NOISEMAKERS:
A BIG LEAP
In our latest roundup, we present eight rising professionals from various parts of the biz whose dedication and effort make their superiors look good.
This week's entrants will also find their mugs in our latest mag. Thankfully, they can lament this mortifying experience for an extra day this month.
Monica Seetharam
Senior Director of Digital Strategy, RCA Records
Seetharam helped propel Tate McRae’s 2023 single “greedy” to #1 on Spotify Global, the Pop Top 10 and millions of TikTok videos and boosted to 250k the TikTok following of her “favorite artist of all time,” Gavin DeGraw, with whom she conducted a Q&A last year at alma mater Belmont University. She’s lately been enjoying the longevity of P!nk’s #2 TRUSTFALL and gearing up for Lizzy McAlpine’s Older, due 4/5. Design devotee Seetharam says her “somewhat social-media-famous apartment has gone viral on TikTok many times!” Our place is Myspace-famous at best.
Carlos Andres Fernandez Jr.
Manager, Digital Partners, Universal Music Latino
Fernandez is proud to report that during his PR-intern days at UMLE, he led the creation of an attention-getting VR video promoting Sebastián Yatra’s platinum 2019 album Fantasia. His current tenure has found him collaborating with Instagram on the standout Baile Funk Da Anitta event for the 2023 Latin Grammys and overseeing the VEVO Official Live release of global breakout Feid’s performances (shot in Madrid) supporting 2023’s Mor, No Le Temas a la Oscuridad. Fernandez once longed to become a zoo veterinarian. We could use some medical attention.
Andrew Saltman
Senior Director, Marketing & Digital, RECORDS
Saltman fondly recalls his first big win: guiding then-rising star 24kGoldn’s “Mood” from demos to global domination, with septuple-platinum certification, 5b+ streams and a multiformat #1 radio hit. Today, he’s heavily involved in RECORDS’ Nashville roster, recently celebrating George Birge’s #1 Country hit “Mind on You.” He’s also all over releases by Erin Kinsey, Matt Stell and, yep, 24kGoldn. Despite living in New York for the past nine years, Saltman’s a die-hard Dodgers fan. He’s definitely not a HITS fan—we’ve suffered even more no-nos than Dem Bums.
Donna Grecco
VP of Creative and Assets, Primary Wave
Grecco is deeply honored to be safeguarding the legacy of James Brown, which has spanned recovering the lost recordings of his historic 1968 Boston Garden show and archiving his estate, including his belongings; transforming his Augusta, Georgia, home into a museum; and setting up the Black Music Action Coalition x Primary Wave James Brown Education Fund. “When I was a kid,” Grecco says, “I thought maybe I was a princess just dreaming my life. I still feel like my life is a dream—but one with a great soundtrack.” Though appearing here is surely a nightmare.
Alberto de León
GM, WKMX Records
In 2015 de León, who for 13 years was head of A&R at Fonovisa and Universal Music Latino, went to Medellin, Colombia, to sign a female artist enjoying local success. He just watched that artist—KAROL G—accept the 2024 Grammy Award for Best Música Urbana Album. He’s presently in the studio with Eugenio and Sebastián Esquivel, who have a combined 6.5m followers on TikTok alone. As a keyboardist, de León was part of the famed ensemble La Firma, which toured extensively in Mexico and the U.S. We’re thinking about putting on pants and touring the neighborhood.
Victoria Petrovsky
Head of Operations, Three Six Zero
One of Petrovsky’s career highlights was reuniting Clipse for a client event—truly meaningful after her days handing out the duo’s singles as a teenage intern for HITS. Having come a really long way, she’s now handling talent and VIP relations at Three Six Zero, which will be repping more artists than any other management company at Coachella for a second consecutive year (and in 2023 enjoyed a banner Ibiza season with Calvin Harris, Sonny Fodera et al.). Petrovsky’s a former contortionist. Too bad she couldn’t backbend-into-a-chin-stand-roll away from us.
Eric Schissel
Partner Relations Manager, ONErpm
Schissel fondly recalls doing tequila shots with rapper YG when he was a UMG college rep. More recently, he’s played a significant role in the success of Texas singer-songwriter-producer Chance Peña, attesting, “Chance’s exponential growth in such a short period of time has been one of the highlights of my career.” He’s also got his hands full working on the next album from alt-pop band Nightly, who not long ago wrapped a North American tour. Schissel was close to being a scratch golfer back when he was competing at Clemson. We’ve been swung at a few times.
Tierney Stout
Founder/CEO, SAUS HAUS
Back when Stout was overseeing entertainment relations at Gibson Brands, she got to rub shoulders with client David Bowie during production of his 2015 off-Broadway musical, Lazarus. She can also claim bragging rights for having Anderson .Paak DJ her 40th birthday bash. She’s currently working with agency client Dr. Martens on campaigns with artists like hemlocke springs, AG Club and serpentwithfeet, who are featured in the stalwart footwear brand’s Black History Month campaign. Stout once sang backup on a Passion Pit record. Our singing is just the pits.
