Music Mavens: 15 Women of Note in the Industry

Music Mavens: 15 Women of Note in the IndustryMusic Mavens: 15 Women of Note in the IndustryMusic Mavens: 15 Women of Note in the IndustryMusic Mavens: 15 Women of Note in the Industry
  • Home
  • Meet the Music Mavens
  • Book Contents
  • Order the Book
  • About the Authors
  • Contact Us
  • Book News & Events
  • Musicians' Resources
  • For Educators, Librarians
  • Kaoly Asano (GOCOO)
  • Maria Elisa Ayerbe
  • Katarina Benzova
  • Regina Carter
  • Janet Dacal
  • Sylvia Massy
  • Nami Melumad
  • Lia Mice
  • Kaila Mullady
  • Nova Wav
  • Valérie Sainte-Agathe
  • Macy Schmidt
  • Kate Schutt
  • Joanne Shenandoah
  • Vân-Ánh Vanessa Võ
  • SOPHIE Xeon Tribute

Click here to order the book.

Music Mavens: 15 Women of Note in the Industry

Music Mavens: 15 Women of Note in the IndustryMusic Mavens: 15 Women of Note in the IndustryMusic Mavens: 15 Women of Note in the Industry
  • Home
  • Meet the Music Mavens
  • Book Contents
  • Order the Book
  • About the Authors
  • Contact Us
  • Book News & Events
  • Musicians' Resources
  • For Educators, Librarians
  • Kaoly Asano (GOCOO)
  • Maria Elisa Ayerbe
  • Katarina Benzova
  • Regina Carter
  • Janet Dacal
  • Sylvia Massy
  • Nami Melumad
  • Lia Mice
  • Kaila Mullady
  • Nova Wav
  • Valérie Sainte-Agathe
  • Macy Schmidt
  • Kate Schutt
  • Joanne Shenandoah
  • Vân-Ánh Vanessa Võ
  • SOPHIE Xeon Tribute

Meet the Music Mavens / Career Highlights

Kaoly Asano

Maria Elisa Ayerbe

Maria Elisa Ayerbe

Taiko Drummer and Instructor


  • Founder and lead percussionist  of GOCOO
  • Pioneered a free-spirited approach to taiko that blends tradition and innovation
  • Performs for the world's biggest music festivals, including Europe's SZIGET
  • Provided music to major motion picture  soundtracks
  • Founder of TAWOO Taiko Dojo, Tokyo
  • Teaches for kaDON online


Born in Tokyo

Videos & Playlist

Maria Elisa Ayerbe

Maria Elisa Ayerbe

Maria Elisa Ayerbe

Record Producer, Mixer, Audio Engineer


  • Grammy Award Nominee
  • Latin Grammy Winner and Multiple Nominee
  • Songwriter
  • "Leading Lady of Entertainment"
  • Host, HBO Latino’s A Tiny Audience
  • Recording Academy Producers and  Engineers Wing Steering Committee 
  • Founder of independent label South Mountain Music
  • Artists include Laura Pausini, Paula Arenas, Mau y Ricky, Petrona Martinez, Juannita, & more


Born in Colombia

Videos & Playlist

Katarina Benzova

Maria Elisa Ayerbe

Katarina Benzova

Rock Photographer and Documentarian


  • Photographer for  Guns 'N' Roses, KISS, Aerosmith, Courtney Love, Def Leppard, Sebastian Bach, Jane's Addiction, Motley Crue,  Van Halen, The Rolling Stones, Motorhead, Alice In Chains, KORN, Thin Lizzy, and more.
  • Published in: Rolling Stone, Vogue, Classic Rock, SPIN, LA Times, Metal Hammer, NY Times, USA Today
  • Founder of Mission11 non-profit


Born in Slovakia

Kat's Photos & Videos

Regina Carter

Regina Carter

Katarina Benzova

Violinist


  • 2023 National Endowment of the Arts Jazz Master Fellow
  • McArthur ("Genius ") Fellow
  • Doris Duke Fellow
  • Grammy Nominee
  • First jazz artist to play Paganini's violin
  • 3-time Jurist for the Pulitzer Prize  for Music
  • Artistic Director, Geri Allen Jazz Camp
  • Faculty, Manhattan School of Music
  • Performs many styles —jazz, R&B, Latin, classical, blues, country, pop, African, and more


Born in Michigan

Videos & Playlist

Janet Dacal

Regina Carter

Sylvia Massy

Broadway Musical Star


  • Real Women Have Curves: The Musical: Mrs. Spitz (World premier, American Repertory Theatre)
  • New York, New York: Sofia Diaz (Original Broadway Cast)
  • The Band's Visit: Dina (Nat'l Tour)
  • Drama Desk Award Winner for In The Heights (Off-Broadway)
  • In the Heights: Carla (Original Off-Broadway and Broadway Casts); Nina (Broadway Cast)
  • Prince of Broadway: Eva Perón - Evita, Aurora - Kiss of the Spider Woman, Young Sally - Follies, and Sydney - It’s a Bird... It’s a Plane...It’s Superman (Orig. Broadway Cast)
  • Wonderland: Alice (Original Broadway Cast)
  • Teaches voice & acting


Born in California

Videos & Playlist

Sylvia Massy

Regina Carter

Sylvia Massy

Record Producer, Mixer, & Audio Engineer


  • Multi-time Grammy Award Nominee
  • Multi-platinum record producer
  • Artists include: Prince, Tool, Geto Boys, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Johnny Cash, System of a Down, Econoline Crush, Taylor Hawkins (solo album),  and many more
  • Author of Recording Unhinged: Creative and Unconventional Music Recording Techniques
  • Sound Production Educator
  • Curator of the world’s largest collection of vintage microphones (2,500-plus)


Born in Colorado

Videos and Playlist

Nami Melumad

Kaila Mullady

Nami Melumad

Film Composer


  • Winner 2023 David Raskin Award for Emerging Talent (for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds)
  • Nominated for IFMCA Breakthrough Composer of the Year and won IFMCA Best Original Score for a Video Game in 2020
  • Films: Thor: Love & Thunder, An American Pickle, The Woman in the House Across the Street From the Girl in the Window, Disney's Far From The Tree, Colette (Oscar winner), and 100+ other projects
  • Television: Star Trek: Prodigy, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Absentia
  • Video Game: Medal of Honor: Above & Beyond


Born in Israel

VIDEOS & playlist

Lia Mice

Kaila Mullady

Nami Melumad

Multidisciplinary Artist  and Instrument Designer

 

  • 2021 Oram Award-winner for innovation in sound, music, and related technologies
  • Recording artist
  • Film soundtrack composer
  • Advocate for accessible  instrument design and creator of the One-Handed Violin
  • Designer of large-scale digital musical instruments, including Prism Bell, Chaos Bells, and the Catastrophone
  • Founder and curator of Electrolights AV
  • Academic writer
  • PhD in Media and Arts Technology from Queen Mary University of London


Born in Australia

Videos & Playlist

Kaila Mullady

Kaila Mullady

Kaila Mullady

Two-time World Champion 

Beatboxer


  • Member of Tony-winning Broadway cast of Lin Manuel Miranda’s Freestyle Love Supreme
  • 2015 and 2018 World Beatbox Champion
  • 3-time Loop Station Champion 
  • 3-time Beatrhyme Champion
  • Public speaker 
  • Beatboxing Instructor
  • Multi-instrumentalist
  • Designed a beatboxing speech therapy curriculum 
  • Co-founder, Academy of Noise 
  • Producer, American Beatbox Championships


Born in New York

Videos & Playlist

Nova Wav

Valérie Sainte-Agathe

Kaila Mullady

Songwriting and Producing Duo

Denisia ("Blu June") Andrews 

& Brittany ("Chi") Coney


  • Grammy Award Winners with multiple Nominations 
  • 2023  Best R&B Song Grammy for Beyonce's "Cuff It"
  • Wrote 8 tracks on Beyoncé's Renaissance and contributed to 2 tracks on Cowboy Carter
  • Pen It Forward Award (Give Her Flowhers 2023)
  • Composed a new song for The Color Purple (musical film)
  • Women in Film Crystal + Lucy Award for Artistic Excellence (2018)
  • 2020 ASCAP Women Behind the Music Honorees
  • Named to Billboard’s 2018 R&B/Hip-Hop 100 Power Players
  • Genres: Hip-Hop, R&B, Pop
  • Artists include Beyoncé, Jay-Z, DJ Khaled, H.E.R., Kehlani, Nicki Minaj, Mary J. Blige, Monica, Rhianna,  Britney Spears, Jazmine Sullivan, Teyana Taylor, and more
  • She Is The Music mentors


Born in Florida

Videos & Playlist

Valérie Sainte-Agathe

Valérie Sainte-Agathe

Valérie Sainte-Agathe

Artistic Director and Conductor


  • Celebrating her 11th year with the San Francisco Girls Chorus
  • Choral Director of Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra & Chorale
  • Conductor of San Francisco Symphony Chorus (2022-23 season)
  • Conductor for Michael Abels  "At War with Ourselves," performed with Kronos Quartet (2021-22 season)
  • Debuted at Carnegie Hall with the Philip Glass Ensemble
  • Recorded with the Montpellier National Orchestra and The Radio France Festival
  • Classical Pianist


Born in Martinique

Videos & Playlist

Macy Schmidt

Valérie Sainte-Agathe

Valérie Sainte-Agathe

Orchestrator, Music Director, and Producer, 


  • Founder/CEO, The Broadway Sinfonietta
  • 2022 Forbes 30 Under 30 List - Music
  • Wrote additional orchestrations for Kimberly Akimbo (2022) becoming the first woman of color to orchestrate on Broadway
  • Live-to-film concert conductor for "Barbie The Movie: In Concert" (2024 tour) and "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Live" (2023 tour)
  • Co-Producer, Parade (Broadway, 2023 - Tony for best musical revival)
  • Orchestrator, 2023 Tony Awards opening & closing numbers
  • Orchestrator for RIDE: The Musical (London's West End, 2022)
  • Orchestrator for Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical 
  • Music Assistant for Tina: The Tina Turner Musical (Broadway)
  • Faculty: Manhattan School of Music, Cap21 Conservatory, Pace University 


Born in California

Videos & Other Links

Kate Schutt

Vân-Ánh Vanessa Võ

Joanne Shenandoah

Singer, Songwriter, and Guitarist


  • Writes and performs jazz, pop, and Americana
  • Guitarist 
  • Pianist
  • Recording Artist
  • John Lennon Songwriting Contest Winner in Jazz
  • 4-time ASCAP Plus Award Winner in Jazz Composition
  • Included in New Standards: 101 Lead Sheets By Women Composers (song: "The Spring That Felt Like Fall")
  • TEDX Speaker: "Grief Casserole"


Born in Connecticut

Videos & Playlist

Joanne Shenandoah

Vân-Ánh Vanessa Võ

Joanne Shenandoah

Singer, Songwriters, Instrumentalist, and Activist


  • 1 Grammy Award 
  • 14 Nammy Awards
  • American Indian Society Lifetime Legend
  • Discography of nearly 500 songs
  • Actor and narrator
  • Performed at the White House for 5 inaugurations
  • Performed at the Vatican for the canonization of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha
  • Founder, Hiawatha Institute for Indigenous Knowledge


Oneida Iroquois of the Wolf Clan

Born in New York

Videos & Playlist

Vân-Ánh Vanessa Võ

Vân-Ánh Vanessa Võ

Vân-Ánh Vanessa Võ

  Composer and Multiinstrumentalist 


  • Virtuoso player of the 16-string Đàn Tranh
  • Recording artist
  • Emmy-winning film composer
  • First Vietnamese American to perform at the White House
  • Founder of Blood Moon Orchestra
  • Vietnam National Đàn Tranh Championship Winner
  •  Artist Laureate under Obama Administration


Born in Vietnam

Videos & Playlist
  • Meet the Music Mavens
  • Book Contents
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Music Mavens: 15 Women of Note in the Industry

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