OUR BOARD
Val Denn
Val Denn started her career as a singer songwriter, and later attended Berklee College of Music where she studied Jazz guitar. At Berklee she met her husband and they later moved to Austin, Texas where they toured North America for many years, releasing 5 albums. In 1996 she started a booking agency which at the time focused mainly on Texas Songwriters, and later built a very strong roster of woman songwriters which included an all woman office staff. She produced and worked with the Guthrie family and Jimmy LaFave on a show about Woody Guthrie’s life called “Ribbon of Highway” which ran for 12 years until Jimmy LaFave’s death in 2017.
Valerie is very active in the World Music/Roots/Americana/ community as an agent and a manager.. She is passionate about her artists and especially adept at helping her clients with export development and building global careers. Val served for four years on the Board of Directors for Folk Alliance International where she also served a term as President. She teaches and partners with other industry events to lead workshops/panels for the enrichment of the creative/artistic process. She has been a teacher/mentor at SXSW, Mundial Montreal, WOMEX, Folk Music Canada, ECMA’s and participated on numerous panels at industry events. She knows how to be successful at conferences and enjoys teaching others this skill. She currently is on the board for Folk Music Canada and part of the merging of the organization to include 2 other Canadian NGO’s.
Currently she is the Canadian Ambassador for The House of Songs (www.thehouseofsongs.com) based in Austin, Texas. This organization matches songwriters globally for co-writing experiences and has residencies in Austin, Bentonville, AR, New York City, and now opening new “houses” in Nordic countries. She worked with The House of Songs creating a documentary with Indigenous Artists walking the Camino in 2016.
In her spare time she is an organic farmer with her husband of 39 years in Nova Scotia Canada.
Adam Fell
Adam Fell is the President of Quincy Jones Productions, and oversees various branches of the company, such as artist management; licensing and endorsements; live, film, and television production; international joint ventures; and investments. Furthermore, Fell was an Executive Producer for the 2014 film, Keep On Keepin' On, which won the top prize at the Tribeca Film Festival, was sold to Radius, and shortlisted for the Documentary (Feature) Academy Award. Fell was also an Executive Producer of the Netflix original release, QUINCY, which won the African-American Film Critics Association award for Best Documentary, the Black Film Critics award for Best Documentary, two Critics Choice awards, and a Grammy award in the category of Best Music Film, amongst others. Beyond his leadership at QJP, Fell has been a featured speaker at various events, such as the Goldman Sachs “Music is in the Air” Conference, and the late Alan Krueger’s Music Industry Research Association (MIRA) Conference. Fell also serves on the International Advisory Board of the Montreux Jazz Festival, as well as the Advisory Board of There With Care, a foundation that provides support for families facing critical illness.
Nona Hendryx
In the spirit of two fisted political singer songwriters such as, Nina Simone, and Joni Mitchell, Nona Hendryx tackles social issues, love and politics with a smoky vocal tessitura somewhere between funk and the end of the stratosphere. Hendryx’s legendary career spans six decades of sound and style evolution. Fans know her as a founding member of the girl group, Patti LaBelle & the Bluebelles, (with Sarah Dash, Cindy Birdsong and Patti LaBelle,) known as “the Sweethearts of the Apollo Theatre” and inducted into the R&B Hall of Fame in 1999. In the 70s, the group morphed into the Rock & Funk Glam Diva's 'Labelle' with the #1 record, Lady Marmalade. Nona Hendryx emerged as the chief songwriter of the group’s socially conscious and illuminating message songs. If Labelle fans grieved the end of Labelle, Nona Hendryx fans welcomed a new one as the revolutionary art-rock, new-wave goddess embarked upon her own impressive Solo career, which spanned eight studio albums and engaged her with an impressive lineup of collaborators (Prince, Peter Gabriel, Talking Heads, Laurie Anderson, Bono and Cameo), resulting in top ten hits and a Grammy nomination (Rock This Houses with The Rolling Stones' Keith Richards on guitar).
An activist and vocal supporter for women’s rights, social, political and criminal justice. Helping to raise funds and awareness of HIV/AIDS from the outbreak of the epidemic and still involved today. Dreaming of being an educator Nona worked with education organizations supporting women in prison, a school in Chicago, Little Black Pearl, taught Stage Craft at The Clive Davis Recording Academy and founded in 2016 her own Non Profit, SisterSMATR.org to bridge the gap in Science, Math, Art, Technology and Robotics for young women of color ages 14 to 18.
Not slowing down, in. 2019 Nona create a new interdisciplinary work inspired by Carrie Mae Weems ‘Kitchen Table and Ulysses Dove’s ‘Urban Folk Dance’ titled, ‘Refrigerated Dreams’, and becoming the 2020 Artistic Director for Harlem Stage curating a series of events exploring Afrofuturism and Speculative Fiction simultaneously presenting panels and performances as Visiting Scholar for Berklee’s Africana Studies department. Seeking the challenge of another form of communication Nona created a SiriusXM Radio show ‘The Nexus with Nona Hendryx’ discussing Music, Art and Technology with famous guests, Nona’s three passions.
Pete Muller
Pete Muller is an American singer-songwriter whose passion for math and music forged a rather unconventional path.
In 2019, Muller released his fourth studio album, Dissolve, produced by the renowned Rob Mathes. His sound can be described as Americana with a rock and soul vibe, and was featured in American Songwriter and People magazine. With two Top 30 singles in the Billboard Adult Contemporary Charts, he is currently deep in the songwriting process for his next record.
Muller has long been a champion of music education and the arts. In September 2017, with the support of the New York City Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment and the Economic Development Corporation, Muller with Berklee acquired Avatar Studios, also known as The Power Station, which gained renown as one of the finest acoustic environments for recording in the world. As Muller continues to guide the mathematically driven investment fund, Process Driven Trading (PDT), he still finds time to pursue other passions. He is an avid surfer, dedicated yogi, and prolific crossword puzzle constructor - you can find his challenging, music-themed, "meta-puzzles" monthly in the Washington Post.
"It's always about energy and figuring out what your deepest truth is," says Muller of his various endeavors. "If you are excited and passionate about whatever you're doing, just keep doing that."
Joyce Lim
Joyce Lim has more than 20 years' experience in both the nonprofit and for-profit sectors, focused on philanthropic initiatives and business affairs. As chief of staff for Pete Muller, the founder of Live Music Society, Joyce was instrumental in establishing the foundation, leading the design and implementation of emergency funding in 2020 and subsequent development of mission and vision. In 2022, Joyce was elected the foundation's board president and served a two-year term. Continuing her service as a member of the board, Joyce's passion and commitment supports the organization's strategic objectives, impact, and growth.
Stephen Webber
Stephen Webber is an Emmy-winning composer, musician, author, speaker, producer/engineer, and a leading innovator in music and the performing arts. Stephen currently serves as Dean of Strategic Initiatives for Berklee College of Music, and Executive Director of BerkleeNYC, where he oversees the iconic Power Station recording studios. Recently, Stephen has been serving as A&R consultant for the Universal Music Group. He’s produced and engineered albums for a wide-range of artists, including a collaboration with DJ Premier and Nas for the Re:Generations Music Project, a film Stephen appeared in alongside Erica Badu, Skrillex, Mos Def, Pretty Lights, and the Doors.
Almost fifty thousand students are enrolled in Stephen’s Massive Open Online Course (MOOC)The Art of Music Production. In 2014, Webber founded the Music Production, Technology and Innovation Master's program at Berklee's Valencia Campus, where he also served as CTO. Music Production Analysis, Webber’s course for Berklee Music Online, won 2010’s international “Best Online Course Award” from the University Continuing Education Association.
Webber is the composer and turntable soloist of the Stylus Symphony, a groundbreaking work that combines a full orchestra with hip-hop, trip-hop and dubstep. Webber authored Turntable Technique: The Art of the DJ, the first book to teach the turntable as a musical instrument, and he founded Berklee's DJ and turntablism classes, which are considered to be the first to be offered by a college of music.
Webber has designed several recording studios, conducted film scores at Lucasfilm’s Skywalker Ranch, and authored dozens of articles and cover stories for Mix Magazine, Re-mix, and Electronic Musician.
Jeff Wilkins
Jeffrey Wilkins has more than 20 years of experience in public accounting, private and nonprofit organizations. He currently serves as the CFO of a family office and is a member of the New York State Society of Certified Public accountants (NYSSCPA). Formerly, Jeff was an audit partner at Anchin, Block, & Anchin, LLLP in the financial services department. He received a B.A. in Accounting from CUNY Queens College and a M.S. in taxation from Pace University’s Lubin School of Business.
Gavin Berger
Board President
Gavin Berger’s career has spanned over 30 years as a top producer, programmer, strategist, innovator, marketer, fundraiser, and executive in the entertainment and cultural worlds. He has been a powerful force in growing world-class venues, companies and foundations ranging from Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts to BerkleeNYC, the Kimmel Center, Meadowlands Xanadu, Bowery Presents, Big Apple Circus, Spektrix, Berman Family Foundation, and many others. His diverse experience includes all phases of artistic vision and conceptualization, strategic planning, and construction. He currently serves as a Trustee on the following boards: Vermont Center for Emerging Technology (VCET), Art Omi, Ancram Center for the Arts, Inheritance Theater Project, and the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity in Canada.