Your music career has a business side. Let’s talk about it.
If you make music in the Hudson Valley, you probably know the feeling: you're writing, recording, releasing, and somewhere along the way you're also expected to figure out distribution, marketing, rights, playlists, budgets, and "building a team." Nobody explained any of it when you started. We think being independent shouldn't mean being alone.
That's why we're starting two new Tuesday-night programs at Full Circle, built for Hudson Valley musicians and music creators of every genre and every stage.
THE AFTER HOURS
Your front door to the community.
An informal, free, come-as-you-are conversation about the real life of an independent artist. Bring a question, bring a project you're stuck on, or just come to listen and meet other musicians. No experience required, no pitch, no pressure. Just good conversation, and the questions you didn't know you were allowed to ask.
When: Tuesdays | 6:00 – 7:00 PM | First gathering: Oct 27
Where: The Trailside Lounge at Full Circle | 297 Bruynswick Rd. Gardiner, NY 12525
How: FREE. Please RSVP here: TheAfterHours
Drop-ins: Totally welcome! RSVP helps us plan the space, but if you decide last minute, just show up.
Mariana has spent more than 15 years behind the scenes of the music industry, from independent labels to the biggest stages in the world, working in artist management, DSP marketing, public relations, global tour operations, and audiovisual production.
Born in Colombia, she holds two master’s degrees: Art Direction from Barcelona and Music Business from UCLA. After moving to the US in 2018, she began working with multi-GRAMMY-winning producer Sebastian Krys while still at UCLA. She then spent five years at the independent label ONErpm, where she started and developed the US Latin department, before joining Live Nation to help bring the world’s biggest tours, including Bruno Mars, BTS, Harry Styles, and Bad Bunny, to Latin America. Having lived and worked in Bogotá, Barcelona, Los Angeles, Miami, and now New York, Mariana brings a multicultural lens and a sharp strategic mind to every project.
Fun fact: Mariana has worked on major tours with AAA artists, including a run on the road with Aerosmith. After a career spent mostly at record labels and live entertainment companies, she got tired of the bureaucracy and now focuses on giving meaningful, intentional help to artists in the place she calls home, the Hudson Valley.
Ben is a drummer, producer, and designer who has spent over 10 years writing, releasing, and promoting his own music, completely independently. Frustrated by how little support existed for indie artists, he founded Jackson Yard Records to protect his creative legacy and turn his catalog into a long-term revenue stream. Along the way, he taught himself the tools every modern artist needs: digital ads, graphic design, and rights management. Today, he works at Ineffable Records, helping artists build sustainable careers with the structure their music deserves
Fun fact: Ben is a founding member and drummer of SunDub. His rock-solid groove and blend of Afro-Latin rhythms, reggae, funk, and jazz have taken him from the stage with Sidney Mills (Steel Pulse), Bakithi Kumalo (Paul Simon), Grammy winner Chris Berry, and America's Got Talent finalist Cas Haley to collaborations with Seth Walker, Satsang, Dorrance Dance, and The Brighton Beat, among others.