Aaron is a jazz vocalist & former singer with the three-time Grammy Award winning group the Sounds of Blackness,who were inducted into the Mid-America Music Hall Of Fame in 2010. He is the former personal assistant to Morris Hayes (Prince’s keyboardist & band leader of the New Power Generation). Winner of a 2012 NAACP Image Award, Aaron is the Chair at Jazz North; Vice- Chair at Leeds Conservatoire; Director at Manchester Jazz Festival; Director at Come Play With Me & is the VP of A&R UK for Ultrasound Entertainment. He is also a PRS Foundation Advisor; Music: Leeds Advisor; Founder/Lead of Paradise Hill Productions and former City Commissioner/Mayor of Parsons, Kansas.
Claire Umney is a Producer currently working at Jazz FM. She has thrown open the studio doors to the best musicians, DJs and selectors from around the world, and has produced events at some of London’s most prestigious venues. Alongside her work in radio Claire is also a freelance visual artist, DJ, and Artist Manager for neo-jazz vocalist (and Northern Line alum) Ni Maxine.
Mariam Rezaei previously led experimental arts project TOPH, TUSK FRINGE and TUSK NORTH, and is Artistic Director of TUSK Festival, based in Newcastle and Gateshead (tuskmusic.org). On November 10th 2022, she received the Paul Hamlyn Foundation #AwardsForArtists, in recognition of her contribution to music composition. Her music has recently been described as ‘ genuinely ground-breaking’ (London Jazz News 2022) and ‘high-velocity sonic surrealism’ (4* The Guardian 2022). Recent releases include ‘SADTITZZ’, ‘SKEEN’ , ‘Veil’, a collaboration with Stephen Bishop on TUSK Editions/Opal Tapes, ’SISTER’ with soprano Alya Al-Sultani, and TECHNOPOWER on Tusk Editions.
Lucy Scott is an established creative producer who has spent her career to date working across the UK’s cultural and music industries, programming live music, producing festivals and large-scale music events, leading world-class talent development programmes and managing a range of creative projects. She has created work for and in-partnership with Roundhouse, Royal Albert Hall, Southbank Centre, Glastonbury, Bestival and Latitude Festivals, Leeds Conservatoire, BBC Introducing and Jazz Re:freshed. She is Senior Producer in the Contemporary Music team at Sage Gateshead, and a proud trustee of the award-winning Manchester Jazz Festival.
As a musician she specializes in jazz, but has also worked in many other genres: from Black Star (formally Carcass) to Michael Franti and Spearhead, Jackie Lomax to Michael League and Co. As a promoter Geni has been running, and raising funding for, Liverpool’s ‘Parrjazz’ for 13 years, promoting UK jazz acts such as Soweto Kinch and Go Go Penguin alongside International guests such as Snarky Puppy and Ghost – Note.
As a producer Geni had her tracks toured as support for Public Enemy in the UK and has had tracks placed on adverts.
In education, Geni is also a tutor at Water Bear College of Music, Liverpool university and has worked as private mentor for many years, also on Breaking The Record, a programme created to empower women in music.
Since forming in the disused canteen of Barrow shipyard in 2009, Full of Noises have produced 7 festivals and 100+ events showcasing the work of over 200 artists. Based in Barrow Park, FoN have recently renovated the Victorian park keepers’ house to create a new public performance space that will open in early 2023. Other recent projects include the Creative Europe collaboration Acoustic Commons, exploring environmental audio streams with partners in France, Slovenia and Greece.
She plays in FIKA and at the age of 16 she set up event promoter, GRRLS DO THAT TOO, which celebrates women and people of marginalised genders in the local music scene. Playing and performing music from a young age has given Eva insight into the treatment of underrepresented people throughout the industry. After working as a Freelance Advisor for Youth Music, Eva is apart of their Next Gen and has received a Young Citizens Award for her events that aim to combat gender inequality in the industry. She won Youth Music’s Young Entrepreneur Award for her work in creating safe spaces and now DJs all around Leeds.