Experience
Owner/Creative Director at Miyagi
An Aveda Hair Salon in NE MPLS, that breaks the rules of that stereotype. Bright,
colorful and very rock and roll – with a top down different management strategy: this is
not your motherʼs Aveda salon Developed branding, marketing, business plan, finance,
personnel, events.
Creative Consultant
Worked for numerous companies, and individuals ranging in roles from the very informal
to redefining the very concept of what their company does. I have also worked with
numerous individuals from multi platinum artists to people just starting a business in a
coaching role to either start a new path, or redefine and sharpen the one they are on.
The role varies as he companies do, I like at each project as its own unique situation so
there is no standard way of doing things, its catered to its uniqueness. Most of the
companies and individuals that I have worked with on I have privacy agreements, but a
few of note include Stand Up Records, Liquid Audio and the American Composers
Forum.
Designer/Art Director
As a designer my work been seen on everything for ads for audio books for Sony, to rub
on tattoos for the Stand Up! Label. My work has taken me everywhere from album
covers to Shoe Lace packaging to buttons sold in boutiques to international ad
campaigns. As an art director even more ads, posters and records including the Grammy
nominated kind.
Producer/Director at -self-
-Assorted Highlights of each media-
FILM
“Holiday in Dirt; 14 short films of the music of Stan Ridgway” on UltraModern/New West,
(with Rick Fuller) Notable showings: Sound Unseen, Netflix
“M-80” – concert film of the legendary Minneapolis concert from 1979 featuring Devo,
James Chance, the Fleshtones, and a host of others. On MVD (with Rick Fuller). Notable
showings: Sound Unseen, Alamo Drafthouse, Noise Pop, Northwestern Film Forum,
Seattle
“Unconvention: a Mix-Tape from St. Paul”- re-mix documentary that I also directed,
about the 2008 Republican National Convention. Notable showings: Twin Cities
International Film Festival, Walker Art Center
MUSIC (live)
Mark Mallman Marathon III – a 78-hour song performed live by Mark Mallman and 78 or
so musicians. Broadcast live to 40k+ people on the net.
Future Perfect – an experimental music collective I ran from 1995- 2003. 17
performances at venues such as First Avenue, The Walker Art Center, a four year
residency at the Fredrick R. Weisman Museum of Art, Orchestra Hall, Intermedia Arts,
Red Eye Theater, and the Landmark Center. Outside shows and tours with artists:
Holger Czukay (Can), Cluster and Windy and Carl
House Nation/Depth Probe/Bedrock Music Appreciation Society- So many shows that no
one has a clue to the total count. In places that include the Cricket, The Southern, the
7th Street Entry (promotion only). This is the era where I learned how to turn a trend into
a community.
MUSIC (recorded)
Bad Companions, Irwin Chusid, Michael Yonkers, Philip Johnson, Revolutionary Snake
Ensemble, Snaildartha 6, Stan Ridgway, the Vibro Champs, Thunder in the Valley, –
really dozens more but this is a nice start.
TELEVISION
Unconvention: the TV Show– a 4-episode series based on the art and politics of the 2008
Republican National Convention. Aired on SPNN and through several Forecast
installations and websites.
Conversation-Producer/writer/host of a TV show made for SPNN and Twin Cities Public
Television but never aired. A post-punk “Person to Person”; one-on-one interviews with
people sharing stories. Done in Black and White with no zoom lenses.
What. -Producer/writer/host of a TV show about music meant to document the
burgeoning MPLS pop scene. The show found a small audience across the US and in
Puerto Rico. Described as “Ernie Kovacs hosting American Bandstand”. Won a 1995
Hometown Video Award. Produced with SPNN, and broadcast on KTCA.
Creative Director at the Institute of Production and Recording
November 2006 – June 2008
Worked as a creative problem solver on any and all aspects of school issues:
advertising, marketing, recruitment, retention, big picture visioning on curriculum.
• Developed all advertising and promotional material including web redesign
• Oversaw design on a campus expansion
• Developed relationships with local media
• Brand redefinition
Program Chair: Entertainment Business at the Institute of Production and
Recording
January 2003 – November 2006
Coauthored the original curriculum for the EB degree, wrote and developed classes,
hired and oversaw teachers. Worked as an advisor on all things related to entertainment
business on the corporate side of the school. Taught the primary introduction course for
the school, the only one that was required of all students.
Director of Artist and Product at American Composers Forum
2001 – 2004
Responsible for operations in terms of artist relations, distribution, manufacture,
scheduling, development of marketing plans and art direction. Artists include The
Clouds, Revolutionary Snake Ensemble, the Beat Circus, Mathew Burtner, George
Cartwright, ICE, Electropolis, Victoria Jordanova, Philip Johnston.
Director of Artist and Product at Twin/Tone Records Group (TRG)
1995 – 2001
Responsible for day-to-day operations, handling artist relations, overseeing distribution,
manufacture, publicity, scheduling, marketing plans, art and branding. Ran point for 12
separate labels, and several employees, partners and interns with some 200 releases
including: Ed Kuepper, Marlee Macleod, Brother Sun Sister Moon, Likehell, The Celibate
Rifles, the Beatifics, Lifter Puller, Spare Snare. Developed it as the first label in the US to
go digital.
El Presidente at UltraModern
1995 – 2003
Record Label/media Company with more than 20 records and one movie. Artists include:
Stan Ridgway. Savage Aural Hotbed, The Vibro Champs, Skip Heller, February, Future
Perfect. Distribution deals with ADA (via partnership with Twin/Tone), Rounder (via
partnership with Atomic Theory), RED (via partnership with New West Records). With
music placed on tens of shows for MTV and ESPN
Writer
Ghost writing is hard thing to talk about in a resume situation; suffice it to say Iʼve done a
fair amount of it.
Wrote all the advertising copy and bios for the Institute of Production and Recording.
Two columns on America Online’s Digital City: “Dig The New Breed” and “Ask A
Slacker”. A regular column in Pulse called “Our Friend Electric”, as well as various
articles in City Pages, Request, Cake, Pulse, and Review. Regular contributor to the
zines: And She Said, the DJ Wrapup and numerous others.
Featured in the book Twitter Wit.
Wrote the surprisingly popular blog “Kerry Doesn’t Suck” in 2004, though in the end I
was wrong and Kerry did sort of suck. Sorry about that one.
Composer /Performer
As a composer and performer I have had work at the Walker Art Center, Orchestra Hall,
and the Fredrick R. Weisman Museum of Art. I have performed in King Paisley, Ex-
Boyfriends of Pamela, Seduction of Timothy, A Most Happy Sound, and The Snaildartha
6. Under my own name in styles from hardcore experimental to lush techno pop, to jazz.
My recordings include one record with King Paisley, two with Future Perfect, three with
Paris1919, and the contemporary holiday classic Snaildartha.
Curator of Music at Red Eye Collaboration
1993 – 1995
Curator at Hair Police
1989 – 1992
Publicity Director at Rifle Sport
1986 – 1989
Education
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities 1986 – 1991
IDIM: Theater, film studies, and performance art with a special emphasis in popular
culture
Totino-Grace 1983 – 1986
Honors and Awards
Numerous Jerome Commissions, Multi year residency@ Fredrick R. Weisman Museum
of Art, Hometown video award for What. Best electronic record for 1997’s “Music for
Listening” record by Future Perfect, Executive Produced The Clouds-Grammy
Nominated for best package.