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THE RECORDING ACADEMY® PRODUCERS & ENGINEERS WING® ANNOUNCES 2011-2012 STEERING COMMITTEE
P&E Wing Leadership Tackles Important Issues Including Sound Quality, Performance and Intellectual Property Rights, Proper Crediting, Metadata and Education
131st AES CONVENTION, NEW YORK, NY, October 21, 2011 — The Recording Academy® Producers & Engineers Wing® has announced its 2011-2012 Steering Committee, the leadership group of the P&E Wing, which researches and recommends solutions for technical and economic issues facing today's music production professionals. The newly seated Committee, consisting of a diverse array of music engineers, producers and audio professionals, will build upon the significant legacy established by prior Steering Committees and work to identify and evaluate key issues confronting music production professionals, with the goal of finding meaningful solutions and suggestions for the industry moving forward.
Newly-appointed Steering Committee Co-Chair Mike Clink (Los Angeles) joins third year Co-Chair James McKinney (Washington, D.C.) in describing the emphasis that the P&E Wing will continue to place on its role as an advocate for excellence in sound recording, audio technologies, education in the recording arts, and the rights of music creators overall.
"Our goal continues to be to improve our industry," stated McKinney. "Recording is an art form, and as the P&E Wing, we want our initiatives to assist in raising the quality of everything that has to do with creating and recording music, from the sound of music that is distributed digitally to the status of recording education."
"Protecting the rights of all music creators is one of the most important things we do," notes Clink. "Additionally, professional development and education are high on our list. The members of the P&E Wing are a creative force that is committed to working together to grow and preserve the integrity of our industry."
The other members of the 10 person 2011-2012 Steering Committee are Chuck Ainlay (Nashville), Carlos Alvarez (Miami), Richard Burgess (Washington, D.C.), Ed Cherney (Los Angeles), Bob Ludwig (Portland, Maine), Sylvia Massy (Weed, Calif.), Phil Nicolo (Philadelphia) and Dan Workman (Houston).
Member biographies:
Chuck Ainlay is a multiple GRAMMY®-winning producer/engineer, one of Nashville's top recording and mixing engineers, a pioneer in using surround sound technology, and a leading advocate for high quality audio. He has worked as a producer or engineer for such diverse talents as Dire Straits, Emmylou Harris, Taylor Swift, James Taylor, and many more. Ainlay was the ACM Engineer of the Year in 2009 and 2011.Carlos Alvarez has an engineering and production career that has taken him around the world working with a variety of talent, including Juan Luis Guerra, Julio Iglesias and Carrie Underwood, among many others. Recently garnering GRAMMY Awards® for his work with Jose Feliciano and Alejandro Sanz, he's also the recipient of six Latin GRAMMY®s. He has served on The Recording Academy Florida Chapter Board of Governors since 2002.
Richard James Burgess Ph.D. has produced, recorded and/or performed on numerous platinum albums with such diverse artists as Spandau Ballet, America and New Edition. He authored The Art of Record Production in 1997 and the second and third editions entitled The Art of Music Production, now being updated for a fourth edition on Oxford University Press. Also known for his pioneering work with synthesizers, computers and sampling, Burgess is an inventor of the SDSV drum synthesizer.
Ed Cherney is a GRAMMY-winning producer/engineer known for his work with a variety of artists, among them Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Bonnie Raitt, and the Rolling Stones. Over the years, he has amassed six GRAMMY nominations and two wins, in addition to seven TEC Award nominations and five wins, as well as three EMMY nominations. A founding member of the Music Producers Guild of America, the P&E Wing's direct forerunner, Cherney has also served as Governor of the Los Angeles Chapter of The Recording Academy.
Mike Clink has produced projects that have sold more than 70 million records worldwide. Known for working with legendary rock acts such as Aerosmith, Guns N' Roses and Metallica, Clink also specializes in developing new talent. A pioneer in live recording and distribution, he has started a new media company that specializes in the instantaneous fulfillment of CDs with added value content available immediately after a concert event. Clink frequently speaks on panels for The Recording Academy and the Audio Engineering Society (AES).
Bob Ludwig is a GRAMMY and Latin GRAMMY-winning mastering engineer with degrees in music education, performance (trumpet) and music literature from the Eastman School of Music and an honorary doctorate from the University of Southern Maine. He was the first person to be honored with the Les Paul Award for consistently outstanding achievements in the professional audio industry, as well as the TEC Award for "Outstanding Creative Achievement, Mastering Engineer" an unprecedented 15 times. He served as Co-Chair of the P&E Wing from 2004-2008.
Sylvia Massy is best known as the record producer and engineer for the groundbreaking rock artists System of a Down and Tool, yet her career has touched nearly every aspect of the music industry including recording, radio, manufacturing, retail, production and performance. She has received more than 25 gold and platinum RIAA awards, for artists as varied as Paula Abdul, Tom Petty and Prince and has been featured in several books, including "Behind the Glass" by Howard Massey.
James McKinney is Committee Co-Chair and an accomplished pianist/keyboardist, vocalist, musical director, songwriter, arranger, producer, educator, businessman and philanthropist. Since relocating to Washington, D.C. in 1988, McKinney has performed for three U.S. Presidents and has performed with the likes of Kenny Burrell, Kenny Lattimore, Stevie Wonder, and more. McKinney serves on the Board of the Washington, D.C. Chapter of The Recording Academy and is also a National Trustee.
Phil Nicolo founded Studio 4 in 1980, a recording studio in Philadelphia where he and his brother established themselves as a force in all genres of music production, from rock to R&B, mainstream to cutting edge. In 1989, Ruffhouse Records was launched out of Studio 4 operations, and over the next ten years was responsible for the careers of Lauryn Hill, the Fugees, Cypress Hill, Wyclef Jean and Kriss Kross. Phil's producing and engineering credits include Aerosmith, Billy Joel, Bon Jovi, the Rolling Stones, Sting, among many others.
Dan Workman is president of SugarHill Studios, Houston, Texas, the oldest recording studio in the U.S. He has engineered GRAMMY-winning projects for Texas' most notable artists including Beyoncé, Destiny's Child, Clay Walker, and ZZ Top. Workman now produces full time, is currently working with Kareem Salama, The Southern Backtones, Roky Moon and BOLT!, and is writing and performing with Two Star Symphony.
"We owe a great debt to all of our past Steering Committee members, including John Alagia, Jeff Balding, Jimmy Douglass, Nathaniel Kunkel, Glenn Lorbecki, Keith Olsen, Phil Ramone, Elliot Scheiner, Tommy Tallarico and Eric Schilling," states Maureen Droney, Sr. Executive Director of the P&E Wing. "They charted the course and are still a huge part of our team as we move forward. At this challenging time in the industry and in the world economy overall, we need the skills and experience of all of our leaders and members to address our challenges, find solutions and help re-envision the way the music industry works."
About The Recording Academy
Currently more than 6,000 professionals comprise The Recording Academy Producers & Engineers Wing, which was established for producers, engineers, remixers, manufacturers, technologists, and other related creative and technical professionals in the recording field. This organized voice for the recording community addresses issues that affect the craft of recorded music, including the development and implementation of new technologies, technical guidelines and recommendations, and archiving and preservation initiatives. For more information, please visit www.producersandengineers.com.
Established in 1957, The Recording Academy is an organization of musicians, producers, engineers and recording professionals that is dedicated to improving the cultural condition and quality of life for music and its makers. Internationally known for the GRAMMY Awards — the preeminent peer-recognized award for musical excellence and the most credible brand in music — The Recording Academy is responsible for groundbreaking professional development, cultural enrichment, advocacy, education and human services programs. The Academy continues to focus on its mission of recognizing musical excellence, advocating for the well-being of music makers and ensuring music remains an indelible part of our culture. For more information about The Academy, please visit www.grammy.com. For breaking news and exclusive content, join the organization's social networks as a Twitter follower at www.twitter.com/thegrammys, a Facebook fan at www.facebook.com/thegrammys, and a YouTube channel subscriber at www.youtube.com/thegrammys.
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The Recording Academy P&E Wing is exhibiting at booth 647 at AES 2011 in New York City, NY.
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