist with over 13 years of experience, Daniel has had the honor of performing at some of the world's most prestigious concert halls. Passionate about supporting emerging artists, Daniel is committed to discovering and promoting new talent, and is eager to continue making a meaningful impact in the music industry.

First Concert: Twenty One Pilots, Blurryface Tour

Jason Hobbs is the President of the music mar-tech/ad-tech company, found.ee, which introduced an entirely new category to the music industry. An operating company within Downtown Music Holdings, found.ee was acquired from Jason in 2021.

A digital product leader and mfound.eearketing veteran with over 15 years of digital experience, Jason has built innovative advertising and marketing platforms for the music industry, as well as analytics and forecasting technologies for industries ranging from music and finance to advertising and technology.

In 2011, Jason formed the digital marketing agency THE FOUND GROUP, leading campaigns for labels ranging from Concord Music Group to Sony Music, and artists ranging from HAIM to The xx.

First Concert: ZZ Top

Joseph Gonzalez is a music publisher and artist/producer manager. As a music publisher, Cutcraft Music Group, Joseph has worked with BIA, Chet Faker, Izzy Bizu, C.P DUBB, Prateek Kuhad and many more while also managing artists, Brent de la Cruz, Kossisko and previously worked with Hall of Fame Songwriter Linda Perry.

First Concert: The Family Values Tour 1999

Karissa Bone is a Greek-American artist, songwriter, and producer from Saginaw, MI who’s quickly becoming known in LA for her unique, indie-inspired sound and “lyrics that are a masterclass in storytelling” (Early Rising). A talented lyricist, guitarist, pianist, and vocal arranger, she’s been recruited to write for some of her favorites voices in pop today (Suki Waterhouse, Ben Kessler, Tom Siletto), featured in The FADER, had songs placed on fresh finds & in film/tv, performed in Charlie Burg’s touring band, and was a finalist in a musical theater writing competition called Write Out Loud at 54 Below. This fall she’s embarking on a West Coast tour opening for the incredible Ken Yates & releasing her sophomore EP, Kiss It Make It Better. 

Karissa also gained experience on the business side early in her career — working in A&R at Capitol Records, Elektra Records, Position Music, and more. She uses her vast industry knowledge to advocate for songwriters & expertly connect compatible creatives. You can find her on instagram @itskarissabone.@itskarissabone.

First concert: I seriously think it was Styx. My parents refused to take me to any of the 2000s pop concerts I so desperately wanted to attend. But don't worry, I just saw Harry Styles on tour, so I've been healed :)

Kat MacLean Daley is the founder of KatClearedit, a four-pronged business providing services including management for producers, artists, and songwriters, industry consulting, advising for emerging tech in music, and in-bound sample representation for publishers. Prior to starting her business, she was VP & Head of Publishing at Death Row Records after spending over 7.5 years at Universal Music Group - a year and a half at UMG as a college rep, and just over 6 years at Universal Music Publishing Group. At UMPG, Kat quickly moved from Assistant to Chief Counsel to the Director of the Sampling department, where she spent over five years creating processes, data tracking standards, and clearing samples for over 2,000 songs including releases by Drake, Baby Tate, Gunna, 21 Savage, Beyonce, and more. Kat was also a driving force in setting sampling standards outside of the US and in new genres including country music. In all her work, Kat's primary mission is to advocate for creators and leave the music business better than she found it.

First Concert: Charlie Daniels

Marlon Solomon is a recent graduate of Berklee College of Music where he received a dual degree in Music Business Management and Music Production & Engineering. Now based in LA, Marlon works at Creative Artists Agency, one of the top talent agencies in the world, and strives daily to ensure artists' live touring experiences go smoothly. Marlon aspires to be a music executive advocating for protecting artists' careers and mental health.

First Concert: India.Arie

Meg Tarquinio is a curator and creative strategist based in Brooklyn, NY. Recently, Meg found a home at Nettwerk Music Group as a VP of Strategy and A&R. Previously, she spent a decade in music tech and completed a PhD that focused on the cognitive underpinnings of, and technological interventions in, how we create, consume, critique, and curate art (specifically: music, poetry, literature, and film).

First concert: Bill Miller (headliner was Tori Amos) at the Palace Theater in Albany, NY

After graduating from Boston University in 2016, Rachel Wein became the first Nashville-based A&R hire at acclaimed music publishing company, Prescription Songs. She is particularly passionate about supporting emerging talent outside of the traditional Country music space. Rachel’s eclectic roster reflects her diverse music taste, with clients based everywhere from Oklahoma to Nigeria. She has been instrumental in signing and developing talents such as Maddie Zahm, Spellz, Morgan Nagler, carobae, James Droll, JORDY, Parson James and more.

First concert: Aaron Carter

Rehan Manickam is an A&R and audio engineer specializing in artist development within the R&B and Hip-Hop spaces. He also runs his own management company boasting Zach Bahn, an upcoming producer and Ben DeSoto, an industry standard when it comes to mixing. Aside from that, Rehan’s impact in the industry is demonstrated through his continuing work with LVRN Records as an A&R, Producer and Engineering consistently shifting the needle and disrupting the commercial record space.

First Concert: Bruno Mars & Selena Gomez

Steph is the Sr. Director of Strategic Marketing at AWAL. She grew up playing music and has a deep passion for emerging and developing artists. In her spare time she loves catching live music, reading books, playing piano, and cooking.

First concert: Coldplay

Tammas Wilner utilizes creative strategy and brand-centric storytelling to deliver industry leading content and marketing programs. He's developed innovative strategies and award winning campaigns for artists such as Taylor Swift, The Beatles, Billie Eilish, and The Rolling Stones. He currently works as a Senior Director at Universal Music Group focused on digital strategy and creative for global catalog.

First concert: John Renbourn at The Iron Horse Music Hall

Zach Heath is a venture capital and emerging companies attorney at Polsinelli PC. He serves as outside general counsel, advising companies at all stages from formation through exit. He loves partnering with founders to help businesses grow!

Before law school, Zach served as a second-grade teacher for Teach for America. For undergrad, he chose Vanderbilt University for its proximity to the live music on Broadway in Nashville, and majored there in classical languages with minors in corporate strategy and human and organizational development.

First concert: Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band, Great Woods 1995. (It was the night before his 7th birthday!)

Zak Kuhn is an entertainment entrepreneur and media personality always at the intersection of music and culture through his various ventures. Most notably, he is the Founder & CEO of The Nashville Briefing, a newsletter that covers the confluence of country music and the global music business. Kuhn also hosts the popular music industry podcast The Zak Kuhn Show, where he interviews leaders and legends in music and entertainment. When kuhn is not in the office, he can be seen on the road playing guitar for Warner Music Nashville recording duo Temecula Road and recently made his Broadway debut in Wicked playing guitar in the pit.

First concert : Aerosmith and ZZ Top

Dom Jones, from Oakland, CA, is an artist, writer, and creative entrepreneur. Her work has been featured in partnership with Mercy Beyond Borders, by brands such as Nissan, and seen in publications ranging from Ebony Magazine to Teen Vogue. Dom is based in Los Angeles and works in Film & TV Music at Sony Music Entertainment.

First concert: a birthday gift from my older sister—Usher's 8701 tour.