Music From Ireland, run by First Music Contact and funded by Culture Ireland, & AIM Ireland are pleased to announce the music professionals from across Ireland who have been selected for A2IM Indie Week In New York City!
A2IM Indie Week is a three-day international conference and networking event aimed at maximizing the global impact of independent music in New York City. Featuring keynotes, panels, exclusive networking sessions, and more, A2IM Indie Week has historically drawn participants from over 30 countries. This year, it takes place June 13th - 15th.
In late March, we put out a call for Irish music industry professionals to apply to have their A2IM registration fee and up to €500 in travel costs per person covered through joint sponsorship from AIM Ireland and Music From Ireland, through Culture Ireland.
Music From Ireland welcomed applications from all the below members of the Irish music industry, including AIM Ireland members:
Managers
Independent Labels
Independent Publishers / Music Supervisors / Sync Companies
Independent Promoters
Music Producers
A2IM have now selected the successful applicants who will be networking with the international music industry at the event in June!
Read more about the 2023 Irish Music Industry Professionals selected for A2IM below.
Angela Dorgan
First Music Contact / Ireland Music Week / Music From Ireland
Angela Dorgan is the CEO and founder of First Music Contact (FMC), the Arts Council-funded national resource organisation for musicians, which run the Irish Music Export Office, Music From Ireland, the online music portal BreakingTunes and the annual music industry showcase Ireland Music Week. FMC have recently established an association of independent music, AIM Ireland.
Angela is Vice President of EMEE, the European Music Exporters Exchange, where she was part of a group that devised a global music export strategy for European Music for the European Commission. Angela provides mentoring support to music and export offices around the world. She has a Masters Degree in Sociology from UCC and believes that Arts and Culture are an essential part of the life of every citizen.
Angela recently stepped down as chair of the National Campaign for the Arts, During her time as chair, she was instrumental in lobbying for the pilot Scheme for Basic Income for Artists as well as lobbying government for increased funding for the Arts and Entertainment sector during the Covid 19 crisis.
Angela is a regular contributor and expert voice on music and arts in the Irish media. She also played the drums. Badly. (her words)
Gill Dooley
AIM Ireland
A proven senior leader in music, Gill Dooley is an independent artist manager, music consultant, mentor and the CEO of AIM Ireland, Ireland's national association for independent music.
Bringing more than 20 years experience with her, Gill's solution driven approach has seen AIM Ireland grow into a leading advocacy organisation since she took the helm in 2021. Gill began her career with EMI, and spent time working with Irish indie RMG Chart, New Zealand's TWL and Hot Press before joining Universal Music in 2007.
She spent 11 years as Director of Digital & Business Development before branching out on her own in 2018 to focus on an Enterprise Ireland funded consultancy, and launch her career as an artist manager to rising pop star Aimée. Gill is a mentor for Keychange and Minding Creative Minds, and also sits on the IMPALA board.
A2IM 2023 Irish Music Industry Professionals
Alan Hennessey
Bohemia Records / Crashed Music Group
Aine Cronin-McCartney
BBC Radio Ulster / Bloom Records
Alan Hennessy is co-founder of indie label and publisher Bohemia Records, home to A Lazarus Soul and Joe Chester, and is a director of Crashed Music Group managing a vast catalogue of Irish music and providing label services to a range of other labels and self releasing artists.
Alan also assisted in the formation of AIM Ireland as a member of its founding steering committee and is a long serving director on the boards of record label trade body IRMA and recording rights collecting society PPI.
Aine Cronin-McCartney is a freelance radio presenter, producer, artist manager and label manager. A regular voice on BBC Radio Ulster’s ATL Introducing show, Aine has played a key role in helping to champion the best new acts and bands emerging from across Ireland & supporting artists across an array of genres. Alongside her presenting work, Aine has sat on the panel of the NI Music Prize and the AIM Music Awards along with speaking at industry panels and showcasing events such as Output, Belfast. Following an internship at Northern Ireland’s largest management company, Champion Sound Music, where Aine worked across campaigns for award winning artists Joshua Burnside and Ryan Vail, she proceeded to set up her own business Flux Music Management where she manages indie-pop artist Reevah.
In 2021, Aine started at Faction Records as an A&R and label assistant working across some of the labels biggest releases and supporting on producer management including artists across NI, ROI, and the UK such as Sorcha Richardson, James Vincent McMorrow, Morning Midnight, Lauren Ann and others. In 2022 Aine launched her own label imprint under Faction Music called Bloom Records, a new independent Irish label with a focus on fresh, engaging, and vibrant releases that will centre artists' own creativity at its core where she is currently working with artists Lydia Ford and Reevah. Aine is also a co-founder and active member of Safe in Sound, an initiative set up to provide a safe space for underrepresented voices in the Northern Irish music sector.
Ann Marie Shields
AMS Records / BIMM Institute / Minding Creative Minds
Colm Hanley
Re:set Management
Ann Marie Shields is a director of Minding Creative Minds, a 24/7 wellbeing, career mentoring and professional advice service, offered free to the Irish creative sector.
She is Head of Careers, Industry, Events and Guests at BIMM Institute Dublin, having been on the team that originally secured University accreditation prior to launch of the college. She was on the steering committee for 3 years and interim board that launched AIM Ireland and she has her own AMS Records label and management company with new albums this year by Side 4 Collective, SELK, and Vernon Jane.
Ann Marie has worked extensively in the music industry working closely with bands such as My Bloody Valentine, Dinosaur Jr, Rumer, Rob Ells/PJ Harvey, Mercury Rev, Rollerskate Skinny, Martina Topley Bird, Marianne Faithful, Laika, The Bug, MAD LION, Snake River Conspiracy and Charlotte Hatherley (ASH/Bat for Lashes). She spent 6 years at Warner Bros. flagship label Reprise Records as UK A&R manager, and 9 years as managing director of Warner imprint Morpheus Records.
Ann Marie moonlights as a film music supervisor with www.muscic4movies.org . Films she has worked on include critically acclaimed ‘Blue Iguana’ featuring Oscar winner Sam Rockwell; Joe Meek biopic ‘Telstar’; Raindance winner ‘Mr. In-Between’; Savannah winner ‘The Kid’; Sean Bean thriller ‘Cleanskin’; and recently released feature ‘Vengeance Is Mine’. She is currently attached to Hadi Hajaig’s ‘All Mine Enemies’ which is in pre-production.
Colm is an artist manager and marketing and communications professional with over 17 years of experience, specialising in music and live events.
Through Re:set Management, Colm works with folk singer-songwriter Laura Elizabeth Hughes, a songwriter from Dublin who’s music career has taken her on a journey from modest beginnings performing covers on her own YouTube channel in 2012 to attracting a global audience of over 2.6 million viewers. With her debut album due for release in 2023, Re:set are working on a series of tour dates and new releases for the artists in the coming months.
With over 10 years’ experience working in live events with MCD Productions, Colm led communications campaigns for some of the world’s biggest stars performing in Ireland at venues including Croke Park, Slane Castle, Phoenix Park and 3Arena. Now an Associate Director with Creative Marketing company, Colm works with major brands such as Three Ireland and Irish Distillers and has led a number of projects such as the launch of Three’s sponsorship of 3Olympia Theatre, Electric Picnic, 3Arena and their Made by Music campaigns where he has worked with artists such as Narolane (Denise Chaila, God Knows, MuRli), Saint Sister, Maxi Jazz (Faithless), Sorcha Richardson and David Kitt amongst others. Colm also works across a varied portfolio including music related clients on strategy, development and media relations such as BIMM Dublin and R.A.A.P. and is a member of the board of Carlow Arts Festival.
Elaine McCann
Music Consultant, Mentor, Campaign- and Digital Distribution Manager
Eric Fraad
Heresy Records
Elaine McCann, a music consultant, mentor, campaign and digital distribution manager with 15+ years experience in the music industry at an international level. Now based in Dublin, Elaine has vast knowledge of the Irish, UK and Canadian markets. She worked the festival and live circuit in Toronto for 5+ years, producing music industry showcases and networking events, with a high emphasis on marketing, management and artist development.
Elaine has been working within the digital distribution landscape for the past 10 years and has in-depth experience working with record labels and artists alike, having worked directly with some of the UK and Ireland’s most notable independent record labels.
At the beginning of 2023 Elaine took the leap to start her own label services and music marketing initiative. This venture has already proven to be a success, with organic interest from artists and music industry professionals. She has identified a gap in the Irish independent music sector and envisions significant growth throughout the remainder of 2023 and the upcoming year.
A native of New York City and longtime resident of Ireland, Eric Fraad is known on both sides of the Atlantic as a cultural entrepreneur, artistic director and a director of film, opera and theatre.
Eric is the founder and CEO of Heresy (Heresy Records and Heresy Films), a Dublin-based media boutique that creates innovative recordings, films and music videos. Heresy Records specializes in early music, traditional, contemporary classical, electronic and experimental crossovers between classical and popular genres. Heresy’s recording of The Wexford Carols reached No.1 on the Billboard and Amazon charts.
Heresy Records has released over 30 critically acclaimed albums.
Jonathan Pearson
Islander / Quiet Lights / New Music Dublin / INNI
Luke Kavanagh
Egg Twelve Records / The Grand Social
Jonathan Pearson is an Irish arts manager based in Los Angeles. Jonathan set up Islander in 2017, an artist management and creative producing company, which now has four managers and a roster of eight artists. Jonathan is the Director of Quiet Lights, a folk festival in Cork which takes place every year, and is Festival Producer of New Music Dublin, Ireland's premiere contemporary classical music festival.
Aside from Islander, Jon is a core member of INNI, an Icelandic music company based in Reykjavík, founded by renowned film composer Atli Örvarsson, arts manager Colm O’Herlihy and entertainment lawyer Willie Ryan. INNI have provided music for films and TV shows for the likes of Netflix, Apple TV, HBO and more.
Luke Kavanagh is the founder & director of Egg Twelve Records, a boutique independent artist management agency and label house dedicated to providing artists with creative and professional support systems wherever they may require.
Having began his career interning with London-based ATC Management, Luke is now based in Dublin; operating as an events booker for Dublin's The Grand Social, alongside other production roles such as promoter representation and tour/production management.
Maya Cullen Petrovic
Jawdropper / BIMM Institute Dublin
Solomon Adesyian
Trust It Entertainment / Coum Technologies Ltd
Maya Cullen Petrovic is an artist manager and co-director of Jawdropper Music, a management company with a roster of clients in Ireland, the UK and Germany, including acts signed to major labels and publishers, indies and unsigned artists. In 2020 Jawdropper launched their own label, Jawdropper Records, with global distribution through InGrooves.
Jawdropper also handle PR in Ireland and the UK for Irish and internationals acts with strong support achieved across the Irish and UK market in radio, press and editorial coverage for their clients.
Maya has worked in the Arts for over 17 years, & has a broad range of experience, from running festivals, to artist development, music PR and Music Business education, as she currently hold the Artist Manager lecturing position in BIMM Dublin. Maya is also an innovator on the 2023 Keychange programme, one of a cohort of 74 artist and innovator participants from 12 countries to lead global movement for gender equity in music.
My name is Solomon and I'm an entrepreneur within the music/entertainment sector. I’m based in Ireland.
Trust It Entertainment is my music company and we have recently done an international deal as a label with Warner Music Group International and Atlantic Records UK the first of its kind in Irish history!
Coum Technologies Ltd is my music tech startup that I’m streamlining the traditional setup of the music industry I make life easier for my industry professionals via tech solutions/products. We’re a one stop shop!
Also worked as music consultant for brands such Spotify, YouTube, Guinness, Jameson, Near Protocol and more. I’m a hustler at heart and a lover of music in soul!
For more information on A2IM have a look at their Website, Twitter & Instagram.