Samantha Lane, Sales and Marketing Manager for S.E. Shires, has always had a love for S.E. Shires Company and the instruments that they build. Beginning as a player, working as a dealer, and now assuming the role of Director of Sales and Marketing, Samantha has been involved with the company for over seven years. Samantha actively manages marketing, retail, domestic and international sales at S.E. Shires as well as supervising the Research and Development program and the growing Artist Relations program.
Samantha received her Masters of Music from the New England Conservatory of Music and her Bachelor of Music from the University of Connecticut School of Music. Samantha currently lives in Rhode Island and works throughout New England as a professional freelance musician performing with groups including Symphony New Hampshire, Vermont Symphony Orchestra, Albany Symphony, and Back Bay Brass.
Erica Leigh (Stenquist; Class of ‘06) is an award-winning singer-songwriter and painter, pursuing her music and art career full-time in Massachusetts. While earning her bachelor’s degree in Songwriting and Voice from Berklee College of Music in Boston (2010) she had the thrilling experience of studying alongside 7-time Grammy award-winning musician John Mayer. As a student, she was also honored by renowned industry names ASCAP + SESAC with songwriting awards. She later went on to record and release her debut album Puzzle Heart to iTunes in 2012. As a means of supporting herself, Erica painted brightly-colored murals on the walls of Berklee- simultaneously jumpstarting her art career. In fact Erica has used her creativity to cope with tremendous setbacks during her short career, including nearly losing her voice permanently to Cancer. These struggles shaped her as a creative person, spurring her on to write songs inspired by her experience as a survivor and give back to the community through her music. Nowadays, Erica stitches together a unique patchwork quilt of creative pursuits in order to make a living in the Arts. She shuffles between performing, recording, teaching, and creating, based out of her dual art and music studio in Framingham, MA.
Sean Bilodeau has a Masters in World Music Performance from California Institute of the Arts and a Bachelors in Percussion Performance and Music Education from Ithaca College (Ithaca, NY). He has also studied traditional Irish music at the University of Limerick (Ireland). He have been a guest drum set soloist with the San Diego State Javanese Gamelan and a guest musician with the Yelle-Belle Dance Ensemble in New York City. He has collaborated with such artists as Barry Goldberg (Bob Dylan), Bonnie Pointer (The Pointer Sisters/Solo Artist), James Galway (flute soloist), Doc Wendell ( Bob Dylan, Steely Dan), Tony Sales ( David Bowie) and Alex Del Zoppo (Sweetwater). He has enjoyed performing with ensembles in venues such as Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Walt Disney Concert Hall, and REDCAT. His teachers include Gordon Stout, Alan Abel, Tim Genis, Tom Gauger, John Bergamo, John Joe Kelly, and Randy Gloss. He was the Principal Timpanist for the West Covina Symphony in West Covina, CA from 2008-2010. He was a section percussionist for The Orchestra Unleashed, an orchestra specializing in Contemporary Classical music, which is based in Los Angeles. He was the lead Studio Drummer at Melrose Music Studios in Hollywood and the drummer for Los Angeles based bands Lizzy Williams (Music Connection Magazine Top 100 Unsigned Artist), The Widows and The Learning System. He also performs with solo artists John M. King and Melissa Moche ( Music Connection Magazine Top 100 Unsigned Artist) He can be heard on Bonnie Pointer's release "Like A Picasso" (Universal Music Group). Sean has been teaching at Holliston High School since 2012.
Paul Langton has 29 years in the record business (1990), starting as a merchandiser and regional marketing professional with Polygram Distribution based in Boston.
He moved into radio promotion in 1992 as the New England Rep for Polygram Label Group (Island, London, Polydor).
In 1994 Paul was promoted to do National Alternative Radio Promotion for Island Records and ran that department for 6 years remaining through the merge with Universal Records.
In 1999 Chris Blackwell (founder of Island Records) asked Paul to come to Palm Pictures and run the radio department which he did through 2003.
At the end of 2003 he accepted a job as VP of Promotion with Rounder Records and moved back to Boston. He spent 11 years there and left the company after they were bought by Concord Music Group.
For the past 5 years (2014-19) Paul has been an independent radio plugger, “Ravel Rouser’ concentrating on the Triple A (Album Adult Alternative) and Americana radio formats.
The name "Ravel Rouser" came to him after he read Greg Kot’s bio on Wilco. Band leader Jeff Tweedy described his song writing method of putting together opposite words and phrases that create new meanings.
“Ravel” means to put something together and “Rouser” of course means to create excitement and attention.
Notable projects:
U2, Cranberries, Stereo MCs, Meat Puppets,Local H,Tracy Bonham, Harvey Danger, Rammstein, Bosstones, Guster, Zero 7,Alison Krauss, Madeleine Peyroux, Robert Plant (Raising Sand), Son Volt,Greg Allman, Willie Nelson,Steve Martin & Edie Brickell, Kathleen Edwards, Tragically Hip,Dean Wareham, Nathaniel Rateliff, Delta Spirit, JD McPherson (I also signed him to Rounder)
Notable Projects as an Independent Consultant:
Jason Isbell, Blitzen Trapper, Son Volt, Jim James, Okkervil River, Albert Hammond Jr, Old 97s / Rhett Miller, JD McPherson, Shovels & Rope, Rayland Baxter, Luna, Elephant Revival,Drive By Truckers
BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS: