MEET THE TEAM
WE ARE A SMALL, SPECIALIZED AND FOCUSED TEAM, ALL OF US WITH A LIFE-LONG CONNECTION TO MUSIC AND THE CREATIVE ARTS.
SCOTT PARKER
He’s an award-winning songwriter, producer and music-publishing executive. This Northwest native founded Hearts Bluff Music, LLC, consulting on millions of dollars in historic catalog transactions. After receiving an MA from Abilene Christian University, he traveled the world with wife/recording artist, Caryl Mack. The couple raised 2 musical kids on the outskirts of Nashville.
FAVORITE LYRIC FROM THE CATALOG:
The Song Remembers When (Hugh Prestwood)
When we turned the music up and sang along
And there was a God in Heaven
And the world made perfect sense.
We were young and were in love and we were easy to convince
We were headed straight for Eden
It was just around the bend
And though I have forgotten all about it
The Song Remembers When
It’s a perfect lyric! I count Hugh as a friend and one of my biggest influences as a songwriter.
ASHLEY HERTZOG EMBRY
Like the soulful singers she adores, Ashley has a smooth touch she uses to keep a deal flowing from solicitation to closing. Our EVP of Creative and Acquisitions spent seven years managing catalogs of Combustion Music and My Good Girl Music before joining Hearts Bluff in 2013. When she isn’t swooning over old Otis Redding, you might find her promoting her 2016 memoir “Letters To My Papa.”
FAVORITE LYRIC FROM THE CATALOG:
I’m Movin’ On (Phillip White and D. Vincent Williams)
“I’ve lived in this place and I know all the faces…But I never dreamed home would end up where I don’t belong. I’m Movin’ on.”
I grew up in a small Pennsylvania town, where virtually no one moves away. At 18 I moved to Nashville to attend Belmont University, and stopped at a Rascal Flatts concert in Saltville, VA on the way. They sang this song for their encore. My mama and I stood in the crowd, arms around one another, swaying, crying, and singing along to every word.
BRANDON HAYS
He makes a mean pot of gumbo, spends most weekends playing drums or tour managing, and is as proud of Louisiana heritage as he is of his Jambalaya. As our Exec Coordinator of Acquisitions, this Belmont University graduate juggles our deals with the same finesse used when he’s drumming a complex jazz groove. At home, he enjoys time with Kate the Superwoman, and their 3 awesome kiddos.
FAVORITE LYRIC FROM THE CATALOG:
“Ain’t No Woman (Like The One I’ve Got)” (Dennis Lambert & Brian Potter)
“Every day the sun comes up around her.
She can make the birds sing harmony.
Every drop of rain is glad it found her.
Heaven must have made her just for me.
When she smiles so warm and tender,
A sight for sore eyes to see.”
I’m a sucker for a good lyric & this unsuspecting, feel-good doo-wop song starts out with a great, sneaky little bit of poetry that you can easily miss if you’re not paying attention.
KAREN HICKS LAWRENCE
Her dad was a rocket scientist! No kidding. Karen is really, really smart. You gotta be extra smart and organized to make sense of piles of publishing statements across multiple catalogs. Her company, Beech Street Music, helps us assimilate, and keep track of all the massive amount of data involved in our catalog transactions.
FAVORITE LYRIC FROM THE CATALOG:
If You’re Going Through Hell (Sam & Annie Tate, Dave Berg)
“If you’re going through Hell, keep on going. Don’t slow down. If you’re scared, don’t show it. You might get out before the devil even knows you’re there.”
This song was part of the soundtrack for a time in my life when I was struggling. Turns out that it was one of the most important times of growth I have known so far, so I remember the song very fondly.
RICHARD ROSE
You don’t find many attorneys who can balance expertise, competence, and wisdom. His law firm, Copyright Cafe, has a long history of providing counsel to companies like ours. He advises us in complex due diligence, contracts, trademark and IP. His 20 years of experience in the entertainment industry includes working as a studio recording engineer, consulting with the Library of Congress, and of course, founding his own practice in 2002.