This Week’s Disruptors 8/15/24
We’re back this week with another round of DISRUPTORS. This group of executives is making an impact here in Music City. Get to know them all! - Zak (Founder, Nashville Briefing)
Karen Schillinger
Music Agent, CAA
Karen Schillinger is a Music Agent at leading entertainment and sports agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA). Schillinger is based in the Nashville office and represents many of the world’s leading musicians, including Jade Eagleson, Owen Riegling, and Peytan Porter, among others. Schillinger joined CAA in 2017 and graduated from Cornell University, with a degree in Public Policy and Analysis. In addition to her work on the live side of the industry, she also serves on the Troubadour Advisory Council for the Country Music Hall of Fame and is the CAA Chair for Little Night of Music, in partnership with PENCIL.
Proudest moment: “It’s impossible to pick just one moment. I’m so lucky to help artists day in and out work towards their goals. I’m just beaming with pride every time we get one step closer to achieving their dreams!”
Griffin Schwab
Artist and Digital Manager, Red Light Management
Griffin's career in the music industry began in high school when he was hired as a runner for AEG Live. After coming to Nashville to attend Vanderbilt, Griffin got an internship in 2019 at Red Light Management. He quickly rose to working in the company's digital department. At Red Light, his responsibilities are split between digital and management clients. Today, his roster includes Stolen Gin, Spencer Sutherland, Christian McBride, Rayland Baxter, GASHI and more. Griffin is also a partner at Ice Cream for Dinner, a concert promotions, management and marketing firm where he works with Charlie Brennan, Theo Kandel and John Oates, among others.
Proudest moment: “I have many moments of my career that I'm proud of. Recently, it’s been tied between Stolen Gin's sold out Bowery Ballroom show, and Spencer Sutherland selling out his European headline tour in the first few days of being on sale.”
Lily Nelson
Photographer
Lily moved to Nashville from her hometown of Omaha, Nebraska, to attend Belmont University and pursue a career as a creative. She discovered her passion for photography and creative direction after taking an internship with her mentor and fellow photographer Rachel Deeb. Lily started her career collaborating and touring with country artist Carter Faith, traveling around the country capturing cinematic photos of Carter on and off of the stage. Over the past three years Lily has had the opportunity to photograph artists like Post Malone, The 1975, Jelly Roll, and Maddie & Tae.
Proudest moment: I owe a lot of my career to my collaborators, mentors, and creative family here in Nashville. Carter Faith and her stylist Kennady Tracy are creative geniuses and every shoot we do together is so creatively fulfilling. Being able to document special moments and milestones in an artist's career is always such a privilege, so photographing Carter playing the O2 in London was a very surreal experience. I'm also the biggest 1975 fan and the photos I took from their show in Nashville are shamelessly hanging up on my wall!
Sydney Wiklund
Creator Partnerships Manager Genies
Sydney Wiklund is a rising partnerships executive at the intersection of music, technology, and creativity. Currently, she’s the Creator Partnerships Manager at Genies – a tech company redefining marketing and communication for artists and creators like Justin Bieber, Paris Hilton, Rihanna, and more. She also produces a music festival, Mycelium, bringing together 300+ humans who prioritize wellness, deep connection, and good music each June. In the past, Sydney spearheaded label relations and partnerships at The Nations – the largest independent music curation network on YouTube amassing more than 50 million subscribers and 19 billion views. She was also previously an artist manager and completed stints at both Buchwald and CAA.
Proudest moment: “Watching two of my artists headline Ultra Music Festival and surprise the crowd by bringing out Shaq & Lil Jon. Also, building out Paris Hilton’s headlining virtual performance for Decentraland’s first ever Metaverse Festival.”
Matt Woodson
Artist Manager & Tour Manager Majik Management
Matt's route to managing the emerging Country-Rock duo, Lakeview, has looked anything but ordinary. Moving from Denver to Nashville in 2021, Matt was working full-time for tech startup before making the career switch into the music industry in 2022. During his time in Denver, he toured part-time with Contemporary Christian Music artist, Red Rocks Worship, as a guitarist. In the summer of 2021, Matt arrived in Nashville on a year-long "remote year", where a long-time mentor convinced him to give the industry a shot. While continuing to work his full-time job and taking zoom meetings from the back lounge of a tour bus, he got his start on the road as a VIP rep for CCM artists such as Chris Tomlin, Kari Jobe, Cody Carnes, and Bethel Music. He eventually became a Tour Manager for CCM artists, Jordan Feliz and CROWDER. In 2022, Matt made the call to leave his career in tech and “sink or swim” in the music business - breaking in as a Tour Manager. Since then, he has led tours around the globe for artists like Seaforth, Ernest, Samm Henshaw, Patrick Droney and Quinn XCII. From bars to stadiums, he's put on shows across the US, Australia, Asia, Canada & Europe. Currently, Matt is an independent Artist Manager for Country duo, Lakeview and Tour Manager for LA-based pop artist, Quinn XCIl.
Proudest moment: “Making a career switch from a "normal" job to a dream job will forever be a proud moment for me but the current top spot happened earlier this year in London with Lakeview. We took a financial risk to go see if a European fan base existed, bringing a couple of acoustic guitars and a box of t-shirts. On the last day of the run, they had been invited to play C2C Music Festival and their set was at 11:00am in the middle of a shopping mall. With no expectations, we were shocked to see hundreds of fans show up and scream every word for the duration of their set. For me, not only as a manager but as a live music fan, it was 30 minutes of goosebumps. To see an international response to an artist that you not only fully believe in but have the opportunity to be a part of their story is a moment that I know I will never forget”
Joe Aboud
Founder & CEO, 444 Sounds
Joe Aboud is a music executive at the intersection of artist development, marketing, and commerce. His music consultancy firm – 444 Sounds – oversees strategy & promotion for clients including record labels, distributors, artist managers, as well as both signed & independent artists. He works with clients like Warner Records/Major Recordings, Concord Music Group, Sony Music, UnitedMasters, Brianna Mazzola, Cash Cash, Anees, and Tank God, among others to provide additional customized services for results-driven artist growth. In addition to an artist management arm, the company delivers marketing solutions for artists & records, with an emphasis on fan community building. Previously, Aboud most recently led marketing and streaming for independent label HITCO, working with artists such as 2x GRAMMY Award-Winner SAINt JHN, Jennifer Lopez, Dixie D’Amelio, and the Dalai Lama (yes, you read that correctly). In the early days of Apple Music, Aboud worked at the streaming service on the Artist & Label Relations team where he developed internal tools, policies, and best practices for its launch.
Proudest moment: “Being backstage at Madison Square Garden for Z100's Jingle Ball was definitely a "pinch me" moment. I've been lucky enough to be backstage at a lot of shows, but The Garden is iconic!”
