John M. Kelly

John began his career as a recording engineer after graduating from the Institute of Audio Research. Assisting at Atlantic Recording Studio and A&R Records led him to a house audio job at a premiere concert hall & preeminent cultural institution. There he recorded classical and jazz music for leading music and radio producers, and his technical acumen secured an ongoing and living archive that began in 1945 at 92Y in New York City. John’s knowledge of stagecraft and technology led to a 30-year career as Technical Production Director and Lighting Designer where he directed, designed and crewed 11,000+ 92Y, IATSE, and independent productions.  After taking an early retirement John is shifting his knowledge and focus to his own projects. Producing SongSmith allows his love of music to be explored, shared and celebrated. For more information www.beacondigitalcinema.com

Zoë’s arts, production, and nonprofit management career spans 20 years. She is a writer and photographer with a focus on sociopolitical issues and documenting the arts. SongSmith is a project dear to her heart for many reasons, not least of which is the mutually supportive opportunity it provides: the artist an amplified voice for their process, and the audience an opportunity to hear the human beyond the song. Opportunities are endless when we reach beyond our comfort zones.

Mark Westin is a self-described “word guy” who loves to interview great writers about their craft on SongSmith. 

Mark is an Emmy-nominated musician and composer of two film scores, three albums of original songs, and several singles. As a featured artist and sideman, he has performed across the United States, in Canada and the United Kingdom.

Mark honed his interviewing skills while working as a field producer on documentary films, television news and entertainment programs. His credits include Access Hollywood, Animal Planet, Court TV, CBS News, Extra, and MSNBC.

For more about Mark, please visit www.markwest.in

Julia’s music walks a tightrope between tenderness, and power, effortlessly captivating audiences with her ability to navigate intricate emotional landscapes with ease. Julia Zivic's latest album Good Cry (2022) is sonic storytelling, touching on subjects that journey through the spectrum of death, love and gratitude.

Julia lends her songwriting and live performance to esteemed projects like Carrtoons, Rae Kahlil, Joey Dosik, Joanna Teters, Pale Jay, Yoh, Marigold, Ghost Funk Orchestra and more. Recently, Julia garnered further recognition on NPR Tiny Desk, lending her vocals, songwriting and performance to collaborator Ben Carr’s performance under the project Carrtoons