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SPEAKERS AT CMF
CONSTANT
FOLLOWER
Constant Follower, who had a UK top 20 album in 2025, discusses how emerging artists can grow visibility when traditional discovery routes are weaker, and outlines practical ways to build an audience through owned channels, community and local venues, alternative media, and trusted third-party endorsements.
DJ
SHADOW CHILD
UK DJ & producer Shadow Child has spent over a decade at the forefront of British club culture. Rooted in early rave, house and DnB, his music captures a hybrid energy that feels both nostalgic and forward-thinking. 2025 marks a pivotal moment in his journey with the release of his new single ‘Say It Now’. A love letter to rave heritage & a statement of evolution, the record captures the full spectrum of Shadow Child’s influences, melding classic motifs with intricate production
STU HANNA
FROM MEGSON
Four times nominated in the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards and double winners of the Spiral Earth Awards, MEGSON create a truly unique brand of folk music. MEGSON have been described as 'the most original duo on the British folk scene' by The Guardian, and has recorded thirteen studio albums across their twenty-year career.
Rob Coles is a musician, songwriter, and co-founder of the UK indie band Little Comets. Known for their distinctive blend of sharp lyricism, intricate guitar work, and socially conscious themes, the band has built a loyal following through both critically acclaimed releases and a strong independent ethos. As an artist who has navigated the evolving landscape of the music industry—from traditional label structures to direct-to-fan models—Rob brings a thoughtful perspective on creativity, sustainability, and the changing role of musicians today.
ROB
COLES
HAYLEY
KENNEDY
Hayley Kennedy PhD. is the Head of Hospitality at KMJ Entertainment, bringing over two decades of industry experience to her work. Before joining KMJ, Hayley spent 11 years at Warner Music, working on major projects such as the Oasis Fan Experience, Twenty One Pilots and Gorillaz, following a ten-year tenure at EMI and a period in artist management. She recently completed her PhD in Sociology and Cultural Studies, producing an 80,000-word thesis titled An Analysis of Rock Against Racism and Love Music, Hate Racism. Her research and professional interests are deeply rooted in how music acts as a catalyst for cultural fusion and social cohesion.
MOLE
FACE
Moleface is an independent artist creating “rockstar music,” blending genres through emotion rather than category. His work explores identity, audience, and what it means to build in public.
MARK
PICKERING
A multi-disciplined tech and creative, Mark has worked extensively across the music, film and live events industry for over 20 years. His work has taken him all over the world working with the likes of Jack Johnson, Paloma Faith and Dua lipa. As an educator, Mark is focused on imparting real world experience of the converging creative sectors to help open doors to the next generation of employable professionals.
TIM
SENNA
Tim Senna is a 30 year old new music presenter and live music promoter specialising in the emerging Birmingham alternative music scene. Having discovered student radio while at Warwick University, Tim fast fell in love with broadcast media, going on to win a student radio award after graduating, eventually joining BBC Radio 1, 1Xtra and Asian Network as a freelance producer. In 2022 he pivoted his new music focus away from traditional radio and towards Twitch streaming hoping to break upcoming artists. He currently hosts a weekly new music show every Tuesday on Twitch with a global audience of loyal viewers. In 2023 with a friend he started a Birmingham indie live music night 'B-Town' which has revitalised and captured the imagination of the second city indie scene & last year received £3500 of funding from the PRS Foundation, selling out The Rainbow Pub for the first time with Pentire headlining.
TOM
MACPHERSON
Tom has over 25 years of experience in the music industry. He was a graduate of the BRIT School and his first job in the industry was in Radio and TV promotions, spending most evenings going to gigs, and most days working with artists such as Bloc Party, Jeff Beck, Maximo Park, Bright Eyes and The Darkness. He then moved into International Marketing for EMI and Universal Music. From 2008 to 2020 he was a Senior Director and ran award winning multi-million selling global marketing and promotion campaigns for the likes of Sam Smith, Disclosure, Robbie Williams, Emeli Sandé, Tinie Tempah, Andrea Bocelli, Max Richter, among many others. In 2020, Tom left the world of major labels to set up his own music management company Yes! Artists representing a number of established and developing artists signed to Sony, Universal, Nettwerk and various Indie labels.
TRISTAN
LATCHFORD
Tristan is an English composer who takes a keen and active interest in bringing novel and exciting musical experiences to listeners from all backgrounds, which has led to his writing several cross-cultural works. His recent commissions include: A Celebration of Women in the Bible (2020) and Tides (2023). Tristan is the subject of a 2023 documentary by Fugue State Films. His method has built lasting collaborations with many exciting contemporary performers, including Andrew Earis; St Stephen Walbrook Scholars; The Harmonicham Choir; Christian Cang Cuesta; MIVOS Quartet; and Ryo Hasegawa.
PHIL
BODGER
Phil Bodger started his recording engineer career in the early ‘80s in London. He has worked as a free-lance engineer and producer for four decades, in studios, front of house and film set playback.As a producer and mixer, he has achieved chart success with Maxi Priest, Cathy Dennis, The Housemartins, The Lighthouse Family, The Proclaimers, Paul Hardcastle and Dave Stewart. Phil has also worked with Bryan Ferry, Brian Eno, Trevor Horn, Ray Davies, Tina Turner, John Cale, Imogen Heap, Robbie Williams, Alanis Morisette and Stevie Wonder.In 2008, Phil helped design, develop and lecture on the Music Production FdA at City College, Brighton & Hove, and in 2011 he headed the online Music Mixing module at Point Blank, London. Phil joined JAMES in 2019 and is an executive member and part of the assessment team.
TONY
ORCHUDESCH
Tony Orchudesch graduated in law from Leeds University and then spent nearly 10 years in the music publishing industry as a Copyright Manager, and later, a Business Affairs Manager at firms such as EMI Music and Island Music.He formed Torchlight Music Ltd in 1991 to place music tracks and clear music rights for use in all media, such as TV, film, commercials, video, and later online. He works with advertising agencies, broadcasters and producers to clear content for all forms of broadcast, and also has a roster of composers & arrangers, creating original music content and cover recordings for the media.Tony now lectures at Music Conservatoires, Universities and Colleges on copyright and music licensing in the media.
MATT
HOUGHTON
Since earning an MA in Audio Production from the University of Westminster, Matt Houghton has spent two decades as Reviews Editor and music-technology writer at Sound On Sound, the world’s biggest-selling music and audio production title, while also working as a dialogue editor and occasional mix engineer. His position has given him a unique perspective on developments in audio-production technology in the 21st century, including the evolution of both assistive and generative machine-learning tools.
JORDAN
HETHERINGTON
Jordan Hetherington is Partnerships Manager at global music distribution & artist services company Ditto Music. With experience across operations at both Ditto & Spotify, he brings a practical inside perspective on how independent artists can take control of their careers. Alongside his professional work, Jordan is actively involved in the live music scene as both an independent artist and event organiser, performing under his alias 'Strathearn'.
BECKY
BURRELL
An experienced marketer with over 20 years experience that includes, but is not exclusive to; event planning and management, budget management, stakeholder engagement, product development and launch, brand management and many other areas within the marketing mix.
