L.A. Newsbriefs

Jen Waris ’12 and Samantha Schultz ’13 are members of Covergirl’s Rockabellas a cappella group. The ensemble appeared in national commercials to promote the new Covergirl Pitch Perfect Cosmetics Line in partnership with the soon to be released movie, Pitch Perfect 2.

Previously, singer/songwriter and guitarist Schultz traveled to Abu Dhabi for a residency at the Yas Viceroy Resort on Yas Island. Her voice was heard all over southern California in the Westside Rentals commercial, “Dumped,” which received the Outstanding Achievement In Radio Advertising Award at the Southern California Broadcasters Awards in October 2014. Schultz is currently completing a new EP that she expects to release later this year. Visit http://samanthaschultzmusic.com.

Waris’s performance and voiceover successes include being the singing voice of Barbie for Mattel for multiple movie and recording projects, and being a lead vocalist for groups such as Wayne Foster Entertainment and the alumni group Westside 6. Waris also works as an actress and model for commercials for World Gym Global and multiple fashion brands in Los Angeles.

Jeremy Borum ’05 published the book Guerrilla Film Scoring: Practical Advice from Hollywood Composers, and a series of educational videos by the same name. A do-it-yourself manual, Guerrilla Film Scoring, 

will help composers at all levels create the best-sounding scores quickly and cost effectively. It draws on the expertise of prominent composers in movies, television, and video gaming, including Stewart Copeland, Bruce Broughton, and Jack Wall. Visit jeremyborum.com.

Curt Sobel ’78 recently won the MPSE Award in Best Music Editing on a Musical category for Get on Up, the story of r&b legend James Brown. This award was of special significance considering the illustrious list of nominees in the musical category: Annie, Into the Woods, Jersey Boys, and Whiplash. This is Sobel’s second MPSE, 10 years ago he received his first for Ray.

Country singer-songwriter Ashley Alexander ’08 has opened for Willie Nelson, Luke Bryan, and Chuck Wicks. In February, Alexander released her second album With You, produced by Alexander and fellow alumni Miles Bergsma ’09 and Kyle Hoffmann ’08. The album title is a dedication to her fans, who funded the album through her Kickstarter campaign. It features Alexander’s longtime bandmates Bergsma, Nate Laguzza ’08, Elliot 

Schwartzman, and Dustin Higgins ’09, plus special guests Marty Rifkin, Vito Gutilla and Sarah Kovacs ’08. Visit ashleyalexandermusic.com.

Steve Corn ’94, the CEO and founder of BFM Digital, released a second album from the Steve Gadd Band, 70 Strong, commemorating the drumming legend’s 70th birthday. In May, BFM released Viewpoint by Steve Smith ’76 and his group Vital Information NYC Edition. Corn is also a jazz pianist and composer.

Buffy Hubelbank ’01 was named creative director of publishing for Red Bull Records. She works with the label’s artist roster, which includes the chart-topping Awolnation and UK breakthrough band T

win Atlantic. She is also overseeing Red Bull Records writers John Feldmann (5 Seconds of Summer, Panic! at the Disco) and Mark Maxwell (Afrojack, Lindsey Stirling.) Building the publishing roster, she has signed Emy McDonald ’15 (aka Badd Luck). Prior to joining Red Bull Records, Hubelbank served as the creative director of A&R for urban and pop at Pulse Recordings. She helped establish Pulse’s urban department and worked with Fall Out Boy on the band’s platinum single “Centuries” (which was produced by JR Rotem ’99).

—Justine Taormino ’06 Assistant Director, Alumni Affairs, L.A. jtaormino@berklee.edu