Meet The Team

The Modern Musician team is made up of highly-talented musicians who understand what it takes to be an independent artist in today’s industry. They have been trained in Michael’s refined methodology and all bring their own experiences and expertise to the company.

leadership

**Michael Walker** - CEO

Michael Walker, founder of Modern Musician, is a successful and highly renowned musician and entrepreneur. He is a husband, father and member of Paradise Fears . After touring professionally for the last eight years, Michael decided to set up Modern Musician to teach other artists and bands the skills needed to have a profitable music career.

eli lev.jpg — **Eli Lev -** CPO

International touring artist and global citizen Eli Lev is making the world a smaller place, one song at a time. Eli pens lyrics and melodies for everyday enlightenment that offer the wisdom he’s gained through lifelong travel and self-discovery. Some of his passions include connecting with his Levitators community, getting geeky with building online automated systems, and helping artists make a full-time living doing what they love.

**Ben Gauthier** - CTO

Ben has more than a decade of experience building and launching software products. As a software engineer, UX designer, and founder of Thryve - an AI based communication platform - he has been able to provide direct leadership to the growth of technology companies across multiple industries. He worked directly with some of the largest names in film and television as the CTO of ZÜM Media, creating interactive technology for their media projects. He has also led multiple acquisitions, built software that has served millions of users, and been issued several technology patents.

logan stewart.jpg — **Logan Stewart** - Director of Artist Success

Logan Stewart is an indie-pop singer/songwriter from the small town of Richmond Hill, Georgia. Logan's music is down-to-earth yet uplifting, inspiring his fans to be present in the moment and embrace both the good and the bad in their life. Logan works closely with the artists in our program to help them automate their entire marketing system to bring in new fans overnight.

ari+welkom.jpg — **Ari Welkom** - Director of Partnerships & Artist Success Manager

Ari launched his solo project “Avatari” when he began his mentorship with Modern Musician. Through the tools he learned as a Gold Artist he’s created a thriving fan community which fosters a culture of Peace, Love and Empowerment. Ari’s other passion is his family - happily married with an awesome three year old son named Rumi, who is already playing guitar and drums (loudly!).

jared c.jpg — **Jared Christianson** - Director of Paid Media & Optimization Coach.

Jared Christianson, founder and lead singer of the progressive metal band Arkaik, has spent over a decade touring with top names in extreme metal. As a coach at Modern Musician, he combines his passion for music with innovative digital marketing strategies, helping artists grow, connect with their fans, and turn their passion into a sustainable career.

Artist Identity Coaches

**HannaH Ardenski**

HannaH has released 7 albums with her group HannaH's Field. Sharing music to tune listeners into loves vibration, she has opened for many National acts and is in regular rotation on Sirius XM. As a Dream Builder Life Coach, she delivers programs to help clients clarify their vision, tap into their power and find their true voice. She traveled to an oceanside retreat center in Hawaii, where she received certification as a Sadhana Yoga Instructor. She loves helping Independent Artists promote their music and build their fan community.

REVENUE SYSTEM COACHES

**Shane Heilman**

Shane Heilman is an independent artist, producer, songwriter, vocalist, and guitarist originally from Madison, SD.
Under the artist name The Psalms Project, Shane has collaborated with over 70 musicians, including two Grammy nominees, to produce music that has sold thousands of albums and millions of streams worldwide.
Shane is passionate about mentorship, fatherhood, coaching, his wife Emily, and helping others find and live out their purpose.

pamela mary.jpg — **Pamela Mary**

Pamela Mary is a singer/songwriter and vocal coach and after graduating from the Gold Artist Program, Pamela joined the Modern Musician team.
She battles multiple sclerosis, which lead her to become a Wahls Protocol Certified Health Practitioner to help other women with MS.
Pamela is currently finishing her doctorate in Psychology in which she has previously specialized in ADHD and music psychology.

FAN MAGNET COACH

**Aaron Gordon**

Aaron Gordon is a singer-songwriter hailing from the beautiful Okanagan Valley in BC, Canada. He's won FACTOR Grants, Songwriter Competitions and toured with Chris Vrenna of Nine Inch Nails/Marylin Manson. His band “Three Scotch In’“ is focused on mental health and continues to see massive growth moving forward with MM's guidance.
Aaron runs a successful wedding entertainment company and having amplified his business is now paying it forward with Modern Musician as a Fan Magnet Coach.

AUTOMATION & tribal accelerator COACHES

**Will Bearyman**

Will "Hookdiggy" Bearyman is a Throwback Modern Hip-Hop Artist whose focus is good music built on good vibes. He has amassed hundreds of thousands of streams, worked with music industry veterans, been a member of the Recording Academy, voted on Grammy Awards and is an award winning filmmaker. He is excited to help other artists use automation to help promote themselves.

Talent Scouts

**Chance Strickland**

Chance is a multi-instrumentalist music producer and DJ. Whether he's bringing his uplifting and high-energy vibes to festivals, or venue dance floors he seeks to craft sounds with the intention of expanding the collective mainframe through his own unique brand of sonic adventures. He enjoys helping artists realize their dream and potential by connecting them with means to take their careers into their own hands.

Mario Arreola

Mexican singer, songwriter, and composer with a best-selling Amazon book and voice featured in Disney/Pixar films and TV shows such as Monsters University, Phineas & Ferb, and Planes. With his former band, he won two national contests, signed two record deals, and played at major festivals, sharing the stage with bands like El Tri, Café Tacvba, and Caifanes. He was one of the winners of Wix Music’s contest in 2016 which got his music featured at SXSW 2016. He has composed original scores for documentaries, TV series, and films, and was nominated for a “Pantalla de Cristal” award (Telemundo) for his original music in “Misión Cosmos”.

SOFTWARE team

Spencer Grimes - Lead Software Developer

Spencer Grimes is a husband, father, artist and software builder.

Additionally he's the founder, singer and song-writer for the Minneapolis based indie-rock band, Whosah.

He's deeply passionate about connecting and empowering people to live and work as their best selves through software, music, and building relationships.