Mark Tavern

Mark Tavern's entertainment industry experience spans more than 25 years as an artist manager, consultant, educator, administrator, and arts advocate. Whether the music is hip-hop, rock, pop, classical or jazz, he leverages his education, creative sensibility, management skills, operations expertise, administrative experience, and industry contacts to deliver creative and commercial success. He is currently a Lecturer in the University of New Haven’s Music Industry Program, where he also oversees the Nashville Study Away Program. He has taught music business at LaGuardia Community College / The City University of New York, and the Institute of Audio Research. In addition to teaching, he operates a boutique company providing management, consulting, and licensing services to performers, composers, and record companies. Prior to 2012, he worked for several major record companies including Universal Music Group, SONY Music Entertainment, and BMG Entertainment. As an A&R Administrator with labels Island Records, Def Jam Recordings, and RCA Records, he worked on more than 200 recordings across many genres, including projects with such important artists as Justin Bieber, The Roots, Mariah Carey, Big K.R.I.T., Melissa Etheridge, India.Arie, Ariana Grande, Chrisette Michele, The Killers, D’Angelo, Sarah McLachlan, Mario, Monica, Barry Manilow, Whitney Houston, Adam Lambert, Kelly Clarkson, Angie Stone, Rhymefest, Maroon 5, Cassidy, Clay Aiken, Tyrese, Carrie Underwood, Heather Headley, Ziggy Marley, Rachael Yamagata, The Chieftains, Etta James, George Winston, Jim Brickman, Evgeny Kissin, Andy Summers, Dave Douglas, Eliane Elias, Tom Harrell, Fourplay, Denyce Graves, and Leontyne Price. While at RCA Victor he took part in a dozen Broadway cast album recordings including Urinetown, Avenue Q, Cabaret, and Ragtime, and numerous reissue projects, including the GRAMMY®-winning 24-disc reissue The Duke Ellington Centennial Edition. His first job was as an intern at Glimmerglass Opera in Cooperstown, NY where he later became Company Manager. He is a cum laude graduate of St. Lawrence University, where he earned a B.S. degree and completed two majors: Music and Physics. He remains an active SLU alumnus, mentoring current students and recent graduates, and advises the University on their innovative New York City Semester for students in finance and the arts. In addition to a blog and newsletter, he writes about the music business for Audiomack, DJBooth, and Synchblog, and has contributed to several books including Work Hard, Playlist Hard, Don’t Forget About The Music, and The 360 Deal. In his free time, he enjoys running, cooking, exploring wine and spirits, fly fishing, and spending time with his family.