Home | Music Biz Summit 2020

"Attending the Music Business Summit was a privilege. Jeff and Dave have devised a truly comprehensive event that will give anyone interested in the music industry an honest look at what goes on behind the scenes. Everyone from artists to songwriters to label owners to managers, whether novices or veteran, will learn something new and valuable for their journey."

— Amanda Krieg Thomas, Music Supervisor, Yay Team Productions

*For special accomodations, please call the Glendale Public Library at 623-930-3600 at least 1 week prior to the event date

Industry Experts

Director, TV Music
Lionsgate/Starz. Los Angeles

Whitney Pilzer currently serves as Director, TV Music at Lionsgate/Starz. Previously, Whitney worked at music supervision company Full Pursuit where she contributed to noteworthy film & television projects including Crazy Rich Asians, Long Shot, Oceans 8, Power Rangers, How to be Single, 13 Reasons Why (Netflix), Vice Principals (HBO), Superstore (NBC), Deception (ABC), Legends of Tomorrow (The CW), Supergirl (The CW), The Flash (The CW) among many others.

Owner, Music Supervisor
Lost And Sound, Los Angeles

Los Angeles-based independent music supervisor Lauren Fay began her musical journey in LA playing in indie bands, interning at a publishing company, DJing, and earning an Ethnomusicology BA from UCLA. Her music supervision career began at Picture Music Company working on Stranger Things, which was nominated for an Emmy in Music Supervision for two consecutive years. Lauren was the Music Coordinator of Stranger Things’ Grammy-nominated compilation soundtrack. Lauren also placed music on Ray Donovan, Better Things, and The OA among others. Lauren went on to music supervise Apple advertisements at TBWA/Media Arts Lab, and assist esteemed music supervisor Bruce Gilbert on hit shows like Kidding, Orange is the New Black, GLOW, Crashing, and more. Lauren’s recent credits include the new Netflix series Messiah, indie feature Straight Up, and an upcoming Duplass Brothers' film.

Partner, Music Supervisor
Metalman Media, Los Angeles

Industry veteran Andy Gowan has supervised hundreds of episodes of iconic hit TV shows, and feature films. Andy joined Metalman Media in 2002 and quickly established himself as a rising star in the industry. His credits include the long running hit TV series How I Met Your Mother, It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia, the cult phenomenon Hulu web series The Booth At The End, the tastemaker TV series The Mindy Project, and Netflix animated series BoJack Horseman, starring Will Arnett and Aaron Paul. He has also worked on award winning feature films such as “HappyThankYouMorePlease” and “Liberal Arts."

Music Supervisor, Los Angeles

Greg has worked on campaigns for 20th Century Fox, Warner Bros, Sony, Lionsgate, Netflix, Amazon, Nickelodeon, Starz, MTV, BET, and Fox Sports One. Before his theatrical marketing career at Mob Scene, Greg was an in-house music creative for Warner Bros. TV. Credits include The Big Bang Theory, Two & A Half Men, The Middle, The Mentalist, Pretty Little Liars, Rizolli & Isles, and Smallville to name a few.

Head of Marketing & Publicity
TREND: PR, Branding & Social Media, Los Angeles

Hunter Scott has established his reputation for innovation, integrity, and imagination in today’s ever-changing climate. Established in 2008, TREND is a full-service PR firm focusing on press outreach, lifestyle branding, and social media management. Hunter also serves as Head of Brand Development for High Q Digital, TREND’s sister company that specializes in social media marketing for entertainment clients, non-profit organizations, and other brands. In addition to running TREND and HighQ Digital, Hunter serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of The Musicians Foundation, a non-profit that provides scholarships for music and music business education. Hunter shares his knowledge at seminars and panels produced by SESAC, ASCAP, SAG/AFTRA, Goldman Sachs, SxSW, The GRAMMY Museum, CD Baby, Cutting Edge Business Conference, and MIDEM, among others. Hunter is profiled alongside luminaries including former NARAS/Grammy president Neil Portnow and Gene Simmons (KISS) in the book It All Begins with the Music.

Artist/Songwriter
3rd And Verse, Los Angeles

22-year-old Carly Paige is currently based in Los Angeles working on her debut EP. In 2018, she began releasing music of her own, “Drive Slow” and “Babe,” but has also featured on tracks such as 3LAU’s “Touch,” Lokii’s “All On Me,” and BANNERS’ “No One Knows Us.” Writing credits include Hook N Sling’s “If You’re Hearing This” featuring Parson James and Betty Who, Kaskade’s “Almost Back” featuring Phoebe Ryan and Dove Cameron’s “Bloodshot.” Carly’s EP “indie pop post rock cinematic sometimes” is set to release March 2020.

Sr. Director, Clearance Operations
Evan M. Greenspan, Inc. (EMG), Los Angeles

Suzi Barry oversees day to day clearance and licensing functions for Evan M. Greenspan, Inc (EMG), a leading music rights firm with a global clientele that has handled over 125,000 music clearances for projects in all media. In her 20+ years of experience at EMG Suzi has worked on diverse projects including the Oscars, Emmys and Grammys, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Dancing with the Stars, HBO’s Sopranos and Sex and The City, the iHeartRadio Music Awards, Jingle Ball and Wango Tango, and most recently on Apple TV’s The Morning Show. Suzi frequently collaborates with producers and music supervisors such as 2-time Emmy winner Robin Urdang, Gabe Hilfer, Liza Richardson, Matt Lilley, and Thomas Golubic.

President, Founder
MCL Music Services, Los Angeles

Mr. Lilley founded MCL Music Services in 2009 providing Music Clearance, Licensing, and Music Supervision services to the Film, Television, and Advertising industries. Previously, Matt was the Director of Music Clearance in the Feature Film division at Paramount Pictures from 1996 - 2008, he was then named Vice President of Music Clearance and Licensing at Lionsgate Entertainment. Over the past several years MCL Music Services has expanded their offerings to include Musicology services in conjunction with Denise Carver, Esq. of CarverMusik. Mr. Lilley holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Phoenix, and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music Industry Studies from California State University, Northridge. Matt is an avid fan of jazz music and a lifelong saxophone player, performing with his jazz quartet in the greater Los Angeles area.

CEO, Fervor Records, Phoenix

David launched his lifelong music career as a teenager and now offers vast experience encompassing virtually all aspects of the music business. He founded indie label Fervor Records in 1989, followed by the launch of Wild Whirled Recording studio in 1991. In 2002 he co-founded Whirled Music Publishing, Inc. Hilker has forged an independent path to success by merging his musical background and business expertise with visionary, unconventional thinking. Visit the Fervor Records website to explore more of the company's accomplishments under Hilker's executive leadership.

Jeff Freundlich

COO, Fervor Records, Phoenix

A native of New York City, Jeff graduated Cum Laude from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, PA. Following gigs at EMI Records, tech startup Net2Phone, and consulting giant Accenture, Jeff co-founded Whirled Music Publishing, Inc. in 2002. His focused and charismatic leadership style has propelled the company to international prominence in the film, television, and advertising industries. Visit the Fervor Records website to explore more of the company's accomplishments under Freundlich's executive leadership.

Christy Spencer

VP Publishing & Administration, Fervor Records, Salem, OR

Christy Spencer manages all contractual aspects of music licensing for film, TV and advertising for Fervor Records, Whirled Music Publishing, Inc., and all affiliated ASCAP, BMI and SESAC publishing entities. Her roles also include rights administration, asset management, database design & development, b2b distribution, and tracking royalty and revenue streams across all Fervor related brands. Christy graduated from Grand Canyon University where she earned a BA in Music. She resides in Salem, Oregon with her family.

2020 Panels Include:

Keynote: Fall Down Seven Times, Stand Up Eight

Presented by David Hilker (CEO, Fervor Records) and Jeff Freundlich (COO, Fervor Records)

Build Your Marketing Toolbox: Getting Ready for a Career in the Music Industry
Presented by Hunter Scott (Owner, Trend PR)
Whether you’re interested in being a publicist, manager or label owner, you’ll need to understand the fundamentals of marketing in order to have a lasting career in the music industry. Hunter discusses the tools needed to promote up-and-coming artists in today’s ever-changing landscape.

What The Hell Is Music Clearance And Why Does It Matter?

Moderator: Jeff Freundlich (Fervor Records)

Panelists: Suzi Barry (EMG), Matt Lilley (MLC), Christy Spencer (Fervor Records)

Learn about the nuances of music clearance for film, television, advertising, sampling and more!

Breaking Through: The Incredible Success Story of Carly Paige
Moderator: Otto D'Agnolo

Panelist: Carly Paige

What does it take to get a publishing deal, chart on Billboard, get millions of spins on Spotify, and make records and music videos in LA? The Valley's own Carly Paige gives you insights on her incredible journey.

Music Supervision Roundtable

Moderator: Greg Sweeney

Panelists: Lauren Fay (Lost and Sound), Andy Gowan (Metalman Media), Whitney Pilzer (Lionsgate)

Why do we have a music supervision panel every year at MBS? Because music in film and television is a great way to grow your audience and earn income. Learn from the best as they explain their creative process, how they find music and how to approach them!

2 Minute Drill

Moderator: Otto D'Agnolo

Ask any experts anything you like!!!

More panels and industry experts coming soon!

SCHEDULE

Previous Year's Experts

Toddrick Spalding

Music Supervisor, Mob Scene, Los Angeles

Mr. Spalding oversees Mob Scene’s music department and is lead music creative for Theatrical. He has also worked as a freelance, and in house music supervisor for theatrical marketing agencies Trailer Park, mOcean/CMP+, The Cimarron Group, and music supervision collective, High Bias. Clients include: Disney, Marvel, Warner Brothers, Netflix, 20th Century Fox, Paramount, Universal Pictures, Nickelodeon, MTV, Levi’s, Haagen-Dazs, Nike, NBA, and Xbox. Toddrick has also co-written and produced music for both sync and commercial release.

Esq., McLane & Wong, Los Angeles

A graduate of Pepperdine Law School, Mr. McLane is a veteran entertainment attorney with a strong focus on music. Credits include Gold and Platinum albums, Billboard Top 10s, and #1 hits for his work with Guns & Roses, Dixie Chicks, Nine Inch Nails, and Alicia Keys. He is experienced in artist management, talent scouting, promotions, and label operations. Currently Ben actively shops artists, producers and songwriters for record, publishing and distribution deals, and teaches Music Business Law & Contracts at Los Angeles College of Music. He has been an instructor at Musicians Institute (Hollywood), and a speaker at SXSW, NAMM, and NSAI.

Music Supervisor, Los Angeles

Malia Hall is a Music Supervisor in Los Angeles and she works in film, television, and advertising. Malia currently works on The Blacklist (NBC) and SMILF (Showtime), which was nominated for Best Television Series – Comedy at the Golden Globe Awards. She has previously worked on The Bridge (FX), State of Affairs (NBC), and The Player (NBC). In addition to television, Malia has worked on numerous films and documentaries and film highlights include Lowriders, Fallen, and Batkid Begins: The Wish Heard Around The World. She also works on various ads and clients include Gap, Old Navy, Chobani, and Tom Ford. Prior to music supervision, Malia started her career in Music Management working with Spoon, Explosions in the Sky, Washed Out, and Future Islands.

Connie Mableson

Esq., Mableson Law Group, Phoenix

Ms. Mableson is an AV rated attorney with over 36 years of experience in Copyright, Entertainment, and Trademark specifically in the fields of Music, Television, Literary/Books, and Internet Law. She previously owned and operated a record label, music publishing company, and a mobile application development company. Connie was voted one of the top 10 Intellectual Property lawyers in Arizona as “Best of the Bar.” She is an Adjunct Law Professor at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at ASU teaching Entertainment Business Contracts. She is also the author of two books in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act Handbook™ series available through the American Bar Association and Amazon.

Partner, Ernst & Young, New York

For over 25 years Mr. Taylor has consulted with banks, thrifts, captive finance companies, broker-dealers and financial services companies. John is E&Y’s principal U.S. resource on the regulatory capital treatment of deferred tax assets and on matters involving failed banks. John serves clients across the country, is a sought after speaker, and also a guest lecturer at the University of Arizona. Mr. Taylor is a contributing author to Business Entities and Federal Income Taxation of Debt Instruments. Sound nerdy? Yeah… but JT understands music royalties and tax. Pay attention!

Owner, Mike Turner Media, Los Angeles

Mike is an award winning Music Supervisor/Editor/Producer for film, TV and ads. He has worked in numerous creative capacities for music publishers, record labels, licensing companies, radio stations, TV networks and production companies. Mr. Turner's film clients include Judd Apatow, Michael De Luca, Ice T., Bret Easton Ellis, Paul Schrader, Nick Cassavetes and Ondi Timoner. Mike has supervised advertising campaigns for Converse, Booking.com, Petco, Estee Lauder, Microsoft and Acer Computers. His TV credits range from CBS to Netflix, MTV Networks, Direct TV, Hulu, Fox Sports and VICELAND/A&E.

Operations Manager, Teleport Management

Scott is the Operations Manager for the Talent Management Division at Teleport MGMT/Records handling day to day duties for artists Bishop Briggs, DOROTHY, and RHUDE Designs. Starting his career as an intern at local Phoenix record label Fervor Records, he eventually became the Content Coordinator handling artist media content, producing music videos, and producing contracts for music licensing placements. In the summer of August 2013, he accepted a job as the assistant for actor, singer, songwriter Tyrese Gibson. A year later, he became a productions assistant and merchandising manager for multiple acts touring the US for 3 years (Tyrese, Miguel, DOROTHY, Bishop Briggs). Since 2016, he now handles the logistics for all Talent at Teleport MGMT/Records.

Owner, Noisy Ghost PR

Michelle has been owner and operator of Noisy Ghost PR since the company's founding in early 2013. Prior to that, she gained four years experience in music PR working in Athens, GA where she also graduated from the University of Georgia's mass communication school. She is now based in Austin, TX and handling PR for new releases from Fervor Records as well as a select roster of independent artists and small labels.

Music Supervisor, Sweater Weather Music

Ever since the 8th grade, when Rob skipped school to catch the opening screening of Almost Famous, he knew that he wanted to be a music supervisor. To date, Rob has music supervised the hit TV shows Future Man (Hulu), Man Seeking Woman (FX), The Bold Type (Freeform), a plethora of films including: Golden Exits, It’s Already Tomorrow in Hong Kong, Band of Robbers, About Alex, Another Evil, and Uncle Kent 2, and the critically acclaimed documentaries: Amanda Knox, and Chicken People. Rob’s upcoming TV projects include Miracle Workers (TBS), and The Bold Type (Freeform).

Journalist, Phoenix New Times

Serene is an accomplished author and journalist. For more than 20 years Serene has written for Phoenix New Times, AZCentral, and Tucson Weekly. As a published author Mr. Dominic penned “Burt Bacharach: Song by Song” (Schirmer Trade Books). His 2011 screenplay was made into the award-winning motion picture “Queens of Country.” This year Serene’s musical “Dark Lullaby” is scheduled to be staged in June and features his new group San Jacinto Death Row Prison Band. In his spare time he runs Onus Records, the first non-profit record label.

President, Waterslide Music Publishing

Jon comes from a strong music publishing background. He spent 20 years at The Bicycle Music Company where he eventually became co-president/partner. Currently Jon is the President of both Waterslide Music, and Fundamental Music. Throughout his career he has worked with a vast array of artistsand businesses including Dylan LeBlanc, The Tokens, Maynard Ferguson, The Dickies, Kool Keith, Oglio Records publishing catalogs, Neil Diamond’s Diamond Music to name just a few. Jon is also a past president of the California Copyright Conference.

Jacob Nathan has worked in music licensing since 2009. Currently the Creative Director of A&R for Fervor Records, he has worked to unearth music from all corners of the globe. Whether chasing down dusty reels or brokering agreements with large catalogues, he has proven adept at navigating the twists and turns of both vintage and current music industry trends. As a Music Supervisor, he has worked on projects of all shapes and sizes - from studio blockbusters to broadcast television to indie festival darlings. His recent credits include Music Supervision on TBS’s smash hit “The Last OG,” and he is currently serving as a consultant on Blumhouse’s critically-acclaimed “Halloween” franchise.

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