The Atlanta Music Project
Board of Advisors
Tom Bates
Tom Bates has more than 20 years experience starting and running new businesses for major media companies and is the founder of Atlanta-based website Kudzu.com. He is currently working on a new social commerce start-up and building a school in Cambodia. Bates grew Kudzu.com into a website that helps 20 million homeowners a year plan projects and choose highly rated contractors. Kudzu is also the services directory on 100 websites including HGTV.com…Read More
Alcides Rodriguez
Alcides Rodriguez joined the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra as bass clarinetist in the fall of 2005. He received his degrees in music from Baylor and Northwestern Universities, studying with Richard Shanley,Russell Dagon, and J. Lawrie Bloom, as well as chamber music with Larry Combs. He began his musical training in the Youth Symphony Orchestra of his hometown, Guanare, Venezuela, and continued at the National Conservatory of Music of Venezuela with professors Valdemar Rodríguez and Luis Rossi…Read More
Joseph Conyers
Profiled in Ebony Magazine as one of 30 Leaders 30 and Younger, Joseph H. Conyers is the newly appointed assistant principal bass of the Philadelphia Orchestra. He joins Philadelphia after a one-and-a-half tenure with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, three-and-a half years as principal bass of the Grand Rapids Symphony (MI), and four summers as a member of the Santa Fe Opera Orchestra (NM)…Read More
Melanie Darby
Melanie Darby is an experienced non-profit administrator and arts educator. She’s worked with many of the top Atlanta arts organizations including the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the Atlanta Opera Company, and the Alliance Theatre…Read More
Dr. Marian L. Harrison
Dr. Marian L. Harrison is a native of Atlanta, Georgia. In August of 2007, she became the first African American to receive the Doctorate of Music degree in Music Composition from Indiana University’s (IU) Jacobs School of Music in Bloomington, Indiana. While attending IU, she studied composition with David Baker, Sven-David Sandström, David Dzubay, Don Freund, and P.Q. Phan…Read More
Rhonda Hills
Hills has spent her entire career in digital marketing and emerging media defining strategic roadmaps for business and brands. Most recently Hills was vice president and chief marketing officer for Kudzu.com, responsible for all marketing activity and product strategy. She joined Kudzu.com in 2010 to lead the site’s national expansion and manage its cross-media partnership with HGTV…Read More
Ahmad Mayes
Ahmad Mayes recently returned to his native city of Atlanta as an accomplished youth orchestra administrator, music educator, and musician. Most recently, Ahmad served as the Director of Operations & Artistic Administration for Youth Orchestras of San Antonio (YOSA), where he was integral in the creation of the YOSA Music Learning Center, an El Sistema inspired orchestra program that is now in its third year serving impoverished youth in San Antonio, Texas…Read More
Saju Samuel
Saju Samuel is a highly entrepreneurial visionary who founded or co-founded over 10 businesses including three professional services organizations. Saju has over 19 years of outstanding leadership in business…Read More
Dr. Marilyn Seelman
Dr. Marilyn Seelman is Music Director/Conductor of the Metropolitan Youth Symphony Orchestra of Atlanta. She received her Doctorate of Musical Arts in Conducting from the University of Miami-Coral Gables, Florida and her Master of Music in Viola from Boston University. She has held the position of Director of Orchestras and violist at Trinity University in San Antonio, The University of New Mexico-Albuquerque and Georgia State University…Read More
Purvi G. Shah, CPA
Purvi is CPA working for Juravel & Company, LLC. She’s been with the firm since July of 2008…Read More
Stanford Thompson
An Atlanta native, trumpeter Stanford Thompson is Program Director of the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra’s Tune Up Philly, an El Sistema-inspired program. He is a member of the first class of Abreu Fellows at the New England Conservatory…Read More
Arjan Timmermans
Arjan Timmermans is author of the famed ArjanWrites.com blog, one of the most popular and critically acclaimed music blogs on the web. Since 2003, Arjan has been tipping readers about emerging acts and cutting-edge new music. The blog received a Forbes magazine “Best of Blog” award and Billboard magazine “Best Music Blog” award nomination in 2007…Read More
Ben Cherian
Ben Cherian is an Atlanta entrepreneur who has spent most of his career bulding technology companies. He is the managing partner of ServiceCloud, a consultancy that helps companies design and manage their IT infrastructure. He also runs Kinetic Path, a company that helps businesses align their business goals with their technology strategy…Read More
Sue Heineman
Sue Heineman has been principal bassoonist of the National Symphony Orchestra since September 2000. Prior to joining the NSO, she held positions with the New Haven, Memphis, New Mexico, and New Zealand Symphony Orchestras. She has appeared as soloist with the NSO on numerous occasions, as well as with the Kennedy Center Chamber Players, comprised of principal players from the NSO…Read More
David Claassen
David is an Executive Producer. He is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Gasoline Films. Claassen is Director, Writer/Publisher Relations for BMI Atlanta. In his position, Claassen is responsible for developing and maintaining relationships with BMI songwriters and music publishers in Atlanta and throughout the Southeast region…Read More
