DALE KROKE
St . Louis Music Names Dale Kroke as SVP of Finance St . Louis Music ( SLM ) has appointed Dale Kroke to the position of senior vice president of finance .
“ I joined St . Louis Music in 2015 and it is a great company to work for ,” says Kroke , who spent much of his career in Canada before joining SLM . “ I look forward to helping continue the company ’ s success in my new role .”
A 31-year industry veteran , Kroke began at Kaman Music in international sales and served as GM of the company ’ s Canadian division , B & J Music , prior to its acquisition by Jam Industries . During his years in Canada , Kroke also served as president of the Music Industries Association of Canada ( MIAC ). In 2016 , Kroke joined SLM as SVP of operations , focusing on its implementation of new enterprise software .
Mark Ragin , the president and CEO , says “ Dale ’ s new role will also oversee human resources , admin , legal work , and utilities such as the building . Dale ’ s ability in these roles is fantastic , and allowing him to focus all of his time in these areas will be a huge benefit to the company .”
For more information , contact SLM : 800-727-4512 , info @ stlouismusic . com , www . stlouismusic . com . iZotope & Native Instruments Join Forces Intelligent audio technology company iZotope has partnered with Native Instruments , a manufacturer of music creation products , to form a new technology group backed by Francisco Partners and EMH Partners . The two companies say they share a “ vision of a seamless creative experience and are creating this unprecedented alliance to shape the future of music making and audio production .”
Native Instruments and
IZOTOPE ’ S MARK ETHIER & NATIVE INSTRUMENTS ’ CONSTANTIN KOEHNCKE
iZotope say they will each continue to operate independently and there will be no structural changes to either entity , with both continuing under the same leadership , and with the same teams .
Mark Ethier , co-founder and CEO of iZotope , and Constantin Koehncke , CEO of Native Instruments , will work together on the future and vision of this new alliance as co-presidents of the group . The companies say the goal of this alliance is to better support the creative community through close collaboration , the sharing of knowledge and technology , and the enhancement of product offerings . As a collective force , the duo believe they will generate a more cohesive audio ecosystem that will help creators .
For more information on iZotope , go to www . izotope . com . For more information on Native Instruments , go to www . native-instruments . com .
Korg USA Hires Accomplished Musician Natalie Chami as Product Specialist
Korg USA has announced the hiring of Natalie Chami as product specialist . A noted synth influencer and musician , the Ontario-born Chami is based in Chicago and will play a key role in creating Korg USA ’ s product content and training resources for customers and dealers .
Chami arrives at Korg USA from the Chicago High School for the Arts , a school that she helped found and where she served as vocal chair . At ChiArts , she developed curricula for a variety of courses , including
NATALIE CHAMI music technology . She also oversaw the development and implementation of anti-racist and trauma-informed curricula with compassionate instruction , and built relationships with various organizations , including music conservatories and universities , in order to provide opportunities for students . Chami is a graduate of Northwestern University where she earned a bachelor ’ s degree in Music Education with concentrations in classical voice , opera performance , and choral conducting .
Since 2009 , Chami has performed and recorded under the TALsounds moniker , a project that explores drone , ambient , and electroacoustic improv disciplines . The Fader magazine acknowledged that Chami “ has spent the past decade developing a reputation as one of America ’ s most compelling DIY artists .”
In addition to maintaining a private voice studio for students since 2010 , Chami was tapped in 2019 to be an influencer and ambassador for the online musical instrument marketplace , Reverb .
For more information , contact Korg USA : 866-444-9201 , sales @ korgusa . com , www . korgusa . com .
PHOTO : MARIA TZEKA
14 CANADIAN MUSIC TRADE