speaker series

RAISED IN A CITY STEEPED IN SOUL, McBride moved to New York in 1989 to pursue classical studies at the Juilliard School. There he was promptly recruited to the road by saxophonist Bobby Watson. Call it a change in curriculum: a decade’s worth of study through hundreds of recording sessions and countless gigs with an ever-expanding circle of musicians. He was finding his voice, and others were learning to listen for it.   In 2000 the lessons of the road came together in the formation of what would become his longest-running project, the Christian McBride Band. Praised by writer Alan Leeds as "one of the most intoxicating, least predictable bands on the scene today," the CMB—saxophonist Ron Blake, keyboardist Geoffrey Keezer, and drummer Terreon Gully—have been collectively evolving McBride's all-inclusive, forward-thinking outlook on music through their incendiary live shows, as chronicled on 2006’s Live at Tonic. Part excursion, part education,…

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Lindsay Unwin is an accomplished music executive and the current COO of SALXCO, a leading music management company home to The Weeknd, Swedish House Mafia, Diddy, Brandy, French Montana, Metro Boomin and more. With over 15 years of experience in the industry, Lindsay has worked alongside the CEO & Founder, Wassim “Sal” Slaiby, since the company's inception, starting as its very first employee.   As COO, Lindsay is responsible for overseeing SALXCO's global operations, including driving strategic initiatives and all corporate functions. Her exceptional negotiation skills have enabled her to secure some of the most significant deals for the company's impressive roster of multi-platinum, Grammy award-winning artists, producers, and writers. These deals include catalog acquisitions, M&A, licensing, recording & publishing agreements to name a few.   Under Lindsay's leadership, SALXCO has tripled its client roster and grown its internal team by 10x. She has also been a strong advocate for…

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Julien Christian Lutz P.K.A. Director X is one of the most iconic music video directors of our time, known for his work with Drake, Rihanna, Rosalia, Kendrick Lamar, and Kanye West, among many others, he has been nominated and received many accolades for his work. As a filmmaker, Julien debuted his first Sony studio feature film, Superfly produced by the legendary Joel Silver. As an artist, Julien has created art installations for Toronto’s Nuit Blanche: Death of The Sun, which was also featured in Drake’s “Boy Meets World,” European tour and “Life of The Earth,” in collaboration with the Ontario Science Center. Using his platform for social change, Julien founded Operation Prefrontal Cortex, an initiative created to reduce Toronto’s gun violence through mindfulness and meditation. A highly intelligent speaker, Julien’s talks hit on creativity, innovation, wellness, and community, and how bettering ourselves and those around us is the way to…

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