DAVID SILBAUGH
David Silbaugh is best known as a Talent Buyer for Summerfest, “The World’s Largest Music Festival”, in Milwaukee, WI.
Silbaugh has served as an A&R Consultant for GMR Marketing as well, having previously spent 4 years in that role for Banshee Music under the GMR Marketing umbrella. Banshee Music was a “sonic branding” agency, creating custom music for sports teams, sporting events, and brands. In addition to those roles, he curated a SXSW branded music library for APM Music, providing independent artists sync opportunities in film, TV, advertising, and gaming, and spent 8 years as an Artist Relations Consultant for Gibson guitars.
With a diverse background in music and the music business in general, David is a former Board Member, Secretary, and Vice President of the Chicago Chapter of The Recording Academy (GRAMMYs), a voting member of The Recording Academy, and served several years on The Recording Academy Advocacy Committee (Chicago/Midwest).
He is currently on the Board of Directors for Sing Me A Story, and the Advisory Board for FestForums.
David brings a diverse range of advisory and logistics background to the EMG Collectives and will be a great member of the Team.
ERIC ALPER – Music Publicist Blogger Radio Host
Eric Alper is a Canadian music correspondent, blogger, radio host and former director of media relations, at eOne Music Canada based in Toronto, Ontario. Since 2016, Alper has run a music public relations company, That Eric Alper.
For the past 25+ years, Eric Alper has been at the forefront of the Canadian entertainment industry – making the Public in Public Relations his business. His enthusiasm, encyclopedic knowledge of the past and present have made him the go-to for music in Canada. He is also host of one of the top-rated SiriusXM shows “ThatEricAlper”.
With over one million followers, friends and connections across his social media platforms, it’s clear to understand why he has been named a “must follow” by Billboard, Paste and National Post among others.
He has been a 6-time nominee for Publicist of the Year during Canadian Music Week and has overseen the publicity campaigns for over 155 JUNO Award nominated-albums (and 14 in 2023), including 43 JUNO Award, 58 Canadian Folk Music Award, and 126 Maple Blues Award-winning albums, and is also truly honoured to work with some of the biggest and most important artists of our time.
JEFF BOVA
Jeff Bova is a Grammy Award-winning producer, arranger, and musician with hundreds of platinum and gold-selling records to his name. He won his Grammy for Album of the Year as a producer on Celine Dion’s, “Falling Into You”.
During a career spanning over 40 years, he toured as a member of Herbie Hancock’s Rockit Band and has contributed to hundreds of recordings by significant mainstream artists, including Katy Perry, Michael Jackson, Celine Dion, Luther Vandross, Tina Turner, Eric Clapton, Robert Palmer, Billy Joel, Bee Gees, Backstreet Boys, Cher, Meat Loaf, Cyndi Lauper, Iron Maiden and many more.
Jeff continues to produce, arrange and collaborate with new and exciting young artists. Inspired by his role in the ever-changing music business, he looks forward to more opportunities for creativity and collaboration.
As well as being a much in demand producer, Jeff is also an esteemed speaker on the panel circuit, and brings diversified assets to the EMG Collectives.
CAROL ROSS – Manager/PR Consultant/Mentor
US-based Carol Ross is a well recognized, highly acclaimed Publicist who has enjoyed success with a wide range of entertainers throughout her long career.
Carol has done it all: from introducing the group KISS to the world to representing Paul McCartney, KISS, Billy Joel, Cher, Bette Midler, Diana Ross, David Bowie, Hall & Oates, Burt Bacharach, The Beach Boys, Blondie, and Van Halen, the list goes on and on.
Carol currently works closely with the legendary Tommy James, as his Personal Manager and act as Director of Public Relations and Marketing for his multi-media company, Aura Entertainment.
“I welcome this opportunity as an EMG Associate to be able to continue to share my knowledge on a global level.” – Carol Ross
GAIL HARVEY – Director / Producer / Photographer
Gail Harvey Is A Multi-Award-Winning Television And Film Director And Producer. Her background Is In Photography, with the forever etched historical photos of Canadian legend and hero, the late Terry Fox.
She Branched out to film after an illustrious career as A Photojournalist and Stills Photographer. As a Film Director, Gail Was Mentored By Norman Jewison, Wim Wenders And Arthur Penn, and was the third woman ever hired as a Staff Photojournalist At United Press International Wire Service.
Most Recently, Harvey Has Directed Four Seasons (Eight Episodes) Of The Netflix Show Virgin River, The Number One Show In The World With Billions Of Minutes Viewed.
Harvey Won The Canadian Screen Award For Best Direction TV Movie for her Lifetime film, No One Would Tell. Her Feature Film, The thriller Never Saw It Coming Starring Emily Hampshire (Schitts Creek) And Academy Award Nominee Eric Roberts was recently Nominated For Best World Showcase Feature Film At The Soho International Film Festival In New York, and is now screening On HBO Canada And Amazon Prime.
Gone Mom Starring Annabeth Gish And Warren Christie, recently won Best Narrative Feature, Best Actress And Best Producer At The L.A. Independent Women Film Awards.
Harvey Recently directed all ten episodes of the final season of You Me Her, An Award-Winning Show available now on Crave Tv In Canada, and Netflix Around The World. In the past two years, she has directed five movies for Lifetime Network, including the Award-Winning No One Would Tell, Starring Shannen Doherty, Gates Of Paradise based On Best-Selling Author V.C. Andrews Novel Starring Jason Priestly, Ruby, Nominated For 12 Leo Awards (Winner Of Four), Gone Mom, And Dying To Belong Premiering In October.
Previous Credits include her Documentary Film about Musician Rickie Lee Jones, Entitled The Other Side Of Desire, Directed And Produced By Harvey. the film premiered at the Raindance Film Festival In London, England And was in consideration for a Grammy Award. Harvey’s feature film Looking Is The Original Sin won Best International Feature At The New York International Film Festival, screened In London, England At The Raindance Film Festival and at The Female Eye Film Festival, where Gail Was a=warded The Female Eye Honourary Director, Best In The Business Award For 2014. Harvey Also produced and directed the very successful Web Series Long Story Short, which sold to Hulu And Won Over Twenty Awards, including a Canadian Screen Award For Katie Boland As Best Actress In A Digital Series.
Harvey directed The Netflix/CBC show Northern Rescue, Starring Billy Baldwin, And Was Nominated For A DGC Award For Best Direction In a Television Drama and has directed television shows Family Matters, Pretty Hard Cases, Private Eyes, Dark Matter, Heartland, Lost Girl Republic Of Doyle, Murdoch Mysteries, as well as directing all the episodes of The HBO Series The Line.
Robert Singerman
Robert has worked in the music business for over 40 years as an entrepreneur, agent, manager, label executive, consultant, producer, founder, venue programmer and music supervisor. Known for developing talent, businesses and new music business technologies, Singerman has represented R.E.M., Professor Longhair, Gipsy Kings, James Brown, Suzanne Vega, Violent Femmes, 10,000 Maniacs, Smithereens, Fela Kuti, Bad Brains, pre-Beastie Boys, Sun Ra, Sonny Fortune and King Sunny Ade, among many other artists from various genres. He has worked as an executive, partner, Board member, or as a consultant, with many international companies and music trade organizations.
Robert directed the EU’s European Music Office, The French Music Export Office and the Brazilian music export organization, Brasil Music Exchange in North America. He’s helped organize trade missions for the US, Canada, Brazil, Australia, Quebec, Spain, Portugal… in many countries, globally. He’s spoken at conferences in over 30 countries, including at SXSW, Midem, Womex, Canadian Music Week, Mondo, SIM SP, fluvial, FimPro, Mapas, Circulart, NMS, FAI, Megaphono, Indie Week (Toronto), Music Matters, Digital Hollywood, Reeperbahn, Medimex, Waves, Eurosonic, NY:LON and the World Cultural Economic Forum, among many others.
In 2017, he created CAB, (Chile, Argentina, Brazil Music Trade Mission Tour), where over 150 international music business executives and artists have interacted with key local professionals at over 15 different music conferences in five South American countries, over the past three years, continuing in late 2019.
Robert is SVP of International Publishing for LyricFind, the leader in legal lyrics, LyricMerch, and soon legal lyric translations. His main mission over the past 15 years has been giving music-authorized, monetized subtitling solutions, (live and online, mobile), so that music becomes truly global, through the universal understanding of the lyrics. He’s a partner in.MUSIC, Mondo, SyncSummit, Heaven 11, among other forwarding music business companies. He’s consulted other international music companies, organizations, conferences, technology companies, and language-oriented start-ups.
With a diversified career and business involvement, Robert Singerman brings a wealth of knowledge to the EMG Collectives.
DAN McCONOMY – Bigger Management/TSF Group
Dan McConomy is simply a music man. As the story usually goes, with his lifetime love affair with music, magical opportunities have created this global journey. McConomy’s first gig was working for his father, Kevin Hunter manager of Natalie Cole, Peter Paul & Mary, Wilson Pickett, Dusty Springfield, The Bells, etc. at New Direction in Los Angeles, California.
Dan is originally from Montreal, Quebec and is the founder of Bigger Management, located in Paris, France. As a 40+ year music industry veteran, he has garnered experience as a Producer, Manager and Label Owner. With an impressive history in the business, working as an intern at the legendary Muscle Shoals Sound Studios in Alabama, along side Jerry Wexler, Barry Beckett, Duck Dunn, Alabama, Frankie Miller, Bob Dylan, Bob Seger, Bonnie Bramlett, The Oak Ridge Boys.
In 2002, Dan McComony moved to Paris where he made a name for himself as one of the top DJs, while running Bigger Management in Paris, France, Bigger Management Pictures LLC, (Montreal, Quebec) and The TSF Group on a Global level.
“I am excited to work closely with such a great team of professionals at EMG Collectives, and look forward to working in Europe as well as my home country Canada” – Dan McConomy
KRISTIANSTAD MUSIC DAYS
Kristianstad Music Days was created by the same team that created Lilla By Festivalen in Rinkaby, Sweden.
As a secondary sister event to Lilla By Festivalen, it gives an additional opportunity in a different city in Kristianstad, Sweden, to offer the same fantastic opportunities to network with leading people from the Swedish, as well as Global music industry.
With a great reputation of discovering artists and bands a little before everyone else does, the mandate is to provide up-and-coming acts in Sweden, offering the opportunity to perform in front of local and international industry icons who can offer guidance and opportunities in furthering their careers.
The 2023 Kristianstad Music Days was so successful it will now be a yearly event celebrating and connecting Kristianstad and the world. Careers and success are built on events like this one.
LILLA BY FESTIVALEN
For years, Bara Jonson and Free traveled and appeared globally at many festivals, and the idea of having their own was created based on their own experiences and the thought of providing an event that partnered legendary artists, indie artists and thought a hybrid festival that focuses on family as well as musicians and artists would be unique; something in between a folk fest and a showcase opportunity.
Meeting established panelists from around the world and being available to hear them speak as well as being in a relaxed and inviting setting to chat with them one-on-one makes it different than any other event to date.
A chance meeting in Newfoundland was the start of the relationships built that would bring Canada to Sweden together for the start of many appearances in the Kanada Barn.
With the understanding of both Malin Östh and Jonas Tancred of the needs and dreams that artists have, the environment and event are magical and like no other.
Success stories and relationships have already come from being at Lilla By Festivalen, with so much more to come in the future.
NIKKI COLE – Writer / Director / Producer
Nikki Cole has established an international reputation as a go-to writer/producer/director. She was recently selected as one of 8 directors to shoot an award-winning short drama on a Volume Wall as part of the DGC/Pixomondo/William F. White’s Virtual Production Workshop while remote directing 12 episodes of the True Crime Series A TIME TO KILL.
A critically acclaimed choreographer/dancer, Nikki expanded into film, attending NYU SCE. She circled the globe with her 11-year old daughter, creating theVision TV/PBS documentary WANDERINGS: A JOURNEY TO CONNECT, exploring unknown Jewish communities from Korea to Iceland to India. Her film INTIMACIES about Hollywood’s first openly HIV+ actor, Michael Kearns,won the Audience Vote for Best Documentary at the Palm Springs Int’l Film Festival.She was the Series Producer/director of the docu-drama You…Me & the Kids for WTN, produced films for Vancouver’s Pacific Space Centre, the King Abdulaziz Historical Centre in Saudi Arabia andMotion Simulator Ride films including MARS and SEATREK for SimEx.
After a career in over 15 factual TV series, she expanded into fiction, directing THE NEXT STEP for BBC Kids, and an award-winning dramatic short, MY FATHER, JOE(Amazon Prime). Her script for the historical fiction series Serpent Queen won Best Pilot Screenplay at the Oaxaca Film Festival, and her featureThe Bride’s Wedding won Best Screenplay at the Jogja Int’l Film Festival. She was selected as one of 20 producers worldwide for the “Producers to Watch” program at MIPTV in Cannes and was Exeleon’s Creative Woman Pioneer of Excellence in 2022. Nikki is the co-director of the upcoming documentary RAY OF HOPE about the Sri Lankan genocide.
As part of Tonembee (www.tonembee.com), Nikki spent 15 years filming in a remote Kenyan village, while educating girls and boys and providing solar cookers to the village.
Nikki Cole spends her time between Los Angeles, Toronto, and Arkansas with her company Moving Vision Productions. She joyfully continues in the film/biz industry and is also available for consulting.
“I am thrilled to be an Associate of EMG Collectives and looking forward to some wonderful and exciting collaborations.”
BARB KECK – Music in Motion Canada
It begins with the love of arts, all arts, performing, visual, literary… the passion of people, culture, and creativity, and what it brings to the human soul. Music in Motion Canada was created and developed by Founder Barb Keck to provide opportunities to explore, experience and advance musical artistic endeavors for Canadians. Connecting people with the music industry audience who want to develop their careers.
MiMc Music Awards for Canadian Music Creators, was designed to help unsigned independent artists gain exposure to music industry experts who can propel the artists career beyond their expectations, providing opportunities to build dreams in this vast music community.
Exposure and access to a diverse range of resources music industry participants across Canada–including performers, recording studios, talent agents, record labels, music publishers and others–access to a diverse array of resources and opportunities to help their musical aspirations take flight can be found on our website.
Music is a gift, let’s keep giving it to the world! ‘Incredibly grateful to be an Associate of EMG Collectives in this inspiring music venture of creativity, collaboration.’
TINA COLE – Music Business Consultant / Entrepreneur
Tina Cole, known most affectionately as “Mama Swag”, donned upon her by both the emerging artists and young business professionals she mentors, has been driving and inspiring a standard of excellence in business for over 30 years. Now as a business leader and visionary, she brings her tenured success to the Entertainment Industry. Her goal is to bring business discipline and strategies to the music scene with a grass roots approach, building a landscape that can foster commercial success and sustainability amongst our creative community.
As Vice President of F.A.M. Productions Inc, she continues to elevate the platform for creative communities around the world. Mentoring upcoming artists, producing events and continually looking for and creating new pathways to celebrate and showcase rich cultural fabrics around the world in music, film, events, and showcases. As an independent Music Business Executive, she has had the opportunity to work with chart topping producers and songwriters. Tina had the privilege of being mentored and coached by legendary music executive Ernie Singleton (Los Angeles California.) Tina developed and co-founded “The Music Quadrant ©”, an academic approach to artist development. The program, facilitated by passionate business and creative professionals is designed & committed to empowering emerging talent. The curriculum is designed and delivered to provide the aspiring artists (artists, songwriters and composers) with the skills, tools and knowledge required in creating, marketing, and commercializing their talent on a local, national and international level.
On April 16, 2020, By the Executive Council of Ontario, Santina Colalillo, P.K.A. Tina Cole, was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC). The OMDC, commonly known as Ontario Creates, focuses on encouraging strategic business partnerships among the converging cultural media industries, including film and television production, book and magazine publishing, sound recording and interactive digital media. In addition to fostering partnerships, the agency seeks to address the distinct challenges each of the cultural industries faces in domestic and international marketplaces. Tina was Re-Appointed for a second term in April 2023. In June 2022, Tina was invited to Join the Recording Academy – Los Angeles Chapter (The Grammy’s). Her peers deemed her as one of the select individuals to join the Recording Academy as a new member in the class of 2022. The invitation is a reflection of her creativity, leadership, and contributions to the recording arts. It’s an opportunity to serve her community, celebrate her craft, and build a stronger future for all music makers.
Tina’s mission to see creative emerging artists rise to the top of the international charts is driven by passion, her own personal journey and a true sense of community.
“It is an immense honor to be an associate with the EMG Collectives. I look forward to working with this exceptional team. We are united in our mission to uplift and empower our creative community. Together, we will forge paths towards a brighter future.”
Ryan Farley – Grant Writer / Consultant / Music Coordinator
Based in Barrie, Ontario, Ryan Farley is the founder of Hubris Entertainment, a company with a mission to help Canadian musicians increase their revenue streams and their understanding of the music industry. Ryan got his start in the music business in Edmonton in 2014 as tour manager for a cross country tour with the now platinum artist Merkules, and he saw so much of the great talent this country has to offer. This is when he set his sights on grant writing and sync licensing to help Canadian artists at large.
In his years of writing grants and consulting, Ryan has worn many hats and worked on countless projects on the business side of the music industry. Helping musicians overcome the many hurdles that come with trying to make a living with their music is always bringing new challenges and opportunities. Ryan’s entrepreneurial mindset has brought rapid growth to his business and the partnerships he’s established. Currently, Ryan is a part of an LA-based Sync Agency and Music Supervision team where he works with indie musicians across North America.
Ryan is very grateful to be a part of the EMG Collectives and have a chance to collaborate with so many music Industry veterans while making a lasting impact on Canada’s music scene.
RECORD WORLD INTERNATIONAL – International Music Magazine
Record World magazine was one of the three main music industry trade magazines in the United States along with Billboard and Cashbox. It was founded in 1946 under the name of Music Vendor, but in 1964 it was changed to Record World. It ceased publication in the USA in 1982.
Sandy Graham, already having successfully revived the Cashbox history with Cashbox Canada, decided to launch Record World International, a magazine that would not only devote itself to the original US market, but, branch out to cover Europe and global countries.
Record World International commenced 5 years ago and is growing to match up to its sister publication, Cashbox Canada.
“It works well to have two publications that focus on Canada, the US and Europe. We know there is so many talented artists out there who deserve coverage and at Record World International, we believe that music has no borders.”
CASHBOX MAGAZINE CANADA
Originally launched in Canada 15 years ago, the online publication worked closely with the original Cashbox Magazine in the USA, but is owned by Canadian Sandy Graham. After the 10th year, it become the most popular Canadian music magazine not just with Canadian-based content but in addition interviews and publishes stories legends, producers, industry folks and offers a diversified publication every Friday, in keeping with the original publishing format of the original Cashbox Magazine.
The legendary artist Tony Orlando quoted, “We Cashbox is the root of the tree. Every leaf that came off the tree grew into the music business as we know it today – none of it would have happened without Cashbox.”
An iconic magazine that continues to thrive today in the current music scene.
CASHBOX RADIO
The brainchild of music industry icon, Sandy Graham, Cashbox Radio is now entering into it’s fourth year of a terrestrial station, offering a diversified playlist of legendary icons mixed with new indie artists.
“The music industry has changed over the decades and it is harder than ever to get airplay for new artists and the legendary ones are finding it harder not just to get their older catalogue played but for their new releases as well. Our team of on air hosts are also musicians, songwriters, artists, radio DJ’s in their own right, so they have great knowledge and love sharing new music as well as some of their own favourites. We have established a way to play the hits of the past along with new indie artists right alongside each other in our unique format.”
The music industry has changed over the decades and it is harder than ever to get airplay for new artists and the legendary ones are finding it harder not just to get their older catalogue played but for their new releases as well. Cashbox Radio believes that a someone has to play that new hit for the first time and they want to be the one who breaks a new Indie while honouring the Legends. Great music online 24/7.