Mentors

Mentor: Andrew Meehan

Organization: North Penn School District & Meehan’s Music

Time: Monday, 1-2 PM

Bio: Andrew Meehan is a music educator at North Penn High School, where he teaches Modern Music courses including Modern Band, Music Production, and Guitar. In addition to his work in education, Andrew is an active professional film composer, bringing real-world industry experience into the classroom. He holds a Bachelor of Music from Berklee College of Music and a Master’s degree in Music Education with a focus on Music Technology from West Chester University.

Mentor: Brendan Bordick-Lesavage

Organization: BBL Music Co.

Time: Monday, 1-2 PM, 3-4 PM

Bio: Violinist Brendan Lesavage is a cross-genre performer and educator from Northeastern Pennsylvania. Harboring experience with bands, orchestras, private events, education, and more — Mr. Lesavage provides mentorship for young instrumentalists looking to build a career in music.

Mentor: Carmen Garrison

Organization: Carmen Bellydance & RCG Counseling

Time: Monday, 2-3 PM & Tuesday, 1-2 PM

Bio: With 20 years as a bellydance performer and instructor and 25 years as a licensed professional counselor, Carmen brings a unique blend of movement and mental health expertise. Her work across both disciplines focuses on cultivating confidence, self-trust, and embodied empowerment.

Mentor: Cassandra DeVita

Organization: Branchburg Central Middle School

Time: Monday, 10-11 AM & Tuesday, 2-3 PM

Bio: Cassandra DeVita is an accomplished music educator and 2026 CMA Foundation Music Teacher of Excellence Semi-Finalist. Currently a doctoral researcher at Rutgers University, she specializes in inclusive education practices and is a leader in technological integration, serving as a Guest Presenter for the 2026 Musikfest Music Industry Conference. Her background combines artistic excellence with administrative rigor, as she holds both New Jersey Supervisor and Principal certifications and has experience writing music curricula and managing departmental budgets.

Mentor: Gerard Longo

Organization: Underground Music Collective

Time: Monday, 9-10 AM

Bio: Gerard Longo is the Founder/CEO of Underground Music Collective, an educational and multimedia platform based in Nashville, TN. Founded in 2016 as Lehigh Valley Underground in Bethlehem, UMC spotlights independent artists through content and performance opportunities, and provides educational and networking opportunities aimed toward connecting them to the greater music industry. Individually, Gerard has provided branding workshops, seminars, and mentor sessions at internationally renowned conferences, including SXSW, Departure Conference & Festival, NOLA MusiCon, Confluence Carolinas, and more.

Mentor: Greg Davis Dunkailo

Organization: Azola Creative

Time: Monday, 10-11 AM & Tuesday, 2-3 PM

Bio: Greg Dunkailo Davis is an award‑winning marketing consultant, musician, and speaker. As the founder of Azola Creative, he helps organizations in the music industry, healthcare, and emerging tech strengthen their B2B Marketing Operations and drive measurable growth.
Discover more at AzolaCreative.com or GregDunkailo.com.

Mentor: Gregory Ferraiolo

Organization: Musician Indie Coalition

Time: Tuesday, 10-11 AM & 3-4 PM

Bio: GREGORY FERRAIOLO is a music industry veteran and co-founder of Musician Indie Coalition, a Next-Gen artist development company helping musicians build sustainable, full-time careers. As the co-founder of Skill Tree Records and former VP of Nile Rodgers’ record label, Greg has contributed to 200+ album releases and live events for icons like Prince and Dave Matthews. His current focus is ConcertCollab, a community-driven booking service empowering musicians to share stages, so they can play to larger crowds and book consistent shows.

Mentor: Jeremy dePrisco

Organization: Jeremy dePrisco Productions

Time: Tuesday, 10-11 AM & 2-3 PM

Bio: Jeremy brings 30 years of experience in the multimedia field. Over the course of his career, Jeremy has been a recording artist, performer, event organizer, studio owner, instructor, and mentor.

When he is not helping others, Jeremy creates music in several genres including singer-songwriter, soundscape, electronic. Occasionally, Jeremy plays bass in rock, blues, and jazz combos with friends and maintains an active calendar with his wife in their Americana duo Fricknadorable.

Presenter(s): Karl DeBoeser

Organization: Self

Time: Tuesday, 10-11 AM & 3-4 PM

Bio: Pennsylvania native Mr. DeBoeser is a composer, author, and scriptwriter. Known for his choral and orchestral works, his recently published novella, Sola Gratia (By Grace Alone), has served as the inspiration for a musical play. He shares his passion for the arts with his wife Catherine and two adult children.

Mentor: Keith Quelet

Organization: Self

Time: Tuesday, 9-10 AM & 1-2 PM

Bio: I taught music full time 26 years in the Bethlehem Area School District. I regularly took my students out in the community to perform (often at ArtsQuest events). I had a student-run record company where students wrote and recorded original songs, a Chorus, a Guitar Ensemble.

Mentor: Kevin Longwill

Organization: Abington School District/Temple University

Time: Tuesday, 9-10 AM

Bio: Kevin Longwill teaches music industry and modern band in the Abington School District and at Temple University. Kevin is a frequent clinician, lecturer, and coach in the spaces of artist development, music production, music industry coursework, and emerging music ensembles.

Mentor: Mark Despotakis

Organization: Pennsylvania Music Educators Association

Time: Monday, 2-3 PM

Bio: Mark Despotakis is the Director of Public and Government Affairs for the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association, leading policy development, government relations, and advocacy efforts to advance comprehensive, equitable music education for all students. He previously worked in market development at Progressive Music, held multiple national and state advocacy and leadership roles in music education organizations, taught in Pittsburgh-area marching band programs, and holds a communication degree from Clarion University of Pennsylvania.

Mentor: Mitch Freeman

Organization: Purdue University

Time: Monday, 9-10 AM & Tuesday, 1-2 PM

Bio:

Mentor: Peter Favilla

Organization: Echoland Studios

Time: Tuesday, 9-10 AM & 3-4 PM

Bio: Pianist/Composer/Arranger in NYC. Entrepreneur who is merging past and present techniques / cultures to exist in the modern industry.

Mentor: Raymond Keely

Organization: Disruptor Professional Services

Time: Monday, 2-3 PM

Bio: I am an artist and musician from Bucks County now living in the Lehigh Valley. With my IRS Enrolled Agency, Disruptor Professional Services provides Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping and Small Business development for creatives around the country.

Mentor: Shekhinah B.

Organization: The Women’s Coalition for Empowerment, Inc.

Time: Monday, 1-2 PM

Bio: Shekhinah B. is an improv, avant-garde performing vocalist, often accompanied by live instrumentalists, whose dynamic style blends Jazz, Soul, Blues, Pop, Funk, Disco, and R&B. A New York City native with Barbadian roots and now a proud Philadelphia transplant, she is a creative hybrid recognized for her versatility across music, culture, and community impact. As seen on NBC, FOX, CBS, and PHL17, she is an internationally experienced performer, arts advocate, cultural producer, conversational curator, and author of The Art Economic Empowerment Workbook & Take Charge.

Mentor: Victoria Fields

Organization: Victoria Fields Agency LLC/ Agency Arts and Culture Alliance

Time: Monday, 3-4 PM

Bio: Victoria Fields is an accomplished entrepreneur, community leader, and strategic advisor whose
work spans business development, arts and culture, sustainability, youth leadership, and public
wellness throughout the Lehigh Valley and beyond.

Mentor: Vincent James

Organization: Keep Music Alive

Time: Monday, 9-10 AM

Bio: Vincent James musical career includes multiple album releases, radio airplay and TV appearances both local and national. James is also the co-founder of the national non-profit Keep Music Alive and co-author of the “88 Ways Music Can Change Your Life” book series. Keep Music Alive partners with over 1,200 music schools, stores and organizations each year to celebrate Teach Music Week & Kids Music Day and hosts over 80 Musical Petting Zoo events each year that inspire the next generation of music makers.

Mentor: Warren Gramm

Organization: Lebanon Valley College

Time: Monday, 3-4 PM

Bio: Dr. Warren Gramm is the director of music education and assistant professor of music at Lebanon Valley College. He directs the undergraduate and graduate music programs at LVC and runs the school’s modern band ensembles. His research, publications, and professional endeavors are focused on the benefits, utilization, and advocacy of popular music being used in educational spaces.

Mentor: Natalie Morrison

Organization: Yamaha

Time: Monday, 10-11 AM

Bio: With over ten years of experience in the music products industry, Natalie Morrison brings projects with purpose to life. Currently, she serves as the Senior Segment Marketing Specialist for Education at the Yamaha Corporation of America and champions, advocates, and connects music educators in the industry while executing Yamaha’s strategic vision and longstanding commitment to music education.

Natalie serves as a storyteller through several different mediums, from writing to co-founding, hosting, and producing the ReVoicing the Future Podcast for Women of NAMM, created almost five years ago, that aims to provide a platform to learn from and celebrate women’s voices and career journeys within music products, non-profit/education and pro-audio industries, with the ultimate goal of helping to build an industry with more equitable gender representation.

Additionally, she serves on the NAMM Young Professionals (YP) Board of Directors as the marketing committee chair, helping to lead NAMM YP’s marketing strategy and how it supports NAMM’s mission and the industry’s future leaders and the American String Teacher Association Board of Directors as the String Industry Liaison.

Natalie is also the brand and content manager for the Arts Ed Data Project, a non-profit that utilizes data as a catalyst to increase access and participation in music education across the country.

At her core, Natalie is dedicated to blending her passions for advocacy, education, storytelling, and championing women in music to drive lasting, equitable change in the music industry.