Meg MacDonald

After graduating from the University of Iowa and moving to Los Angeles in 1992 Meg found herself working at the Welk Group (owner of several businesses including the then primarily catalog/folk label Vanguard Records). After several months of answering phones, she was offered the job of in house publicist. Welk had decided to make the Vanguard label a large focal point and needed to start building up awareness. She went on to spend 2 years at the label as head of the publicity department and garnered unprecedented coverage for the label's artists with features and reviews in Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, USA Today, the NY Times, LA Times, Wall Street Journal, etc. In 1997 Meg was promoted to Radio Promotion Director.

"I've never worked so hard just trying to get stations to call me back. I could get the editors from Rolling Stone and People Magazine on the phone no problem, but not even the little station with a coat hanger for a transmitter would take my call." So MacDonald did the only thing that she knew would work. She took the mountain to Mohammed and piled in a van with 5 guys from the LA based band Venice spending the summer on the road dragging the boys from station to station from one coast to the other making music calls from gas station pay phones. "We were entering a new territory at the label so I was lucky that I was given as much leeway as I was. I don't think many labels today would give a promotion person that kind of freedom."

The time on the road and persistence paid off when, in 1998, for the first time ever, Vanguard Records was nominated by Radio as "Triple A Label of the Year". That same year MacDonald was nominated and won the award for "Triple A Label Promotion Person of the Year". "Winning that award by the vote of my peers still to this day is one of the highlights of my career". Along with Venice, MacDonald worked with critically acclaimed Vanguard artists Peter Case, David Wilcox, Paul Kelly, Alison Brown, Driving Blind and more.

In 1999 Meg moved into the independent promotion world joining Michele Clark Promotion and in 2006 she formed M:M Music. Along with non-com radio promotion guru Crystal Ann Lea, Meg hired Rene Magallon to call commercial radio and today along with office manager Ed Reyes M:M Music is one of the top independent promotion companies in the country. Last year Meg was voted by the A3 format as R&R's Triple A Independent Promotion Executive of the year. "It's been an amazing journey so far and I feel honored and lucky to work with the people in this business who have so much passion and continue to work to bring music to the masses."

M:M Music also presents one of the premier music conventions each year in Sunset Sessions. Sunset Sessions has 12 years of bringing some of the most stellar live music to both the Triple A format and the top Film & TV Music supervisors. Acts who have graced the Sunset Sessions stage include: Jack Johnson, Jason Mraz, Colbie Caillat, James Blunt, Ziggy Marley, Rick Springfield, Stephen Stills, Jewel, Edwin McCain, Third Eye Blind, Five for Fighting, Pete Yorn, Ryan Adams, Toots & the Maytals, Eric Hutchinson, John Butler Trio, Joss Stone, Stephen Marley, Jamie Cullum, and more.

Rene Magallon

Rene’s career in the music business began at Jac Holzman’s (founder of Elektra Records) label Discovery Records in 1994.  She started as an intern working her way up to National Director of Triple A and Top 40 promotion.  Among the artists she worked with and promoted were Neil and Tim Finn, William Orbit which featured a brand new artist named Beth Orton, Morcheeba, Tragically Hip and Guster.

In 1997, Rene left Discovery records to continue her career in radio as an Independent Promoter with Levitation Entertainment where she was the only secondary ever to be nominated for Triple A Gavin Award for Independent Promoter of the year.  At Levitation, she worked many different artists’ projects such as Jewel, Coldplay, Tori Amos, Neil Young, Bonnie Raitt, Sarah McLachlan, Van Morrison, Five For Fighting and more. “It is rewarding to have worked with so many quality artists over the years.  The special thing about Triple A radio is that while many changes have taken place in the music industry, the format has never lost its integrity and love for the music.”

Rene joined Outsource Music in 2003, continuing her work promoting great artists such as  Barenaked Ladies, Madeleine Peyroux, Jamie Cullum, Ray LaMontagne, Citizen Cope, Gavin DeGraw, and Susan Tedeschi to name a few.  “It is such a good feeling to be a part of the development of artists and to feel that you have made a difference.  Whether it’s helping to launch a new artists’ career or building excitement and momentum for an established artist, it is gratifying to be part of the team.”

Rene joined M:M Music in January 2007.

Crystal Ann Lea

Crystal Ann has been promoting to the College and AAA formats since the conception of AAA in 1992. She spent several years with Windham Hill/High Street Records/Private Music promoting new releases to AAA and Americana radio.

Enjoying time spent on the other side of the phone, she held the position of Americana Director for KCSN, in Los Angeles, while producing and hosting a Saturday morning Children's radio show at the same station from 1997 to 2000. Further continuing her radio endeavors with the highly acclaimed late night weekend radio show on LA's 110,000 watt Pacifica station, KPFK, called "Lunar Tunes."

Thanks to Crystal Ann's father, she grew up on Traditional Country music and Blue Grass, attending her first concert at the age of four, establishing her addiction to live music with Loretta Lynn and Conway Twitty. Twelve years later and still not yet being of legal age to experience live music in nightclubs, she found a way around this obstacle by spending much of her formative years booking friends' bands in to clubs, herself. Developing an obsession with radio at a much earlier age, she cultivated a talent for promoting music she wanted to hear more of, to any DJ who dares to answer the phone.

If you are looking for someone who's passion for your music will spread the word to radio like wildfire and chase your release up the charts, Crystal Ann is the girl for you.

Ed Reyes

Ed is a native Angeleno, who attended Loyola Marymount University, where he earned a BA in Psychology/Music. He was a DJ at Los Angeles' seminal Indie rock station, 88.9 FM KXLU. It was at the station where he found his love for underground music. His first taste of the music business was in the marketing department at Maverick Records. After leaving Maverick he worked at S.P.E.C.T.R.E., promoting records to the college radio format. He has also worked as an Executive Assistant to Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds. Most recently, Ed spent time at Warner Bros. Records in the A&R Department where he worked with such bands as the Flaming Lips, Built To Spill, and Rilo Kiley.

Sunset Sessions

M:M Music’s Sunset Sessions is an industry only event that brings together radio stations, music supervisors from film and television, record companies, artist managers, and some of the freshest new talent along with some legendary favorites.  Its main purpose is to expose the tastemakers of our industry, and in particular the Triple A format, to the bright stars of tomorrow.   The event is held over 3 nights. 

Previous Sunset Sessions locations have included:  St. Thomas, Puerto Vallarta, Cancun, Maui, The Big Island of Hawaii, Bahamas, San Diego and Palm Springs.  This year, the 12th annual event will take place in Carlsbad, CA at the world renowned La Costa Resort & Spa.  Sunset Sessions is also partnering with the leading industry trade publication - Radio & Records, to promote and market the event.    

Past Sunset Sessions performers include:   Chris Isaak, Rick Springfield, Third Eye Blind, Jack Johnson, James Blunt, Colbie Caillat, Joss Stone, Jason Mraz, Five For Fighting, Jewel, Ziggy Marley, Pete Yorn, Ryan Adams, Roseanne Cash, John Eddie, Susan Tedeschi, Stephen Stills, NeedToBreathe, Tift Merrit, Missy Higgins, Jon Foreman, Chuck Prophet, Ozomatli, Emerson Hart, Big Head Todd & the Monsters, Rachel Yamagata, Joe Firstman, Toots and the Maytals, Johnny A, Dishwalla, Shannon McNally, Kim Richey, Maia Sharp, Jonatha Brooke, Josh Joplin, The Jayhawks, Jill Sobule, Tommy Castro, Edwin McCain, Donavon Frankenreiter & so many more.  To check out photos from prior year’s events, go to www.mmmusicsite.com

To find out more about SS check out micheleclarkssunsetsessions.com or email Michele Clark at A3Queen@aol.com or Meg MacDonald at Meg@M-MMusic.com