2017 Music Immersive Mentors
Janine Scalise Boyd
Vice President, Music, Creative & Business Affairs Starz
Based in the company’s Beverly Hills office, Boyd serves as lead music executive for Starz original programming, including STARZ Original series “Ash vs. Evil Dead,” “Black Sails” and “Power,” as well as limited series “Flesh and Bone.”
Boyd is directly responsible for overseeing the hiring of music supervisors and composers, as well as, determining the licensing budgets and supervising clearances. Boyd also oversees music supervision services for Original Programming throughout each project’s production process from pre-production through final delivery, as well as the network’s Image Campaigns and trailers for all series. On some Starz Original Programming, such as, “Ash Vs. Evil Dead,” Boyd is the music supervisor for the series.
Additionally, Boyd guided Starz into music publishing for all its owned Original Programming and has overseen that for the last eight years.”
Susan Dolan
Susan Dolan is a music supervisor responsible for innumerable placements & licensing deals made in connection with Fortune 500 ad campaigns, network TV shows, and award-winning films. She has placed music in national ad campaigns for brands such as Nike, Target, Kia, Southwest Airlines and Honda, among many others. Her entertainment credits include Castle (ABC), Mercy (NBC), Life (NBC), and Men In Trees (ABC), as well as the film festival darling, Hank & Asha, which won the Audience Award at Slamdance in Park City, UT. Susan currently works independently and in partnership with Shindig Music, a newly found music production company focused on TV commercials and other branded content.
Mamie Coleman
Mamie Coleman, Senior Vice President of Creative Music and Production at Fox Broadcasting Company, is one of the entertainment industry’s most versatile executives. With experience in both television and music, Ms. Coleman plays an integral role in producing and developing innovative program launches, marketing strategies and image campaigns for broadcast television’s number one network by creating the unique “sound” of FOX marketing. She works closely with TV studios, production companies, major record labels, recording artists, and agents to secure talent and production materials for FOX’s award-winning on-air promotional campaigns.
With over 24 years in the television business, Mamie is a key diverse TV executive at FOX and has been groomed and promoted up the ranks throughout her tenure at the network. She oversees day-to-day production of, and negotiates and executes the music and talent licensing agreements for all of FOX’s primetime show marketing and promotions. She successfully courts artists and music executives to provide fresh, hip new music for the network’s season launch elements, including in-theater/online trailers and promotional soundtracks.
Mamie is a huge part of the success behind the marketing for Fox primetime shows. She pitched and negotiated deals for some of the most highly rated and music driven shows on Fox Broadcasting’s air including Beat Shazam, Showtime at the Apollo, Empire, Star, Grease Live and Rocky Horror Picture Show. Grease Live made history by becoming the first live musical ever to win multiple Emmys and Outstanding Special Class Program. She co-produced two songs off the season 2 Empire soundtrack with key Fox producers, Grammy Award winning composers and show talent. She is currently working on Summer and Fall season launch campaigns for some of the hottest television series on Fox.
A recipient of numerous industry awards, including the 2010 and 2011 “Billboard Women in Music” Awards, for which she was recognized as #22 of the top 30 most powerful women in the music industry in both years. John Muir High School Alumni Association presented Mamie as one of the 2011 Inductees to the John Muir High School Hall of Fame. She was inducted under the business category. In April 2016, Mamie was one of the top four nominees for the “Music Supervisor of the Year” International Music Industry Awards as well as a variety of Promax awards with her creative Fox team.
Chris Mollere
Music Supervisor Chris Mollere’s diverse interest in the world began quite early in life. Growing up in a military family, he traveled extensively while living in Europe and various stateside locations. At an early age he developed a unique appreciation and love for all styles of music. He especially credits his family’s love of music and his father’s extensive record collection as an early influence. His passion and love of music evolved even further as he began attending concerts and playing music himself. Chris attended and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin, and in addition to receiving an excellent education in the areas of psychology, advertising and business, he participated in countless music events that the city and state had to offer. Living in Austin provided Chris unlimited opportunities to attend concerts ranging from the most seasoned performers to a diverse variety of new artists. Becoming friends with many musicians and music venue owners provided Chris with a unique perspective of the behind the scenes challenges and business aspects of music. To further expand his knowledge of the music business, Chris worked with bands in management, production and promotional capacities. These early positions helped Chris understand many of the diverse facets involved in the music industry. After graduation, Chris moved to Los Angeles, California to pursue a full time career in music and entertainment.
Chris has had numerous credits as a Film and TV Music Supervisor, including working on the CW television series THE VAMPIRE DIAIRES and THE ORIGINALS, as well as ABC Family / Freeform Television series PRETTY LITTLE LIARS, FAMOUS IN LOVE, GREEK, CHASING LIFE, KYLE XY and 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU, as well as on the feature films GET OUT, BAD WORDS, THE FAMILY FANG, THE BOX, I HOPE THEY SERVE BEER IN HELL, THE HAUNTING OF MOLLY HARTLEY and many more. To date Chris has worked as a Music Supervisor on our 700 episodes of TV and over 30 films.
Andre Merritt
Super songwriter, Andre Merritt, has helped create career defining hits and a musical sound that is proven timeless and fits all genres. By taking emotions, life experiences and words that people dare to speak, he uses them to tell a story through song. Over the last 10 years, Andre Merritt has won Grammys and topped the Billboard charts time and time again. He continues to build himself as a writer and as the recording artist- Apollo Grey.
Andre launched his songwriting career in 2006 with Marques Houston’s “Favorite Girl”. He following up shortly after with Omarion’s hit single “Entourage”, which garnered interests from every major publishing company in the industry. Shortly after he co-wrote Chris Brown’s “Down” featuring Kanye West and topped the charts once more with Chris Brown’s “Turn Up The Music”. In 2011 and 2012 Andre earned a Grammy, as well as Billboard, NAACP, and American Music Award nominations for his work on one of Chris Brown’s most notable albums- F.A.M.E. Chris Brown’s “Wet The Bed” feat Ludacris from the F.A.M.E. Album, climbed to #6 on Billboard’s Hip/Hop and R&B Charts. Other chart toppers include “Forever” by Chris Brown, “Disturbia” by Rihanna, “Dont Want to Dance Alone” and “Going Nowhere” by Fifth Harmony and “Fight For This Love” by X-Factor judge superstar Cheryl Cole in the UK. His latest work will be released by K-Pop artist XO in 2016. Andre has worked with some of the top artists in the world including Chris Brown, Rihanna, Usher, Cheryl Cole, Natasha Bedingfield, Kanye West, Kelly Rowland, Black Eyed Peas, Willow Smith, Jason Derulo, Mila J, Melanie Fiona, Katy Perry, Jack & Jack, XO, Timbaland, Jessie McCartney, Alexandra Burke, Goapele, and the list continues to grow. In 2014 he launched himself as the artist Apollo Grey, with his debut single “Cause I Want To”, Apollo Grey gave his listeners the sound R&B has been missing. “I am truly blessed to be able to work with the artists that I have been able to work with. I was able to really grow creatively through the process to develop a unique sound I can call my own”, Andre comments. Apollo is working on his artistry and is due to release his latest EP in 2016.
Andre Merritt feels “Living grand is living out your dream, exceeding all expectations and doing what you want to do…” He not only looks forward to winning another Grammy as a songwriter but also as a recording artist himself.
Michael Eames
Michael Eames is a trained composer, songwriter and pianist with experience in film scoring who studied music at Cornell University and UCLA Extension; Michael also secured a minor in Business Management from Cornell. As President of PEN, Michael oversees all aspects of the operation as well as focuses on pitching the catalogue to all media and business development. Prior to starting PEN, Michael oversaw the international activities and film & television department of Don Williams Music Group where he was responsible for song catalogues such as Jimi Hendrix, Chicago and Roy Orbison among numerous others. He also worked previously for Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys and the management and music supervision firms The Derek Power Co and Seth Kaplan Entertainment. Michael is currently the second-term President of the Association Of Independent Publishers (AIMP) and proudly serves on the Independent Publishers Advisory Council (IPAC) of the National Music Publishers Association (NMPA). He is also a member of the California Copyright Conference (CCC) and the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS). Michael recently co-authored a book entitled FIVE STAR MUSIC MAKEOVER: The Independent Artist’s Guide for Singers, Songwriters, Bands, Producers and Self Publishers (Hal Leonard) and is a frequent guest speaker in classrooms and panel discussions nationwide.
“Hookman” Marlin Bonds (Songwriter/Producer)
‘Hookman’ is a lifelong musician, songwriter, and producer. He began to play the trumpet at a young age, and by the time he was a teenager he had discovered Jazz in a big way. Regional and State Jazz competitions led him to receive full scholarships to University of Kansas City Missouri and William Paterson University, where he went on to receive a Bachelor’s degree in Jazz performance. He wrote and produced his first hit single with Swizz Beatz, “Money in the Bank.” Currently based in LA, Hookman has been co-writing with some of the most accomplished producers, writers and artists in the business, including Chris Brown, Jason Derulo, Kelly Rowland, Enrique Eglesias, Karmin, and Jordin Sparks. In 2012 he started working with upcoming artists AKA King, Mz. 007, and Heven, who have recently been signed to the dance label Ultra Records. His creative vision for future endeavors extends beyond writing songs and work towards building an infrastructure where he can develop and executive produce new talent.
Richard Harris (Songwriter/producer)
A published writer/producer with Peer MusicLA who has had Billboard, iTunes, and other chart-topping cuts around the world with artists like Katharine McPhee, South Africa’s Idol winner Elvis Blue, Anahi, Boh Runga, Sabrina Starke, Camera Can’t Lie, Shawn Hook, Tyler Shaw, Lead, Felix Cartal, Greg Cerrone, DJ Stonebridge, and recent #1 Billboard hit “Lie to Me” with Cole Plante. Co-writers include Grammy award winning and multi-million selling writers like Lazonate Franklin, Justin Gray, Erika Nuri, Mark Hudson, Pam Sheyne, Victoria Shaw, Gary Burr, Keith Follese, Jeff Franzel and Boots Ottestad. Richard’s music can be heard in commercials and TV shows like Beauty & the Beast, One Tree Hill, Cold Case, Third Watch, The Closer, The Hills, Joan of Arcadia, Critic’s Choice, and Cinematheque on CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX, The BBC, History Channel, Lifetime, MTV, Discovery Channel, TNT, and many others. Recent film credits include This Means War and Single Moms Club.
Steven B. Ray
Steven started as a roadie for Sammy Davis, Jr.’s summer tours. After college he was Quincy Jones’ production assistant and participated on projects like Michael Jackson’s album “Thriller,” “We Are The World,” James Ingram’s solo debut album, Frank Sinatra’s “LA Is My Lady,” and the film, The Color Purple. Steven went on to Capital Records, where he was a senior executive in A&R and the first person of color to run their New York office. He also oversaw recordings for Freddie Jackson, re-mixes for Duran Duran and The Pet Shop Boys, and the signing of Bebe & Cece Winans and MC Hammer. Steven later worked at Windswept Pacific Publishing as a creative executive, staff writer & music supervisor. He signed writer/producers Manuel Seal (co-writer on Mariah Carey and Usher hits), Quincy Jones, III (co-writer/producer for TuPac, Ice Cube and The Fresh Prince of Bel Air theme) and the co-venture with LA Reid’s publishing company, HitCo Music (which spawned hits for TLC, Anita Baker, Destiny’s Child, and numerous Beyonce solo hits). As a music supervisor, Steven provided support for feature films Havana and Forrest Gump, and was nominated for the Best Film Music Sprit Award for “Hangin’ with the Homeboys.” His current focus is management for hit songwriter, Andre Merritt (see above – Andre is on the HSF staff too!) and Danish singer/songwriter Viktoria Hansen (co-writer on Brandon Beal’s “Paradise” and Krewella’s “Calm Down”).
Adam Zelkind
Eight-time award winning songwriter/composer/producer with credits on feature films and over 775 hit television episodes, including shows like Rock of Love, Flavor of Love, I Love Money, Real Chance of Love, The Surreal Life, From G’s to Gents, I Love New York, Charm School, My Fair Brady, Out Back Jack, and Next Action Star. He has had 20 songs on Hart of Dixie alone, and he co-wrote and produced “My Favorite Show” with The Crazy Z’s – an end titles feature on HBO’s The Leftovers. Many of his songs can be heard in recent films including the critically acclaimed film Disconnect and Marine Home Front, No Manches Frida, and the soon to be released feature film An LA Minute. His awards include ASCAP’s Most Performed Music on Television for two consecutive years. He has worked with artists and writers such as, Chris Gelbuda, Kristian Bush (Sugarland), Bret James, Glen Phillips (Toad The Wet Sprocket), Big Al Anderson, Josh Kelley, Walt Aldridge, Darryl Worley, Gary Burr, Ashley Gorley, Josh Kelley, Meghan Lindsey (The Voice & Steel Magnolia), Sara Watkins (Nickel Creek), Sara Lee Guthrie & Johnny Irion, Will Champlin and Dustin Christensen (The Voice), Tom Higgenson (Plain White T’s) and this year co-wrote a #15 song on the Spotify pop charts “Viral” with Marlin Hookman Bonds for James Graham.