CONNECTING MUSIC INDUSTRY + MUSIC EDUCATION
Pathways Into Music Advisory board
The Pathways Into Music Foundation advisory board brings together a diverse and varied mix of experts from music education and the music industry, including people working in schools and universities, for an exam board and talent development programme, at music industry trade organisations, and within the record industry, music publishing, live music and artist management.
The board meets regularly to input on all our work, informing our programmes and resources, helping us identify how we can best support music educators and early-career music-makers, and helping us expand our network and reach.
CHARLOTTE DRYDEN
Charlotte is Chief Executive of the award-winning Oh Yeah Music Centre in Belfast, where she has been a vital part of the Northern Irish music community for over 20 years.
With extensive experience in leadership, talent development, music and festival programming, venue management, youth engagement, event management, music media and journalism, she has built a robust network of partnerships and trusted relationships within the industry.
At Oh Yeah, Charlotte initiated several key programmes, including the Scratch My Progress talent development scheme and Women’s Work, a pioneering initiative celebrating women in music in Belfast.
Charlotte also chaired the committee established by Belfast City Council leading to the successful bid for Belfast to become a UNESCO City Of Music in 2021.
DR HAYLEIGH BOSHER
Hayleigh is a creative industries law and policy expert, advising industry and policymakers.
She is a Reader in intellectual property law and Associate Dean at Brunel University London, where she also runs the Brunel Law School IP Pro Bono Service. Her research focuses on copyright and related laws, and policy issues in the creative industries.
Hayleigh is also an advisor for the charity Help Musicians and a research fellow working on music policy in the Department For Culture, Media And Sport. She is the author of ‘Copyright In The Music Industry’, and the producer and host of the podcast Whose Song Is It Anyway?
Hayleigh has an international reputation for her research, has been cited in academic, practitioner and policy outputs, and is regularly interviewed by national and international media outlets.
KATE MCBAIN
Kate is a creative strategist, arts producer, researcher, learning designer and engagement / inclusion consultant.
She has extensive experience working on evaluation, feasibility and action-research projects across the fields of music, arts and education.
She has been actively involved in researching and supporting creative workforce development initiatives and career pathway programmes for more than 20 years.
LAURA ERINLE
Laura is a music executive and educator with over a decade of experience in licensing, cultural strategy and talent development. As Head Of Education And Membership at the Music Managers Forum, she designs programmes that empower artist managers and shape industry standards.
Her previous roles include brokering and managing licensing agreements at PRS For Music and lecturing on music copyright at the Notting Hill Academy Of Music. Through her personal ventures, she has negotiated sync partnerships with global platforms including HBO, Netflix and BBC.
Laura is a Grammy voting member, committed to championing diverse voices within global music recognition platforms. She is also the founder of LOOM and The Good Music Club — two initiatives dedicated to spotlighting emerging talent and building thoughtful creative infrastructure across Africa and the diaspora.
MARIE BESSANT
Marie is Lead Subject Advisor at OCR, leading a team of subject advisors alongside specific responsibility for all performing arts qualifications. She joined OCR in July 2014 after leading music departments in schools and colleges for ten years.
As OCR’s Performing Arts specialist, Marie lead in the development for the new Music GCSEs and A-Levels, and now oversees all aspects of Music and Drama GCSE and A-Level, and Cambridge Technical Performing Arts qualifications.
With experience leading creative departments at secondary schools and FE colleges, Marie has a wealth of experience teaching the performing arts at GCSE, A-Level and Level 2-4 vocational qualifications.
Marie is an organist and pianist with a love for rock music, shopping, food, reading (anything from Austen to Atwood, and particularly anything fantasy and sci-fi) and a particular love of Kris Kristofferson.
MATT HANNER
Matt is the founder of Runway, an independent booking agency based in London that formed in 2020.
Having previously spent the best part of a decade working for major agencies (Coda and ATC Live), Matt has approached building his own agency with an intentional focus on developing new professionals from a range of backgrounds, in an attempt to create a dynamic and diverse workplace that considers its staff as “talent” as much as the artists they represent.
Away from Runway, Matt is a football fan (On The Ball City!), a member of his local church and a married father of two young children.
NICK EZIEFULA
Nick is a partner at one of the UK’s leading media and entertainment law firms, Simkins LLP. He has a passion for music, with a background as an artist, releasing several albums and touring internationally.
He draws on this experience when advising his broad range of clients, including high-profile artists, producers, songwriters, labels, publishers, managers and distributors. He also advises brands and agencies on rights clearance and strategic issues in relation to their use of music.
Nick is a fellow of Power Up, a ground-breaking initiative that boosts the careers of black creatives and professionals in the music industry.
NINA RADOJEWSKI
Nina is Head Of Membership at the Association Of Independent Music, the organisation exclusively representing the UK’s independent music sector.
As Head Of Membership, Nina leads on AIM’s core membership strategy, activities and team. Before moving into the role in 2022, Nina led on all aspects of career development, education and training within AIM’s membership as Professional Development Lead.
She has, and continues to, build and programme the AIM Academy, consisting of in-person and online webinars, workshops and conferences.
Nina is also the Chair of UK Music’s Education And Skills Committee and has played a key part in developing a new apprenticeship standard for labels and publishers, as well as showing new professional talent routes into the music industry via the Music Academic Partnership Programme
SAMUEL NICHOLLS (WHISKAS)
Samuel, or Whiskas as he is mainly known in the music industry, is the founder and director of Music Local and Senior Lecturer in Music at Leeds Beckett University.
He is responsible for delivering the Yorkshire-wide talent development programme Launchpad, establishing Music:Leeds as a vehicle to support the local music sector, advocating for regional music support across Yorkshire, and founding the BA (Hons) Music Industries Management course at Leeds Beckett.
Previously, Whiskas has run a music venue and live promotions company, launched the Dance To The Radio record label, and was guitarist in the band ¡Forward, Russia!, signed to Mute / EMI Records in North America as well self-releasing in Europe, achieving two UK Top 40 singles.
Since 2010, he has curated music industry development events in Yorkshire, first as the Unconference, and now through Music Local and Launchpad, with 1000 attendees per year. Established in 2019, Launchpad has now supported over 200 artists and emerging professionals based across the region, and in autumn 2023 announced a partnership with EMI North.
SUMIT BOTHRA
Sumit has worked in the music industry for over 25 years. While studying finance and engineering at the University Of Pennsylvania he began his career promoting artists for Virgin Records of America, before moving to London to work for Sony Music as a label manager and promotions executive.
He became a successful independent artist manager at 24 which led him to renowned artist management company ATC Management (with offices in London, New York and LA), for whom he served as a Senior Partner for thirteen years before being appointed Managing Director of ATC Management (Europe).
As a devoted father of three he has created a new, independent management company closer to home, which represents The Boxer Rebellion, Fink, Katie Melua, Nathan Nicholson and PJ Harvey (whom he co-manages with ATC Management).
Sumit currently sits on the board of the UK’s Music Managers Forum and the European Music Managers Alliance, and is a regular guest on industry and educational panels.
TK
TK is co-founder of Finesse Foreva and Publishing Administrator at Sentric Music, and has managed and developed multiple platinum recording producers and artists, with a strong commitment to empowering the next generation of talent.
In 2023, he was named Music Entrepreneur Of The Year, and he received the Pride Of Croydon Award in 2022 for his contributions to the local community.
TK’s extensive industry experience has led him to develop successful programmes for young people aspiring to enter the music business, focusing on skills needed to thrive in the modern music landscape.
VANESSA WILSON-BEST
Vanessa has worked for twenty five years in music education and thirty five years as a performing musician, currently working as Director Of Music at Uckfield College and leading the music teacher hub for East Sussex County Council.
As a founder member of the band Ultrasound, Vanessa signed to Nude Records in the 1990s and was published by EMI. The band were very much in demand during this time, touring with Supergrass, Travis and Placebo, and playing at all the major festivals. The band ended as the decade ended.
A PGCE quickly led to becoming Assistant Director Of Music at Morpeth Secondary School and a second career began. That has included working on Musical Futures pilots and training staff nationally in industry style teaching models; two years as Local Authority Music Curriculum Manager and Singing Champion for 69 primary schools at Tower Hamlets Arts And Music Education Service; and working in a key role with The Paradigm Trust, growing the music elements of the Trust.
Vanessa relocated to East Sussex in 2019 and has returned to the classroom, as well as making two further albums with Ultrasound, and continuing to play key concerts for the Ultrasound fanclub and managing legacy work for the band.