TEAM

Justin Shukat

President, Primary Wave Music Publishing

Justin Shukat is a partner and President of Primary Wave Music Publishing since 2006. He oversees all areas of Primary Wave’s creative team including synch and A&R while working alongside all partner companies to ensure that all businesses are focused and delivering. He has been responsible for new writer signings and multiple catalog acquisitions and is now focused on working across the music industry to inspire and facilitate recordings that derive from the timeless music aggregated within the Primary Wave music IP portfolio. Given the income potential of a new current hit, this is a highly impactful, efficient and profitable initiative.

Justin’s music career began at a young age, as he was lucky enough to grow up learning, listening, and experiencing from his father and mentor, the legendary entertainment attorney Peter Shukat. His musical journey started with working with the Montreux Jazz Festival in the mid 90’s followed by various positions at Walter Yetnikoff’s Velvel Records. Shukat then moved on to senior marketing positions at both Arista and Epic Records. In 2005 he re-connected with Larry Mestel who had a vision and plan during a transitional time in the music business to launch a new company focused on acquiring and working legacy catalogs and together they started Primary Wave. Justin has been recognized by Billboard Magazine as an industry Power Player (2023 & 2022) as well as being included in the 40 Under 40 in 2013. Mr. Shukat received a BA in Marketing from the Martin J. Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University in 1996.

 

Marty Silverstone

Partner/SVP Creative, Head of Sync

Marty is Head of Sync at Primary Wave, overseeing licensing activity for Primary Wave’s music publishing and management clients. With staff in Los Angeles and New York, the dynamic Primary Wave Sync team is a key part of Primary Wave’s proactive marketing approach, constantly creating new opportunities and driving big ideas for music in film/TV, advertising, video games, and other visual media.

In 17 years in music publishing, Marty has worked with and secured placements in film, TV and advertising campaigns for artists such as Kurt Cobain, Smokey Robinson, Def Leppard, Hall & Oates, Aerosmith, Collective Soul, Bruce Hornsby, Kenny Loggins, L.P. and Foy Vance.

He was recognized as one of Billboard Magazine’s Top Branding Power Players in both 2018 and 2019.

Earlier in his career, while at independent publisher North Star Media, Marty partnered with Chicago advertising agency Leo Burnett to establish the innovative “Artist-In-Residence” program, which continues to break new ground, matching brands and new artists.

He has a Bachelor of Arts/Psychology from Queen’s University in Canada, where he conducted research and published papers on the Psychology of popular music. He has also been an instructor at his other alma mater, Berklee College of Music, teaching “Current Issues in the Music Industry.”

 

Jake Livingston

Head of Creative A&R

Jake Livingston is Head of Creative and based in LA. Livingston’s oversees the day-to-day operations of the contemporary publishing roster as well as running the company’s producer management division. Since Livingston joined Primary Wave in 2012 their clients have made critical hits such as Eminem/Rihanna’s “The Monster” Flo Rida’s “My House” Jason DeRulo’s “Want To Want Me” Kiiara’s “Gold” Rachel Platten’s “Fight Song” Demi Lovato’s “Heart Attack” Martin Garrix/Dua Lipa’s “Scared To Be Lonely” DJ Khaled’s “I’m The One” Imagine Dragons’ “Thunder” LP’s “Lost On You” and Ariana Grande’s “Boyfriend.” Under Livingston’s tutelage Primary Wave’s producers have developed artists including Ruel, Charlotte Lawrence, Carlie Hanson, Rachel Platten, Amy Shark, and KYLE. Early in his career Livingston worked at Epic Records where he signed artist Starset and managed songwriters Mick Coogan and Sean Douglas.

 

Peter Kurczaba

Management Consultant in Music Publishing & Marketing

Peter is the Management Consultant at Primary Wave. Originally from Canada, Peter moved to the U.S. to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. He graduated from Berklee College of Music in Boston with a dual Major in Songwriting & Contemporary Writing and Production, then relocated to Los Angeles. Peter interned at Miles High Productions, an online and social marketing company with clientele such as Heart and Coldplay, where he worked closely with CEO/Founder Chip Schutzman. Soon after, he joined the Primary Wave team where he focuses on cultivating placements in TV, film, advertising and other media for Primary Wave’s roster of publishing and music management clients.

 

Derek Pierce

Manager, Synch

Derek comes to Primary Wave with a rich, diversified background in the music industry, focused in the world of sync licensing. His career began in New York City at Nylon Magazine, where he gained experience music coordinating for Nylon TV. Soon after began a seven-year stretch at Bank Robber Music and Rough Trade Publishing, pitching their expansive catalog to music supervisors across all media types. Most recently Derek was working at Secret Road Music Services as the Manager of Advertising and Branding, assisting the company in opening its long-awaited New York office. With a recent move to the west coast, Derek has joined the team at Primary Wave as the Manager of Sync, working to secure placements for their iconic roster in advertising, film, television, and video games.

 

Brice Ormesher

Creative A&R Consultant

Born & raised in Chicago, Brice started in music, at a young age, as a singer in the world-renowned Chicago Children’s Choir, sharing the stage with the likes of Celine Dion, Nick Carter, Josh Groban, Renee Fleming & more.  After studying music & sociology at Bard College, and a brief stint in the tech world, Brice made his way to LA where he joined the team at Infamous PR, working with electronic-music royalty such as Eric Prydz, Pete Tong, DirtyBird records and others. Since then he has worked as an independent manager with artists, writers, producers as well as being a founding member of the creative hub known as ‘The Dock’, located in Burbank, California.

 

Franny Graham

VP of Creative

An alum of Berklee College of Music, Franny Graham, started his career as a recording engineer at Record Plant Recording Studio in Hollywood. After ten years of working with artists like Michael Jackson, Kanye West, Madonna, and Bruno Mars, he decided to switch his focus to A&R and management. First, with Electric Feel Management and more recently as Sr. Director of A&R at APG, Franny has been involved in platinum releases by DJ Snake and Justin Bieber, Martin Garrix and Troye Sivan, Kyle and Kehlani and Fifth Harmony.

 

David Weitzman

Publishing Partner

David Weitzman is a creative business music executive who has worked with world-class artists and songwriters throughout his multi-faceted career.   David’s love of music and the discovery of new artists led to his choosing a career he has a deep passion for.

David started his music business career in the 90’s where he worked with record labels such as Rick Rubin’s American Recordings, iconic punk label, Epitaph Records, Sublime’s Skunk Records and infamous Red Ant Records.  David worked in the A & R & radio promotion capacities working with platinum artists including Sublime, Rancid, The Black Crowes, Sir Mix a Lot and more.

David transitioned to digital distributor Emusic during the dotcom boom of the late ‘90s where he signed up independent labels and artists to exclusive digital distribution deals.  After Emusic, David started music supervising audiovisual projects mostly in television including  MTV hits, Jackass, Wildboyz, Rob & Big, and Run’s House.

David’s next professional chapter was his entry into music publishing and asset acquisition at indie music publisher, ole.  At ole, David signed legendary super-producer, Timbaland for catalog and futures, led the acquisition of  major film studio, Sony Pictures Entertainment’s music publishing assets, acquired the dynamic production music library, Jingle Punks, acquired RedOne’s 2101 Songs catalog and purchased catalog and futures of acclaimed veteran songwriter, Jeff Trott among many other successful transactions.

 

Cleome Barber

A&R Manager

 

Joseph Pepin

Creative A&R Consultant

 

Charlie Heat

Creative A&R Consultant

 

Olivia Geller

Creative A&R Consultant

 

Andrew Pattenaude, Creative Sync Coordinator

Andrew comes to Primary Wave from Warner Chappell Music Publishing, where he started his career in sync. Originally from upstate New York, Andrew graduated from Emerson College with a degree in Media Arts Production. Being both an obsessive music cataloger and avid Letterboxd user, sync allows Andrew to combine his love of music and film by working to land placements for Primary Wave’s iconic roster in film, television, and more. In addition to sync pitching, Andrew also composes original music for short films.

 

Erik Engle

Manager, Sync Clearance & Licensing

Erik joins Primary Wave from Universal Music Group’s sync team where he wore many hats, primarily working on licensing for Internet and TV based projects. A Los Angeles native, Erik has a music performance background and graduated from film school at California State University Northridge with a degree in Cinema & Television Arts. Erik has an innate love for film and music and holds true to the philosophy that music is the ultimate catalyst in the creative process.