91探花

By Lily Manoukian
Collaborators Mariana Stockman and Rylie Stopperich

As the 6th annual 91探花 Music Industry Summit approaches, I鈥檓 excited to introduce you to this year鈥檚 artists and speakers through our official playlist! This playlist seeks to showcase the music of our artists as well as music that captures the essence of who our speakers work with and what they do. This years鈥� topics include music clearance, artist management, digital marketing, and music journalism卢鈥攋ust to name a few.

Listed below is each artist or speaker, their song selection, and a brief rationale connecting the two:

• Craig Finn; Featured Artist: 鈥淏濒补苍办别迟蝉鈥� by Craig Finn 鈥� Artist鈥檚 most listened to song on Spotify

• Earl Sweatshirt; Featured Artist: 鈥淐丑耻尘鈥� by Earl Sweatshirt 鈥� Artist鈥檚 most listened to song on Spotify
• Deborah Mannis-Gardner; President/Owner, DMG Clearances: 鈥淏辞测蝉鈥� by Amen Dunes 鈥� DMG cleared a sample of 鈥淎 New Mind Cold Rush Phuture Mix鈥� for use as an outro/transition in this song
• Rebecca Shapiro; Sr. VP of Publicity, Shore Fire Media: 鈥淔ollow You to Virgie (Live)鈥� by Tyler Childers 鈥� Shore Fire鈥檚 client, Wasserman, earned the title of Booking Agency of the Year at the 2024 Pollstar Awards, with Tyler Childers making it onto Pollstar鈥檚 Top Tours of 2023
• Miriam O鈥橲hea; Partner Manager鈥擬ajor Labels, YouTube Music: 鈥淒ance With You鈥� by Miriam O鈥橲hea 鈥� Artist鈥檚 first release on Spotify
• Jason Isbell; Featured Artist: 鈥淚f It Takes a Lifetime鈥�, 鈥�Traveling Alone鈥� by Jason Isbell 鈥� Curated artist selections
• Jaron Takach; Producer/Multi-Instrumentalist, Satic枚y: 鈥淪omething to Prove鈥� by Satic枚y 鈥� Curated artist selection from Satic枚y鈥檚 most recent album release, Origami
• Maria Gironas; Founder鈥擟ool Sh*t, Cool People: 鈥淕old on the Ceiling鈥� by The Black Keys 鈥� Gironas formerly worked with The Black Keys
• Dre Slater; Head of Artist Discovery, The Digilogue: 鈥淧别补肠别鈥� by Mannywellz, Tems 鈥� Slater co-led the digital marketing campaign for Nannywellz鈥� album, 鈥淢irage鈥�
• Angela Ramos; Manager of Global Sync, Meta: 鈥淐ruel World鈥� by Willie Nelson 鈥� Ramos worked with Take-Two Interactive to license 鈥淐ruel World鈥� for Red Dead Redemption 2
• Marcus J Moore; Music Journalist: 鈥�笔搁滨顿贰.鈥� by Kendrick Lamar 鈥� Moore wrote a biography of Kendrick Lamar, published in 2020, titled, The Butterfly Effect: How Kendrick Lamar Ignited the Soul of Black America
• Kevin Rutherford; Sr. Charts/Data Analyst鈥擲treaming Services & Rock, Billboard: 鈥淓nd of Beginning鈥� by Djo 鈥� Rutherford has written numerous pieces referencing this song as part of Billboard鈥檚 Chart Beat, most recently on March 28th, 2024
• Mike Joseph; Director of Label Management, The Orchard: 鈥淲orth It.鈥� by RAYE 鈥� RAYE is a client of the Orchard
• Sarah Kloboves; Digital Marketing Coordinator, Chartmetric: 鈥淒rop The Game鈥� by Flume, Chet Faker 鈥� Flume was a featured artist in Kloboves鈥� article 鈥淗ow Australian Music is Breaking Into the Mainstream鈥�
• Britnee Foreman; Head of Data Strategy & Digital Operations, Exceleration Music: 鈥淲rite A List of Things To Look Forward To鈥� by Courtney Barnett 鈥� Barnett鈥檚 album, Things Take Time, Take Time, which this song was featured on, was released by Mom+Pop Music, a partner of Exceleration Music
• John Williamson; CEO/Founder, SongFinch: 鈥淣辞.叠辞诲测鈥� by WasionKey 鈥� Artist, WasionKey has created original music using Williamson鈥檚 SoundFinch
• Mary Jo Braun; VP of Music Clearance, Paramount Pictures: 鈥淗arvest Moon鈥� by Neil Young 鈥� Braun worked on the licensing for this song鈥檚 placement in the film, A Quiet Place
• Matt Hendrickson; Music Journalist鈥擱olling Stone, Garden & Gun: 鈥淲hen I Come Around鈥� by Green Day 鈥� Hendrickson wrote a cover story on Green Day for Rolling Stone in 2015
• Faith Galloway; Director of Operations, Bauer Entertainment Marketing: 鈥淥ne Of Them Girls鈥� by Lee Brice 鈥� Galloway has collaborated with notable companies like VICE and Refinery 29, as well as artists like Priscilla Presley and Lee Brice
• Macy Gilbert; Artist Manager, Grandview Music: 鈥淭HATS WHAT I WANT鈥� by Lil Nas X 鈥� Gilbert formerly worked on Lil Nas X鈥檚 artist management team at Live Nation
• Alex Malcolm; Global Sync Manager, Warner Music Group: 鈥淓罢础鈥� by Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes, & Anderson .Paak 鈥� 鈥淓罢础鈥� is featured in GTA Online: The Contract, under Rockstar Games, a company that partners with WMG for music sync
• David De Cristofaro; Business Development & Partnerships Lead, Interactive Images: 鈥淪unday Bloody Sunday鈥� by U2 鈥� U2 is one example of the artists Cristofaro is helping to guide modern XR (extended reality) projects with
• Brothertiger; Electronic Musician & Producer: 鈥淗igh Tide鈥� by Brothertiger 鈥� Artist鈥檚 most listened to song on Spotify
• Jon Zellner; President of Programming Operations & Digital Music, iHeart Media: 鈥淔濒辞飞别谤蝉鈥� by Miley Cyrus 鈥� 鈥淔濒辞飞别谤蝉鈥� was featured on the iHeartRadio Music Awards playlist
• LJ Malberg; Founder/CEO, Compassionate Muse: 鈥淏谤别补办鈥� by Tiffani Marie 鈥� Marie is an artist client of CoMuse
• J Rawls; Producer and Asst. Professor of Hip Hop at Ohio State University: 鈥凄别蹿颈苍颈迟颈辞苍鈥� by Black Star 鈥� J Rawls worked on this album, 鈥淢os Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star鈥�
• Ted Van Hyning; Vice President, NPi Audio Visual Solutions: 鈥淰ampire Empire鈥� performed by Big Thief 鈥� Big Thief is a former Nelsonville Music Festival (NMF) headliner, which is a partner with NPi Audio Visual Solutions
• Chris Messina; Producer/Engineer, Bon Iver: 鈥淪econd Nature鈥� by Bon Iver 鈥� Messina produced this song for the film, Don鈥檛 Look Up
• Chris Wetherell; Co-Founder/CEO, Myxt: 鈥渢ake a break鈥� by Chris Wetherell 鈥� Artist鈥檚 latest release on March 15th, 2024
• Anne Kallevig; Founder, Empirical Production Group: 鈥淏anana Pancakes鈥� by Jack Johnson 鈥� Highlights of Kallevig鈥檚 career include performing the role of production manager for Jack Johnson
• Kevin Breuner; Head of Artist Development & Education, BandLab Technologies: 鈥淚f You鈥檒l Let Me Love You鈥� by Smalltown Poets 鈥� Breuner is a member of band, Smalltown Poets鈥攃urated artist selection
• Andrew Wright; Lighting Technician, NPi Audio Visual Solutions: 鈥淐hange of Heart鈥� by Margo Price 鈥� Price is a former NMF artist, a partner company of NPi Audio Visual Solutions
• Dave Polster; Sr. Mastering Engineer & Operations Manager, Well Made Music: 鈥淐rooked Tree鈥� by Molly Tuttle, Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway 鈥� Polster worked on 鈥淐rooked Tree鈥�, a GRAMMY winning song
• Cameryn Conner; Rights Management Associate, The Mechanical Licensing Collective: 鈥淭he Lucky One鈥� by Taylor Swift 鈥� the MLC works to distribute mechanical royalties to small artists and music giants like Taylor Swift
• Mason Nozik; Audio Technician, NPi Audio Visual Solutions: 鈥淲hen the Light Dies鈥� by Lone Thunder 鈥� Curated selection from artist鈥檚 most recent album release, Proper Antidotes
• Jay Gilbert; Host of Your Morning Coffee Podcast: 鈥淧urple Haze鈥� by Jimi Hendrix 鈥� Gilbert designed and carried out innovative marketing plans for artist, Jimi Hendrix
• Bully; Featured Artist: 鈥淎ll I Do鈥� by Bully 鈥� Curated artist selection
• Dani Deahl; Head of Communications & Creator insights, BandLab: 鈥淭hinking Bout You鈥� by Dani Deahl, Alex Amaro 鈥� Curated artist selection
• Yuri Lysoivanov; Market Development Specialist, Shure: 鈥淏lame It On My Youth鈥� by Kurt Elling 鈥� Lysoivanov鈥檚 recent projects include recording Kurt Elling
• Rachael LaCava; Music Supervisor/Music Research Analyst, Media Content Operations at Meta: 鈥淐an鈥檛 Go to Hell鈥� by Sin Shake Sin 鈥� LaCava worked as the music coordinator for BunkHeads, a TV show 鈥淐an鈥檛 Go to Hell鈥� was placed in
• Peter One; Featured Artist: 鈥淪weet Rainbow鈥� by Peter One 鈥� Curated artist selection
• Andrew Morgan; Booking Agent, Wasserman Music: 鈥淪hut Up Kiss Me鈥� by Angel Olsen 鈥� Morgan is Olsen鈥檚 booking agent at Wasserman
• Brian Muehlenkamp; Product Manager, Ticketmaster: 鈥渟迟谤补苍驳别谤鈥� by Olivia Rodrigo 鈥� Rodrigo is currently utilizing Ticketmaster as her primary ticket seller for the Guts tour
• Ambar Lucid; Featured Artist: 鈥淎 letter to my younger self鈥� by Ambar Lucid 鈥� Artist鈥檚 most listened to song on Spotify

After reading and listening through the playlist, I hope this gives a clearer depiction of the world of music that this year鈥檚 Music Industry Summit speakers and artists live in. 

This is my second time curating this playlist, and the second time it has struck me that after having done all this research (with my collaborators), the playlist makes complete sense to me, but it is certainly not self-explanatory how everything is related. Connecting the dots between some of the more complicated relationships is particularly interesting because it shows the analytical and creative thinking that goes into making individual artists successful, as well as the music industry as a whole.