MALIBU LAKE, CA-Continuing to expand, Howling Music has hired composer Amy Tung and Brian Kaplan as director of marketing.
A recent graduate of Musicians Institute, LA, Tung brings wide ranging experience as a composer, songwriter and performer to the commercial music company. Kaplan, formerly with music marketing firm Buzzplay.com, is an experienced executive in the recording, broadcast television and film industries.
Tung allows Howling Music to offer its clients an additional and fresh creative perspective, while Kaplan will help the company to extend the reach of its marketing efforts, according to Howling Music principal David Grow. "We are growing but we are proceeding carefully," Grow said. "While we want to expand our services, we don't want to do so at the expense of the boutique atmosphere and personalized service that has fueled our success. Our focus remains remarkable, distinctive music, one score at a time."
Grow said he became interested in Tung after learning of her unusual background. "She is a classically trained pianist, a bassist in a hard rock band and studied jazz at MI," he observed. "She has also worked in live theater. I had never seen that combination of skills before and it piqued my interest. When I heard her music, I thought, of course, that's what you get when you combine all those elements in one person. Her work is eclectic, interesting and incredibly engaging. She was a perfect fit for us."
Tung was born in Taipei, Taiwan and grew up in Memphis. She began studying piano when she was four and flute when she was nine. After graduating from San Francisco State University in 1990, she joined the Tony Award-winning San Francisco Mime Troupe as a composer, writer and actor. As a musical performer, she has appeared on The Country Music Awards and Ed McMahon's "Next Big Star Show." She is also a member of the rock band HDR, headed by Pete Yorn guitarist Joe Mora.
Regarding Kaplan's appointment, Grow observed that Howling has a less traditional corporate infrastructure which by definition, requires a staff capable of multi-tasking. "We don't really have titles here," Grow says. "Everybody is expected to do pretty much everything except for (executive producer) Kim Pawlik who gets a hall pass in the singing department. We were looking for someone who could take the reigns of the marketing effort and still be very creatively involved. We certainly found that guy in Brian. He's also a technical whiz and a solid engineer which doesn't hurt either."
In his new role, Kaplan will direct sales, formulate marketing plans and work with Grow in planning the company's long-term growth strategies. "While we have no intention of becoming a music factory, we do intend to compete with the industry's largest music houses for the best work in the best markets," Kaplan said.
At Buzzplay.com, Kaplan was involved in booking, publicity, artist management and artist development for unsigned music acts. His background also includes a post with the broadcast design company The Firm Design Group, New York. Additionally, he has experience as a web and print designer, marketing consultant and producer. Kaplan studied audio engineering at Full Sail Program For Recording Arts in Orlando, Florida.