| Connecting Seattle's music creators to |
Founded in 1999 by a small group of composers and audio professionals, the Seattle Composers Alliance sought to create a non-competitive community of like-minded professionals and enthusiasts. From networking events, to masterclasses, to live performances and recording of our member's works, the SCA is dedicated to enriching our local music creator community.
Whether you think of yourself as a composer, songwriter, instrumentalist, producer, engineer, or hobbyist, the SCA is here to support and uplift you.
The Alliance is overseen and managed by a passionate Board of Directors who each bring unique perspectives and expertise to SCA's programming and benefits. Learn more about becoming a member here.
Board of Directors
President — Seven SkyMember Profile |
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Seven Sky is a composer, arranger, multi-instrumentalist, artist manager, creative advocate, teacher, and voting member of the Recording Academy (the GRAMMYs), who has an equal passion for creating, and supporting creators.
As a composer fluent in writing for horns, strings and orchestra, Seven has been utilizing a variety of styles and textures to weave soundscapes that tell stories from a young age. By the age of 18 he had been commissioned to write for string quartet (Twin Heroes Summer Festival 2016), saxophone octet (Siskiyou Saxophone Orchestra 2018), and full orchestra (Atlantic Music Festival 2017), finding a passion for collaborating with other instrumentalists. Today, his 9-piece eclectic jazz pop brass band makes select appearances at local events and festivals, including Capitol Hill Block Party. As an arranger, he utilizes these skills to invigorate and breathe new life into other artists’ work, collaborating with many up-and-coming singer-songwriters, bands and producers. A multi-instrumentalist specializing in saxophone, piano, clarinet and flute, Seven has performed and recorded everything from ska and disco, to jazz and classical with a number of artists in a multitude of bands and ensembles. |
As an artist manager who has seen first-hand the impact TikTok and Instagram can have on building a fanbase (150,000+ followers on TikTok, 25,000+ on Instagram), streaming (110,000+ monthly listeners), and more, Seven is cognizant of many of today’s strategies for building an artistic career. In addition, he relishes in actively spreading and sharing that knowledge.
As the President of the Seattle Composers Alliance, Seven is a seasoned concert, workshop, and program producer. In 2022, he spearheaded Creator Crossover, a program that gave songwriters the opportunity to be backed by a chamber ensemble composed of flute, clarinet, piano, violin and cello. The selected songwriters (6 out of over 40 applicants) were paired up with local arrangers who were responsible for writing the instrumentalists’ parts. The concert was publicly performed and audio recordings were distributed to the participants for their use. His efforts on SCA’s Live Sessions series have led to repeated sell-outs and near sell-out at the Triple Door, Royal Room, and more.
Vice President & Chair of Live Sessions — Alan Bryant
Member Profile
| Alan Harry David Bryant is a lifelong PNW native and self-taught Composer and Pianist. Over the course of the last seven years, he has worked studiously to improve and hone his musical expertise, both impaired and emboldened by Functional Movement Disorder. As a member of the Disabled Community and a Wheelchair user, Alan is often faced with the privations of a defective body. During a steep decline in his health in 2017, Alan discovered the Music making process, and through it, he could write my experiences and pains into notes and phrases, abstracting the experience, and ultimately finding peace and healing within the practice. Alan has written multiple symphonies, suites and solos, all in the name of his passion. He composes primarily baroque and medieval pieces, ranging from bright, regal soundtracks to bucolic, easy listening. Alan often plays improvisational Piano in public, to small, eager crowds of passers-by. As a recipient of the City of Seattle “Artists at the Center” grant, and an active gigging and freelance professional, he has an intimate understanding of what is required to make our local music scene tick, and the organizational skills necessary to make that happen. |
Secretary — Rachel Schmidt
Rachel Schmidt (she/her) is an entrepreneur, community organizer, music supporter, vocalist and unfortunately, not a composer. Shortly after moving to Seattle she worked with Sofar Sounds, executing intimate pop up concerts in unexpected venues all around the city. A deep love for the community of Seattle based artists inspired the creation of the backyard music festival, Coachellard, bringing artists, music lovers and neighbors together for live music under the summer sky. She has sung in various choral group in the PNW including Meridian Ensemble and the Seattle Symphony Chorale.
She serves as the Production Coordinator for Abbey Arts, continuing to make live music happen year round, for all different types of musicians in a variety of spaces. Additionally, she has worked in disability services for over 15 years, inspiring and advocating for community access for those that have been commonly left out of the picture. She has a deep love for the residents in Seattle and will do just about anything to get people to gather together for human connection. She is looking forward to the impact that SCA can continue to make and is excited to support the mission!
Treasurer & Director of Finance — Jeremy ShaskusMember Profile |
| Jeremy Shaskus is a woodwinds performer, composer and sound designer based in the Seattle area. As a performer Jeremy has performed with Bernard Purdie, Julian Priester, David Haney, Nathan Breedlove, Gabe Marin and Kevin Norton to name a few. He has also appeared on releases from Picwick, Moon Doggies, Breaks and Swells, David Haney and local legend Marc Smason. As a composer his work has been performed live in the Earshot 2nd Century Festival (2016, 2018, 2019) as well as broadcasted on the now defunct radio show, Sonarchy Radio. Jeremy also exclusively created and contributed music for independent film maker Nadya Kadrevis and local band Breaks and Swells. Currently Jeremy creates loops, sfx and song starters for Tonic Audio’s 10 pack campaign. |
Vice-chair of Live Sessions — Aidan Carey |
| Aidan is a professional audio engineer and live sound technician in the Seattle area. Aidan has been working in audio since 2019 after an internship at Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley afforded the opportunity to work with incredible acts such as Pat Metheny, Chris Botti, and Tower of Power. Later, Aidan began a stint designing, marketing, and launching his own line of high-end studio PCs eventually selling to clients including Hollywood composers and entertainment giant Electronic Arts. Later, he moved to Carlson Audio Systems, where he has built and configured equipment for top-line acts ranging from Chappell Roan, to Ludacris, Peter Hook (New Order), Seattle Symphony and others. |
Some of Aidan’s recent work involves recording at London Bridge Studios, live mixing at the 2024 NAMM Show, live concert recording and mixdown of concerts for Seattle Composers Alliance, and live mixing at Seattle venues Central Saloon and Aurora Borealis. Aidan is the owner / operator of Artful Enterprises and band engineer for Seattle group Standish & Co.
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Director of Marketing — Alexander Standish
| Alex is a multi-faceted artist with a diverse skill set spanning music, filmmaking, and acting. Specializing in songwriting, he has been playing shows around Seattle with multiple bands filling different roles as a vocalist, guitarist, pianist, and drummer. Apart from his own personal film projects, he has worked with companies such as Bloomberg TV, Verge Studios, Visual Contact, and Radford Creative. Alex is an alumni of the prestigious BHS Film academy and embodies the idea of sharing as many opportunities as possible with others. Whether it’s through his music, film, or other pursuits, Alex’s creativity, versatility, and positive energy make for a valuable collaborator and a dynamic force in the industry. |
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Chair of Expert Speaker Series & Feedback Forum — Amy Denio
Member Profile
| An award-winning composer and producer, Amy Denio was inducted into the Seattle Jazz Hall of Fame in March, 2015. She is a multi-instrumentalist who sings four octaves, and has produced over 50 recordings solo and in collaboration with artists worldwide. She started her record label Spoot Music in 1990. |
Denio composes for modern dance, film and theater. Her composition ‘Dishwasher’ was included in the Venice Biennale in 1993. Her interactive public Sonic Bench is now displayed permanently at the Vashon Island WA Parks Department Office. Her music has been heard at Carnegie Hall, Brooklyn Academy of Music, REDCAT in LA, and by 25,000 people at a festival in Bursa Turkey in September, 2016. Since 1990, she has gone on 100 concert tours. She co-founded Tone Dogs, The Entropics, her all-women sax quartet The Tiptons (1988-present) and joined Kultur Shock in 1999. Denio has played concerts and taught musical workshops at festivals, clubs, prisons, churches, sanctuaries, subways, universities, squats and abandoned buildings perched on 6 continents.
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Director of Design — Antonia Ventura
Member Profile
| Antonia Harding is a composer whose work blends personal narrative with existential themes and a fascination with human resilience. For over a decade, she has composed music that captures both playful and profound moments of life. Her compositions have been performed by award-winning ensembles including the Kate Olson Ensemble, and the Boise State University Blue Thunder Marching Band. Antonia’s style is often simple at heart, inspired by folk melody and crafted with a careful balance of melancholy and hope. Beyond music, Antonia is a designer specializing in branding and visual design for the aviation and urban mobility sectors. With over ten years at Teague, she has contributed to projects that span from designing vehicle liveries as small as a four-seater sedan to as large as a Boeing 747-8i. Her collaborations include notable clients such as Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, Amazon, Boeing, Lufthansa, Royal Air Maroc and the U.S. Air Force, where her work integrates cultural and international aesthetics. |
Director of Youth Programs — Neel Borate
Member Profile
| Neel has had a passion for music for as long as he can remember. At just five years old, he won his first state-level award for an original composition in the Reflections Competition, and he’s been unstoppable ever since. With over a decade of classical piano training, Neel has mastered the art of improvising solos and creating unique pieces on the spot. He’s also a talented percussionist, singer, songwriter, and composer. His band won first place in a symphonic competition, he’s played for his school choir, performed for local communities, and even entertained senior citizens with his music while sharing stories about genres and artists. Now, as he works on his debut album, Neel is eager to share his creativity and give back to the community that’s inspired him. This is just the beginning for an artist with a natural ear, a love for improvisation, and a big heart! |
Advisory Panel
A collection of local creative advocates that advise the SCA Board
| Tara Forth (she/her) is a composer, singer, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and sound designer who served as President of the Seattle Composers Alliance from 2017 to 2024. Her portfolio of work includes film scores and custom commercial music. In addition to musical experience and training, Tara’s proficiency in creative direction, content strategy and marketing makes her a valuable partner in crafting impactful and memorable audience experiences. Her recent projects include feature documentaries such as Healing Waters, Punderneath It All, and the ‘Making Of’ APOSTASY (BAFTA-nominated feature film). She has also scored numerous short films including a recent series on climate change, and many corporate videos for global clients. Tara studied music at the University of Wisconsin at Parkside, performing on trumpet in the Wind and Jazz ensembles. |
G. Victoria Campbell, Ph.D. (she/her) is a Seattle-based industrial-organizational psychologist turned artist-activist, composer-lyricist and poet. She’s best known for her original musical TREESON: AN ECO-MUSICAL (O’Neill Semi-finalist, ‘23; sold-out, off-Broadway concert ‘24). Her other musicals include PHILIPPA and OFF WITH YOUR HEAD. As a multiracial female who grew up feeling in-between and othered, she leverages her multicultural heritage, time living abroad as an expat in Switzerland, and her background in organizational change management to inform her art, which focuses on driving positive global change. She is a member of the legendary BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theater Workshop, the Dramatists Guild, MAESTRA and MUSE. She’s also a Soho House Foundation Fellow (‘23) and was an artist-in-residence at The Tyrone Guthrie Center in Ireland (‘24). She writes music in many genres including musical theater, folk, pop-rock, nu jazz, melodic metal and Nordic EDM and is a frequent collaborator with MoEoStAr, The Churning Mondays and Jacob Didas. Favorite spots where her music has been performed include 54Below (NYC), The Green Room 42 (NYC), Chelsea Factory (NYC), and the Union Theatre (London). When she’s not writing music, she designs and delivers custom Human Resources and DEIA solutions for client organizations via her consultancy. |
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| Owen Andruchow is a Seattle-based composer who provides interactive and linear music for video games, film, and television. Having earned his Masters in Music from the Pacific Northwest Film Scoring Program, he is now an active composer for multiple creative institutions including Superframe Media, Rockfire Games, Rising Reels Productions & Channel A TV, to name a few. Above all, Owen is fascinated with the process of storytelling which he believes is the through-line that ties all artistic endeavors together. Owen loves bringing stories to life with music, and helping creative communities thrive. |
Manuel Tirado has always had music at the heart of everything he does. Whether crafting scores, placing microphones in a studio, or taking the stage, Manuel has been an active part of the Seattle music scene for over 10 years. No matter the size or style of the project, he lives to make the music around him the best it can be. Manuel takes pride in his deep appreciation for a wide range of musical sounds—choral textures, progressive metal riffs, and Latin American rhythms, to name a few. He has been a part of every step of the music creation process, and has fallen in love with all of it. After earning his Bachelor of Music in Composition from Pacific Lutheran University, Manuel dove into all sides of the music world: performing, recording, producing, teaching, and composing for narrative-driven media. Today, he works as a private music teacher and freelance audio engineer for both studio and live productions, while actively working toward a career in game audio and interactive music. | %20-%20Manuel%20Tirado.jpg) |