Make it Big
Looking to the Future
By Rebecca Krouse, Capstone Project, Class of 2007
"What I have gained over the past four years is immeasurable. I have not only a reputable degree but practical skills, intellectual insight, and a list of music industry contacts. My classmates and professors are, perhaps, my greatest assets. I will always be able to call Mario Spinetti for compositions and arrangements; Matt Weinberg for technical and online support; Carter Matschullat for practical business matters and advice; and Danny Arango or Tom Schecter when I just want to rock out. I know my peers' strengths, and those strengths are diverse. It turns out that in the beginning we really didn't need to try to prove anything - it would all unfold over the next four years. Some of the people I've been working with on a day-to-day basis are geniuses in the studio or with an MPC; some of them are masters of theory; some of them are business savvy; some of them will be world-renowned; some of them are already on their way; all of them are a little bit crazy. I know that it is through my work with all of these people, however, that I have grown into an entirely new, and much more thorough, musician.
On that first day at the department, I stood in a room with thirty-one strangers who had me scared to death that I'd be left in their dust. But on my last day - the last time all of us raucous, obnoxious, lovely lunatics are all in a classroom together - I will leave with confidence in my own abilities and an intimate knowledge of thirty-one industry contacts, colleagues, and friends."
He is working part time at the Cutting Room and Smoke (a jazz lounge uptown), as well as working full time to produce artist Loralye for Rodeostar Records in Hamburg, Germany.
Web Site: http://www.sirius.com
She is currently an engineer for the Broadcast Network Operations Center at Sirius Satellite Radio, in New York.
Brian Speronello 2008 Recorded Music
Brian will be working in advertising at Grey NYC for Josh Rabinowitz over the summer of 2008, while finishing up work on an album he began with friends two years ago in his spare time.
Dan Chertoff 2008 Recorded Music
Web Site: http://canvasbackmusic.com/
I will be working as a full-time A&R Consultant for Canvasback Music. It is an imprint of Columbia Records.
He is currently writing for Pitchfork, PopMatters, Offbeat Magazine, Metro, Nikki Style Mag, Rollingstone.com, and some others. He got a Fulbright Grant, so he's going to Ghana in August, 2008 to study Journalism and the election. While he's there, Calpin Williams (REMU 07) and he will be recording the artist, Gospel.
Web Site: http://www.myspace.com/ericlumiere
His song ‘Anthem’ (a homework assignment from Sophomore songwriting class) and remixed by Filo & Peri (Peri is Bo Pericic, REMU 07) was released in 6+ countries by December 07, including major dance labels Positiva (UK) and Ultra (USA). The song peaked at #39 in the UK Top 100, played by top 10, and stayed #1 on the Billboard dance airplay chart for a while. DJs at all the biggest dance venues and festivals – search “Filo Peri Anthem” or “Eric Lumiere Anthem” on www.youtube.com, or go to www.purevolume.com/ericlumiere. He just signed with Filo and Peri's booking agent. He's singing on the island of Malta June 7th at a superclub, did two gigs in NY recently, lots more coming soon. A label is close to signing Filo and Peri's artist album which I will have 4-5 songs on that we all co-wrote. We think definitely another hit or two in there. He's going to be in London June 15-24th, 2008, and really wants to book some acoustic gigs and meet some label people/producers there. He wants to mix a classic, organic, living breathing sound with the edge and punch of modern pop/rock - best of both worlds. He's writing lots of new stuff....kind of finding his own sound even more, and co-writing for a new ABC show. Lastly, he has formed a publishing company: Eric Lumiere Music (through BMI).
Web Site: http://www.boston.com/ae/music/articles/2007/07/20/the_states_of_the_art/?page=2
Web Site: http://www.jennifernewman.net/
She received a scholarship to go to Cardozo Law School and accepted! They are 4th in the country for their intellectual property (entertainment) law program. She has just finished her first year of law school. She released a solo album, For Him To See, in the fall of 2007 (her Capstone album). Since then, she's been performing around New York both with full band shows and (more commonly) acoustic sets with piano, guitar, and cello. She's songwriting a lot as well and plans to record a second album. This summer she's working at the entertainment law firm Roberts & Ritholz.
Web Site: http://www.creativebubble.com
She is working full time as an Assistant Audio Engineer at Creative Bubble. Creative Bubble is a digital creative resource producing exceptional marketing, promotion and sales campaigns that drive brand awareness and build profitable customer relationships using television, radio, print, the Web and mobile devices. The Company's team of award-winning artists, designers, editors and engineers creates successful advertising campaigns, broadcast network spots, interactive advertising and promotions.
He has formed a company: CollapsedWaVe Media, which does sound production for picture, etc. The website will be live in a month or two. Check out collapsedwave.com. He's producing/recording/financing Mario Spinetti’s (REMU 07) next album. They start basics in about two weeks. He's producing and recording an indie record with a group called the Maxettes which should be out sometime this fall. And he just scored a job managing the music catalog at Jango.com (internet radio). He will probably do some light production and web development there too.
Laura Schwartz 2008 Recorded Music
She is pursuing "Unheard" (www.unheard.tv) and traveling and putting off becoming a real person until Fall, 2008.
He worked as an Account Manager for Sneak Attack Media for 8 months after school, managing online marketing and promotion campaigns for Nicole Atkins, Louis XIV, Puscifer (Maynard James Keenan), Sarah Blasko, and a few more. He left Sneak Attack in March 08 to accept a position in Product Development at Buddy Media, a start-up company that creates Facebook applications for brands like Fed Ex, Microsoft, Priceline, CampusU, People Magazine, Paramount Studios, etc. He has health insurance now. Life is good.
Web Site: http://www.myspace.com/mariospinetti
He’s continuing to write and produce his own music over the summer (2007) in his home studio. He’s currently revamping his setup (buying some new hardware, better preamps, etc.), to facilitate more intricate recordings. With the completion of his EP, which will be distributed in physical copies and digitally by the second week of July (2007), he is pursuing and promoting his career as a solo artist. He’s recently signed a non-exclusive contract with an independent synch licensing company that is looking to place his most recent recordings in film and TV, and continues to work with his management (AMG) to reach greater audiences via touring, radio, and other promotional avenues. He continues to work within the dance community -- playing music at recitals, showcases, and conventions, pitching music to choreographers, and matching music for dance soloists. He’s recently submitted a song to the producers of the Fox TV show "So You Think You Can Dance" for dancer Danny Tidwell -- he is hoping to dance to it this season. He will go into production of a music video this summer, as well as pre-production for a performance piece that will be produced by David Benaym (editor in chief of Movmnt Magazine) and choreographed by Lauren Adams. This piece will be promoted in various print ads, and throughout the dance community. It will also be sold in DVD and print formats. It is his goal to build up a fan base across the nation, targeting up-and-coming music scenes (Oregon, Ohio, Pennsylvania, etc.) as well as established scenes (New York, Boston, California, etc.). He would like sustain a small national tour by the spring of 2008. For now, his home base is in Riverdale, NY. He is aiming to relocate sometime in the summer of 2008 to a different section of New York -- looking into property in Queens.
She is collaborating with some artists (Morgan Z productions, Dan Keys of Young Love), doing demo work and working on her own material. She’s set to record some demos with producer Jeff Blue in the first two weeks of August and has plans to meet with producer John Feldman to discuss the possibility of working on an album together. She’s living here in NYC for now...it is her home; She’ll always be here, but she does plan to be working, traveling and releasing an album by next spring.
Rachel Kathryn Etheredge 2008 Recorded Music
Web Site: www.qprime.com
Rachel will be joining A&R executive and former president of Sire Records, Michael Goldstone (Pearl Jam, Metallica), at Q Prime Artist Management where they will be heading up a new independent record label. The name of the label has yet to be determined. Q Prime is known for artists such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Metallica, Muse, Shania Twain, The Black Keys, and be Your Own Pet, among many others. Rachel and Michael will work out of Q Prime's New York office. In addition, she is writing mostly poetry, which she later evolves into beautiful music. She will be working on publishing her material in the coming months.
Web Site: http://www.winduprecords.com
She is working in the A&R department at Wind-Up records. Wind-up Entertainment Inc. is a privately owned company that was founded in March 1997. Wind-up Records, a division of Wind-up Entertainment is currently the largest independently owned and operated label in the United States and is distributed by Sony / BMG Entertainment worldwide, excluding Canada where the company operates Wind-up Entertainment Canada Inc. and is distributed by the Warner Music Group. The label's roster features Evanescence (the band success story of 2003/2004 with worldwide sales of more than thirteen million copies), Seether, Finger Eleven, Scott Stapp, the entire Creed repertoire, and approximately a dozen developing artists. Wind-up Entertainment also houses the publishing concerns Dwight Frye Music, Renfield Music Publishing, Wallachi Music Publishing, Jessop Music Publishing and Viovodes Music Publishing, in addition to Pronto Merch, a full-scale retail, on-line and touring merchandising company.
He is currently working at RCA Music Group in the A&R Administration department in New York. He plans on staying here in NYC for a couple years before moving back to LA.
Spikey Jay Aquino 2008 Recorded Music
Web Site: www.myspace.com/spikeyjaymixes
In April 2008, Spikey Jay worked as a freelance mixer for Voom HD Networks, mixing dialogue and effects stems for more than 10 high-definition, extreme sports television shows for Rush HD. As of June 2008, he has accepted a position at The Harry Fox Agency, Inc., which is the leading mechanical licensing, collection, and distribution agency for music publishers in the United States. Spikey Jay also owns and runs a home studio, Spikey Jay Recordings (located on Long Island), where he serves as mixer, producer, and engineer. He is always on the lookout for more work as a freelance mixer for metal/rock/pop bands and artists.
Lastly, an essay that Spikey Jay wrote entitled "Killswitch Engage or Killswitch *NSYNC?" has been published in Perfect Sound Forever online music magazine's June/July 2008 issue. Check it out at the following link: http://www.furious.com/Perfect/killswitchengage.html
He is applying to law school for Fall '09, probably in the NYC area, and currently working at a law firm and performing.
Zach Berkman 2008 Recorded Music
He just released his solo full-length record Stumble, and just finished mixing Ron Pope's first solo record, Daylight, on which he co-wrote two songs. He's writing songs for himself for the next record and with other people. In June, he'll be playing 19 shows in 11 days at Summerfest in Milwaukee, 5 as Zach Berkman and 14 as part of Ron's band. In the meantime, he's working at XM Productions/Effanel Music as an assistant for Jazz at Lincoln Center, and they're sending him on his first remote gig, Bonnaroo, in June, 2008.
