Seattle Composers Alliance

About

Mission Statement

CONNECTING SEATTLE’S MUSIC CREATORS TO
COMMUNITY, EDUCATION, AND OPPORTUNITY

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. The first meetings of the SCA were much like what we have today: opportunities to discuss gear, swap stories, share knowledge and collaborate on projects.

Over time, the ways we create, capture, and experience music have evolved. We’re here now to bridge the traditional with the new, connecting our members with the techniques, tools, and resources that truly serve the music creator.

The SCA is managed by a passionate and dedicated Board of Directors, and our budget is based entirely on memberships and tax-deductible donations. We respect and value all of our members. Please see our Code of Conduct.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The SCA board members are all accomplished composers and music industry professionals living and working in the Puget Sound area.

Seven Sky

PRESIDENT

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 recent efforts on SCA’s Live Sessions series led to a near sell-out at the Triple Door with the Jovino Santos Neto Quinteto bringing over a dozen local composer’s works to life live.

Instagram

Alan Bryant

VICE PRESIDENT

My name is Alan Harry David Bryant, a lifelong PNW native and self-taught Composer and Pianist. Over the course of the last seven years, I have worked studiously to improve and hone my musical expertise, both impaired and emboldened by Functional Movement Disorder. I, as a member of the Disabled Community and a Wheelchair user myself, am often faced with the privations of a defective body. During a steep decline in my health in 2017, I discovered the Music making process, and through it, I could write my experiences and pains into notes and phrases, abstracting the experience, and ultimately finding peace and healing within the practice.

I have written multiple symphonies, suites and solos, all in the name of my passion. I compose primarily baroque and medieval pieces, ranging from bright, regal soundtracks to bucolic, easy listening. I often play 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, I have an intimate understanding of what is required to make our local music scene tick, and the organizational skills necessary to make that happen.

Kai Strandskov

SECRETARY

Kai Strandskov is a private teacher (drums and math), performer, recording artist, and composer living in Seattle. He teaches online lessons out of his home studio. Kai has recorded with Stuart Dahlquist (DAMA/LIBRA), Gary King, Greta Harley (Love and Fury), Amy Denio (Love and Fury), Gino Jevjevic (The Light), Jane Mabrey-Smith (Virago), Sean Moe (Stereo Creeps), and a long list of other fantastic human beings. Kai recently served on the boards for HONK! Fest West, and the Seattle Composers Alliance. He is proud to advocate for music makers in Seattle.

www.kaistrandskov.com

Jeremy Shaskus

TREASURER

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.

www.quazeyemusic.com

Tara Forth

PRESIDENT EMERITUS

Tara Forth (she/her) is a composer, singer, multi-instrumentalist, producer, and sound designer who serves as President of the Seattle Composers Alliance. 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.

Aidan Carey

DIRECTOR AT LARGE

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.

Alexander Standish

DIRECTOR OF MARKETING

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.

Amy Denio

DIRECTOR AT LARGE

Amy Denio

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.

Antonia Harding

DIRECTOR OF DESIGN

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.

Neel Borate

DIRECTOR AT LARGE

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!

Rachel Schmidt

DIRECTOR AT LARGE

 

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!

ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS

The SCA is fortunate to retain the expertise and service of highly accomplished music creators who have served on the SCA Board in years past. Our Advisory Board provides invaluable assistance in creating and managing programs and events that facilitate learning, networking, and inspiration.

Ed Hartman

Ed Hartman has been teaching classes in music licensing for a decade and has been creating music for film, T.V., radio, and even a planetarium. He writes music of all kinds, including orchestral, jazz, world, electronic, rock, fusion and experimental.  Ed is also a percussionist and has a wide variety of live instruments.  His music can add emotion, drive, and energy to the picture.  He loves to synchronize the music and “hit” the moments in the images to build a natural rhythm to the scene and story.  Ed also owns 8th Sense Productions, LLC that owns the film-estate of Richard Lyford.  He produced “As the Earth Turns,” an unreleased silent sci-fi film by Lyford made in Seattle in 1938 (122 festivals, 135 awards/nominations).
Media Credits:  Ed’s music has been heard in the motion pictures “The Blind Side”and “Scooby Doo, The Mystery Begins” (Warner Bros.),”The Cold Light of Day” (Summit Ent.), “Surviving Christmas” (Dreamworks), “Into the Fire” (BCDF Pictures), “Spirit of the Game” (Samuel Goldwyn), “A Different Sun” (Monolith Pictures), “Cool It” (1019 Ent.), “Mini’s First Time” (Bold Films), and “The Turkey Bowl”(Coolidge/Ward Productions).
Ed scored music for the feature-film “As the Earth Turns” (34 best score awards/nominations), “Fitz” (Who Made Who Productions) – 2008 Alberta Film and Television Awards Nominee: Best Feature Film) and the documentary: “Project Colombia” (The MapMakers).  Ed has also scored a variety of short films, including: “SHAM Therapy” (Web-series), “The Son, The Father”, “Pause”, “Little Peter Needs to Fly”, “End Zone”, “The Three Stars”, “Trauma”, “Winston”, “Those in Need”, and “A Rich Mann”.  Ed’s music has been on television, including: “The Twilight Zone” (CBS All-Access), “Revenge”, “Motive”(ABC), “Twas the Night”, “Katie Morgan”, “Big Love” (HBO), “Lucifer”,“Brooklyn Nine-Nine” (FOX), “Passions” (NBC), “Let’s Make a Deal” (CBS), “Doc-Block” (MSNBC), “Greek” (ABC Family) , “Emeril Green” (GREEN), “Nature”, “Gourmet Adventures with Ruth” (PBS), “Channel 5 Takes Latin”, “Relic Hunter” “Extreme Towns” (TRAVEL), “America Now” (Ind.), “Shalom In The Home,” “Toddlers and Tiaras,”  and many others. Corporate and commercial use of Ed’s music includes: Capitol One, Coke Zero, MYQ2 (FOX TV Affiliate, Seattle), Lightyear Productions (for Tacoma Grand Cinema), Parragon Books, Ltd., Lavinia Productions S. L.C., Modem Media, 3CIM Inc.,  Tarinatalo OY, Storyhouse LTD., Avex Marketing, Kobalt, Barnes and Noble, Trailer Park, DDB Health, and Greenpeace.

Steve Kirk

Steve Kirk is a nationally recognized composer for multi-media, and runs Steve Kirk Pop Studios based out of Seattle, Washington. His recent projects include Ron Gilbert’s Thimbleweed Park and most recently, Bartlow’s Dread Machine (original soundtrack is now available on Bandcamp). Steve’s catalogue of previous works includes iOS release Skurvy Skallywags for Beep Games, Cookie Jam for SGN, Cantina music for the Star Wars MMOL game The Old Republic, the Disney PC version of The Princess And The Frog, the FarmVille theme for Zynga, and Voodoo Vince for Beep Games.

https://stevekirkpopcom.bandzoogle.com/

Steve Turnidge

Steve Turnidge is a noted mastering engineer at UltraViolet Studios with hundreds of albums and thousands of music tracks to his credit. With over 30 years experience in the Pro Audio electronics industry, he specializes in mixed digital and analog printed circuit board design. Steve has expertise in all aspects of electronics manufacturing, including assembly, mechanical, cosmetic, logo and ergonomic design. He has strong marketing, management and problem solving skills, with keen interests in Science and Philosophy. Steve is an author for Hal Leonard Books and taught Audio Recording at Shoreline Community College and currently teaches mastering at local studios. He is past Chair of the Audio Engineering Society (PNW Section) and past Governor of The Recording Academy.