PSV BOOTCAMPs 2023-2024:

SONGWRITING, SYNC & MUSIC BUSINESS

TAISI

Sergey Bobrov

Saylyk Kongar

Vlad Khaidurov

Tanya Shamanina

Nastia Radek

Lena Merkulova

Gaya Garbaruk

Mironenko

Diana Protsenko

Zhenya Grebenshikova

Radif Kashapov

Anna Vorfolomeeva

Markina

MITYA

Madiken

Uraaan

Iana Smirnova

Veronika Shramko

Alexander Shlyakhov

Elen Zack

Miusha

Menya zovut Masha

Nina Farish

Reflexie

Cult Black Venus

Egor Alekseev

Lyubimitsa

Roma Tsepelev

Okeanyreki

POLI NIKA

Milena Sarkisyan

Eduard Konovalov

Petite Meteorite

Linh Nguyen

Dasha Lysukhina

Aleksandra Belanich

Yevgeny Borisikhin

Igor Kirillov

Yevgeny Li

ANVIA

Dasha Abdulina

Timur Gusmanov

Artur Shek

Anna Semenova

Daniil Solntsev

Andrey Magner

Yana Che

Yury Kazachansky

Dmitry Evgrafov

Natalia Soboleva

Denis Konstantinov

Olga Vasilyeva

Anastasia Filippova

Korney Savva

Mikhail Glebov

Agata Rusakova

Tanya Sopenko

Pavel Kristi

PARTICIPANTS’ FEEDBACK

The bootcamp gave me a lot more than I expected. It really challenged me. And although by the end it was exhausting, I’m grateful for everything––even for the more tearful moments! I’ve grown so much, not just as a songwriter but also as an individual. Thank you for creating such a welcoming, warm, and fun(!!!) environment.

This was my first experience at a camp and I really enjoyed it! Beforehand, I was a little stuck in my thinking. But the collaboration and communication––not to mention the masterclasses––have greatly influenced me. Thanks to the camp, I'm now ready to start working on a new album!

Thank you so much for this wonderful initiative! It was very educational – and inspiring, too!

I really think that you are doing an enormously important job for musicians and songwriters from around the world. Thank you for this work: thank you for an opportunity to be part of this co-creativity. What an invaluable experience for me💔

You really made us feel at ease. It could have been so much more stressful, but in reality this was a breeze. I made some new friends and found future collaborators, for sure.

Everything was lots of fun, interesting, and educational!

I wanted to express my deep gratitude for giving me this chance. It was a month full of new acquaintances, wonderful people, creative challenges. A month of international and multicultural exchange. And I am so happy I became a part of this magic. Thank you for your enormous work, patience, and big heart, because what you have shared with us all is priceless.

Thank you very much for your work, care, and attention. I am full of admiration and inspiration, too.

Thank you SO MUCH! I am very glad that I applied and was chosen. It was all very interesting, useful, and inspiring. ❤️❤️❤️

I am so grateful to you. I've learned a lot, but––most importantly––this camp kickstarted my creativity. It's amazing what you do. And thank you for your warmth [in the Telegram group]!

I want to thank you for your hard work and care 🤗🕊️ Your bootcamps really necessary and valuable. They bring [us] new knowledge – including self-awareness––ideas of kindness and self-development in today’s world. The camps unite people not only in a common cause, but also through shared emotions, which is so valuable today 💯❤️

SCHEDULE

All classes will be offered over Zoom.

Broadcasts are scheduled for early morning, Pacific Standard Times, corresponding to mid-evening, Moscow time.

CAMP ONE: SONGWRITING (Fall/Winter 2023)

October 31, 2023

November 7, 2023

November 14

November 28 (playback)

CAMP TWO: SYNCHRONIZATION (Spring 2024)

March 5

March 12

March 19

March 26

CAMP THREE: MUSIC BUSINESS (Fall 2024)

August 13

August 20

August 27

September 3

BENEFITS, LANGUAGES, LOCATION, AND COST

For three bootcamps in 2023-'24, songwriters, musicians, and artists from the US and Russia will come together, thanks to a collaborative program between UCLA, PSV and SongwriterCamps in Los Angeles. Each of the three camps consists of 24 Russian participants. Together with award-winning mentors, participants will learn the fundamentals of songwriting for the LA market, working to real-world briefs from television, cinema, advertising, and the synch industries.

BENEFITS

learn vital skills from industry experts and award-winning mentors
apply proven songwriting techniques from career professionals in California to real-world projects
build new songwriting networks with successful music industry professionals
produce a publishable song in teamwork with American peers
get real-time feedback on the composition process.

LANGUAGES / LOCATION

Although a simultaneous translation will be offered throughout, it is expected that participants have a working knowledge of English. The geographic location of participants is unimportant.

COST

The PSV bootcamps are always free. This initiative was created by a US citizen in 2007 and has always been humanitarian and educational in nature. It has no political agenda.

ORGANIZERS

DAVID MACFADYEN

Professor of Musicology, Music Business, and Comparative Literature at UCLA. Author of multiple books on the history – and future – of Russian popular music. For more information, see here.

PAM SHEYNE

Multi-platinum selling songwriter, producer, singer and mentor. Over fifty million records sold; Ivor Novello Award.

Pam is best known for co-writing the #1 Billboard hit "Genie In a Bottle" for Christina Aguilera. Her songs have been covered by a number of international artists including; Camila Cabello, Demi Lovato, Lindsay Lohan, Jessica Simpson, Corrine Bailey Rae, Seal, Sinead O’Connor, The Backstreet Boys, Cece Winans and The Saturdays.

As for film and television, Pam has written end titles for The Princess Diaries, Confessions of A Teenage Drama Queen and the Golden Globe nominated film, Young Victoria. Her songs have featured in TV films Camp Rock 1 & 2, Jump In and numerous shows on the small screen. Pam appeared as songwriting mentor in the first series of Fame Academy (BBC).

RICHARD HARRIS

Richard is a #1 Billboard songwriter, producer, artist and mentor for Meghan Trainor, among other performers. Multiple number one, top ten and platinum records.

Hundreds of film, television, and advertising song placements . His hit shows on TV include Empire, Nashville, Vanderpump Rules, The Bold Type, High Fidelity. Big-screen credits include This Means War and Single Moms Club, simultaneous with commercials for HBO, AT&T, eBay and Vivo. Multiple advertisements/trailers for Fox TV and NFL.

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ROB WELLS

Rob Wells is a multi-platinum, award-winning music producer and songwriter, based in Canada. Wells has worked with Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, Adam Lambert, Serena Ryder, Weezer, Nick Lachey, Mika, Katharine McPhee, Backstreet Boys, Paloma Faith, Nelly Furtado, Big Time Rush, Pixie Lott, Mindless Behavior, Cyndi Lauper, Corey Hart, Olivia Newton John, David Archuletta, Boyzone, Ria Mae, USS, Frank Walker, Keshia Chante, Matt Dusk and many others.

His work has been featured in numerous films, television shows, commercials and video games worldwide. Rob has appeared as a music producer on Canadian Idol, The House Of Carters and The Next Star. He has a star on the Mississauga Music Walk of Fame. Rob's awards include first place in numerous songwriting competitions, and SOCAN #1 awards with gold, platinum & multi-platinum certifications.

SHARON VAUGHN

Beginning her career in Nashville, enjoying success as a studio singer, an actor in commercials and as a solo artist, Sharon turned her focus to writing songs and scored numerous #1s and Top Tens in country music. In country she has written hits for The Oak Ridge Boys, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Kenny Rogers, George Jones, Tammy Wynette, Tanya Tucker, Randy Travis, Patty Loveless, Don Williams, Trisha Yearwood, Reba McEntire, Mark Chesnutt, Jimmy Buffett, John Prine, Martina McBride, plus Keith Whitley and Lorrie Morgan.

Internationally, Sharon has written successfully with Lara Fabian, Kate Ryan, Stefanie Heinzmann, Shane Filan, Exile, Delta Goodrem, Paul Brady, Clay Aiken, Per Gessle, Boyzone, and others. Sharon has also worked with the internationally recognized songwriter and producer Mutt Lange (Shania Twain, Celine Dion, Bryan Adams, AC/DC), and Matthew Gerrard (Nick Carter, Kelly Clarkson, Jonas Brothers), legendary writer/producer Desmond Child and Eurovision maestro, Dimitris Kontopoulos. In 2021 Vaughn became the first songwriter ever to have three songs from three different countries in the Eurovision Song Contest, representing Estonia, Moldova and Greece. Prior to that, she penned the platinum-selling “Scream” for Russian artist Sergey Lazarev, who represented Russia in 2016 and 2019.

She is presently on the boards of NSAI, The Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame and is on the Mentoring staff of The Songwriters Academy in London. In 2019 Sharon Vaughn was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.

NAAMAN SNELL

Naaman Snell is owner and music supervisor at Space Cowboy Music, an independent music supervision agency. With over a decade of experience across multiple media areas in the music supervision community, Naaman has spent much of of his career working in promotional marketing, covering trailers, streaming, promos, video game, and brand advertising. Some recent projects have included The Last of Us (teaser), The Mandalorian: Season 3 (trailer), Pixar’s Elio (teaser), and Ahsoka (trailer).

ASHELY NEUMEISTER

Ashley has been in the “music for picture” industry for fifteen years. She has supervised over forty TV series and films for many production companies including CBS, Netflix, Amazon, Lionsgate, BET, Paramount+, and A&E. She is currently Head of Music Licensing and Music Supervision at Farquhar Productions in Los Angeles. Ashley has been involved in all aspects of music production, pre-records, administration, clearance, and music curation for numerous series and films including The Quad, Real Husbands of Hollywood, Zoe Ever After, 96 Minutes, Here We Go Again, The Perfect Match, Light Girls, Russell Simmons Presents: Brave New Voices, & Keyshia Cole: All In.

HALEY JOELLE

Haley Joelle is a young songwriter and artist from outside of Portland, OR, currently based in LA. Her songs have been published in a range of popular playlists including… Spotify’s Chilled Hits, Chill Pop, Fresh & Chill, Sad Hour, Sad Songs, Today’s Singer-Songwriters, Morning Commute, and Mellow Evening. The list grows on Apple Music: Breaking Pop, In My Room, Acoustic Chill, Today’s Acoustic, Acoustic Memories, and New Music Daily. Her songs have been streamed more than 100 million times, and featured in Amazon Prime Video’s most-watched, non-English language original movie, Culpa Mía –– not to mention as well as the popular reality shows Love Island USA and Love Island Games.

After a couple of touring support slots, and with 450K+ engaged fans around the world, she embarked on her first headline tour in December 2023, following the release of her album Me And My Past. Haley’s next album is due September 2024.

SYML

SYML is musician and producer Brian Fennell––with over one and a half billion streams to his name. His sophomore album, The Day My Father Died, was released in Feb 2023 to critical acclaim. He has completed a mostly sold-out world tour while playing festivals including BST Hyde Park in London. Following the album release, SYML has collaborated with Lana Del Rey, UK-based DJ George Fitzgerald, and Latin Grammy-nominated, Columbian alt-pop artist Elsa Y Elmar.

Raised in Seattle, Fennell studied piano and became a self-taught producer, programmer, and guitarist. He released his self-titled debut album in 2019, which includes the platinum-selling song “Where’s My Love” and gold-selling, “Girl.”

GARRISON STARR

Garrison Starr is a Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter, and record producer. She has TV placements for Monarch, Bull, and most recently, Walker: Independence. Glen Phillips declares: “Garrison’s voice goes straight to the gut. She reminds you of what it means to be human.” Mary Chapin Carpenter adds: “She just writes and sings her heart out. In the American Idolized landscape that constitutes today’s music business, she is someone to be thankful for.” Her frequent collaborations, in the studio and on stage, have included Steve Earle, Emmylou Harris, Bruce Cockburn, Patty Griffin, Mindy Smith, Glen Phillips, and The Indigo Girls.

JASMINE LOPEZ-ALVAREZ

Jasmine Lopez-Alvarez is the founder of unpeeled, a multimedia platform dedicated to curating music while interviewing artists, music industry experts, and enthusiasts alike. Prior to her career in music, Jasmine worked in international education, serving as the marketing coordinator for study abroad and exchange programs in Chico, California. Her passion for music eventually led her to the role of marketing manager for the renowned Bottom of the Hill venue in San Francisco.

In 2021, Jasmine moved to New York City for a graduate degree in music business at NYU. She garnered experience there in PR and talent relations with SiriusXM, Marauder, and HIFI. Passionate about bolstering the independent music sector, Jasmine joined the American Association of Independent Music as marketing manager in 2023. There she oversees diverse event marketing initiatives and spearheads campaigns to foster membership growth.

REV. MOOSE

Managing Partner/Co-Founder, Marauder
Founding and Emeritus Executive Director, NIVA (National Independent Venue Association)

His boutique music marketing firm, Marauder, customizes long-term strategies and services for each client's specific needs in the North American market. Through his work running Independent Venue Week in the US, Moose helped create NIVA (National Independent Venue Association) to organize and support American independent venues and promoters. Before founding Marauder, Moose greatly extended the international reach of The Syndicate's radio, publicity, and marketing departments; additionally, during his many years at the helm of CMJ, he helped develop US programs for national export initiatives. He also manages a diverse roster of international artists as co-owner of The Underground Management.

STUART KENNING

Stuart Kenning has worked in the UK music industry for twenty-one years, specializing in TV promotions and publicity, working for major and independent labels, tour promoters and artists. During his time he has represented some of the biggest names in music such as Kylie Minogue, Take That, Tom Jones, Pixies, Alexis Ffrench, Katie Melua, Dido, The Kinks, Jools Holland, Simple Minds, The Chicks, Joss Stone, Lenny Kravitz, Kelsea Ballerini, Duran Duran and more. He has liased with all UK televisual media and/or shows, ranging from The Graham Norton Show, Later with Jools Holland, and The Jonathan Ross Show, to BBC News, MTV UK, Sky News, Channel 4 and more.

ROXY KING

Roxy King currently serves as Senior A&R Director at Universal Music Publishing in Nashville. Previously she worked as A&R Manager at Concord Music Publishing, together with Songtrust’s global music rights management team in New York City. King is a graduate of NYU’s Music Business program.

During her time at UMPG, Roxy has developed a roster of songwriters, artists, and producers including Dylan Gossett, Brad Tursi (Old Dominion), Carter Faith, Seth Ennis, Ray Fulcher, and more. She has secured cuts from A-list artists including Morgan Wallen, Kane Brown, Bailey Zimmerman, Kenny Chesney, Nate Smith, Jordan Davis, Jon Pardi, Keith Urban, and more.

MICHAEL EAMES

Michael Eames is a trained composer, songwriter, and pianist. As president of PEN (celebrating its thirtieth anniversary in 2024), Michael focuses on pitching the catalogue to media and business development. He was chosen to serve on the Unclaimed Royalties Oversight Committee (UROC) of The Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC). He also serves on the Independent Publishers Advisory Council (IPAC) of the National Music Publishers Association (NMPA) and on the Advisory Board of Songwriters Of North America (SONA). He was previously the National President of the Association Of Independent Music Publishers (AIMP) from 2015-2018 and served as its National Vice President from 2013-2014.

CHRIS HARDIN

Chris Hardin is an artist manager and founder/owner of MUSIC MGMT INC. and Hardin Bourke Entertainment, together with Harbour Records (Virgin Music). He has guided the careers of such artists as LIVE, Starship, Robert DeLong, The HU, Indigenous, Los Amigos Invisibles, Galactic, Rahzel (of The Roots), Tom Tom Club, Lou Gramm, Sweet, Ed Kowalczyk and others. He has produced multiple tours, grossing millions of dollars in almost twenty countries. Chris is bot board member and chair of the Advocacy Committee at the MMF, Music Managers Forum (LA) and an adjunct professor at California Lutheran University.

RODRIGO GONSALVES

With more than eighteen years of experience in the music industry, Rodrigo Gonsalves is Sales Director for Believe, where he manages business units across the US-Latin, Central America, Andean, and Southern Cone markets. In addition to his role at Believe, Rodrigo is an accomplished singer-songwriter and lead vocalist for the Latin Grammy-nominated bands Viniloversus and Arawato.

BEL MESBAHI

Bel Mesbahi is a Los Angeles-based A&R executive, working at PULSE Music Group under President Ashley Calhoun, Co- CEO Scott Cutler and Josh Abraham––all across the publishing company and the newly-founded record label. Having signed artists Tommy Richman and Groupthink, Bel is now helping to shape the roster. His previous experience was at Alamo Records in New York City under Todd Moscowitz, where he oversaw A&R with artists like Rod Wave, Lil Gotit, Yung Mal, and Slimelife Shawty.

STEVEN B. RAY

Steven began working for Quincy Jones as his production assistant and, as a result, participated in the creation of Michael Jackson’s legendary album Thriller, the USA for Africa benefit recording “We Are The World”, James Ingram’s platinum-selling solo debut, It’s Your Night, and Frank Sinatra’s “LA Is My Lady.” He also worked on the feature film The Color Purple as consultant regarding on-camera musical casting and performances.

Steven soon became a Senior Executive in A&R at Capitol Records (domestic and international) and would soon sign the writer-producer Manuel Seal, noted for co-writing Mariah Carey’s hits such as “Always Be My Baby” and “We Belong Together”. He also signed Quincy Jones III, as co-writer and producer for TuPac and Ice Cube. He has collaborated with LA Reid’s HitCo Music––responsible for TLC’s “Waterfalls,” Anita Baker’s “I Apologize”, Destiny’s Child’s “Survivor” and numerous Beyoncé Knowles solo recordings, resulting in over 150 million units sold.