Big Machine Label Group's The Valory Music Co. has elevated Ashley Sidoti to vp promotion & digital, it was announced Monday (Sept. 30).
She started at Valory in 2008 as an intern, and most recently served as senior national director, promotion & marketing.
"It has been a pleasure to see Ashley Sidoti grow and contribute to what The Valory Music Co. has become,” said GM George Briner. "As this business evolves, Ashley continues to embrace the music and how best to present music to the people."
“What we have created at The Valory Music Co. is special; you don’t get the opportunity to work alongside a team and artists of this caliber often,” added Sidoti. “I am so grateful for Scott Borchetta and George’s continued confidence in me and the incredible opportunities they have created. I am honored to take on a larger role where I will have the opportunity to continue to grow and expand, while learning from the best in our industry. The future of Valory is bright and I’m excited to continue our journey together.”
Ron Hill has been appointed to vp artist development at RCA Inspiration, it was announced Monday (Sept. 30). He will report to senior vp and GM Phil Thornton.
Prior to joining RCA Inspiration, Hill was president of Fo Yo Soul Entertainment and manager to Kirk Franklin. A two-time Grammy winner, Hill has worked with Tori Kelly on Hiding Place and Franklin on Losing My Religion.
“I’m honored and grateful for the opportunity to serve in this new role,” Hill said. “Our genre is at a very pivotal moment in time and I believe now more than ever, Artist Development and A&R will help build lasting careers. I’m excited to have a hand in helping artists grow and reach a wider audience for the kingdom. I would like to thank Terry [Hemmings, Provident Music Group President/CEO] and Phil Thornton for this incredible opportunity, and Kirk Franklin for his continued support.”
Q&A has hired Charlie Kim as senior software engineer and Maria Gironas as director of video platform strategy, it was announced Tuesday (Oct. 1).
Prior to joining Q&A, Kim was lead developer at Hulu. Gironas previously served as a strategic partner manager on the artist development team at YouTube.
“I have always been interested in technologies igniting the evolution of the entertainment industry,” said Kim. “This is an incredible opportunity for me to build an infrastructure to evolve the music industry alongside Troy [Carter, founder] and the Q&A team.”
“I’m honored to be joining Q&A to continue my passion for artist development,” added Gironas. “The team Suzy [Ryoo, founder], J [Erving, founder] and Troy have assembled not only share an artist first mentality, but a contagious hustle that excites me for all the amazing work we’ll be accomplishing as a team.”
Chad Smith has been appointed CEO of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, it was announced Tuesday (Oct. 1).
Smith first joined the association in 2002 and was previously head artistic planner, vp artistic planning and most recently COO.
"Chad Smith has done years of brilliant work in advancing the LA Phil in every aspect of its mission, from planning and commissioning our extraordinary presentations of new music, to heightening the orchestra’s profile at the Hollywood Bowl, to overseeing our crucial educational programs and helping to launch YOLA,” said board chair Thomas L. Beckmen. “He enjoys the complete confidence and support of everyone in this organization."
“The LA Phil has been my creative home for the last 17 years, and I am honored to be stepping into this role,” added Smith. “Supporting the expansive vision of Gustavo [Dudamel, music & artistic director] and his deeply held commitment to serving the whole of the LA community has never been more important, and I continue to strive to support that work. As we focus on ensuring that our great orchestra thrives, as we continue to grow our YOLA program and as we imagine new ways our programming can connect to existing audiences while inviting in new listeners, I could not be more excited about beginning my new role.”
AccuRadio has hired Ben Hussman as COO, it was announced Wednesday (Oct. 2).
Hussman previously worked as svp product for Next Radio.
“I’m thrilled to get to lead the product team in this exciting time,” said Husmann. “We are expanding AccuRadio’s capacity and features, so that more people can listen in more places.”
"Ben is the perfect COO for AccuRadio,” added founder and CEO Kurt Hanson. “His strong design skills, familiarity with the challenges of helping radio launch online products and years of experience running developer teams make Ben exactly the executive we need to lead us to becoming the most-listenable, lean-back music experience on all emerging platforms."
The Berklee College of Music announced Monday (Sept. 30) that Jonathan Perkins has been appointed as the songwriting department’s assistant chair.
Perkins, an Emmy Award-winning composer, multiplatinum songwriter and producer and Berklee graduate, was formerly signed to Orange Factory Music. He cowrote “Down” by Jay Sean (featuring Lil Wayne) and worked on Jason Nevins' remix of “S.O.S.” by Rihanna, which reached no. 1 on the Billboard Dance/Club Play Songs chart. His most recent credits include The Chainsmokers and BTS.
"Developing hit songs and understanding the industry standard is a delicate balance between individual expression and absorbing a language that millions of people hear and to which they are accustomed,” said Perkins. “My hope is that students will walk away with a better discernment of where this balance lies through careful song-crafting and developing critical listening skills."