Meet the 2023 music industry leaders and professionals that are joining the team to guide this year’s participants.
Stay tuned for more faculty joining this year.
Ben Kaplan is based in Vancouver as a producer, engineer, mixer and musician and is one of the founders of Fader Mountain Sound, formerly the historic and iconic studio, Little Mountain Sound.
Ben was awarded the Juno for Jack Richardson Producer of the Year in 2020 and won the Audio Engineering Award at the Western Canadian Music Awards in 2019. He was also nominated for Juno Awards in 2012 for Producer of the Year and in 2017 and 2018 for Engineer of the Year.
He has a lengthy list of credits across all genres including…..Mother Mother, Rare Americans, Biffy Clyro, Snoop Dog, Shakira, Corb Lund, Bend Sinister and Five Alarm Funk.
Jay (they/them) is a queer non-binary Ilocano/Bikolano settler on Coast Salish Territory. They have been a local and touring live sound tech for almost a decade. Working with the likes of Charlotte Day Wilson, Kimmortal, and Jorja Smith offers some pretty great stories. With experience comes great knowledge and wisdom to pass on to anyone who chooses to listen and share space with them.
For more than 20 years, Ryan Worsley has been studiously, methodically, prodigiously, and obsessively honing his craft. Most recently he was nominated by the Juno Awards for Recording Engineer of the Year (2020) but was first recognized by the WCMA’s in 2015 with his first award for Engineer of the Year. He has since won producer of the year twice (2019, 2022)
Ryan’s collaboration with Juno award-winners Dear Rouge (Universal Music Canada) has been particularly fruitful, having produced, written and mixed for their LP’s “Black To Gold” (2015), “PHASES” (2018) and Spirit (2022), resulting in five top ten singles on the Canadian Alternative Chart as well as a number one (Fake Fame in 2022). Ryan also produced, co-wrote and mixed Monowhales’ Daytona Bleach, which landed them 4 top 10 singles on Canadian rock radio as well as a Juno Award for Breakout Group Of The Year (2022). Ryan has worked with artists including Willow, Said The Whale (Arts & Crafts), Hotel Mira (Light Organ), Mathew V (604 Records), The Royal Foundry and Shawn Frank.
Indonesian-born producer, composer and instrumentalist Jeia (pronounced: JAY-uh) is a passionate force creating vast soundscapes across all genres and timelines.
Currently splitting time between Los Angeles and Toronto, Jeia’s recent credits and collaborations includes chriseanrock, Curren$y, Beenie Man, Jesy Nelson, KALLITECHNIS, Destin Conrad, Saint Harison, and more. She has worked with Grammy-winning & nominated record producers and songwriters including Tayla Parx, Tommy Brown, Bizness Boi, Internet Money, Cubeatz, Kato, The Anmls, DannyBoyStyles, Bijan Amir, and many others.
Her raw creativity and technical aptitude earned her brand partnerships with Native Instruments, Roland, JBL/AKG, Sennheiser and more – creating engaging and educational videos featuring practical ways to utilize modern music tools and technology.
Driven by her intuitive approach in music production, she believes in creating a safe space for artists and creators to express themselves freely while helping to bring their vision to life.
Dajaun Martineau is a gold certified producer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and mixer with multiple Juno nominated projects. Profiled in Professional Sound Magazine and Mix Magazine, he has also been a regular writer and contributor for Canadian Musician Magazine.
Cutting his teeth at Phase One Recording Studios – Canada’s longest running recording studio – Dajaun earned credits on Juno-nominated records with artists such as Kathleen Edwards, Diemonds, and Cancer Bats. He has also worked alongside some of the industry’s leading record producers, including Justin Vernon (Taylor Swift, Bon Iver, Kanye West), Gavin Brown (Three Days Grace, Billy Talent, Metric), GGGarth Richardson (Alice Cooper, Nickelback, Mötley Crüe), David Bottrill (Peter Gabriel, Smashing Pumpkins, Muse), Sylvia Massy (Johnny Cash, Tool, Red Hot Chili Peppers) and Eric Ratz (Arkells, Big Wreck, Billy Talent).
Leaving the studio to go freelance in 2017, Dajaun continues to work with Juno-nominated artists, such as Lydia Ainsworth and Moist, while developing acts internationally. In the last year Dajaun has written with RIAA gold artist Jessia (VAN / LA), Baker Grace (NYC), Laureli (LA) and most recently Korean pop star Heyoon Jeong (Seoul / LA).
In 2021 Dajaun collaborated with artist Poesy and film composer/producer Stephen Lipson (Annie Lennox, Jeff Beck and Hans Zimmer) to write and co-produce Steel Heart which was used as the 2022 Canada Games Anthem. Dajaun’s most recent release was with TikTok sensation Akintoye producing his full length album “Anxiety & Circumstance”.
Since relocating to Los Angeles in 2022 Dajaun has worked with producer Trevor Horn on the Music Direction for the 2023 Seal World Tour and has worked with Demi Lovato on National television broadcasts and Live performances.
Toronto native, Kalisway is an alternative R&B/Funk artist, songwriter and producer who creates musical paintings through the use of elaborate colors, raw sounds, and natural emotions. Kalisway has brought Funk and R&B to the world in a brand-new way, giving listeners a new and refreshing sound. With her effervescent personality and love for free-styling combined, each track is uniquely created with free-flowing vibes and elements of spontaneity throughout. Her goal is to create music that will last a lifetime while continuously capturing new and old audiences, one masterpiece at a time.
Vel Omazic has been CMI’s executive director since co-founding the not-for-profit organization in 2011. CMI provides customized professional development and ongoing mentorship to emerging artists, managers, and industry professionals across all genres of music. Vel has worked in the Canadian music industry for three decades, having served as Vice-President, National Promotion and Media Relations for Sony Music Canada for 10 of those years. He got his start in the National Promotion/Publicity department at PolyGram Records. Prior to launching CMI, Vel was VP Marketing & Communications at Green Living Enterprises, an environmental consulting, marketing and events agency. He is an active member of the Advisory Board for Toronto Metropolitan University’s Music Den, a hub for music tech and next generation music companies, and an Advisor for Platform’s Music Tech Accelerator program (Reverb) in Calgary. Vel is also on the Advisory Board for Gatecrash Music’s AMPLIFY Incubator in Mumbai, India, which is modelled after CMI.
Liam Killeen is a Toronto-based artist manager and owner of Round One Sports & Entertainment Inc., currently representing Classified, The Tea Party, USS, HUMAN KEBAB, DIVIIDEDBY, and Kasador.
Round One was established as a company with a focus on talent management and the creation and exploitation of intellectual property. Round One’s artists have toured more than 15 countries around the globe and have seen commercial success with certifications ranging from Gold, all the way to 6x-Platinum.
In addition to artist management, Liam is a professor at Toronto Metropolitan University’s Creative School, where he wrote a course on Talent Management in the Music Industry, and at Durham College, as Professor of Artist Management in the School of Media, Art, and Design. For the past nine years, Liam has been the lead mentor for the Artist Manager program at Canada’s Music Incubator in Toronto. Liam serves as the Vice-Chair (Business Development) on the Board of Directors for the Music Managers Forum (MMF) Canada.
Prior to his involvement on the business side of music, Liam got his start in the music business as the drummer for the pop-punk band Not By Choice, appearing on Much Music’s Big Shiny Tunes 7 & 8, respectively, and winning a Much Music Video Award for Best Independent Video in 2003. The band enjoyed a top-ten hit with ‘Standing All Alone’ in Canada and Japan.
Colleen Venables, professionally known as Crush, is a Canadian record producer, songwriter and instrumentalist. Crush has worked with the likes of Wondagurl, 6Lack, Londoncyr, Sofaygo, Jugger, 88glam, Grace Weber, and Machine Gun Kelly.
Colleen was born and raised in Armstrong, BC, where she started learning the violin and piano by the age of 4. Quickly realizing her musical talents she started competing in both instruments, and won 1st prize in the Canadian National Music Festival (string division) at the age of 16.
Crush began producing music at the age of 19, using the musical training she had gained over 15 years it was not long before she started working closely with Wondagurl, producing and writing arrangements within the Wonderchild team. In 2021, 88glam album “New Mania” was nominated for a Juno in which she shared production credits.
Tamara has been a therapist and educator in Vancouver for over 25 years. She has taught a wide range of people including many young emerging artists how to understand their mental health and care for themselves in their work. She is dedicated to helping people combat negative thinking patterns and self sabotage so they can achieve their life dreams.
As a counsellor, she specializes in relationship therapy, trauma and transforming defeating behaviour patterns.
She deeply believes people can and do change.
Brandon William Fletcher is a Director, Photographer, Graphic Artist and founder of Faked Potatoes, a creative studio based in Vancouver. His images and work have been commissioned by a wide range of clients including M83, Manila Grey, James Reid, Curtis Waters, Warner Music Group, Universal Music, Art d’Ecco, Kandle, Blonde Diamond, and SAXX Underwear Co.
In a past life, Fletcher was the Creative Director/Manager of the award-winning Canadian live music venue Habitat as well as Creative Director for the $10.1 million award-winning PEAK Performance Project. He was nominated for “Video Director of the Year” at the 2017 Western Canadian Music Awards, made the Long List for the 2021 Prism Prize for “”””Best Music Video of the Year,”””” and sat on the Board of Directors for Music BC from 2018-2021.
Elisa Pangsaeng is a Canadian producer, songwriter, educator, recording, mixing, mastering engineer and all-around studio rat.
After visiting her first recording session in 2006, she was hooked. Her deep love of music and technical obsession collided here. Hard work and dedication has since earned Elisa a reputation as a talented and highly skilled engineer, working out of studios such as Van Howes, Hipposonic, and Monarch Studios in Vancouver, BC.
Elisa fosters safe spaces for creating in the studio while brining focus and energy to every session. An affinity for tight arrangements, minimalism, and rhythm, characterize her unique production aesthetic. Select clientele include MILCK, GRAE, Yukon Blonde, Xana, You Say Party! Kinnie Starr, Said The Whale, & Shad.
Her interests includes video games, listening to pop music at uncomfortable loud levels, shoes, squishy cats, compression, tape, and tubes.
Carol-Lynne Quinn is a Vocal Coach, Vocologist, Vocal Producer, TEDx Speaker and Artist. She has the pleasure of working with JUNO award-winning, major label, indie and emerging artists. She currently vocal produces and coaches artists on Universal, EMPIRE, 604, 31 East and Light Organ records. She is the vocal coach for the JUNO Master Class, Canada’s Music Incubator, Project Wild, the ARC program and more. Clients include: Mother Mother, Celeigh Cardinal, Preston Pablo, Jade LeMac, Hotel Mira, Rare Americans, Hailey Benedict, Blonde Diamond, RIELL and more. She has vocal produced alongside Grammy and JUNO award winning producers and records she has vocal produced have been nominated for a JUNO.
She is passionate about combining athletic voice science with soulful connection. She received her Vocology certification at the National Centre of Voice and Speech in the United States and specializes in both athletic voice training and vocal rehabilitation. Her main focus is empowering singers to find the balance between vocal health, vocal strength and effortless freedom while making sure their voice remains authentically their own. Vocal Soul first comes from the fact that she believes in vocal freedom, in authentic artistry and creating a safe place where you can discover your own beautiful, powerful voice.
She has toured for over 20 years and understands how training your voice with intentional athletic techniques creates an incredible powerful instrument that will show up for you each night. She is the creator of ROAR. An accessible online platform that gives you access to vocal training programs, vocal workout challenges, live masterclasses and many other resources focused on athletic voice science, soulful connection, vocal empowerment and community.
Her mandate is to help empower others to find their true, free, colourful and authentic voice in studio, on stage and in life.
She is based in Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Natasha Dion is a Creative Director + Producer with a diverse skill set spanning music, sports, brands, and real estate. Since studying Art and Design at Emily Carr University, she has worked with a range of clients including Jordan, Bose, 070 Shake, Logic, and Boslen. Her expertise includes overseeing creative campaigns, branding, video production, and social media strategy. She currently serves as the Head of Creative at Chaos Club Digital and is a consultant for Music BC.
Howard Redekopp is a multiple Gold and Platinum record producer, engineer, and mixer based on the West Coast of BC. Best known for his work with Mother Mother and Tegan and Sara, he has produced, engineered, and mixed a Juno winning album, two Grammy nominated albums, and a Latin Grammy nominated album. More details at www.howardredekopp.com