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Studio-Partners

Breed Studios

Milkboy The Studio

Hi5 Recording

Hi5 Recording

Spring Garden Records

Teacher-Mentors

  • CJ Gallopo, better known as Classy Williams, is a Philadelphia-based producer, engineer, multi-instrumentalist, and DJ. After graduating from UPenn, Classy moved to Los Angeles in 2014. He attended Icon Collective and embedded himself in the DJ/club scene, throwing parties with the Trip Eazy crew and securing a residency at the legendary weekly showcase, School Night. With releases on Triple Crown & Bonfire Records, Classy Williams’ engineering/production skills (and session vocals) have landed him collaborations with artists like From Indian Lakes, Terence Ryan, and LilC4, as well as corporations including ESPN and SEGA. Since moving back to Philadelphia in early 2022, Classy spends his weekdays at MilkBoy The Studio as an engineer/assistant manager and his weekends on tour, throwing the wildly successful Taylor Swift-themed dance party, The Taylor Party. 

  • Dirty Harry Zelnick is an American producer from Philadelphia. After being discovered and signed by Dre and Vidal when he was 16 he went on to win a Grammy at 17 with Ludacris for the album release therapy. After that he went on to produce for Chris Brown, Kelly Clarkson, Miguel, Mario, Beanie sigel, Fantasia, and rock group the Disco biscuits. Later on Harry went on to be the founding member of a group called Nico's gun with Nick bockrath (Cage the elephant) after touring for a few years Harry went back to record producing full-time back end at breed studios in Philadelphia.

  • Berlin…! is an enigmatic rapper, producer and visual artist whose introspective lyrics and colorful production transports listeners to a deeper level of consciousness. With his mysterious counterpart Marty serving as a guide on the ride, they unite as Smoothwaffle, a moniker which represents Berlin's...! charisma and his urge to speak on things that are often overlooked or considered taboo. Born in Newport News, Virginia, Berlin’s…! love for music began at a young age, starting to produce in the year of 2006. In 2011 he moved to Philadelphia,PA to attend The Art Institute of Philadelphia and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Audio Production in 2015. He honed his craft as a producer and engineer, perfecting his skills over the years to become a significant peer to the Hampton Roads and Philadelphia Hip Hop Scenes. With a lengthy resume under his belt, he has worked tirelessly to establish himself as a force to be reckoned with, gaining recognition for his unique style and creative approach.

    His music andart reflect a deep understanding of the human condition and a desire to explore the intricacies of the mind and soul. As he continues topush the boundaries of the genre and explore new avenues of expression, he is sure to provoke thought and leave an indelible mark on the world of music and art.

  • Piff Marti is a New York-born and bred artist who gained recognition for his music through the viral video-sharing app, TikTok. Despite a tumultuous relationship with music, Piff's years of dropping freestyles on YouTube finally paid off in 2021 when his record "Boys Do Cry" went viral. This breakthrough led to recognition from the likes of T-Pain and Taraji P. Henson. Piff is also an influencer on Instagram and TikTok, with over 400K followers and 5M likes. He continues to drop music and content that resonates with his fans and reaches an average of 1M accounts monthly.

  • DJ Delish, a multi-talented and self-taught DJ and producer from Richmond, VA, by way of Philadelphia, began her musical journey at the age of 7.

    Starting with the piano, she soon explored drums, followed by woodwinds, and ultimately digital music production. In 2010, she discovered her love for Ballroom Beatz through DJs like Vjuan Allure and VJtheDJ. For the next 15 years, Delish has worked to become a legendary music maker in the ballroom scene. Since 2011, she has collaborated with artists such as Kevin JZ, the voice of Beyoncé's Renaissance, and rappers Naeem Juwan and Danny Brown. She continues to work with alternative R&B, hip-hop, and house artists.

    From Philadelphia to Toronto and California, and many points in between, Delish is known for her "new jacques swing" and for blending famous hip-hop and gospel samples into Ballroom Beatz. She consistently perfects her unique production style through autodidactic measures, making a significant impact on the underground LGBTQ+ scene's soundscape.

Chris Banks

  • Chris Banks is the founder of Banksgiving. BanksGiving is an economic and community development nonprofit organization based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Banksgiving provides programming designed to help kids learn about financial literacy while providing a hands-on and interactive approach to building their financial literacy skills.

  • Paul J. Geissinger is a Philadelphia-based producer, composer, DJ and artist. He is an associate professor at the Community College of Philadelphia, current chair of the Music Department as well as the director for the College’s record label, Spring Garden Records. The majority of Paul’s production work has been released for over a decade under the moniker, Starkey, releasing on labels such as Ninja Tune, Planet Mu, Deadbeats, Decca, Alpha Pup, Civil Music, Smog and Keysound amongst others. Paul’s music has been featured in ads for British Airways, Adidas, GoPro as well as on MTV, BBC 1 and Netflix’s original series, Sense8. He also composed the music for the award winning room-sized VR experience, Vestige (2018 Tribeca Film Festival / Geneva International Film Festival). Paul is the owner of the Internationally distributed Seclusiasis and NOREMIXES record labels: the former celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2021. Paul was also a two term Governor for the Philadelphia Chapter of the Recording Academy.

    His music andart reflect a deep understanding of the human condition and a desire to explore the intricacies of the mind and soul. As he continues topush the boundaries of the genre and explore new avenues of expression, he is sure to provoke thought and leave an indelible mark on the world of music and art.

Shekhinah B.

  • Shekhinah B. is a multihyphenate. An international vocal performer, art advocate, creative cultural producer, conversational curator, and author of The Art Economic Empowerment Workbook & Take Charge. She is a change-maker in the nonprofit and creative cultural sector, an avant-gardist using arts & culture to connect communities, highlight emerging artists, and amplify underrepresented voices. As an independent consultant and speaker, she uses multiple platforms to empower underserved populations.

    The executive director and founder of The Women’s Coalition for Empowerment, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to educating, uniting, and empowering creatives through the use of initiatives that promote creative expression, self-sufficiency, multiculturalism, self-esteem, and collective growth.

Ben Reisman

  • Ben has been recording since the 1990s, ever since he got a Tascam 4-track cassette recorder and caught the DIY recording bug. Having started out as a trained classical violinist, then moving to bass and guitar, Ben has played in many bands, played all types of music and recorded many records along the way. He opened his first studio, UFI Records, in Oakland California in the back of the legendary locust of the Bay Area experimental music scene, 21 Grand, where he honed his skills under the tutelage of producer/engineer Myles Boisen (Guerilla Recording) worked with many of the Bay Area's most interesting artists, including Bart Davenport, Snowblink, and Indiana Hale.

    Relocating to Philadelphia in 2008, Ben stepped things up a notch by renovating and opening the Maas Building, an arts and event space which has over time become a hub for Philadelphia musicians and performers of all stripes. At the heart of the Maas Building lies the Hi5 Recording Studio, a dreamy 3-room acoustical recording environment equipped with plate reverbs, tape machines, and other tasty analog gear. Ben has become a staple in the Philadelphia music scene, from hosting a regular songwriter's night at L'Etage, and countless shows at Maas, to playing in rock clubs around town with his band Le Fits, (and Le Rain) and recording local artists. The Hi5 Studio has produced various recordings by a range of local musicians, ranging from indie rock (Low Cut Connie, Ali Awan, Heyward Howkins, Psy Dune, TJ Kong) to neo classical (Andy Davis, Variant 6) and international (Oscuro Quintet, Miroca Paris). Ben is a very collaborative engineer, and when called on, he can arrange, play and record a pretty sick string section in record time.

  • Ky “Jawnwitdagreenhair” is a singer - songwriter from Philly. She’s been in music her whole life playing the trumpet for 12 years, and adding the piano and guitar along the way. Having parents who fully didn’t support her music career she would often sneak out and go to the studio until she was able to move out. Shortly after she bought her own equipment and began honing her skills. Recording herself, writing her own lyrics and sometimes even making her own beats using the guitar. Now, a long way from sneaking out the back door, she has worked with and written for artist such as Dani Leigh, Saweetie, & Ty $ , KashDoll and has even had her own music featured on Hulu, Netflix and ad campaigns throughout tiktok! Ky plans on taking over the world and believes in taking it one step at a time as long as you’re moving forward.

  • Jason Berger practices business and entertainment law. In Mr. Berger’s steadily growing entertainment practice, he regularly represents bands, artists, songwriters, producers, publishers, managers, independent record labels and record companies, internet and new media companies, magazines, and video companies. He has negotiated and drafted recording, production, publishing, songwriter, management, producer, soundtrack, video, partnership, agency, investor, endorsement, licensing, merchandising, performance, touring, internet, new media, film, motion picture, television contracts, agreements and deals. A significant portion of Mr. Berger’s entertainment practice focuses on assisting his clients to extend and expand their careers through corporate sponsorships, cross-platform projects, demographic outreach, and business and investment planning. From Mr. Berger’s formidable reputation as a skilled business litigator, to his consummate attention to detail and singular client-centered focus, Mr. Berger’s clients consider him and the firm an indispensable asset to their growth, success and security.