Project Healthy Minds, a millennial/Gen Z-driven mental health tech non-profit, has tapped Jody Gerson, chairman and CEO of Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG), to join the organization’s board of directors.
Gerson will help accelerate Project Healthy Minds’ efforts to build deep partnerships across the music, entertainment, and media landscapes to scale the organization’s impact and mission to expand access to mental health services for all.
Gerson said in a statement, “As a music executive, I’ve made it my life’s work to represent and protect artists and songwriters. Not only to help ensure that their creativity is respected and valued, but that their mental health and wellbeing are never overlooked on my watch. Anxiety and other mental health issues often walk hand-in-hand with artistry, and it’s my responsibility to let the creative people I work with know that they don’t have to deal with these issues on their own. In turn, artists can help to publicly dispel the notion that surviving in an often lonely and isolating world is just a matter of toughening up. Life is not easy, and seeking care for good mental health needs to be both destigmatized and encouraged. I’m honored to join the board of Project Healthy Minds and help fulfill Phil Schermer’s vision to bring the availability of mental health care to anyone who wants and needs it.”
Gerson joins existing board members including Carson Daly, Chris Zarou (Founder and CEO, Visionary Music Group), Jeff Yabuki (CEO, InvestCloud and Chairman, Motive Partners) and many more.
+ Steve Leeds has relaunched his music and entertainment consultancy firm, Neo entertainment Inc.
Leeds most recently served as vice president of Talent and Industry Affair where he managed and built the talent relations team. He was also one of the lead executives at SiriusXM where he launched numerous artist branded channels, collaborating with the Who, Rolling Stones, Neil Diamond, Barbara Streisand, Beatles, ACDC, Springsteen, Monty Python and Bowie, among numerous others.
Leeds also served as senior vice president of promotion at Virgin, Polygram, Universal, Island and Def Jam, and was a director of on air talent at MTV where he discovered and hired Adam Sandler, Daisy Fuentes, Rosie O’ Donell and Adam Curry. He also served as promotion executive for Leber Krebs Management and Champion Entertainment.
+ Waterloo Records and Video has officially shifted ownership and announced a forthcoming move from its longtime 600 North Lamar location after 42 years. After over four decades at the helm of Waterloo Records, owner John Kunz passes the torch to Caren Kelleher, founder and CEO of Gold Rush Vinyl, and Austin entrepreneur Trey Watson.
Waterloo will be moving to 1105 North Lamar this Spring, a new location that offers “more space for events, improved parking, and convenient proximity to downtown and nearby music venues,” according to a press release.
“My decades-long hope, dream and endeavor, has been for Waterloo Records and Video to live on forever, continuing to promote Austin’s vibrant music culture and community,” said Kunz. “Now with this transition, all of my boxes are checked: a new larger home, just five blocks away; Caren and Trey buy in as my new, talented, local music industry partners; all of my team are retained and they will gain the opportunity for store ownership; all of the Waterloo Records hallmarks and traditions continue on, including innovation; and now as a minority partner and not sole proprietor, I get to work less, and play more. So thank you Austin!”
+ Warner Music Italy and Warner Chappell Music Italy have acquired the catalog of DWA Records, one of the leading independent Italo Disco labels, which was co-founded in 1989 by singer-songwriter and producers Roberto Zanetti and Francesco Bontempi. The deal will also cover the catalog of Extravaganza, DWA’s music publishing business.
Italo Disco originated in Italy in the late 1970s and climbed in popularity during the 1980s. Drawing on elements of hi-NRG and Euro disco, it was marked by the use of electronic drums and synthesizers, with lyrics often being sung in English.
These collections include 250 masters, including such tracks as “The Rhythm of the Night”, performed by Corona and written by Bontempi; “Happy” and “Uh La La” performed by Alexia; and “Baila”, performed by Zucchero and written by Zanetti.
Guy Moot and Carianne Marshall, co-Chairs of Warner Chappell Music, said: “We’ve made a significant investment for an amazing catalogue. Our global team is now committed to leveraging opportunities to take this incredible songbook to new heights and helping ensure a new generation of fans worldwide get to connect to this life-affirming music.”
+ Chad Stelly, a renowned turntable and audio specialist, has re-joined Acoustic Sounds.
Chad Stelly, affectionately known as “Stelly,” first joined Acoustic Sounds in the spring of 2005, where he spearheaded HiFi equipment sales and cultivated a reputation as a trusted advisor. By the fall of 2018, Stelly had honed his skills as a turntable specialist, solidifying his standing as the go-to expert for turntable setup and analog audio solutions.
In 2019, Stelly joined U.S. phono distributor Musical Surroundings, eventually moving up to product development. Following his time at Musical Surroundings, Stelly continued to refine his craft at Bluebird Music, focusing on support and repair for SME, a high-end audio manufacturer. Over three years, he contributed to SME’s new product development, provided factory-level training for distributors, and shared his expertise to address complex repair issues.
+ Splice has launched its new Country music genre, and is enabling country producers to use its Create AI tool to use artificial intelligence to source samples. Splice Country features performances from some of Nashville’s top musicians, including Devin Malone (Jelly Roll, Carrie Underwood), Trevor Nealon (Willie Nelson, Lee Ann Womack), and Kate L. Malone (Sam Hunt, Emma White), to name a few.
