Megan Cavallari - Cavallari Studios

Born in Springfield Delco, composer Megan Cavallari has worked to become a powerhouse of creativity and vivid musical storytelling. She has created original scores and songs for over 50 films and television shows while also having 14 professionally produced musicals under her belt. In her colorful career, she has worked with industry heavy hitters including HBO, ABC, Nickelodeon, Disney, Fox, Sony, and more as well as the LA Kings and Hershey Bears ice hockey teams. From her first job assisting Danny Elfman on Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas, she has since flourished as an experienced composer, author, producer, and mentor. In addition to composing for media and stage, she runs a hands-on internship program through her studio, giving newcomers to the industry a safe space to grow and learn. Additionally, she has been a guest lecturer at the University of Michigan and Millersville University assisting film students with making the transition to professional work. On top of it all, she is an avid hockey fan and retired left wing.

Carma DiCianni – The Blackbird Academy

Carma is responsible for strategically building, executing, and maintaining our student and alumni programs, oversees the creation/implementation of communication and marketing materials for the school, and has financial responsibility for the Academy. Carma also oversees the management and operations of recruitment, admissions, enrollment and orientation services at The Blackbird Academy.  

Carma has been in the education and music industries for over 20 years. In the music industry, she has worked in recording studios, tour management, and as a professional event/concert photographer. Carma has worked with artists/bands including Bon Jovi, Stone Temple Pilots, Ted Nugent, Alice Cooper, Marty Stuart, Travis Tritt, and many more. Carma has taught at the high school, university, and corporate levels and has degrees in Education, Audio Engineering, and Entertainment Business.

Dani Grant - Mishawaka Amphitheater

Dani Grant is one of those tenaciously hard-working, creative entrepreneurs who has transformed a deep passion for music into her life’s work. Dani owns and manages a legendary and historic music venue located in Northern Colorado, Mishawaka Amphitheater.

Dani understands that music and the arts are powerful economic drivers, so she founded SpokesBUZZ Fort Collins (2009-2016), a grassroots nonprofit that developed emerging artists and promoted local music scenes to grow the local economies on the Front Range of CO and cities across the US with national programs including BandSwap and the Colorado Music Party at SXSW. 

To complement her roles as venue owner and local arts and culture champion, Dani also has served on many boards including Colorado State University’s Rocky Mountain Student Media Corp, Community Radio of Northern CO - KUNC & The Colorado Sound - KJAC, and WESTAF’s Denver Music Task Force.  She currently advises Austin based non-profit, Black Fret and sits on the board of directors for the international non-profit Music Policy Forum where she provides leadership for it’s national Reopen Every Venue Safely (REVS) cohort.

Dave Lester - CLAIR Global

Dave Lester has been in the live event industry as an audio engineer for 30+ years, over 24 of which have been with ShowCo and CLAIR Global. He has spent many years as a System Engineer/Audio Engineer controlling concert sound systems. He has been the FOH mixer for artists such as PINK, John Foberty, Wall Flowers, Blondie to mention a few. He has also been the monitor engineer for artists such as Alanis Morissette, Boston, Judas Priest, White Zombie, and many others. He has spent the last 17 years as the Director of Education and Safety at CLAIR Global. There he has created curriculum for an intensive 12-14 week immersive onboarding process into the company, educating the new and existing field service staff on proprietary technologies, new technologies, company protocols, culture, performance and safety processes. He has consulted with Universities and Colleges in the development of curriculum for their programs.

 Jeremy Weiss - CI Companies

Jeremy Weiss is the founder and owner of  The CI Companies, the umbrella brand of his career endeavors: CI Records (label), LAUNCH Music Conference & Festival, CI Productions, CI Design & Printing, CI Records & Skates Retail (web/brick and mortar) Store, & the CI band management arm. 

CI Records (est. 1987) has signed notable acts, such as August Burns Red, Texas In July, The Pink Spiders, Hawk, Carousel Kings, Vision, Sense Field, The Pavers, and many more.

CI Productions, a production company Weiss started at the age of 15, has staged more than 2000 live shows, formerly at The Chameleon Club (Lancaster PA) & the CI-owned all ages venue, The Champ (Harrisburg PA), while also producing shows in Pittsburgh PA, Allentown PA, Harrisburg PA, Philadelphia, and select out of state locations.   

Jeremy is the Director & Founder of LAUNCH Music Conference & Festival in Lancaster, PA, an annual 3-day showcase festival and conference in it's 14th year.  LAUNCH hosts industry panels and seminars by day, and over 175 performances on average,  by night on 11 stages, and at different venues throughout the city of Lancaster, PA.

Another recurring festival that Weiss founded and directs is Christmas Burns Red, a highly successful, mutli-day annual event centered around the twice Grammy-Nominated band, August Burns Red, taking place at The Lancaster County Convention Center each December.  The members of August Burns Red and Weiss/CI are partners in this endeavor.

The CI Companies is the brand management moniker, as well. Weiss has facilitated in the transitioning of many of his CI Records roster acts to labels such as Equal Vision, Geffen, Tooth N Nail/Solidstate, etc, onto tours such as Take Action, & Vans Warped Tour, sent his bands to Europe, Asia, Australia, & throughout the U.S. & Canada, Festivals like Milwaukee Summerfest, Purple Door, and Cornerstone, iMatter, negotiated licensing and endorsement deals, and much more.

In Spring 2021, Weiss/The CI Companies accepted the role of House Talent Buyer for the historic Harrisburg PA live music venue, Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center (HMAC). 

David Ivory - Ivory Productions

Between being honored as a Grammy-nominated and multi-platinum engineer as well as an award-winning producer to developing some of Philadelphia’s most notable musical exports, David Ivory’s impact on the music industry has been undeniable. His recording and production talents have led to millions of albums sold and marked the beginnings of many high-profile artists. 

Ivory’s career took off during his years as an independent engineer, producer at the legendary Sigma Sound Studios-Philadelphia. He would record the Roots' first four albums ending in a Grammy Nomination for “Thing Fall Apart.” Ivory’s room at Sigma was a hub for Neo-Soul artists. From Erykah Badu’s Baduizm, Common, Razelle, Zap Mama, and many more. Ivory also started working with Patti Labelle and soul legends Bunny Sigler and John Ellison, to name a few. In early 2001 Ivory opened Dylanava Studios. 

Here Ivory began cultivating two young rock and roll bands from the Philadelphia area, Silvertide, and future Grammy-winners Halestorm. Ivory’s direction guided ivory; both bands were developed, produced, and ultimately signed to major label deals (J Records and Atlantic Records, respectively). 

Ivory has been a voting member of the Recording Academy since 1992. His experience through the Grammy organization ranges from serving as not only the president of the Philadelphia chapter from 2010 to 2012 but also as a two-term national trustee from 2012-2016 and co-chair of the National Membership Committee. Ivory currently is on the Board of Governors for the Philadelphia Chapter and is the Chair for the newly formed Music Industry Task Force for the city of Philadelphia developed by the city council and congressman Oh to take on the “state-of-affairs” regarding the music business. 

However, it has never been limited to just the confines of the recording studio. Ivory has always been committed to educating other industry hopefuls throughout his years, beginning with his work in 2001 and Barry Additcks pioneering Drexel University’s music industry program. Here he would begin his teaching career as an adjunct professor, teaching recording classes until 2005,  

During that time, Ivory began his most notable educational work when in 2007, he joined the communication program’s advisory board at Montgomery County Community College and became an adjunct professor two years later. Most recently, Ivory was instrumental in the planning and designing MCCC’s brand new, two-million-dollar state-of-the-art recording studio, which officially opened in April 2018. The studio features the ultimate combination of state-of-the-art digital and analog technology and, most recently, the addition of Dolby Atmos mixing. Under Ivory’s instruction, students learn recording and production techniques on the latest technologies available and get a complete understanding of how music used to be recorded and the various techniques associated with tape and tape machines. Ivory is currently the Director of the Sound Recording and Music Technology program and the Mass Media Studies program at Montgomery County Community College.

Marauder Music, also known as MM, is a student-run organization bridging the gap between classroom and industry through educational workshops and events. The majority of our members are Music Industry students at Millersville University studying the business of music, live and studio engineering, and performance opportunities.

Visit Get Involved for more information to attend.

@Millersville.Music

@thetellschool

 @MUMusic

@tellschoolofmusic