Georgia Music Partners, Inc. Team Bios

Tammy Hurt, co-president Tammy Hurt is the founding partner of Placement Music, a boutique entertainment firm specializing in the licensing, creation and placement of high-quality, well-recorded, pre-cleared music for television, film, gaming, animation, advertising, and all other forms of digital media. She is also the President of Outsource Events, Inc. an event management firm specializing in the logistical planning and execution of executive-level and customer events. Among her successes are such high-visibility events as the Olympics, Super Bowl, US Open, NCAA Men’s Final Four, and NASCAR as well as events for Fortune 10, 50, 100 and 500 corporations. She received the Catalyst Magazine’s Top 25 Entrepreneurs and Ones to Watch Awards in 2008. Tammy began playing drums at age four and has been playing professionally since the age of 14. She has recorded with the GRAMMY®-winning Indigo Girls, GRAMMY-winning producer Brendan O’Brien and GRAMMY-winning producer/mixer/engineer Nick DiDia. She has tracked for and performed live with numerous artists including Van Hunt, Michelle Malone and Wendy Bucklew at several recording studios including her favorite, Southern Tracks. Her musical projects include Paper Dolls, She Said, Minority Rules, Superchick and duvasounds. She serves as President of the Atlanta Chapter of The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences®, as the National Advocacy Representative and as co-chair of the membership committee for the chapter.

Simon Horrocks, co-president As both an artist and a business professional, Simon has more than 20 years experience in the music industry. He began as a performing musician and writer in Detroit, and relocated to Chicago to study music business in the Columbia College’s Art, Entertainment and Media Management Program. While in the program, he began creating and selling tracks to House Music legend, Larry Sherman, and writing songs for the Latin Dance group TKA. Shortly thereafter, Simon negotiated and signed a production/publishing deal with Chris Blackwell for Island Records. After five records and eight years of nationwide touring with Capricorn recording artist The Freddy Jones Band, Simon transitioned from artist to manager, handling on behalf of Alliance Artist clients such as Survivor, Bad Company, Wayne, Blue Epic and the Grammy- nominated Howard Tate. Since 2004 he has been entrenched in Atlanta’s Urban music scene as a management consultant for Multi-Platinum and GRAMMY-nominated artist Ciara, and as general manger for Upfront/Universal Records where he spearheaded projects for four-time 2008 GRAMMY nominee Akon and Chilli (TLC). Currently, Simon is the co-founder of Affix Music (www.affixmusic.com), an Atlanta-based music licensing company specializing in placing premium, pre-cleared, independent Urban music in television, film, advertising, games and digital media.

Michele Rhea Caplinger, vice president Originally trained in musical theatre in New York City, Michele moved to Atlanta where she recorded and performed in original rock bands through the ‘80s and ‘90s. She cut her “music industry teeth” by booking talent and providing publicity for cutting-edge nightclubs and acts, which led to her career as a national concert promoter, with whom she credits teaching her the business of music. Caplinger has been the Senior Executive Director of The Atlanta Chapter of The Recording Academy since 2000. The Recording Academy is an organization of musicians, producers, engineers and recording professionals dedicated to improving the cultural condition and quality of life for music and its makers. Internationally known for the GRAMMY Awards, the preeminent peer-recognized award for musical excellence and the most credible brand in music, The Recording Academy is responsible for groundbreaking professional development, cultural enrichment, advocacy, education and human services programs. The Academy continues to focus on its mission of recognizing musical excellence, advocating for the wellbeing of music makers and ensuring music remains an indelible part of our culture.

Margaret R. Marshall, treasurer/secretary Margaret R. Marshall concentrates her practice on counseling clients in the media and entertainment industries. Her practice involves structuring transactions and advising clients in all aspects of their businesses, including the acquisition, protection, enforcement, monetization and sale of intellectual property rights. Margaret has significant experience in representing companies in connection with entity formation, joint venture agreements, debt and equity financing, corporate governance and shareholder and member relations.

Areas of Concentration • Transactional entertainment law • Celebrity and product endorsement, sponsorship and merchandising agreements in the alcohol, malt beverage, pharmaceutical, food and condiment products, home furnishing, apparel, race car, restaurant, casino, footwear and real estate industries • Private security offerings and private placements (including in connection with motion picture and television productions) • Acquisition and divestitures of music catalogs • Representation of animation content companies in connection with broadcast and Internet distribution of original content • Complex acquisition and mergers (including brand dispositions) • Structuring and negotiating joint venture agreements governing the rights of various parties with respect to their intellectual property • Right of publicity counseling • Advertising, marketing, communication and PR agreements for all levels of events and scopes of engagement

Mala Sharma, executive director Mala Sharma is a 20-year veteran of the music and recording industry with extensive experience in the album production process. Mala was the production manager for Grammy Award-winning record producers Rick Rubin and Brendan O’Brien. She has overseen countless recording sessions, ranging from multi-platinum rock mainstays such as Johnny Cash, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Bruce Springsteen and AC/DC, to up-and-comers like Augustana, The Music and Brandon Flowers. Mala began her career in the music industry in Athens, Ga., during the early years of alternative rock. As the head of the University of Georgia’s Concert division of the Student Union, she was responsible for bringing an array of national artists like Pearl Jam, 10,000 Maniacs, Lyle Lovett and Bob Dylan to perform at the school. Upon graduation, Mala began to focus on other aspects of the music business, first in marketing and publicity for Doggone Records, an independent record label started by former R.E.M. manager Jefferson Holt. Mala then transitioned to artist management for the Chickasaw Mudd Puppies, a popular band from the famed Athens music scene of the mid-‘80s to early ‘90s. Mala’s career in music also includes her tenure as general manager of Fifty Seven Records, an offshoot of Sony Records, which released albums by Michael Penn, Pete Droge and Gordon in the early ‘90s. Mala is a member of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. She lives in Atlanta, Ga. with her husband Jeremy and their two children.

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