
Michael D. Kurtz is an international music supervisor, A&R and consultant specializing in diverse genres of music from around the globe. ¶
Michael was an A&R and Production Coordinator at Putumayo World Music,
he traveled around the world looking for new musical talent with LongJaunt
and has worked as music supervisor for independent films. ¶
Download Michael's resume here.
Download Michael's resume here.
A&R AND PRODUCTION COORDINATOR
PUTUMAYO WORLD MUSIC
PUTUMAYO WORLD MUSIC
Oversaw and managed all aspects of production of Putumayo World Music CDs, DVDs and other products. Worked directly with Executive Producer on track research & selection, album sequencing, mixing, mastering and production of album liner notes. Coordinated with President of Business Affairs on licensing and contracting of artists and song selections. Managed all Sync license requests for music controlled by Putumayo's music catalogue. Served as the chief liaison between the label and aspiring recording artists.
Founded and produced LongJaunt, a multimedia travel blog for The Boston Globe. Special section helped the travel site win the 2008 Lowell Thomas Gold Medal for best online travel journalism site, awarded by the Society of American Travel Writers Foundation. Traveled to 25 countries on five continents chronicling the travel experience through written stories, interviews, photos and daily blog entries for The Boston Globe's online travel section.
Conducted all music research, sourcing and licensing clearance for the feature length documentary film Cultures of Resistance, shot in 23 countries around the world. Worked directly with film director and editors to spot and edit music for film. Negotiated terms and pricing of all synchronization and master licenses for featured music. Utilized a vast international network of recording artists, record label and music publishing personnel to effectively license all music within budget guidelines.
CONSULTANT
MDK MUSIC
MDK MUSIC
Consulted for the Clinton Global Initiative. Programmed music for annual New York City Gala, featuring international heads of state and private business leaders. Served as a consultant for the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of African Affairs. Advised Namibian pop and folk musicians on ways to generate music business opportunities in American and European markets. Held New York summit for leading Namibian artists to help develop international promotional strategies for future releases.
Michael has traveled extensively around the world and conducted music research and on-the-ground talent acquisition in the following countries for major clients:
Bosnia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Croatia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, England, France, Germany,
India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Korea, Laos, Lebanon, Mexico, Netherlands, Peru, Qatar, Serbia, Slovenia,
Sri Lanka, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, and Vietnam.
Michael graduated from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst with honors in 2005 as a triple-major in Ethnomusicology, Portuguese and African-American Studies. ¶
Coursework included studies for one year at Universidade Federal da Bahia and Universidade Catolica do Salvador in Salvador, Brazil. Ethnomusicology thesis focussed on the development of Hip-Hop music in Northeastern Brazil and its connections to racial identity in the region. Read Michael's Ethnomusicology senior thesis here: Investigating Race and the Development of Hip-Hop Music in Bahia, Brazil.
Michael D. Kurtz is based in NYC.
His email address is: mike@michaeldkurtz.com
Call him at +1.413.687.1828
Find him on the web here: LinkedIn | Skype ¶
His email address is: mike@michaeldkurtz.com
Call him at +1.413.687.1828
Find him on the web here: LinkedIn | Skype ¶