Author David Baskerville (1918–1986) received a Ph D in music from UCLA. His background included staff composer-conductor for NBC-Hollywood; arranger for Nelson Riddle, Paramount Pictures, and 20th Century Fox; television producer for BBC-London; conductor at Radio City Music Hall; trombonist with the Seattle Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and NBC-Hollywood orchestra; executive vice president of Ad-Staff, Inc., producer of award-winning broadcast commercials; executive editor of Tor Music Publishing Company; and president of Sherwood Recording Studios, North Hollywood.
He also served as a consultant to companies in the entertainment industry, such as Walt Disney Productions, and to research and marketing firms, such as Vidmar Communications in Los Angeles.
As an educator, Dr. Baskerville created and directed the music management program at the University of Colorado at Denver, where he became professor emeritus. He was a guest lecturer, consultant, or clinician at USC, UCLA, Chicago Musical College, Hartt School of Music, the Ohio State University, University of Miami, and Trebas Institute in Canada.
He was a featured speaker at national conventions of the Music Educators National Conference, College Music Society, National Association of Jazz Educators, and the National Association of Schools of Music.
Author Tim Baskerville has a diverse background in entertainment and media. He began his career in broadcasting after receiving a BA in theater arts from UCLA. Early affiliations included CBS and Cox Broadcasting, where he served as a staff writer-producer. The first TV documentary he created for CBS TV stations was nominated for an Emmy.
As a publisher and entrepreneur, he launched business periodicals on the home video software industry, global film distribution, multinational broadcasting, and mobile communications. He served as president of what is now a division of S&P Global Market Intelligence, the leading provider of financial analysis on the media industry, and CEO of Jupiter Research (acquired by Forrester Research), a key source of consumer research on new media.
As a consultant, Baskerville’s clients have included the Motion Picture Association of America, Variety, Time Warner, IBM, International Data Corp., Young & Rubicam, Apple, and The Rockefeller Foundation. He has been both a strategy consultant and weekly columnist for Billboard.
Baskerville was vice president of the Music and Entertainment Industry Educators Association (MEIEA) and member of the Writers Guild of America, West. He has served on the boards of both public and private companies that produce business information.
Author Serona Elton has extensive experience as a music business professional and educator. She is a professor, Director of the Music Industry Program, and Associate Dean of Administration at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. She is also a Yamaha Master Educator and serves as Head of Educational Partnerships for The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC). She began her career in the music business while earning a BS in Finance from the University of Florida, an MM in Music Media and Industry from the University of Miami, and a JD from Brooklyn Law School.
Previously, Elton worked for Warner Music Group, where she held the position of Vice President, Product Management, and EMI Recorded Music, North America, where she was Vice President, Mechanical Licensing and Repertoire Data Services. She has also provided consulting services to Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, Zumba Fitness, and other music-related companies.
A respected expert, Elton has written extensively about the music business and directed several industry conferences. Additionally, the Leadership Music alumnus has provided expert commentary for Billboard and CNN.com and has made multiple appearances on NPR’s Marketplace.
Elton is active in numerous music industry organizations and has served as President of the Music and Entertainment Industry Educators Association (MEIEA), Chair of the Florida Bar Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law section, a member of the Recording Academy Board of Governors for the Florida Chapter, and a Trustee of the Copyright Society of the USA.
