2022 Conference Presenters
Marcella Araica
Pioneering powerhouse, Marcella "Ms. Lago" Araica, has swiftly burgeoned into a towering beacon of talent as one of the music industry's hottest, most prolific sound engineers. Credited for mixing over one hundred chart-topping tunes, Marcella has had the opportunity of working with world-renowned musical icons such as Beyonce, Britney Spears, Madonna, and more. Born and raised in Miami, Marcella graduated with perfect attendance and honors from the Full Sail Production and Recording Program in Orlando, Florida. She was presented with the Advanced Recording Engineer Award, an honor only bestowed upon a single deserving student each semester.
Jasmine Battle
JDmL is a Producer/Arranger, Audio Engineer based out of North Carolina. On stage since 3, her exposure in the world of performing arts, from classical ballet, to voice, to composition and even film, greatly influences her works. Her educational background hails from North Carolina Central University (Music Business), Living Arts College (Sound Design & Pro Tools Certification), and from hands-on experience in the field. A strong need for female audio engineers is what prompted her to add to her skill set level and branch out into additional areas of the music industry. She works as a live sound engineer for Live Nation, Sonic Pie Productions, and other local Av crews & and private clients for her company CPE Music Group LLC. Additionally, she enjoys working with local new indie artists through coaching and new artist development, and show prep, helping artists with the transition from studio to stage. Currently, she manages for Artist Natorious (Mix/Master/Producer) for his latest 2021 release. Also, a Sound Designer for Director NaTasha Thompson, creating original compositions for her last 3 black history installation pieces for the Latta House, Rosenwald and Lavender Terrace, most recently released December 2021 at the New Hazlett Theater, Pittsburgh, PA. Her future endeavors include new projects releases & regional touring. When she’s not working, for leisure she enjoys djing, travel, and spending time with husband Mike and her dogs Zeke and Sabastian.
Leslie Mona-Mathus
Leslie is a two-time Emmy award winning Audio Mixer, Sound Designer, and Producer. Over the course of her career she has garnered two Grammy nominations, five Emmy nominations, multiple Clio and Promax awards, multiple Edward R. Murrow Awards, an Independent Music Award, a Gold Record and a BAFTA. Leslie began her career as staff engineer at Automated Sound Studios and set out as a freelancer at the age of 23, branching out to work at top tier recording facilities in New York. A few of the major artists she worked with included Jim Brickman, Suzanne Ciani, Art Garfunkel, Janis Ian, and Steely Dan. Additionally, her work with premier music production companies and ad agencies encompassed countless high profile campaigns. Her vast experience in music and advertising production allowed her to seamlessly cross over into the audio post-production arena. As a staff engineer at HSRNY, Leslie worked on Disney and Dreamworks film projects, as well as television shows such as Sex and the City and The Simpsons. As a freelance post-production engineer, her client base expanded to include Harper Audio (with whom she earned her second Grammy nomination as Mastering and Restoration Engineer for “Dylan Thomas: The Caedmon Collection,”) ABC, HBO, USA Network, Howard Shore and several award-winning independent filmmakers. Leslie has been featured in industry magazines such as the online Women in Sound Zine, Mix, DB, and Pro Sound News. In 2017 she appeared in A Life in Waves, a documentary about electronic music artist Suzanne Ciani which had its premiere at SXSW. She was also profiled in Gary Gottlieb’s 2010 book, How Does It Sound Now? Legendary Engineers and Vintage Gear. In addition to her full-time job at ABC News Creative and Marketing, Leslie frequently contributes as a guest speaker and mentor at AES conventions, universities, and secondary schools. She embraces these opportunities to educate and mentor future generations of audio professionals. Her love of her craft, strong work ethic and commitment to the highest standards of the recording industry drive her career and artistic endeavors forward, allowing for continued success in an ever-changing industry.
Aurelia Belfield
Aurelia Belfield is a creative multi-hyphenate with over a decade of experience in music supervision, creative producing and casting. In addition to her professional experience, her background in theatre and screenwriting leads her to be uniquely suited to assist colleagues and clients in tackling any aspect of the storytelling process. As a member of the Guild Of Music Supervisors, Aurelia has amassed dozens of credits in docs, film, television, digital and podcasts. She has cast a plethora of projects in all mediums, and has had her written work produced and published. As a creative producer her work is primarily in the theatre and scripted podcast spaces. Don't let the location fool you; Aurelia has been lucky to successfully work with clients all over the United States and abroad with a personal touch and attention to detail that cannot be obscured by working remotely. Uplifting and making space for creatives of color and other underrepresented demographics has been a constant intention in her career and she is glad to see it being pushed to the forefront.
Tess Mangum
Tess Mangum is a seventh-generation North Carolinian and Indy Arts Award winner. Though she grew up in a musical family, she always felt her role in the family business was behind the scenes. She holds a B.A. in Public Relations from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a M.A. in Ethnomusicology from the University of Limerick, Ireland. She served as Concerts Director of The ArtsCenter, a 350-seat non-profit performing arts center in Carrboro, NC, from 2002-2012 and developed the critically-acclaimed American Roots Series, which helped launched the careers of the Avett Brothers and Carolina Chocolate Drops, as well as shine a spotlight on American music legends such as Dr. John and Mavis Staples. She founded Sonic Pie Productions, a concert curation and production company, in the winter of 2013. Current projects include: Boxyard RTP, Golden Belt Mill Stage and PLAYlist Concert Series. Tess lives in Durham, NC, with her two sons. When not talking, reading, writing or thinking about music, she likes to make a run for the nearest whitewater kayaking spot.
Christa Giammattei
Christa Giammattei is an audio engineer based in the triangle area of NC. She provides audio post production services including dialog editing, cleanup, sound design, music editing, and sound mixing. Christa graduated from Appalachian State University with a Bachelors of Science in Music Industry Studies and a concentration in Recording and Production. She also received a minor in General Business, was accepted into the classical percussion studio, and was awarded the National Sigma Alpha Iota Music Technology Scholarship for audio engineering. While completing several internships, Christa was able to create and mix sound for many top TV shows, documentaries, and advertisements. After falling in love with the world of post production audio, she moved into freelancing full time. Since then, she has worked on a little bit of everything in post sound, ranging from commercials to video game audio. Recently, Christa also founded Command + S Apparel, an online shop featuring clothing inspired by audio engineering and sound. You can check it out at https://command-s-apparel.com/!
Michel Holbrook
Supervising Sound Editor and Project Manager, Raleigh NC: Michel currently works as a supervising sound editor and project manager for IMRSV Sound, based in California. IMRSV Sound is best known for its sound design and mixing work on high-caliber feature documentary projects, such as the Oscar-nominated film, "Crip Camp." Previously, Michel worked as an audio mixer at Trailblazer Studios, where she specialized in post-production mixing and field recording for television. Prior to that, Michel served as the resident sound designer for Playmakers Repertory Company in Chapel Hill, and she worked as an instructor at UNC, teaching “Introduction to Sound Design” classes. Michel is a member of the Cinema Audio Society.
Anna Frick
Anna Frick’s career has its roots in a chance experience behind a mixing desk while she was still in high school. It was that “lightbulb moment” that led to formal studies at the University of Colorado Denver. A wealth of professional experience followed, leading to a job as Assistant Engineer at Airshow Mastering in Boulder, Colorado, where she is now Senior Mastering Engineer, and Restoration Center Manager. At Airshow she has mastered albums from Billy Strings, GRAMMY-nominees Wood & Wire, Justin Moses, Roland Guerin, Bill Frisell, Tim O’Brien & Dale Bruning, Ben Sollee, Cyril Neville, and Third Man Records’ GRAMMY-winning The Rise and Fall of Paramount Records boxed set, on which she did mastering and restoration work. She has restored historic audio for the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, the Clyfford Still Museum, Louisiana State University, Colorado State University, and the University of Calgary. Anna is also deeply involved in music industry leadership, advocacy and mentorship, in her native Colorado and beyond, through her work with The Recording Academy (serving on the National Board of Trustees), the Audio Engineering Society (AES) (serving as the Colorado Section Vice Chair), SoundGirls.org (founder of the Colorado Chapter), and the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) (serving on the DEI Task Force and Education Committee). Outside of the studio, Anna is an active member of Colorado’s vibrant acoustic music scene. She can be found at concerts and festivals up and down the Front Range, supporting bands and artists at all levels, and she looks forward to the day that she can be there again.
Samantha Potter
Samantha Potter is an audio engineer, author, and editor for ProSoundWeb with a passion for mixing and educating. Additionally, she serves as the manager of commercial and install audio for Allen & Heath USA, helping to merge pro audio into the install market. Her show, Church Sound Podcast, can be found on all major podcasting platforms. With a diverse background of live sound disciplines, Samantha began developing audio and production curricula for house of worship tech teams and clergy, in addition to the lay audio community. Growing up as a musician, Samantha found her way to live sound by way of the studio, proving that bassists make the best sound engineers. The host of Church Sound Podcast and a co-director and lead instructor for Church Sound University, Samantha can often be found teaching, designing, and hosting discussions on various live-sound topics.
Liz May
Owner of SoundLizzard Productions, Winston-Salem NC: Liz May is an audio engineer, musician, and entrepreneur in the music scene of the North Carolina Triad through SoundLizzard Productions (SLP), a company she founded in 2003. After growing the business to include an A&R department, record label, and publishing company for a short time, sound mixing for several independent films, and running a music festival for 6 years, the company now operates primarily as a recording, post-production, and live sound production operation. Liz has also been in production management at a few of the city’s facilities assisting in their daily operations, event production, and growing the organization’s revenue stream. She most recently was the Production & Operations Manager of the historic RJ Reynolds Auditorium, a 1900-seat 100 year old classic performance hall located in the heart of Winston-Salem. Liz is now working in audio education full-time at Guilford Technical Community College alongside of her studio and live sound business. Liz’s commitment to the arts and education has led her to launch her latest entrepreneurial creation named TRAIN Cycle, a not-for-profit that bridges a connection between professionals in the entertainment industry and education sector through various online opportunities. This new venture is supported by the strong relationships and networks she has in the industry Liz has worked with countless award-winning and nationally recognized artists both in the studio and in the concert venue. Her current audio work includes live sound mixing for the Winston-Salem Symphony Pops and Unbound series, post production for virtual recording projects, running sound for various NC festivals, and providing system and audio support for many churches, schools, and venues in the Triad. Liz has enjoyed working in all aspects of the music and entertainment industries and believes that we are never too old to stop learning and we are never too young to start teaching.