Level up your craft at this hands-on event built by music creators, for music creators. No fluff — just real skills, real insight, and real connection.
April 9, 2026 | 4-8 p.m. ET
This event will take place at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library (SNFL).
4 - 6 p.m. | Career Building Workshops
Jump into a 55-minute workshop led by working producers and engineers. Explore topics like Immersive Audio, In-the-Box Mixing, Producer + Engineer Deals, Managing Interpersonal Dynamics, and Building Your Brand & Network. Walk away with practical insights you can put to work right away.
6 - 7 p.m. | Stick around for our Networking Social
Build your network and possibly meet your next collaborator!
7 - 8 p.m. | Fireside Chat with legendary Grammy Award winner Nile Rodgers
Moderated by Grammy nominated artist and producer Alissia, tune in as they explore the art of collaboration, the magic of the studio, and the stories behind some of the most influential music of our time.
Not in NYC? Join our Boston Studio Hub or tune in via livestream.
NILE RODGERS | Legendary Grammy Award winner
Nile Rodgers is a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee and a multiple Grammy Award winning songwriter, composer, producer, arranger and guitarist.
Most recently he became the first creator to be awarded a Lifetime Achievement Grammy for his legacy in the same year as being awarded a Grammy for his work with Beyoncé on the smash hit “Cuff It”.
As the co-founder of CHIC, Nile pioneered a musical language that generated chart-topping hits like "Le Freak”, the biggest selling single in the history of Atlantic Records and sparked the advent of hip-hop with "Good Times” and “Rapper’s Delight”.
His work in The CHIC Organization, including “We Are Family” for Sister Sledge and “I’m Coming Out” for Diana Ross, and his productions for artists such as David Bowie (“Let’s Dance”), Madonna (“Like A Virgin”) and Duran Duran (“The Reflex”), have sold more than 600 million albums and 200 million singles worldwide, while his innovative, trendsetting collaborations with Daft Punk, Daddy Yankee, LE SSERAFIM, Coldplay and Beyoncé reflect the vanguard of contemporary hits.
Nile is the first, and only “Artist in Residence” at Apple Music and helms the award-winning Apple Music 1’s “Deep Hidden Meaning” radio show celebrating the work of great songwriters. Nile served as the first-ever Chief Creative Advisor for the iconic Abbey Road Studios in London and is the Chairman of the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Photo credit: Jill Furmanovsky.
MODERATED BY:
ALISSIA BENVENISTE | Grammy-nominated artist & producer
Alissia is a Grammy-nominated producer, writer, artist and multi-instrumentalist, becoming only the ninth woman nominated for Producer of the Year. Alissia is a tastemaker in every sense of the word. Her distinctive sound has earned her an impressive list of credits and industry acclaim. She has collaborated with a wide range of artists across genres, including Anderson .Paak, Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey, Calvin Harris, Lenny Kravitz, Nile Rodgers, EarthGang, Bootsy Collins, Coco Jones, Kaytranada and many others.
After amassing millions of views on social media and working with pioneers in the industry, Alissia is stepping into the spotlight with her own Artist project. Her musicianship, refined taste, and commitment to authenticity have established her as a singular talent; and one of the most prolific producers of her generation.
Explore the topics below and choose the sessions that best match your interests. Workshops have limited capacity and are first come, first served, so be sure to select an alternate if your first choice fills up.
When you RSVP, you’ll select one workshop from 4–5 PM and one from 5–6 PM. Sessions run concurrently during each hour, so you may attend one workshop per time slot.
A case study of independent duo ARKAI's journey from Juilliard students to Grammy winning, global touring artists; exploring their path from recording and releasing music to building a team, growing their fan base and turning their momentum into a sustainable career.
Meet Your Speakers
ARKAI
Grammy Award winning string duo
ARKAI is a Grammy Award winning, genre-defying string duo that bridges the classical and the contemporary, weaving cinematic soundscapes with electrifying virtuosity into epic performances around the world. Graduates of The Juilliard School, ARKAI’s trailblazing journey includes major prestigious stages like Carnegie Hall, GRAMMY® Museum, Lakers NBA Playoffs, EMMY Awards, and TED Talks. Their versatility has led to collaborations with celebrity photographer David LaChapelle, opening for GRAMMY® and Oscar-winning pianist Jon Batiste, tours with celebrity violinist Lindsey Stirling, and chart-topping releases with pianist Tony Ann. ARKAI’s sophomore album Brightside recently won a Grammy Award in the Best Contemporary Instrumental category.
LEE DANNAY
Head of A&R, Thirty Tigers and President, Recording Academy New York Chapter
Lee Dannay is Head of A&R at Thirty Tigers. With a history of executive roles at Columbia and Epic Records and Warner/Chappell Music, she has been instrumental in the development of artists including John Mayer and Brandi Carlile among many others. She currently works with an esteemed and genre-spanning roster that includes Corinne Bailey Rae, Bruce Hornsby, Béla Fleck and Taj Mahal. A passionate mentor and educator, Lee sits on numerous industry boards, teaches at NYU’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music and serves as the President of the NY Chapter of the Recording Academy.
David Schoenwetter offers a behind the scenes walkthrough of his unique in the box mixing workflow, routing, and signal processing within Logic Pro.
Meet Your Speaker
DAVID SCHOENWETTER / INViDA
Producer/Songwriter/Engineer/DJ
David Schoenwetter, known artistically as INViDA, is a multi-genre producer, songwriter, and mix/master engineer as well as a Beatport-charting DJ and dance music artist.
As David Schoenwetter, he has built a reputation in the studio working across pop, indie, and other top 40 genres, with engineering credits that include Norah Jones, Yoko Ono, Death Cab for Cutie, Ingrid Michalesson, The Gipsy Kings, alongside production for many newer up and coming artists as well. He collaborates with rising and established talent alike, providing production, songwriting, and engineering/mixing that bridges creativity with technical excellence.
As INViDA, his high-energy, melodic dance records have earned millions of streams and support from Tiësto, Hardwell, Don Diablo, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Brooks, and Cheat Codes. He has released on Ultra Records, Revealed, Perfect Havoc, and Smash The House, with his single Deliverance (with Covenants & Curtis Richa) featured on the Ibiza 2025 compilation that hit #1 on the UK Official Dance Albums Chart. Beyond the studio, INViDA has brought his sound to renowned clubs, rooftops, and festivals across the USA, Europe, and beyond.
Seamlessly balancing his dual paths, David continues to craft records across genres while building INViDA into a globally recognized dance brand.
Explore emerging audio technology with two of the industry’s leading experts, and hear firsthand through a live demonstration how it’s reshaping the listening experience all around you.
Meet Your Speakers
MARK CHRISTENSEN
Head Engineer and Owner of Engine Room Audio
Mark Christensen is an American audio engineer. Primarily known for Mastering and Immersive Audio Mixing he has also received industry recognition for his work in Record Production. He has been credited on several GRAMMY winning and GRAMMY nominated recordings, and has been awarded more than 50 platinum or gold certifications by the RIAA. He is the Head Engineer and Owner of Engine Room Audio in New York City, and is also very active in audio education, as a Director of The New York Audio Institute.
JEFF LIPTON
Grammy-nominated Mastering Engineer and Founder of Peerless Mastering
Known for his unrivaled dedication to achieving the best possible sound for every project he works on, Jeff has become one of the most highly respected mastering engineers in the business, amassing an impressive discography covering an extensive variety of genres.
Jeff works individually with each of his clients until they are satisfied with the results. Whether mastering archival recordings of Bob Dylan, singles for Bon Iver, the latest Magnetic Fields record, a Boston-based punk act ,or an international hip hop artist, Jeff approaches each project with the same enthusiasm and attention to detail. Each client’s vision is important to him, and his job isn’t done until that sound fills the room.
Learn how to confidently navigate producer, engineer, and mixer deals—from setting your rates and understanding points, splits, and recoupment to knowing when it’s time to renegotiate and bring a team into the process.
Meet Your Speakers
JOE D'AMBROSIO
Founder and CEO of Joe D’Ambrosio Management, Inc.
Joe D'Ambrosio is an entertainment industry veteran who heads his own talent management company, Joe D'Ambrosio Management, Inc. (JDMI). JDMI represents stellar behind-the-glass talent such as Grammy-winning producers Tony Visconti, Hugh Padgham, Kevin Killen, Phil Tan, Scott Jacoby, and Lawrence Manchester, as well as renowned mixers Joe Zook, Eric Schilling, Mario McNulty and Jay Dufour, renowned arrangers Rob Mounsey and Larry Gold and JUNO-winning songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist Hill. Joe is also the Managing Partner at Audiosmith, a celebrated audio production company.
TRAVIS MCFETRIDGE
President and CEO of Great South Bay Music Group Inc.
Travis McFetridge is an American music industry executive. He is President and CEO of Grammy Award winning music publishing company Great South Bay Music Group Inc. with clients featured on RIAA certified gold and platinum albums from recording artists such as Lil Wayne, Drake, Eminem, Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj, Jennifer Lopez, Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, Rihanna, and Snoop Dogg.
He began his music career working at major labels Elektra, Capitol & Virgin Records. He built and developed the publishing division of independent Ultra Music based in New York. At Ultra, Travis signed producers, recording artists, and songwriters such as Beenie Man, B.G., Dorrough, Gorilla Zoe, Zaytoven, and more to music publishing deals. By the end of his tenure at Ultra, Travis delivered over ten ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Awards, ten BMI Urban Awards & multiple Grammy wins and nominations.
MARC URSELLI
Producer/Mixer/FOH Engineer/Sound Designer/Studio Owner
Marc Urselli is an interdisciplinary artisan of sound and scholar who has worked on Grammy-nominated and Grammy Award winning albums, and collaborates with musicians and creatives worldwide across genres. He prides himself on being one of the most genre-agnostic professionals in the field and has worked with major artists including U2, Lou Reed, Foo Fighters, Nick Cave, Mike Patton, but also works extensively in jazz, rock, punk & metal, contemporary classical music, and theater/opera. He has been a touring live sound engineer and is currently the FOH mix engineer for the Grammy Premiere Ceremony, as well as other major events such as the 2026 Winter Olympics ceremonies. He is the Chief Engineer at EastSide Sound and owner of Audio Confidential studios in New York City.
Headshot by Trine Thybo.
LYSEE WEBB
Founder of Van Pelt Management
Lysee Webb is the founder of Van Pelt Management, a producer and engineer management company founded in 2015 and based in Brooklyn, New York. Van Pelt clients include multi-Grammy Award-winners Shawn Everett, Jonathan Low and Leon Michels. Notable releases include Beyonce, Clairo, Taylor Swift, Prince, War on Drugs and SZA.
Learn how to better navigate interpersonal dynamics in music production and establish meaningful connections with the people you work with.
Meet Your Speakers
MONA KAYHAN
Owner, The Bridge Studio / Executive Producer
Mona Kayhan is the co-owner of The Bridge Studio in Brooklyn, where she partners with artists, engineers, and brands to produce recordings, live sessions, and music activations - combining creative direction with high-fidelity capture and a listener-first experience. She is also the Executive Producer of Live From The Bridge, an intimate, ticketed live-recording series that documents artists in real time with cinematic sound and a room built for listening. Mona works at the intersection of music production, experience design, and community.
ZACH KORNHAUSER
Mastering Engineer & Educator
Zach Kornhauser is a Billboard-charting, RIAA-certified mastering engineer with more than fifteen years of experience shaping the sound of contemporary music. A proud Recording Academy member, Zach is equally dedicated to music education. He has taught music production and critical listening to everyone from label executives to emerging artists, emphasizing objective listening and creative exploration. Formerly the head mastering engineer at Atlantic Records NYC, he’s worked on releases for Kelly Clarkson, Jason Mraz, Sia, Charli XCX, Alex Warren, and more.
KALLIE MARIE
Record Producer/Composer/Author
Heralded as “one of the most versatile studio talents in the business” by Pro Sound News Europe, Kallie is a recording engineer and record producer who has worked with artists such as Jeff Derringer, Røyst, January Jane, Makes My Blood Dance, Mary and the Ram, and Bearcraft. As a film & TV composer Kallie is a Broadcast Production Music Award recipient with MPath Music and is a signed recording artist with Accidental Entertainment. Her work as a composer spans film, TV, dance, and podcasts. Kallie is also freelance journalist and has written for Sonic Scoop, Vintage King, and Signal. She is a contributing author to title(s) on Music Production published by Rutledge Taylor Francis Group, and Hal Leonard. Her book, Conversations With Women in Music Production, won a Merit award for excellence in Historical Recorded Sound Research from the Association for Recorded Sound Collections, in 2023.
EMILIO D. MILER
Producer
Grammy® and Latin Grammy® winning producer, composer and arranger, also nominated for a Hollywood Music in Media Award and Producer Of The Year in the Oídos de Oro Awards; his recent productions have featured John Patitucci, Airto Moreira, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Bruna Black, PUBLIQuartet, Danaë Vlasse, Sangeeta Kaur, Hila Plitmann, Matt and Gregg Bissonette, Antonio Sánchez, Magos Herrera, Chano Domínguez, Michael Pipoquinha, Camille Bertault, Christian McBride and Billy Martin, among many others.
Photo credit: Adolfo Rozenfeld
Futura Productions, housed in a former Masonic lodge, is the largest studio recording space in New England. Recording ensembles of up to 60 musicians is easily handled in the live room, which measures a huge 60' x 38' x 22', and features a 9' Steinway concert grand piano, 7.1.4 ATMOS, and video live streaming capability.
Grammy-nominated John Weston has worked on over 13,000 recording sessions as a recording/mix/mastering engineer and producer across many genres (pop, rock, jazz, classical, world music, etc.)
The New York Public Library's studio40 is a free creative space and recording studio located in the Pasculano Learning Center at NYPL's Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library (SNFL) in Midtown Manhattan. Outfitted with state-of-the-art equipment and software, studio40 is open to the public as part of the Library's free TechConnect programs, which offer no-cost resources, classes, workshops, and events.
Want to record with us? Learn more about creative production? Meet fellow artists? Take our studio40 Orientation & Access Track to get started or check out some of our upcoming production classes at nypl.org/studio40.
Space is limited and an RSVP is required. RSVPs will be taken on a first come, first served basis. You must receive a confirmation email and be on the guest list to attend.
