The Creative Convergence

Ben Carter is a guy from Missouri who happens to have lived the majority of his life in California. He moved to Los Angeles 20 years ago to work in entertainment and currently works at the Television Academy where he is the Senior Director of Event Production. As an in-house producer, Ben works on year-round programming for the Academy’s 20k+ membership including the Primetime Emmy Awards. Off the battlefield, he is a husband,  girl dad and a major food and beverage nerd, soon to be Level 2 on his WSET training…oh and by the way, he now lives in Nashville…

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While EJ Worland is originally from Australia, his sound and soul is firmly planted in the roots of American vintage rhythm & blues, soul and the timeless grooves of Bill Withers, Sam Cooke and Marvin Gaye.

For his latest body of work Worland goes all in, recording a collection of powerful tracks that wait for no one’s agenda, giving the listener an intimate look at his musical awakening over the last few years – from his years touring with bands in Australia to his own personal journey into the sun-kissed streets of Los Angeles.

EJ Worland’s debut record “No One Left To Blame” has been widely acclaimed.

Some highlights:

- Strong media support from press and both Australian and US radio.

• Receiving US radio debut on “Morning Becomes Eclectic” as well as being a “Spring Sound track feature” (KCRW).
• Single “Over The Pond” was named in “The AU Review’s 40 Best Australian Tracks of 2020’.
• He was Invited to perform on Allen Stone’s Youtube series “Live At The Lodge”
• He did an Australian tour supporting Allen Stone 2021

Call it purpose. Call it release. Call it enlightened soul. Call it anything you want, but the sound of EJ Worland is an experience you won’t be able to shake.

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Raised in a small town in Nebraska, Cullen grew up surrounded by a literal endless horizon -- fertile ground for an active imagination and adventurous spirit. Following his curiosity for science and a passion for the arts, he journeyed from a University of Nebraska, Lincoln Pre-med, to an L.A. Writer, Director, and Visual  Effects Artist. Over the years, he's worked on shows like Room 104, Silicon Valley, Strange Angel, and Man in the High Castle. The pandemic reignited his passion for writing screenplays and making movies.  A passion that pushes him to joyfully chisel his way through the pages until the day all of his visions can be brought to life, on screens big and small.

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Our host Candace Devine gives some insight to her personal journey as an artist and building a new production company in the time of Covid.

Candace Devine is a songwriter on the Grammy Nominated Album, “Wild Heart '' by Mindi Abair. Her song, "I'll Be Your Home" was recorded by Mindi Abair and Keb Mo. She has been a backup singer for Christina Aguilera, a recognizable voice for film and television singing for Chico’s So Slimming Jeans, The theme song of Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny,  Bonneville, Georgia Rule, The Voice, WIGS network, and many other tv/film and radio placements. She has opened for and/or recorded with/for the likes of Ringo Starr, Christina Aguilera, Mindi Abair, Adam Lambert, Michelle Branch, Little River Band, Styx, The Four Tops, Josh Kelley, Survivor, Missing Persons, Steven Van  Zandt, Boyz II Men and more! She has also wowed audiences with the National Anthem at Warriors, Clippers, and Phoenix Suns games. She is currently the host of the Creative Convergence Podcast and "Further West Presents: Live From The Raven Sound Studio" which you can find on the Further West Youtube Channel. She is the front woman in the band Ponderosa Grove that just won the 2021 Music Prize Festival, and she is the President of Further West, a live event and digital content production company based out of Prescott, AZ.

Dylan Ludwig is a producer and songwriter based out of Prescott, Arizona.

Ludwig honed his skills making bedroom recordings and eventually formed and fronted various groups such as Shady Grass, The Barrio Ramblers, and Fallen Arrows, as well as performing solo throughout the state.

He is the manager and head engineer/producer at Raven Sound Studio and has worked with Artists like Ponderosa Grove, Ben Dickey, decker., The Blank Tapes, Reed Turchi and Candace Devine.

His self-produced debut single, “Days Go By”, is a bouncy, Beatles-esque tune jam-packed with fuzz guitars, mellotron, vocal harmonies and a horn section, reminiscent of the classic sounds of the 60s and 70s.

In 2019, Ludwig released “Streetwise”, a high-energy album of instrumental indie-blues riff-rock for the music library Endgame that has garnered him multiple commercial and television placements while also showing his ability to branch out into different genres of music.

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The Blank Tapes is the moniker of Southern California-based multi-instrumentalist, Matt Adams, who has produced over a dozen albums of 1960’s and 70’s inspired folk-rock-surf-psych-soul-pop on Volcom, Burger Records, Antenna Farm, and many others. Their latest album being 2020’s Power Trio, where Matt playing all the instruments. The band has toured throughout the US, UK, Europe, Canada, Brazil, Japan & even Costa Rica. Matt has also produced other artists including Sugar Candy Mountain, The Regrettes, Pearl Charles, Kath Bloom & many more. Matt is also the artist behind his band’s posters & album covers as well as doing art for the Grateful Dead, Chris Robinson, Langhorne Slim, FolkYeah & more!

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Aubrey Logan. A singer, trombone player and a songwriter, her body of work is underscored by the integrity of a performer that is able to stretch herself emotionally across a musical landscape that defies description. Complex and still retaining the intimacy of stories that are both personal and inspiring, Aubrey is able to bring a wealth of experience to her song writing that touches the deepest part of the human experience.

With a number one album ‘Where the Sunshine is Expensive’ already under her belt, Aubrey returns to the spotlight with her follow-up collection, STANDARD.

Once again diving deep into her Jazz roots, STANDARD is a journey into her musical past with covers of some of the most recognizable tracks that have ever been made, plus her original work ‘Done Pretending’ and ‘Louboutins 2.0’.

Having worked with some incredible names in the past, including Quincy Jones, Burt Bacharach, Josh Groban, Smokey Robinson, Patrice Rushen and Pharrell Williams, Aubrey can bring those unique perspectives to the music she delivers. On STANDARD, reworks of ‘Dreams’ by Fleetwood Mac, ‘Macarthur Park’, and ‘Sunny Side of the Street’, show the astounding application of a woman at the top of her game.

Moving between Jazz, Funk, tender love songs, to Calypso-infused rhythms and traditionally inspired fusions, her vocals and trombone playing sway between the caress of a long-lost love to triumphant powerhouse performances that simply blow the mind.

James Babson is an LA-based actor and has been working in the film and television industry for over 20 years.

After graduating from the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama, James set off for New York City where he appeared in a number of theatrical productions including the North American premiere of After the Rain, Off Broadway.

In 2000, James accepted a role in a multilingual production of Hamlet being staged in the Czech Republic. He then made an unconventional decision to stay in Europe where he went on to appear in dozens of European and American films, notably Hellboy, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, and Roman Polanski‘s Oliver Twist to name a few.

For the past 15 years, James has been living in Los Angeles working in film and television as well as audiobook narration and voice-over animation. Recent TV credits include: NCIS, Transparent, For the People, Agents of Shield, Timeless, and Brooklyn Nine Nine.

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Born and raised in Miami, Florida Melanie began dancing at the tender age of 4 and trained technically in all forms of dance. The acting bug hit her at age 9 and she landed 20 national commercials under her belt. She continued her dance training in Miami under famed choreographer Mia Michaels and became an NBA dancer for the Miami Heat. She moved to LA and booked multiple tours traveling the world with Pop Stars Jennifer Lopez, Janet Jackson, Justin Timberlake and was the only dancer hired on PINK’s Missunderztood tour. She also danced on numerous Music Videos and Award Shows - The Grammy’s, Billboard Awards, American Music Awards, Kids Choice Awards, MTV VMA’s, Saturday Night Live, Dancing With The Stars and Good Morning America with Top artists -  Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Jay-Z, Will Smith, Usher, Tina Turner, NSYNC, Marc Anthony, Gloria Estefan, Missy Elliot, Alicia Keys and Mariah Carey just to name a few. Melanie was the assistant to Emmy Award winning choreographer, Tyce Diorio for Taylor Swift on her sold out tour, The Red Tour.  She also assisted Tyce Diorio on the past two seasons of So You Think You Can Dance and also worked on the last two seasons on The Voice as a movement and staging coach for the contestants.

Shifting into acting, Melanie has appeared on the big screen in The Muppets Movie, Charlie's Angels II, The Hot Chick, Malibu's Most Wanted, From Justin to Kelly,  The Lincoln Lawyer next to Matthew McConaughey, a Guest-starring role on NBC's Taxi Brooklyn, and the lead opposite Forest Whitaker in the new film City of Lies, also starring Johnny Depp. Currently, Melanie can be seen on the hit tv show All American, the newest season of Grey’s Anatomy and a recurring role on the upcoming Netflix tv show The Lincoln Lawyer.  Incredibly passionate, Melanie continues to spread her love of performing and positivity around the world to inspire young dancers, actors, and singers to dream big and embrace their uniqueness!

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Courtney Lindberg is a portrait, branding, wedding, family, political, commercial, lifestyle, and creative photographer with a company based in Los Angeles and Atlanta.  It has been her greatest honor and privilege to capture life's most beautiful, intimate, and creative moments for over 15 years.

With a sense of humor and a deep-rooted love that is infectious, Courtney strives to make any shoot/set simultaneously focused and joyful.  She has great confidence and this allows all a sense of security which in turn helps spawn creativity.  She brings to the table an ocean of ideas but loves to imagine with her clients. Courtney is easy to play with and gets along best with individuals and groups that value creativity and connection.

She believes in taking risks and allowing the imagination to run wild.

She believes in making mistakes, beautiful.

Mostly, she believes in love and its reflection.

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Erik Janson is an award-winning songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist whose work has been featured on major label and independent releases. He also has numerous television, video game, advertising composing and original song credits.

From 2014-2018, Erik was a member and one of the principal songwriters and producers in the band Wildling. Wildling toured throughout the U.S. and Canada, achieved national radio play, numerous placements in television, film, advertisements and video games, and signed with Warner Records.

Erik’s current band, Left Field Messiah, is a band with Steve Bays (singer of Hot Hot Heat) and Jeremy Ruzumna (of Fitz and the Tantrums). Their music, a blend of indie rock, teeters between soul and dark funk in one moment, and quickly disintegrates into howling rock the next. Left Field Messiah has charted in the top 30 on the Canadian Alternative Rock charts and received national airplay in both the U.S. and Canada along with spins on SiriusXM.

Erik is also a member of the new roots and Americana band Leon Creek, which features the ascending soul singer Chris Pierce. Erik co- wrote and produced the Leon Creek record which will be released in September of 2021.

Other recent highlights included co-writing and producing music with the Hawaiian hip hop artist Ark Woods (“Like the Way” & “Watch Me Go”) which has been featured in a recent Microsoft advertisement and the forthcoming animated television series The Freak Brothers. Erik also produced an EP with the London based artist Izo Fitzroy which is currently receiving radio play in the U.S. (KCRW) and also works with acclaimed Australian artist EJ Worland

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Sarah Wahl is a Pittsburgh native who found her way to Los Angeles, California, which has been her home for many years. What was once a casual hobby became a lifelong passion as she discovered her creative voice, thanks in large part to the support of her community. A self-taught artist, Sarah flows between abstract and figurative art as she seeks to explore the human condition: love, heartbreak, the surrounding nature, and everything in between. Her artistic style ranges from alcohol ink to acrylic paint, from charcoal drawing to resin, with a dash of gold leaf wherever it best accents the vibrant colors of her canvas. Sarah has exhibited in many shows around La, including RAW artists shows, and Chocolate and Art Night. WahlArt is currently exhibiting at the Manos Gallery in Pittsburgh, Pa. From the beginning of WahlArt she always wanted to give back, raising money for Sierra Leone Rising, LA Food Bank, The Ronald McDonald Camp for Good times, and more; with a continued interest in outreach and supporting community.  Sarah looks forward to filling homes with that piece that stands out, grabs your eye, and inspires emotion within.

Originally hailing from Massachusetts, Theresa moved west after college to pursue an acting career in Los Angeles.  While there she learned ceramics through my local community center.  Although she did work on some neat acting things (including a fun Superbowl commercial!), it wasn’t enough to live on and her love of ceramics overtook her search for fame and fortune.  In 2011 she decided to take steps to make ceramics her full time profession. Theresa then moved to Portland, OR to pursue an MFA in Applied Craft and Design through a joint program between Pacific Northwest College of Art and Oregon College of Art and Craft.

A chance internship at Portland ceramics manufacturing facility, Mudshark Studios, forever altered her trajectory and fast-forwarded Theresa's ceramics career.  She worked her way up from Caster to Production Manager and recently became Operations Manager of the busy company.  In addition, she owns a thriving ceramics business of her own, integrating the wheel throwing of her early years with the production techniques she's learned in the professional setting of Mudshark.

Theresa approaches ceramics with a whole lot of elbow grease and a good dose of humor. She prides herself on making things you didn’t know you needed in an unexpected and colorful way. Her work is meant to brighten up whatever surface needs a little extra something special, to be well used and well loved.

Originally hailing from Massachusetts, Theresa moved west after college to pursue an acting career in Los Angeles.  While there she learned ceramics through my local community center.  Although she did work on some neat acting things (including a fun Superbowl commercial!), it wasn’t enough to live on and her love of ceramics overtook her search for fame and fortune.  In 2011 she decided to take steps to make ceramics her full time profession. Theresa then moved to Portland, OR to pursue an MFA in Applied Craft and Design through a joint program between Pacific Northwest College of Art and Oregon College of Art and Craft.

A chance internship at Portland ceramics manufacturing facility, Mudshark Studios, forever altered her trajectory and fast-forwarded Theresa's ceramics career.  She worked her way up from Caster to Production Manager and recently became Operations Manager of the busy company.  In addition, she owns a thriving ceramics business of her own, integrating the wheel throwing of her early years with the production techniques she's learned in the professional setting of Mudshark.

Theresa approaches ceramics with a whole lot of elbow grease and a good dose of humor. She prides herself on making things you didn’t know you needed in an unexpected and colorful way. Her work is meant to brighten up whatever surface needs a little extra something special, to be well used and well loved.

Keep Up With Theresa On Social Media

Ted started playing drums at the age of 13 and started playing professionally at the age of 14 in local clubs in Rhode Island.

By the age of 16 he was playing all over the North East from New York to Main in an original Rock Opera his cousin George Leonard wrote, and yes, while still attending high school.

Somehow, by a magical effort, Ted graduated high school while playing music until 1:00 or 2:00 in the morning and getting up at 7:15 AM for school.

Not long after, Ted then left the music business for the family business. He spent 23 years or so in the automotive business and yes, of course, several different cover bands along the way.

In March of 1999 Ted decided to leave the family business and moved to Prescott Arizona. Here he played in a few bands but in 2002 decided to start a sound company called Prescott Pro Sound.

As time went on, studying intensively the art of sound, the business gained local notoriety and 19 years later, Prescott Pro Sound has become a well-respected full production company providing sound, lighting, video, and streaming services.

Is there a lot more to the story? Ted says yes, of course. He's happy to talk with you about it over a cup of coffee, or on this podcast, but for now, he says he'll see you at the next event for sure!!  Cheers !!

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Hans DeKline is a grammy-winning, Los Angeles mastering engineer whose clients span U2 to Burna Boy and everything in between.  His music career started when he was 15, playing bass & singing in punk bands around Tucson AZ.  Around this time he also discovered a love for recording and making mixtapes using a 4 track to balance and eq each song to sound like they were from a commercially released compilation.  He had no idea this was mastering.  In 1995 he signed a record deal with Sony as the lead singer and songwriter of the band Maypole, which toured with the Wallflowers, Our Lady Peace, and the Jayhawks.  5 years later he was mostly recording and mixing when he discovered his true calling was mastering.  In his own words, "No one ever complimented my mixes, but people loved my masters.  I figured it was a sign."  He's been doing it ever since.

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Jessica Rose Weiss is a composer based in Los Angeles, CA.  She first fell in love with classical music studying ballet in New York City throughout her youth, eventually traveling to London to work at Warner Brothers Studios where she focused on composition and music production.  It was there that she was recruited by Hans Zimmer to apprentice at Remote Control Productions.  After years working her way up the ladder as a music editor, she found a life-changing mentorship in film composition working side by side with Academy Award-winning composer Mychael Danna.

She has created an impressive body of work across multiple genres ranging from folk to electronic to classical, and she was named a finalist in the 2018 Universal Film Music Composer Initiative. Her credits include the Netflix #1 hit animated feature film “Dog Gone Trouble,” the drama “Everything I Ever Wanted to Tell My Daughter About Men” featuring a collaboration with pop sensation Sia, and Nicol Paone’s comedy “Friendsgiving,” produced by Ben Stiller.  Upcoming projects include Stephen Herek’s Netflix dramedy “Afterlife of the Party,” the groundbreaking VR Series "Into The Now” from acclaimed photographer Michael Muller, the Dolly Parton-produced documentary “Still Working 9 to 5” about the Women’s Rights Movement, and Sony/Amazon’s “Cinderella,” directed by Kay Cannon and starring Camila Cabello.

In addition to her film work, Jessica’s music has been performed on stages around the world, from The Globe Theater in London to The Joffrey Ballet in Chicago to The Wiltern Theater in LA.

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Los Angeles native, Erik Kertes, is a songwriter, producer, arranger, composer, touring and recording upright and electric bassist, music director, and a multi-instrumentalist.

Between running a recording studio, touring with acts like Shakira and Michael Buble, composing for TV and film, and writing songs for major label artists which have reached the Billboard top 10, Erik still finds time to release his own music under his moniker, Nitwit.

Drew Hall has had the privilege of performing a wide variety of music as lead guitarist and vocalist for a number of successful projects. Performing with Arizona Music Hall of Famer, Walt Richardson, THiS Trio - the dynamic acoustic guitar Trio featuring Drew, Slim Gambill (Lady Antebellum) and Anton Teschner blending jazz and Flamenco acoustic music, Josh Halverson (finalist on The Voice) as guitarist and background vocals featured at the 2019 Americana Fest in Nashville TN, and he is also a founding member of the Latin/Flamenco inspired band, Summa Totius, with drummer Gigi Gonaway (Mariah Carey, Aretha Franklin), and a guitarist/vocalist for the Northern Arizona staple and original rock band, The Cheektones. Drew Hall was also a founding member/guitarist/vocalist of Big Daddy D and The Dynamites with highlights including opening for Walter Trout, Marcia Ball, Coco Montoya and Trampled Under Foot as the Arizona Blues Showdown Champions. In addition to his own projects and groups, Drew has also recorded and performed with Joe Houston (early rock, R&B Sax pioneer), Ed Carter (The Beach Boys), and Eddie Watkins Jr. (Temptations, Marvin Gaye) Currently he is also a founding member of Prescott's own, Ponderosa Grove.

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The pandemic has not slowed this power house actress down one bit.  She just booked a new pilot for STARZ with Courteney Cox, Greg Kinnear and Oscar Winner Mira Sorvino, as well as a recurring role on the upcoming season of “Lucifer”.  Fresh from her strong turn as CJ Emerson on ABC’s limited series “The Fix”, Merrin was then also seen returning to the critically loved Emmy winning  HBO series “Big Little Lies'' as Detective Quinlan, and had scenes with Oscar winners, Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman and the legendary Meryl Streep. They were nominated for a SAG Award for Best Ensemble.

Merrin has jumped from series to series including turns as CEO Claire Thorpe on Fox’s “The Resident”, and several ABC series such as roles on “Once Upon A Time”, “Conviction” and the acclaimed action drama “Alias”.

Dungey's has a veritable jaw-dropping list of television guest star roles ranging from her groundbreaking turn as Francie Calfo/Alison Doren in the critically acclaimed award winning show "Alias", and as one of the Queens of Darkness, Ursula, in "Once Upon A Time".

Merrin has guested on many hit shows like "Seinfeld", "Friends", "Curb Your Enthusiasm", "Episodes" "Westwing" and "Shameless", but also has an astonishing record of recurring roles on "Chasing Life", "Brooklyn 99", "Malcolm in the Middle", "Revenge" and most recognizably over 35 episodes of "The King of Queens".

She is an accomplished stand up comedian who performed in Montreal's Just For Laughs Festival, as well as on "Premium Blend" on Comedy Central.

In the feature film world, Dungey has also recently had roles opposite Pierce Brosnan in "Some Kind of Beautiful" and in the Warner Brothers comedy "CHiPs" opposite Dax Shepard.

Dungey is a UCLA Theater School Graduate and the youngest recipient of the UCLA Annual Acting Award as well as the Natalie Wood Prize.

She resides in the Hollywood Hills with her two children and rescue puppy,  and can usually be seen working carpool at the elementary school.

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Kelly Roberge is an artist, graphic designer, social media wrangler, and professional
eclecticist. She has a B.F.A. from ASU and a Masters Degree in Counseling and Art Therapy from
Prescott College. Kelly has run over a dozen branding and social media campaigns for
businesses, nonprofits, and county entities. Kelly uses her obsession with color, shape, and
people to create beautiful objects, more fulfilling relationships, and more connected
communities.

Charles Matheus is an entrepreneur, mentor, and visionary. He has thirty-five years’
experience as an educator, wilderness guide, nonprofit leader, and business consultant. He led
clients to the top of the highest peaks in Wyoming and to the very bottom of the Grand
Canyon. He has led small, motivated teams, started half a dozen nonprofit and educational
programs, founded and chaired a national mentoring program, and provided team building and
strategic planning for startups, small businesses, and Fortune 500 companies.
Along the way, Charles has mentored and taught 1000s of clients in effective communication,
inclusive teamwork, and transformative leadership. Charles’s TEDx talks, keynotes, and
workshops have inspired hundreds of workshop participants, and conference attendees.

Together, Team Maberge runs four different podcasts that share a focus on personal growth, healthy relationships, and engaged, equitable community.

The weekly HERE.together Podcast features creative and insightful guests from all over the

world, talking about how to be better together and individually. www.here-together.com

The semi-weekly Remaking Manhood Podcast hosts conversations with both men and women

who are working to create and promote healthy masculinity. www.remakingmanhood.com

The Prescott Woman Podcast is a monthly audio supplement to Prescott Woman Magazine. The

podcast offers “deep dive” interviews with the fascinating local people and organizations

featured in the magazine. www.prescottwomanpodcast.com

The Prescott Unified Podcast is for listeners who want to stay in the know about our most

important local institution, the Prescott Unified School District. This monthly show interviews

educators, coaches, parents, and administrators who are doing the hard, passionate work of

educating our kids.

Tiffany Phillips is a highly accomplished, multi-talented, multi-hyphenated actress, producer, singer, comedian, and content creator who began her career in the New York Theatre. National tours include Beehive-The 60's Girl Group Musical, Sweet Charity, and More Magic, the Motown Review starring Florence Larue of The Fifth Dimension.

At 19 Tiffany became the youngest singer in the Motown Moments at New York's Motown

Cafe singing the hits of the Supremes, Martha Reeves and The Vandellas, and much more. Phillips performed to acclaim in front of such legends as Diana Ross, Quincy Jones, Mohammed Ali, Stevie Wonder, and Michael Jackson.

After making her way back to the west coast, Phillips has since gone on to appear in numerous television shows and films from recurring as BNC News Anchor “Angela Raines” on “Scandal to playing a sinister warrior Skinwalker named “Dark Spirit” on MTV’s Teen Wolf or the fictional 1950’s film star Cynthia Beckley in the award-winning dramatic film “Daughter of Fortune,” Tiffany has an exceptional range and chameleon-like ability to morph into a multitude of different characters.

Aside from her TV/Film credits, Tiffany was the lead background vocalist for Michael Bolton’s world tour, and she also wrote and starred in her smash hit, critically acclaimed one-woman play “I Never Met a Jerk I Didn’t Like” where she played 10 different characters (both men & women) which sold out theatre venues in both Los Angeles and Off-Broadway in New York and was the highest-grossing solo show in the 30-year history of The Whitefire Theatre in Los Angeles.

Tiffany successfully set her sights on bringing diverse, female-driven projects to the big and small screen with the award-winning comedy web series “Ethnically Ambiguous” that she created, wrote, and starred in. Based on her own real-life experience, “Ethnically Ambiguous” delivers a comedic taste of what it’s like to be constantly asked, “What are you?” by unboxing racial identity in an incredibly label driven industry and society. Currently, her top-rated podcast “Self-Deprecated with Tiffany Phillips” can be heard on all podcast platforms.

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Skylar Funk is a multi-instrumentalist, hot sauce maker and the main singer and songwriter of Trapdoor Social, an LA-based indie rock band that specializes in solar-powered live events, has been releasing music for just about a decade, and now connects with fans online in three languages (other than English).

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Matthias Petsche is a designer and illustrator based in the mountains of Northern Arizona. After graduating Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and 7+ years of corporate design and ad agency life, Matthias Design was created in 2018. Matthias Design is currently a one-man studio focused on creative visual solutions. You can likely find his work at your nearest craft bottle shop for Superstition Meadery, a top meadery in the world. When not in front of the computer you can find him hiking, kickboxing, throwing weapons, or just hanging out with his 3-legged dog-like ferret Morty.

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Leland Grant is a multi-versed singer, songwriter, producer, musician and performer, and enjoys incorporating this multitude of music-related facets simultaneously on the road and at his home in Nashville, TN.

Born in Florida and adopted at birth, Grant grew up in Virginia Beach listening to Motown and Billy Joel, and began playing piano and drums as a child. After graduating from Old Dominion University with a music business major that he created and implemented on his own, he booked the role as Keith Partridge for a pilot of VH1’s The New Partridge Family, also starring Emma Stone as his sister. Through The Partridge Family, Grant was reconnected with his birth mother and discovered that the family’s musical roots ran deep. He stayed in Los Angeles for five years becoming an integral part of the Hotel Cafe songwriter music scene, sharing many bills with artists such as Tony Lucca, as well as becoming musical director for Disney’s Mitchel Musso (Hannah Montana) and various other artists. Grant wrote, toured and produced extensively before making a move to Nashville in 2008 to do the same.

Once in Nashville, Grant wasted no time becoming involved in many musical projects, including the nationally beloved Spazmatics, a band who travels the country dressed in nerd outfits offering an energetic show full of 80’s covers, choreography and plenty of dad-joke humor. Leland shines as a live performer and still leads the Spazmatics who usually have a line out the door for their in-town Sunday residency.  He’s also broken the Top 40 Country and Rock charts as a writer and producer and has appeared on NBC’s The Voice with his duo, THE LiNE, who also performed on the last season of The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and appeared on a national tour for two years.

Pursuing his passion off the stage as a writer and producer he has recorded records across the globe, from Los Angeles to Amsterdam.  Numerous notable credits include putting banjo on the Dan + Shay track “These Days,” to singing the TV theme for R.L. Stine’s Mostly Ghostly.

Grant’s wide variety of influences can be heard in his new 8-song EP, but the threads running through the multi-genre record are easily definable: pop sensibilities, honest, relatable songwriting and effortless but range-filled vocals with a flare for classic song concepts that shake hands with John Mayer and John Lennon. The record offers a complete range of feels and emotions from the soulful and contemplative “Switch Me On” and tender but powerful “Get Lucky” to the deep dance grooves of “Good Thing” and feel-good final track “Be A Church.” Grant played many of his own instruments on the record (acoustic guitar, piano, percussion), most of which was recorded at his studio, South Light Sound, as well as the legendary Sound Emporium in Nashville. The EP was co-produced by Grammy-nominated songwriter Stephony Smith, and Grammy winning mixer/engineer Ryan Hewitt (Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Lumineers).

Although this is Grant’s first solo release in almost 10 years, he is no newcomer when it comes to musicianship and artistry. He places a strong emphasis on his live show, fronting his band and easily connecting with a crowd through his energetic presence, engaging live vocals and easy banter - a must see upon release of his new record. Along with a record release slated for Spring 2020 under the band name “The Photographs”, Grant plans to write, tour and produce simultaneously for the foreseeable future.

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Sean Hill is an award winning multidisciplinary artist & humanitarian with the focus of supporting universal inner & outer peace in a realistic, fun, & passionate way.  As a SAG actor, host, speaker, touring spoken word artist & workshop facilitator he has shared stages and pages with Oscar winners, platinum singers, Grammy winners, literary giants like Kevin Powell, V (formerly Eve Ensler), Jessica Care Moore, Nikki Giovanni & children from youth homes sharing poems for the first time. He traveled to help build two gender equal schools in Malawi & Nepal.  "It is better to light a candle than to curse the dark.” www.patreon.com/LetsBendReality

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Growing up in a rural community, Steve Hollingsworth was fortunate enough to catch the creative bug at the age of fourteen. Beginning playing music, producing skateboarding videos and comedy sketches with his friends. Steve was recruited by the local municipality to join their broadcasting and communication department at age fifteen. Upon finishing high school — with a wealth of knowledge about video production and live broadcasting under his belt — Steve began freelancing as a network TV cameraman, producing music videos, marketing videos, wedding videos, documentaries, and just about everything in between.

When digital video became in high demand, Steve was invited to join a team of creatives to produce various forms of media for aviation companies. As a key player for the team, Steve created hundreds of videos and photographs for marketing platforms. After four years of non-stop aerial adrenaline, Steve decided to ground himself and combine all the skills he’d accumulated over the previous 15 years to start his own stand-alone media production company - Enlightening Media

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Shannon Torrence is a professional voice actor who has lent her voice to TV and radio commercials, animated projects, video games, business narration, phone systems, jingles, and more.

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Juanita has been in Nashville since 1990 and worked for Mercury Records, Almo Sounds Records, Pioneer Music Group, GMF Music, and Hippo Productions in addition to her time as President/General Manager of the Sound Emporium. A life-long lover of all music, she brings a passion to her work that is second to none. After hours, she also still provides Production Assistant services to several well-known Nashville Producers, Artists and Engineers. She brings a very well-rounded plethora of experience to her position as President/COO/General Manager and to quote Robert Plant...."Juanita is always cheery and makes you feel so welcome whenever you are at the Sound Emporium."

She has managed to make the Sound Emporium one of Nashville’s busiest studios, running 80-90% booked at any given time. This at a time when other studios in town are being leveled to make parking garages or condos. She also has a reputation for training the best engineers in town. Her management style and leadership are the main reasons the studio continues to thrive to this day. She treats all clients like “family” and creates such a great, positive “vibe” for them to record, down to the smallest of details. Projects recorded at the Sound Emporium recently, earned 6 Grammy Awards in 2016, one in 2017 and one in 2018. She is very well respected and considered to be an industry leader when it comes to successful management of a commercial recording facility.

She first came to Sound Emporium in 1995 to work for Garth Fundis and Almo Sounds Records, which was housed at Sound Emporium. When the label closed in 1998, she continued to work for Garth Fundis until he sold the studio in 2011. The new owner kept her on as just the accountant for the remainder of 2011, but brought her back as studio manager in 2012 after the two managers he hired performed poorly creating a huge loss at the end of 2011. With a lot of hard work and tenacity, Juanita and her staff brought the long-time clients back and garnered new ones. This turned things around so that by 2013, they were back on top as one of Nashville’s most sought-after destinations for those seeking a top- notch recording facility. She has brought in new genres to the studio and continues to not just survive in this crazy business, but thrive. The Sound Emporium is not just her “job” – it is her life. She guards the legacy and history of the studio with fierce pride and shares it with all who are interested.

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Deena Marcum Selko, started out as a competitive gymnast in her youth, and quickly fell in love with theater through the world of ballet. Inspired by her father, actor and musician Robert Marcum who starred in the original San Francisco production of ‘Hair’ in the early 1970’s, Deena quickly fell into life as a performer. As a dancer, Deena moved from California to NYC where she earned her BFA in Dance, specializing in Contemporary Ballet. She found aerial and circus through New York based Anti-Gravity, which has since taken her on an 18 year journey through the circus world.

Deena has performed as an aerialist nationally and internationally, touring with: Cirque Le Masque; Cirque Legacy; Cirque Fantasies; Nimble Arts; and at the International Aerial Dance Festival, and the New York Aerial Dance Festival.

In 2009, Deena Marcum Selko created MOTH Poetic Circus, and serves as the Artistic Director. MOTH is a cutting edge circus & arts company that has produced over a dozen large scale events and shows including The Nutcracker Circus, Alice in Wonderland: A Musical Cirque Adventure, L'Electrique Dollhouse, and Cirque Side of the Moon, among many others. MOTH Poetic Circus thrives on collaborations with artists of all genres from around the world, combining circus, theater, dance, music, and visual arts. MOTH strives to create works of art that are innovative, evocative, and of course poetic.

MOTH stands for ‘Movement of the Heart’, and at the heart of the company is married duo, Artistic Director, Deena Marcum Selko, and Executive Producer, Gabriel Leif Selko. Together they have taken MOTH from a small arts company, to a large-scale production company. They have collaborated on over a dozen shows, all of which have sold out in advance. Together they have a collective 58 years of experience from producing and directing, to performing and creating.

Deena believes that authenticity is a movement of expression that comes from deep within the heart of an artist.

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Heather Youmans is a Los-Angeles-based singer-songwriter, acclaimed vocalist, bassist and actress. The “essence of a Southern California singer/songwriter” (American Songwriter Magazine), Heather’s music spreads happiness. It's honest, uplifting and influenced by a range of dynamic women in music, including: HAIM, P!nk, Kelly Clarkson, Sheryl Crow,  Sara Bareilles, Alanis Morissette, Fiona Apple, Joss Stone and Donna Missal. Through the years, she has written/recorded original music featured in Forbes, Parade Magazine and the LA Times, played on Top40 radio and in movies - including "Flicka 2" (alongside country music icon Clint Black), "Marley and Me 2” and "High Strung," premiering at TCL Chinese Theatre. She opened for Sting and the late Natalie Cole at a Unicef event, and has sung the national anthem solo for the LA Kings and 20,000 fans at Staples Center on New Years Eve. In Fall 2020, she released single SHINE--channeling good vibes, self-love and sunshine--and appeared as the "Tap Dancer" on FOX's new hit singing show "I Can See Your Voice." A LITTLE CLOSER TO HAPPY is the next chapter in her pursuit of happiness, as she continues to spread optimism and positive energy to fans. For the latest on Heather’s upcoming projects, follow her on Spotify and Instagram.

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Michael Estrin’s life is a funny story, and so he writes about it, primarily in novels and creative nonfiction.

Michael Estrin’s life is a funny story, and so he writes about it, primarily in novels and creative nonfiction.

Reed Turchi has two new albums out, "I've Chosen Love" which is Memphis-soul influence, and "Creosote Flats," which is Sonoran Desert Blues. He currently lives in Nashville, but is originally from Swannanoa North Carolina (near Asheville).

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Devi Dutta-Choudhury has been studying, designing, and thinking about architecture for most of her life. Having lived in varied environments, from college towns to Himalayan villages, Southern suburbia to coastal cities, Devi credits these cross-cultural experiences with shaping her understanding of lifestyles and the homes that support them. She attended Tulane University and UCLA, where she received her two master’s degrees in architecture. Devi recently published House to Home: Designing Your Space for the Way You Live, by Roost Books. It’s an interactive guidebook to home design, based on her experience both as an architect, and in designing and building her own home in Berkeley, California, where she lives with her husband and 3 kids. Devi has her own full-service architecture practice, specializing in modern, casual design. She enjoys working on a range of housing types from larger multi-family, co-living, and workforce housing to townhouses and single-family homes. She’s active in local planning and advocacy efforts that support a diverse and dynamic built environment. She loves working on homes the most because of the personal relationships she develops with the clients, helping them live more meaningful and realized lives in their new space.

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Todd Beauchamp is a marketing executive that has led creative teams at Bravo, E! And Esquire Network that set new records in ratings, social and industry accolades. When he’s not busy convincing you to watch tv shows about eyebrow makeovers or whatever, Todd loves to produce music for artists like Tyler Hilton, Curtis Peoples and total pain-in-the-ass Candace Devine. Candace, Candace bo bandace.  Banana fanna—  What kind of bio is this?  Do I really have to read this jibber jabber? Jesus Christ, Todd is an asshole. I mean, we’re friends, but, not, like, FRIENDS— you know what I mean?  We should cancel him. Can I cancel him? For fucks sake, we’ve had Grammy winners on this show. What’s Todd done? We’re really scraping the bottom of the barrel this week. I’m just gonna skip ahead to the end. Anyway, Todd takes his work very seriously, but hates writing about himself in the third person and DEFINITELY didn’t write this bio specifically to make Candace Devine say stupid shit on her own podcast.

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Therese Curatolo is a Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter, globally acclaimed vocalist that lights up any room with her effervescent energy, charisma and retro vibe. Therese prides herself on her wit, humor, and honest approach to songwriting being touted as “a modern day Joni Mitchell.” Her recent releases have been described as retro pop reminiscent of HAIM, The Night Game and Fickle Friends.  She has lent her voice to several established groups, such as Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox, Scary Pockets and Cirque du Soleil, touring worldwide and amassing over 1,000,000 Spotify streams and 7,000,000 views on YouTube. Fans of her work with Scary Pockets and Postmodern Jukebox have called her a “singing pogo stick,” “a dynamic powerhouse” and a “vocal chameleon.” Therese has established herself as an artist on the rise singing alongside soul legends Stevie Wonder and Martha Reeves. Through the years, her versatile vocal power has taken her from the Metropolitan Opera to the big screen and iconic venues, like The Troubadour. Her last performance before the global pandemic was with Tony Award-winning, Broadway composer Jason Robert Brown, who referred to her performances as a “vocal master class.” Soon after, she released singles Tokyo and Babe in 2020, channeling `80s nostalgia and flirtatious energy. Braille is the next chapter in her retro chronicles, as she continues to transport fans back in time with a fresh take on familiar sounds. For the latest on Therese’s upcoming projects, follow her on Spotify and Instagram.

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Me and my colleagues take on projects that always have a double bottom line. While I definitely have an eye on the business side of things, I also truly want my work to help make my world/country/state/neighborhood a better place.

The Rational Middle is a media creation and film production company. We focus on using film, written content and events to help create conversation and dialogue around difficult and complicated subjects. Our current focuses are the clean energy future, immigration and healthcare.

The Prize Foundation is a nationally recognized, award-winning series of competitions for filmmakers, musicians, entrepreneurs, and chefs. Our goal is to elevate these people and help create a sustainable career for these Creative Entrepreneurs.

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Allison Shaw is the founder of Manic Monkee, a brand development and artist management firm which has worked with multiple companies and artists in the music/tech/brands space. Allison also produces/talent buys for festivals/livestreams/events. Shaw got her start writing for MTV/Vh1 and started Hyperactive Music Magazine that was carried in over 1200 locations nationally. Shaw worked for TV personality Rachael Ray and created her music division which included the famed RR Feedback Party at SXSW. Allison also headed up Brand Development for rock and roll inductee’s Public Enemy.

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Chad Kennedy was born and raised in St. Louis, Mo. His desire to escape the Mid-West fueled his passion for storytelling of all mediums, leading him to begin studying literature, theater, and film at an early age. He graduated with honors from the USC School of Cinema-Television and began his career in feature development working on such films as TERMINATOR 3, TERMINATOR 4, and BASIC INSTINCT 2. Frustrated with working on movies that had numbers in the titles, Chad re-ignited his passion in Television during the development of THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES, the first Terminator-based TV show. Since then, for over a decade, Chad has overseen dozens of shows between his time at Warner Bros. Television Studio and Lionsgate Television Studio, including WITHOUT A TRACE, ONE TREE HILL, ER, SOUTHLAND, SHAMELESS, SUPERNATURAL, REVOLUTION, THE BIG BANG THEORY, THE ROYALS, NASHVILLE, GREENLEAF, and many others. Currently, Chad serves as the Senior Vice President of Current Programming at WBTV, where he oversees LEGENDS OF TOMORROW, SANDMAN, DOOM PATROL, BLACK LIGHTNING, SUPERMAN & LOIS, and PRODIGAL SON.

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Brooke Seguin may currently be seen in the dark comedy, 12 Hour Shift, on Hulu. She is also creator/artistic director of the long-running, LA hit show, 30 Minute Musicals, which has parodied over 15 films in fast-paced musical form. Check out 30MM's youtube for clips from various shows! Seguin's company, Secondline Productions, began in 2008 and turns out numerous productions each year in the Los Angeles theatre and comedy communities.

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Our guest today is Amy Gerhartz, who is a singer-songwriter, speaker, mindset coach and self-love advocate. She has been featured on podcasts such as All In with Rick Jordan, Making It In The Music Industry, Agents of Innovation, Oh My Health - There Is Hope, The Slow Drag, and The Boatcast Tribe.  After 14 years as an independent musician, with multiple cross-country tours, 6 album releases, and various commercial projects, she is now helping Global Entertainment Professionals discover their true voice in an industry that constantly tells them to conform.  Launching her new podcast and online course “The Entertainer Mindset”, Amy aims to help others redefine the true meaning of success, while in and out of the spotlight.

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Tamir Barzilay is a multi-instrumentalist, producer and composer based in Los Angeles. Tamir has worked, recorded or toured with artists such as Macy Gray, Jason Mraz, Adam Lambert, Tal Wilkenfeld Band, Scary Pockets, Natasha Bedingfield, Skazi, Yemen Blues, Funknstien and more.

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Dana Tomsic Golder is A classically trained singer and actress. She attended the American Conservatory Theater and received a degree in Theater and Creative Writing from Cal State University Northridge.

Dana started working in TV and film as an intern for the classic soap opera “General Hospital” in 1997. She began as a Production Intern and moved into Casting after one fateful encounter in the elevator on the way home with Gwen Hillier. “You always look like you know what you’re doing around here and you move fast. . . Want to work in Casting?” Thus, her career in TV and Film Casting began.

Under the mentorship of Casting Director Mark Teschner and associate, Gwen Hillier, Dana learned the in’s and out’s of daytime scripted casting.  With their help and astute advice, she moved to New York City to work for “One Life to Live.” After her stint in casting soap operas, Dana was awarded the coveted Academy of Television apprenticeship in Casting and worked under the mentorship of Mike Fenton (“The Godfather II,” “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”)  and later Erik Dawson of UDK (“Designated Survivor,” “Nip Tuck”) where she began scouting and developing a true eye and love for personality, people and talent.

In 2003, Dana made the leap into unscripted Casting working on such long-running reality hits as “The Amazing Race,”  “The Biggest Loser,” “Beauty and the Geek” and “Cash Cab.” Being in the trenches of “Real People” Casting has led her into producing her own pieces, selling pilots, and diving into the nooks and crannies of American culture nationwide. She thrives in uncovering real-life families, couples, and everyday Americans who never thought of sharing their life on TV. Her love for people and getting them to share their story is a true passion.

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