March 7, 2012
Goose Creek Music has taken a few months off, and made some changes in the way we’re organized and how we’re addressing the growing Americana Music market…
First, our good friend and associate Stuart Martin has stepped down as a partner in the firm to concentrate on his growing business with Stonebridge Studios in Leesburg, VA. Stuart’s reputation as a gifted sound engineer and producer has grown, and he’s recently done work for The Steel Wheels new studio album “Lay Down, Lay Low“, Jimmy Gaudreau and Moondi Klein’s upcoming release from Rebel Records “Home From the Mills“, Jonathan Edwards’ new CD “My Love Will Keep”, and the upcoming debut album release for hot new Americana artists The Stray Birds. Goose Creek Music looks forward to an ongoing relationship with Stuart and Stonebridge Studios for post-production and mastering services.
Meanwhile, a few new faces have joined the firm, and we’re really excited about our plans for the next few years.
My dear friend and technology entrepreneur Paul Shreve has come aboard to head up Business Development efforts. Paul has been at the forefront of the Internet revolution since before most of us ever logged on, and has both practical experience and strategic vision for how business is done in the Web 2.0 world.
Paul will be working to identify opportunities to license the Goose Creek Music catalog across multiple media platforms, form cooperative business arrangements with other firms for the production and distribution of new material, and help me keep an eye on the nuts and bolts of running the company.
Pete Knapp, Americana Music promoter extraordinaire, has joined Goose Creek Music as head of A&R and Media Relations. Pete and I met at the Americana Music Conference about 4 years ago, and he really impressed me with his knowledge of the industry and his contacts with important and emerging Americana artists. Pete introduced us to The Steel Wheels and promoted their Goose Creek Live album to radio in the US, Europe, and the Pacific Rim, resulting in our most successful release to date. He is actively recruiting acts for the next series of Goose Creek Live recording sessions…watch this space for announcements about our new lineup and events.
Sian Pugh became my wife in December 2011 (another reason for Goose Creek’s brief hiatus!), and is heading up Online Marketing efforts. Sian is an expert in online customer experience, search engine optimization, and website development. She runs her consulting firm from our home offices in rural Virginia, and when she’s not directing the online presence of everything from huge corporations to small businesses, she ensures that the Goose Creek Music catalog is visible online and easily accessed by our current and prospective customers. Sian also cooks a mean paella.
Finally, in her ever-expanding role as our head of Graphic Design, Stefanie Zehnder continues to support Goose Creek Music from her new post in my hometown of Kansas City. Stef has developed a signature look and feel for Goose Creek releases and is a breath of fresh air every time we speak. For any of our artist friends needing graphic support, I heartily recommend her for your next CD release.
With all of these changes, our mission remains the same…publishing great performances by important and emerging Americana artists. We look forward to bringing you more outstanding music and media in the years to come.
Mike Pugh