We are currently working on the lineup for 2027, and it is subject to change.
RONAN CHRIS MURPHY
Ronan Chris Murphy has diverse credits ranging from Prog-Rock legends King Crimson to YouTube sensation Tay Zonday to shock rockers GWAR and everything in between, including Aurora, Tony Levin, Steve Morse,Los Muñequitos de Matanzas, Terry Bozzio, Alexia, Martin Sexton, Dave Nachmanoff (with Al Stewart), Ulver, Jamie Walters, Steve Stevens, Chucho Valdes y Groupo Irakere, and Nels Cline. His productions have charted as far away as Iceland, Greece and Malaysia. He also works on music for non-album projects including the hit Norwegian film Uno and video games Mafia III, Yoku’s Island Express and Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood. He is the founder of Recording Boot Camp, which helped pioneer the recording intensive concept and has launched an online training series. As a songwriter, in addition to his own work. which leans a bit left of center, he is a Billboard charting co-writer that works with artist around the world on songs that have been in film, television and albums.
DAVE NACHMANOFF
When you hear about the music of a guitar virtuoso with a doctorate in philosophy, who cut his musical teeth performing and collaborating with singer-songwriter Al Stewart (“Year of the Cat”), you know you will be getting something different. In a career that has spanned a dozen albums and thousands of shows ranging from living room concerts to the Royal Albert Hall, Dave Nachmanoff has built a loyal fan base and a unique niche as a performer and songwriter.
Touring, accompanying, and recording with his songwriting hero, Al Stewart, for over 15 years gave Dave the chance to get his own music out in front of tens of thousands of people and gained him international exposure and recognition. Over the years, he has shared the stage with a long list of legends of the folk and rock music worlds, including the likes of Alison Krauss, Steve Forbert, Firefall, John Wesley Harding, and blues legend Libba “Freight Train” Cotten (when he was ten years old). Dave continues to record and tour, playing well over a hundred shows a year in listening rooms, private house concerts, and at other events.
When not on tour, Dave Nachmanoff is busy producing for other artists, teaching master classes around the US and working in his unique niche of writing and recording custom songs. davenach.com
Doug (D.W) Fearn
Doug Fearn has over 50 years experience in audio, as a studio owner, engineer, producer, and manufacturer of mic preamps, equalizers, and compressors used in studios worldwide. His D.W Fearn mic preamps, EQs and direct boxes are known as some of the best-built and greatest sounding in the audio business.
Dough began working part time as an engineer for WPEN in Philadelphia while still in high school. His passion for audio grew and developed as he collected equipment. His goal was to create a recording studio with his gear, which he did in 1969 and he called it Veritable Recording Company. While working in the studio, DW realized that the audio output was sometimes hampered by the limitations of the equipment that he had. As a result, he set out on the quest to create equipment designed to provide features not necessarily offered in other products. In 1993, DW introduced the first of many pioneering audio products, the VT-1 Vacuum Tube Microphone Preamplifier.
TRACEY & VANCE MARINO
Wife-and-husband music writing team Tracey Marino and Vance Marino are songwriters, composers, musicians, and producers with more than 3,000 songs in their BMI catalog. They specialize in happy, positive music. Their music is heard daily around the world and has been featured in TV shows “The Voice,” “Saturday Night Live,” “Today Show,” “The Tonight Show,” “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” and has been placed in countless trailers, video games, Hallmark Channel movies, Disney promos, and feature films such as “The Last Song” starring Miley Cyrus (Touchstone Pictures). National commercials include L.L. Bean, Clorox, Cabela’s, Bass Pro Shops, and several “infomercials” for the beginning of “The Late Show,” with Stephen Colbert. The Marinos’ new book, “Hey! That’s My Song! A Guide to Getting Music Placements in Film, TV, and Media,” is published by Backbeat Books
Tracey and Vance are experts at both writing and producing tracks for placement. They will be sharing their knowledge in both areas at Cacapehon.
JESSE GIMBEL
Since the very beginning of the retreats, DIYRE (DIY Recording Equipment) has been a partner helping bring the joy of DIY gear building to attendees of the retreat. After working with the DIYRE programs at the retreat for several years, Jesse Gimbel is the new head of our DIY program, and will be working with us to develop the program for both beginners and advanced builders. He has worked for DIYRE for 8 years, starting from packing kits, working through the ranks being involved in soldering workshops, up to designing the G Bus stereo VCA compressor.
Outside of DIYRE, he is an audio engineer and musician, who also has expertise in graphic design, photography, and videography. Connect with Jesse on Instagram and his Youtube channel.
LIZ REDWING
Liz has worked in and around the music and entertainment business for over 40 years and is the administrative coordinator for the California Copyright Conference. The CCC hosts dinner panels, webinars, and mixers aimed at connecting and educating music industry professionals. Prior to that she was the long-time administrative director for the Association Of Independent Music Publishers LA Chapter (AIMP).
Liz also manages producer Ronan Chris Murphy, does copyright research for Skye IP Management and provides music business consulting for artists. She got her creative start at MCA Records and Interscope Music, Interscope Records former publishing company (Ron Sexsmith, Tupac, Matthew Wilder, Possum Dixon, No Doubt, et. al.). Liz also scouted for Atlantic Records and has held positions with management companies, business management firms and law firms, as well as having worked in video production. lizredwing.com
NEIL McTAVISH
Neil McTavish now spends most of his time editing and mixing music as well as doing Spotify and Meta ads and promotion for the independent, classical crossover string quartet, ATLYS. Neil also works as a mentor for young engineers at Rec Room Recording in Lafayette, Indiana where he gets to work with really cool young engineers, critiquing their mixes, and helping them with their home studio setups. He also does hardware maintenance and installation for Rec Room and loves mixing recordings of live performances for Purdue Musical Organizations and many other groups and organizations in the Greater Lafayette area.