Attending Artist & Speakers

More artists & speakers to be announced!

 

Marnie Stern

Specialty- Guitar, finger tapping and rhythmic patterns of strumming and picking

Website: http://www.facebook.com/profile

Stern’s latest self-titled release is a pop record for an alternate dimension, where hooks and choruses are sent careening through a cracked kaleidoscope. It’s also deeply personal compared to the conceptual leanings of her previous work. One of Venus magazine’s “Greatest Female Guitarists Of All Time”, Spring 2008 issue. Nominated for “Female Artist Of The Year” in the 2008 Plug Music Awards.

Meshell Ndegeocello

Specialty- bass, vocals

Website: http://www.meshell.com/

Meshell Ndegeocello was born Michelle Johnson in Berlin, Germany and raised in Washington DC. By the early 90′s, she had landed in New York armed with a demo recorded in her bedroom, joined the Black Rock Coalition, and was soon signed to Madonna’s label. Her records, 8 to date, have offered lyrical ruminations on race, love, sex, betrayal, God, and power, and she has simultaneously embraced and challenged listeners with her refusal to be pigeon-holed musically or personally. Meshell has been both celebrated and berated for her politically charged lyrics, sexual boundary crossing, and for choosing the road less traveled – a winding adventure through her own musical ambitions rather than the industry formulas.

A vast array of influences have informed all of her albums, including Devil’s Halo, and there are traces of her native go-go, hip hop, rock, R&B, new wave and punk in each. Each album has been a step away from the last, each used as a chance to investigate and integrate new sounds and ideas, and fans have been treated to everything from the deep-funk of Plantation Lullabies to the raw and confessional Bitter to the hip-hop loving Cookie. Possessed with instrumental gifts as diverse as her interests, Meshell composed, arranged and produced a jazz record in 2005.

A bass player above all else, Meshell brings her signature warm, fat, and melodic groove to every- thing she does and has appeared alongside the Rolling Stones, Madonna, Alanis Morrisette, James Blood Ulmer, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Tony Allen, John Medeski, Billy Preston, and Chaka Khan. As for her own bass-playing influences, she credits Sting, Jaco Pastorius, Family Man Barrington, and Stevie Wonder. Meshell was the first woman to be featured on the cover of Bass Player maga- zine and remains one of few women who lead the band and write the music.

Malina Moye

Specialty- Guitar, songwriting, singer, performance, and entrepreneur

Website: http://www.malinamoye.com/main/

Flipping a Fender Stratocaster upside-down acclaimed singer/songwriter/lefty guitarist Malina Moye is a quadruple threat who has carved out her own lane as one of the few artists in history able to straddle both Rock and Soul genres, filling a void in the entertainment industry. Moye’s music narrative boasts an impressive resume that includes performing at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, being the first African-American woman to play the National Anthem on electric guitar at a major sporting event, as well as headlining a tribute with Chaka Khan, honoring legendary Stevie Wonder for which Jet Magazine praised Moye’s performance as “one of the highlights of the evening.”

Among the new generation of lead guitarists, The songstress was featured in the UK documentary “Stratmaster: The Greatest Guitar Story Ever Told,” and Guitar World Magazine dubbed Malina the “female Jimi Hendrix” and one of the top 10 female guitarists to know. Malina is set to perform in the Experience Hendrix tour. This young powerhouse is the co-owner of her WCE Records label which supported Moye as she garnered several billboard charting songs. “Alone “stayed on the charts for 32 consecutive weeks and peaked at numer 9 on RnB and 27 on the hot 100. Malina was featured in Victoria Secret’s ‘Life Is Pink’ campaign and a national Steve Madden Shoe campaign.

Melissa Auf der Maur (MAdM)

Specialty- bass playing and general heavy rock / pop song writing

Website: http://xmadmx.com/

Musician and Photographer, born in Montreal, Canada. Formerly of Hole and the Smashing Pumpkins.  In 2000, AUF DER MAUR, her first solo album, was released by Capitol Records/ EMI worldwide.  2010 marked the release of OUT OF OUR MINDS, which includes an album, a comic book and the OOOM fantasy film which was directed by Tony Stone and premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival.  MAdM is currently focusing her efforts on her work as creative director of the Basilica Hudson, an arts and performance space in Hudson, NY which offers facilities for a wide range of cultural and community activities.

Music Industry Panelists 

Tobi Parks, Sony Music Entertainment

Tobi Parks is currently Associate Director of Copyright Administration at Sony Music Entertainment, handling copyright, music licensing, and rights negotiations for Columbia and Epic Records.  She also writes and lectures nationally on media literacy issues, specifically regarding minority representation in media.  She began her career as a promotions and programming associate at Clear Channel Broadcasting and worked for the PBS newsmagazine, In the Life.   She is the bass player for the NYC glam-punk band Bambï and has previously played with The Cliks, The Star Death, Is That You?, and Grandpa’s Ghost.  As a solo performer and session player, she has worked with Cyndi Lauper, Margaret Cho, Darin Gray, Tim Garrigan, Keith Rowe, Mark Shippy, and video artist James Fotopoulos.  She has composed for both television and film.

Kate Pokorny, Indaba Music

Kate has worked with Indaba Music practically since the day the music technology and marketing company launched in 2007. Having started her career in public relations at Sacks & Co. in NYC working with singer songwriters from Bruce Cockburn to Duncan Sheik and Loreena McKennitt she has always worked to promote creative musicianship as well as new ideas in the music industry. Embarking on her own in 2007 to work with digital music companies including Amie Street, Textango and Indaba Music, she has supported communications efforts of companies disrupting the music creation and distribution traditions of the industry. Throughout her career both at large, global agencies and small boutique firms, she has worked with music companies including iLike, Sonos, Sonicbids, Avid and Fanbridge in addition to her work with Indaba Music.

Separate from her professional pursuits, Kate is also an active leader in many Boston organizations from The Esplanade Association to the Young Friends of the Public Garden. She acts as a Connector for Boston World Partnerships and is an active traveler with Nest, a non-profit dedicated to identifying and collaborating with global artisan business to alleviate poverty, empower women and promote peace.

She holds a B.A. from Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY.

Carise Yatter, Hired Gun Media

Veteran publicist and native New Yorker Carise Yatter has been a music industry executive for  more than 15 years, with experience at both major and independent labels. Carise began her career at RCA Records right out of college. After RCA came Atlantic Records, where Carise spent half of her career (and was hired twice, stepping away for a brief stint to study classical voice at The Manhattan School Of Music). At Atlantic, Carise labored for the biggest stars in the business including matchbox twenty, Kid Rock, Jewel and many more. Industry legend Danny Goldberg stole Carise away from Atlantic to run the publicity department at his Artemis Records label, where she created and implemented campaigns for the likes of politically-charged singer/songwriter Steve Earle, guitar god Zakk Wylde and his Black Label Society and Warren Zevon’s final and Grammy-Award-winning album, The Wind. Carise departed Artemis to run the publicity department at multi-faceted indie label Razor & Tie Entertainment further expanding her publicity chops to include world music via the ebullient Angelique Kidjo, children’s music through best-selling audio series KIDZ BOP and preschool folk star Laurie Berkner and other such diverse projects as Twisted Sister’s A Twisted Christmas. Carise then headed up the publicity department for upstart indie label Original Signal Recordings, managing press efforts for their boutique roster for a short time. In late 2009, Carise founded Hired Gun Media, Inc., her own company. Hired Gun’s current/recent clients include Tommy Lee/Methods Of Mayhem, Lacuna Coil, In This Moment, Seether, Zakk Wylde/Black Label Society, Buckcherry, Rob Zombie, the Frontiers Records roster (Whitesnake, Sebastian Bach, Night Ranger, Loverboy, etc.), the FrostByte Media roster (Loudness, World Fire Brigade, Engel, etc.), Yngwie Malmsteen and more.

Jessica Sternick, Red Entertainment

By the time she was 20 years old, she was already managing a local R&B singer in Los Angeles and helped build a team that would collectively enable the production of a music video. Booking her talent to open up for DJ Quik, Trina and Bubba Sparxxx, Jessica was able to build relationships with concert promoters and street teams that soon flourished into meeting the Director of Radio Promotions at Interscope Records that would lead to future opportunities.

After receiving a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration and Marketing, Jessica soon realized that many up and coming artists were coming out of Europe. So, within six months Jessica packed her bags and moved to London, UK. Currently Jessica is Director of Management at Red entertainment Group in New York, where she oversee’s the companies business operations, manages up and coming artist and is the booking agent for many of the artist that are currently on Red’s roster.

Laura Taylor, Senior VP of Operations,
Guitar Center

Laura Taylor has taken her passion for guitar playing that started at age 10 and built a career in music that continues to flourish. Through Chicago and Hollywood, Columbia College and Musician’s Institute, the last 23 years of this ongoing journey has Taylor making her mark in a successful career with Guitar Center. Beginning as a receptionist in the 12-store chain, Laura Taylor has risen through the ranks to manage a team of over 1,100 people in 225 locations as Senior Vice President of Operations.  Responsible for building the operations and training systems during Guitar Center’s most rapid growth, Taylor continues to develop the services division including GC Studios for lessons and rehearsals, GC Garage for repairs, and GC Backline for rentals.  Currently taking on even more responsibility, Laura Taylor heads up the Guitar Center Women in Music initiative, making the stores a better place for women to work and shop, which aligns with her ongoing commitment to encourage and inspire women to play music.

Event producer

Laura B. Whitmore

Laura B. Whitmore is a singer/songwriter and guitarist based in the San Francisco bay area. A veteran music industry marketer, she has spent over 25 years doing marketing, PR and artist relations for many music industry brands, including 20 years as the the marketing manager for Korg, Marshall, and VOX. Her company, Mad Sun Marketing, currently represents 65amps, SIR Entertainment Services, Agile Partners, Dean Markley, Notion Music, SolidgoldFX, Guitar World and many more. Laura writes a column for Guitar World that focuses on female guitarists and was instrumental in the launch and continued marketing of the Guitar World Lick of the Day app. She is the lead singer of the rock band, Summer Music Project. Find out more at www.mad-sun.com