Executive Turntable: SoundExchange Hires VP, Capitol Fills A&R Role

SoundExchange announced Linda Bloss-Baum as vp of government relations and public affairs. She will report to Esther-Mireya Tejeda, chief marketing and communications officer of the company.

An industry veteran, Bloss-Baum previously held roles at Warner Music Group, Universal Music Group/NBCUniversal and Time Warner Inc. In her new role, she will lead the public affairs department, driving a strategy centered on industry-shaping advocacy efforts to support fair treatment of music creators in the digital age.

“We are at a critical juncture of transformation that will challenge the ways in which the music industry is organized and the policies we need to ensure its long-term health,” said Tejeda. “Linda’s expertise and background spanning the creator community, Capitol Hill and other policymakers is a perfect fit as SoundExchange seeks to address the industry’s challenges.”

“The next five years will reshape the music industry, from where and how music is created and distributed, to the systems that make the business side easier, to how we create a just and equitable ecosystem that reflects the value of artists, labels, and other creators,” added Bloss-Baum. “With a member community of over 245,000, SoundExchange is the only organization that respects the totality of the industry, giving us an important responsibility at the intersection of the technology and music ecosystems. ”

Capitol Records named Solomon Sounds svp of A&R. He will report to CEO and chairman Jeff Vaughn.

Sounds spent 10 years at his company and label Sounds Music Group before joining Capitol. In his new role, he will draw upon his artist management experience to sign and develop artists for the company.

“Solomon’s proven instinct for identifying impactful artists and his ability to nurture their creativity aligns perfectly with our mission at Capitol," said Vaughn. "His successes to date reflect our shared commitment to artists from all corners of the pop music landscape, which is more dynamic and diverse than ever. Everyone at Capitol joins me in welcoming Solomon to the team.”

“I’m truly excited to build upon the rich history of Capitol Records, and help usher in a new era filled with artists who are pushing the boundaries of creativity and new ways of accomplishing their dreams and goals," said Sounds. "Jeff Vaughn is assembling a powerhouse team, and I’m grateful to him for believing in my talents and trusting me to help the label grow in the years to come.”

Chantel Sausedo joined the Recording Academy as their new managing director of artist relations.

For over 20 years Sausedo worked as a producer and talent manager. She's worked alongside big names such as Stevie Wonder, Billie Eilish and Miranda Lambert to name a few. In her new role, Sausedo will facilitate artist involvement at the Academy in the areas of awards, advocacy, marketing and more.

Rostrum Records promoted Jhared "Jae" Brown to vp of A&R. He will report to Benjy Grinberg, founder and president of Rostrum.

“I'm very grateful to work in such a creative and nurturing environment that inspires the best out of our artists as well as each one of our team members," said Brown. "I'm excited about the work that we're doing, the roster we're building and the opportunity to further Rostrum's impact on music in my new role. Rostrum's "artist-first" ethos and commitment to true artist development coupled with our focus on executing creators' visions will make us a tier 1 destination for talent for years to come. I'd like to thank Benjy for his mentorship and his continued confidence in my ability."

Brown will handle and oversee A&R for acts like Rich the Kid, Taleban Dooda and more. He joined Rostrum in 2020 and most recently worked as senior director of A&R. Prior to Rostrum, Brown worked at Capitol Records/Motown Records in their global marketing/A&R department.

Better Noise Music announced a handful of promotions and new hires including Sean Maxson as vp of marketing.

“We are a strategic, forward-thinking company, and I am pleased to have a team with a wealth of knowledge and diverse set of skills to help drive that,” said president of Better Noise Dan Waite. “This new and existing group of top-notch professionals are building on top of successful engagement via our international offices, data science department, social media, and Steve Kline’s streaming and radio teams, so we are building the infrastructure across all our teams. These new additions bring another level of creativity and experience to move us through our exciting projects ahead while still keeping us focused on Better Noise Music’s Founder Allen Kovac’s primary mission: artist development via data driven engagement.”

For over 20 years, Maxson has held marketing and promotions executive positions at various labels and companies. In his new role, he will oversee all marketing, strategy and execution for the company's music releases and film/TV productions.

Better Noise's additional new hires are Saleem Khan as accounts payable coordinator; Anne Wall as director of business affairs, licensing and royalties; Jimmy Harney as head of public relations; Jonathan Janis as director of marketing; and Michael Filippone as income tracking manager.

Silent House announced its split into three companies, Silent House Studios, Silent House Events and Silent House Productions. They also announced the hiring of Marc Bracco as president of Silent House Productions and Linda Gierahn as CCO and head of production at Silent House Productions.

“We are thrilled to be taking this next step in the evolution of Silent House as we continue collaborating with our partners to take care of any production needs that our clients have,” said Silent House founder and CEO Baz Halpin.  “With Mark and Linda on board, we now have all of the pieces in place to plan and execute every facet of a production.  The Silent House Group is now the one-stop shop for all the needs of unscripted and live entertainment.”

Bracco has extensive experience in the television industry, most recently serving as evp of programming and development for dick clark productions. With over 20 years of experience in music and television production, Gierahn also previously worked at dick clark productions as evp of production.

Rhythm Promotion at Atlantic Records promoted Michelle Burden and Motti Shulman to vp of promotion and svp of promotion, respectively. Each will report to evp of promotion Juliette Jones.

Burden joined Atlantic in 2019 and previously worked at Warner Brothers Records, Sony Music and Def Jam. Shulman has been at Atlantic for 16 years and also worked at Def Jam in the past.

Venice Distribution announced two new hires. Sophia Bacuros as vp of digital marketing for the West Coast and Deryck Vanderbilt-Nicholson as head of U.S. audience and culture.

Bacuros previously spearheaded digital marketing at HITCO Entertainment where she aided in the development of Dixie D'Amelio and SAINt JHN. In her new role, she will guide the execution of marketing initiatives, creative content strategy and artist relations.

Vanderbilt-Nicholson previously served as the director of media and artist relations where worked with talent such as M.I.A., Giggs and rising artists like Emotional Oranges and THEY. In his new role, he will oversee artist development, creative marketing strategies and cultural impact for artists.

“Sophia and Deryck bring a combination of skill and taste that independent artists and labels appreciate," said Venice founder Troy Carter. "They have impeccable track records for breaking artists in innovative ways and will be welcome additions to the Venice team.”

Sandbox Entertainment launched a Sandbox Succession, a new division providing estate management services. The new venture will be led by Josh Matas.

Matas joined Sandbox in 2015. He will work alongside president and CEO Jason Owen to cultivate a business that delivers best-in-class services across management, legacy preservation and development of creative artistic opportunities.

“Jason and I both come from branding backgrounds, and I got a unique opportunity early on in my time at Sandbox to work with Johnny Cash’s estate,” said Matas. “The depth of this work emphasized the importance of managing these critical brands. Audiences have shown a continued reverence for this particular collection of individuals – and that's where we as brand managers are excited by the idea of not only presenting sustainable business models, but also continuing to tell their stories as a pillar of the greater cultural landscape.”

WME hired Andy Duggan as an agent in their music department based in London.

In his new role, he will use A&R skills and manager relations to further enhance the company as a global leader. He most recently served as a music agent at Primary Talent since 2005.

“Andy has an exceptional track record of identifying and developing emerging artists and creating unique opportunities for his clients that have evolved with the complexities of the modern music business,” said Lucy Dickins, co-head of music at WME. “He is extremely well-respected within both the UK music community and the global music business and has consistently had his finger firmly on the pulse of the next generation of cutting-edge artists. We are thrilled to welcome him to our team.”