Why You Should Work with One of These 16 Mentors on Your Next Music Project

this course to get 56 hours of content!”

If you’ve ever considered taking an online course, you’ve probably seen that line before, or something like it. The problem is that too many online courses and learning experiences mistake quantity for quality. The best way to learn things is not to passively watch endless hours of video lectures, but to actually practice new skills, take on big projects, learn from people who have done what you’re trying to do, and get feedback from them along the way.

Atul Gawande has a wonderful TED talk on this topic. Do you really want to get better at something? If you do, he says, then get a coach.

At Soundfly, we fervently believe in the power of a good coach and mentor to help you make dramatic improvements in a short amount of time. That’s why we designed our Mainstage courses to include personalized support from a trained Soundfly Mentor. We also developed a one-month mentorship program for that same reason — because if you really want to get better at something, you’re going to need a mentor and/or a coach. 

What makes a great coaching relationship? We believe it’s built on a few things:

  • Someone who is invested in your improvement
  • Someone who can help you learn new patterns of thinking
  • Someone who can help you reflect on where you are and where you want to go
  • Someone who can break down big dreams into smaller, realistic actions
  • Someone who will regularly give you feedback on your work
  • Someone who can help you identify gaps you didn’t even know you had
  • Someone who can supportively help you stay accountable to your goals

With that, I wanted to share all 16 of our incredible Soundfly Mentors’ bios, since these are currently only available to those on our email list. If you’d like to work with one of them, just fill out this form to tell us what you’re working on and who you’re interested in working with. You can include the Soundfly Mentor’s name in the last spot on the form.

Or you can email me personally to ask questions or tell me what you’re looking for help with! (Yes, we’re a small team, so you can reach out to the CEO whenever you want, and I’ll do my best to help you figure out the best next step for you.) 

Theory & Songwriting Mentors

Sırma Munyar is a singer, producer, songwriter, and topliner with a degree in contemporary writing & production from Berklee College of Music. She’s also a commercial jingle writer, has songs that hit the top of the Spotify charts in her native Turkey, and has recorded and performed with artists like Akon, Illenium, and Keri Hilson.

Let us know if you’d like to work with Sırma on vocal production and the intersection between production and songwriting to create better songs. She also mentors our Unlocking the Emotional Power of Chords course.

Tim Maryon is an award-winning composer and film scorer. He has an MA in film scoring from the Royal College of Music, and has written music for documentaries for the BBC, scored animations for BFI, and worked with major brands. His original works have been performed all over Europe.

Let us know if you’d like to work with Tim on your composing, arranging, or film scoring skills. He also mentors our Unlocking the Emotional Power of Chords, Introduction to the Composer’s Craft, and Orchestration for Strings courses.

Andre Madatian is a guitarist, composer, film scorer, and multi-instrumentalist, with a degree in film scoring and conducting from Berklee. He has had placements on major national TV networks including Bravo, CBS Sports, Oprah Winfrey Network, and more. His orchestral works have been performed by the famous Kalistos Chamber Orchestra, among others, and he tours nationally and around the world as a performer.

Let us know if you’d like to work with Andre on your scoring, arranging, or composing skills. He also mentors our Creative Power of Advanced Harmony course.

Mahea Lee is our VP of Learning at Soundfly, as well as a songwriter, pianist, and educator with a deep passion for how music and composing helps us better understand ourselves. She has played piano for more than 25 years, written and performed in a variety of modern indie and electro-pop groups, and studied contemporary writing & production at Berklee College of Music, where she studied a range of genres and styles.

Let us know if you’d like to work with Mahea on your songwriting or arranging to better communicate your unique voice through your songs and music. She specializes in Headliners Club sessions focused on songwriting, but also mentors our Orchestration for Strings and Introduction to the Composer’s Craft courses.

Joseph Capalbo is a songwriter and producer whose work has been played on major networks all over the world, including NBC, ABC, MTV, E!, Oxygen, NHL, Hallmark Channel, global non-profit organizations, and more. He recently wrote the theme song for E!’s new docu-series, Reunion Road Trip.

Let us know if you’d like to work with Joseph on your composition and songwriting style. He primarily mentors our Unlocking the Emotional Power of Chords course.

Raven Katz is a Nashville-based songwriter who loves crafting lyrics. A songwriting graduate from Berklee College of Music, Raven wants to stretch students’ minds past the typical love song and past a melody that they’ve heard 1,000 times to help them access the magic of writing a song in their own unique voice, using universal tools and concepts as a starting point. With a love for lyrics, her own songs are influenced heavily by visual arts, fiction, nature, and great songs of the past.

Let us know if you’d like to work with Raven on your songwriting or lyric writing. She primarily mentors The New Songwriter’s Workshop.

Noah-Cebuliak-Songwriting-Mentor

Noah Cebuliak is a songwriter, performer, and producer who performs under the moniker This Flame I Carry. Equally inspired by indie/folk and electronic music, he’s won songwriting grants in his native Canada, releasing his first full length album Taboos last year that he independently wrote and produced.

Let us know if you’d like to work with Noah on developing your voice and improving your songwriting. He primarily mentors The New Songwriter’s Workshop.

Production Mentors

Sam Friedman is a producer whose original music has been widely played on Spotify and SoundCloud, and featured in major publications like The Fader and Bullett Magazine. He also makes music for commercial agency Mophonics with tracks in national ad campaigns for Taco Bell, Coke, and more. He typically works with students on production, beat making, electronic arranging, and mixing.

Let us know if you’d like to work with Sam on your electronic track productions, beats, or mixing skills. He mentors Beat Making in Ableton Live and Faders Up I: Modern Mix Techniques. 

Jamie Billings is a producer and sound designer with a wealth of diverse experience. She’s been an audio designer at MIT, an audio support specialist and educator at NYU and Berklee College of Music, an audio designer with Avid, and has her own beat making/chiptune/trip hop-ish project, The Unicorn Princess. She got her Bachelor’s in electronic production & design from Berklee, and primarily works with students on mixing and sound design.

Let us know if you’d like to work with Jamie on your mixing production in either Faders Up I: Modern Mix Techniques or Faders Up II: Advanced Mix Techniques. 

Andrea De Carlo is one of Italy’s most promising up-and-coming engineers. He’s worked at some of the world’s top studios, including London Bridge Studios (Pearl Jam), 123 Studios (Florence & the Machine), and Punto Rec (Lana Del Rey), among others. He has a masters in audio engineering from SAE in Milan.

Let us know if you’d like to work with Andrea on your mixing and processing. He primarily works with artists on their mixes via the Headliners Club and through our courses, Faders Up I: Modern Mix Techniques and Faders Up II: Advanced Mix Techniques

Martin Fowler is a composer, producer, and bassist with his hands in a huge variety of musical projects. He’s produced music for acclaimed podcasts such as This American Life, Limetown, and The Spark. He’s recorded and performed all over the world with acts such as VÉRITÉ, the PLS.trio, Arthur Moon, Emel Mathlouthi, and other NYC-based artists. He produces original electro and house music and remixes as MDFX, and trap/jungle/bass music and remixes as WNNR. He’s also written lots of the music featured in Soundfly videos!

Let us know if you’d like to work with Martin on your productions, music theory, or your workflow. He mentors Beat Making in Ableton Live, Unlocking the Emotional Power of Chords, The Creative Power of Advanced Harmony, and Modern Mix Techniques.

John Hull is an engineer, composer, mixer, and the lead producer for most Soundfly courses. He’s worked producing music for ads at a commercial production house in NYC for major brands such as Coca-Cola, Google, and Jameson, and has mixed major film soundtracks, such as the indie hit Experimenter.

Let us know if you’d like to work with John on your mixes — he can do anything in a DAW and will show you how! He mentors Faders Up I: Modern Mix Techniques.

Music Business Mentors

Keturah Brown is a music business expert, songwriter, and producer. She has an MA in marketing from Berklee, where she learned from some of the best in the world, like Yvette Noel Shure (publicist for Beyoncé, Prince) and Brian Messenger (Radiohead’s manager). Her music has been featured on iHeartRadio and others.

Let us know if you’d like to work with Keturah in a Headliners Club session to ramp up your industriousness and infuse your brand identity with excitement.

Mark Redito is an indie electronic musician and marketing guru with a keen sense of music business. His music has millions of streams on Spotify and SoundCloud. He can work with you on your arrangements or your business strategy.

Let us know if you’d like to work with Mark on your branding, marketing, or music business savviness in a Headliners Club session.

Angela Mastrogiacomo is an entrepreneur and PR expert who started her own PR agency (Muddy Paw) and has worked with dozens of artists on their publicity and promotions strategies. She can work with you on planning out your next career moves or building your fanbase.

Let us know if you’d like to work with Angela in a Headliners Club session on setting musical career goals and holding yourself accountable to achieve them, or learning better PR and networking practices.

Last but (I hope) not least, you can work with me, Ian Temple. I’m an entrepreneur, composer, and pianist — and the founder of Soundfly. I’ve played all over Europe, North America, and Asia as one-third of the modern classical, experimental trio Sontag Shogun; performed with incredible musicians like Julia Kent, Matana Roberts, and Greg Fox; composed music for films and videos, including the award-winning short film Rosa: These Storms; and recorded multiple albums.

Soundfly’s community of mentors can help you set the right goals, pave the right path toward success, and stick to schedules and routines that you develop together, so you improve every step of the way. Tell us what you’re working on, and we’ll find the right mentor for you! 

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