WAMCon Nashville 2025 - Women's Audio Mission

🎧 Join Us at WAMCon Nashville – August 2, 2025! 🎶

Empowering the next generation of women and gender-diverse creatives in audio, WAMCon Nashville is a dynamic one-day educational event packed with hands-on workshops, mentorship, and networking opportunities with industry leaders.

Presented by Women’s Audio Mission in partnership with Bonnaroo Works Fund and EqualizeHer at Gold Pacific Studios, Nashville, this event creates a safe, inclusive space to learn, grow, and connect—no matter your experience level.

Whether you’re just starting out or leveling up your audio career, WAMCon Nashville is your gateway to building skills, confidence, and community in an industry ready for your voice.

🗓 Date: August 2, 2025
📍 Location: Gold Pacific Studio, Nashville

🎤 Confirmed Speakers:

CAM – Grammy-winning, triple-platinum country artist and songwriter (Beyonce, Miley Cyrus)

At a time when she desperately needed a guiding light in the dark, Cam lit her own way
with a wild journey inward. While dealing with the intense isolation of becoming a mother
in the early days of the pandemic, the Nashville-based artist started writing songs as a
means of finding solace, and soon unlocked an entirely new level of depth in her lyrics. As
her daughter Lucy grew older and began asking questions about life and death, Cam felt
called to dig even deeper and create a body of work embedded with insights for Lucy to
carry with her through the years. Her fourth LP and first new music since The Otherside (a
2020 release featuring songwriting from Harry Styles, Sam Smith, and Avicii), Cam’s new
album All Things Light arrives as a truly revelatory offering and her most visionary work to
date.
Rooted in the enchanting vocal work shown on Cam’s 3X platinum, Grammy-nominated
smash “Burning House,” All Things Light finds Cam working with her longtime producer
Tyler Johnson (Harry Styles, Miley Cyrus, SZA, Beyoncé) as well as an elite lineup of co-
producers and contributors, including Michael Uzowuru (Frank Ocean, SZA), Ethan Gruska
(boygenius, Phoebe Bridgers, Remi Wolf), and Jeff Bhasker (Kanye West, Rihanna, Bruno
Mars). With its gorgeous convergence of country, folk, left-field pop, and more, the album
emerged from the same creative wellspring that gave rise to Cam’s contributions
to Beyoncé’s COWBOY CARTER (a 2024 effort that earned Cam an ‘Album of the
Year’ Grammy for her songwriting work).
Dedicated to Lucy (whose name is derived from the Latin word for “light”), All Things
Light sources its spiritual cosmology from what Cam refers to as a “patchwork of beliefs”—
an element informed by life-altering experiences like spending time traveling alone
through Nepal and Egypt in her early 20s. In creating the LP’s storybook-like album art,
she enlisted a group of artists to assemble a purposely shambolic tapestry that visually
represents that patchwork, in addition to working with Szilveszter Mako (a Milan-based
photographer/art director who’s also shot the likes of Cate Blanchett, Willem Dafoe, and
Gwendoline Christie). With its graceful entangling of catharsis, contemplation, and
occasional epiphany, All Things Light ultimately delivers the kind of soul-baring songs we
return to again and again, endlessly providing clarity and sustenance and ecstatic peace of
mind.

Joy Oladokun – Singer-songwriter (Chris Stapleton, Noah Kahan)

Joy Oladokun gets emails. She meets people. There are DMs.

Fans of the Arizona-bred singer-songwriter express how they feel before and after seeing one of her shows. Some say they have entered her gigs feeling depressed, unseen and scared, but they leave in a different headspace entirely — upbeat, acknowledged, more confident. Others explain that seeing people like themselves onstage—Black, queer, funny, all of the above — inspires them. With her seemingly bottomless well of melodies and conversational couplets, her inviting buoyancy and infectious guffaw, Joy Oladokun is a human mood elevator.

“I think that’s beautiful,” she says of receiving these missives.

So beautiful in fact that Oladokun decided that she wanted to get in on that action and craft an album “that was a version of what I’ve been able to give to other people for myself.”

Enter Observations From a Crowded Room, a 15 track collection of 12 songs and 3 interludes, written, produced, and largely performed by Oladokun, which build on and expand her pop-folk sonic palette with electronic flourishes and lush harmonies.

The record was created at a critical juncture in Oladokun’s life. She was assessing her perch in the world and the industry after the success of previous albums (2021’s in defense of my own happiness and 2023’s Proof of Life) garnered universal high praise, a slew of famous fans and collaborators like Sheryl Crow, Jason Isbell, Noah Kahan and Chris Stapleton, sold out headlining tour dates and opening slots with John Mayer and Hozier. It also invited scrutiny. She began questioning whether she should pursue something else.

“I think for me it was a pivotal moment of thinking, ‘I don’t know what good there is in this for me anymore. I know what it does for my management. I know what it does for the fans. But I don’t know what good this is for my heart and my head anymore,’” she recalls of the bleak place in which she began to find herself.

SistaStrings is a dynamic musical duo comprised of sisters Chauntee and Monique Ross, whose exceptional talent and versatility has made a profound impact on the music scene. With their unique blend of classical training, soulful melodies, and contemporary sounds, SistaStrings have established themselves as a formidable force within the music community. The duo was voted “best instrumentalist” for the Americana Music Associations 2023 honors.

Born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Chauntee and Monique discovered their love for music at a young age. Growing up in a musically inclined family, the sisters were exposed to a diverse range of genres and instruments. Chauntee found her calling as a violinist, while Monique developed her skills as a cellist. Together, they embarked on a remarkable journey, fusing their classical training with their deep-rooted love for R&B, hip-hop, and gospel.

As members of Brandi Carlile’s touring band, SistaStrings have performed at iconic venues such as Madison Square Garden, The Kennedy Center, Newport Folk Festival and Saturday Night Live. They have performed with an eclectic array of artists such as Joni Mitchell, Ed Sheeran, Elton John, Annie Lennox Maggie Rogers, Margo Price, Allison Russell and Jason Isbell.

SistaStrings are currently writing for their upcoming project, with Brandi Carlile and Shooter Jennings taking the producer reins.

Alex Hope – Australian producer and songwriter based in Nashville (Troye Sivan, Selena Gomez)

Alex has co-written and produced singles for Alec Benjamin, Ben Platt, Troye Sivan, Alanis Morissette, & Tegan and Sara. Hope started their career with their contributions to Troye Sivan’s album Blue Neighbourhood, including singles “Wild” (feat. Alessia Cara), “Heaven”, and “YOUTH”. Hope is also known for their production, writing and collaborations with Selena Gomez, Tove Lo, Alec Benjamin, Ben Platt, Jack Antonoff, Wrabel, Broods, Years & Years, Missy Higgins, Carly Rae Jepsen, and Marina and the Diamonds, among others.

Gena Johnson – Nashville-based producer, recording and mix engineer, originally from Mankato, MN.

Gena has been nominated in 2021, 2022 and 2023 for “Audio Engineer of the Year” by the Academy of Country Music Awards. Johnson is honored and grateful to be among such brilliant engineers, standing beside them as the first female to be nominated in this particular category three years in a row. Gena received her second Grammy Award at the 2024 Grammy Awards Ceremony for engineering Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit’s album ‘Weathervanes’, which won for Best Americana Album. This follows her first Grammy Award for engineering Chis Stapleton’s album ‘Starting Over’, which won for Best Country Album at the 2022 Grammy Awards Ceremony held in Las Vegas. Gena engineered and mixed Ashley McBryde’s album ‘Lindeville’ that was nominated at the Grammy Awards for Best Country Album in 2023 and is also nominated for a 2023 CMA for Album of the Year.

Gena is a true patron of the journey of sound — she is passionate about fostering new voices as well as protecting and expanding legacies. She considers writing, playing, engineering, mixing & all the elements of producing to be a privileged part of shepherding great art into being and feels personally connected to that role.

Gena’s engineering and production contributions have supported artists such as Chris Stapleton, Morgane Stapleton, Jason Isbell, Dolly Parton, Amanda Shires, Lawrence Rothman, Brandi Carlile, John Prine, Anderson East, Marcus King Band, Lori McKenna, Rival Sons, Brent Cobb, Brittney Spencer, Colter Wall, Corrina, A Star Is Born Soundtrack, The Oakridge Boys, Lillie Mae, A Thousand Horses, Chris Shiflett, .Kaleo, Kacey Musgraves, Lee Henke, Ruston Kelly, Dillon Carmichael, Randy Rogers Band, Gloria Gaynor, The Highwomen, Ashley Monroe, Jillette Johnson, Corrina, The Lone Bellow, Ben Folds, Jim Lauderdale, Hunter Hayes, Lyle Lovett, Malcolm Holcomb, The Revivalists, Lee Brice, Zac Brown Band, Yola, Tenille Townes, Caitlyn Smith, Brent Eldredge, Christina Perri, Tommy Prine, Ashley McBryde and more.

Her most recent note-able projects include producing, engineering and mixing Jason Isbell’s solo album ‘Foxes In The Snow’ at the infamous Electric Lady Studios in NY, John Prine’s last recorded song which won two GRAMMY awards in 2021 for ‘I Remember Everything’, Jason Isbell’s albums ‘Weathervanes’, ‘Reunions’ and ‘Georgia Blue’, Ashley Monroe’s album ‘Rosegold’, Chris Stapleton’s Grammy winning album ‘Starting Over’, Corrina’s single “Too Much”, Brittney Spencer’s single “Sober & Skinny”, Caitlyn Smith’s album “High & Low”, Ashley McBryde’s Grammy nominated album “Lindeville” and Blind Boys of Alabama’s Grammy nominated single “The Message” Featuring Black Violin.

Leslie Richter – Nashville-based producer and recording engineer

After earning her B.S. in Recording Industry: Production and Technology in 1999, she began her career as a staff engineer at the acclaimed Ocean Way Studios in Nashville. There, she not only developed her ear and style working on countless award-winning records but also gained experience in studio wiring and electronics by decommissioning and rebuilding several large-format consoles.

In 2008 she joined Ben Folds’ team to bring his then-private studio (Historic RCA Studio A) back to life for commercial use. Since handing the reigns of Studio A over to producer Dave Cobb and his team, Leslie continues to work as a freelance producer/engineer/mixer in the Nashville area. She is an active member of Audio Engineering Society and The Recording Academy, having served on the Nashville Chapter’s Board of Governors, as co-chair of the Nashville Producers & Engineers Wing, on the P&E Wing Steering Committee and Advisory Council, and as a mentor in the GrammyU mentorship program. She’s both an ally and an advocate who supports organizations such as Women’s Audio Mission, Soundgirls, She is the Music, and Change the Conversation. She’s also a member of Leadership Music class of 2022.

Leslie’s credits and clients have grown into a delightfully eclectic cast of characters, including Sheryl Crow, Spoon, Sara Bareilles, Wynonna, John Hiatt, Kacey Musgraves, Jim Lauderdale, Ben Folds, Elizabeth Cook, Jessi Alexander, and Brandy Clark.

In addition to her work in the industry, Leslie is grateful for the opportunity to educate and mentor our next generation(s) of creators. She is a witness to how much Belmont University has grown and looks forward to being part of its continued growth.

Rachael Moore – Grammy-nominated producer, mixer, and audio engineer (Elvis Costello, Bob Dylan)

Rachael Moore is a Grammy-Nominated producer, mixer, and audio engineer based in Nashville TN, known for her intuitive, artist-first approach to sound. With credits spanning major studio films and TV shows, award-winning indie projects, and nationally broadcast campaigns, Rachael has built a reputation as a trusted creative partner who leads with precision, empathy, and deep musical fluency.

She spent a number of years working alongside legendary producer T Bone Burnett as his engineer and mixer, and has collaborated with artists such as Robert Plant, Alison Krauss, Elvis Costello, Jessica Simpson, and Charles Kelley. In 2022, Rachael served as the overall music producer for the Emmy-nominated Showtime series George & Tammy, starring Jessica Chastain and Michael Shannon — overseeing and producing all of the music for the series. Known for her calm, collaborative presence in the studio, she creates spaces where artists feel safe, supported, and fully expressed. Rachael is passionate about demystifying the studio process and creating more inclusive spaces in music and post-production. Her personal motto is simple: Do the scary stuff.

Piper Payne – Mastering Engineer (Dolly Parton, Janis Ian)

Piper Payne, a Mastering Engineer based in Nashville, TN, is known for her dedication to audio quality and equality. After moving her mastering studio to Nashville, she ventured into vinyl manufacturing, opening Physical Music Products, which, through Piper’s innovations, has set industry leading turn times and quality benchmarks. As a former National Trustee of the Recording Academy and Co-Chair of the P&E Wing Steering Committee, Piper actively promotes diversity and inclusion in the industry. With a background in music and a focus on technical excellence, she approaches mastering and manufacturing as a blend of feel and precision. Piper shares her expertise in mastering and recording as an esteemed audio professor and frequent guest lecturer. Her impressive discography includes notable artists like Janis Ian, Madame Gandhi, Dolly Parton, The Go-Go’s, and more.

brandy ZDAN (zuh-dan) – Canadian artist & Record producer based in Nashville TN

After two JUNO nominations (Canada’s Grammy) and years on the road as a session guitarist, ZDAN carves out a rock n roll/post punk sound reminiscent of the Runaways, Bikini Kill, with some 80’s Bryan Adams thrown in the mix. She is also quickly making her name as a sought out record producer with her dark and raw sensibility, approach of serving the song, and creating a sonic palette unique to the artists she works with. As heard on her latest work with Oh Boy Records artist Emily Scott Robinson, Heather mae and The Wild ponies.

Diana Walsh is an audio engineer, mixer, and producer based in Nashville, TN.

Heavily influenced by the sonic warmth of early records produced at classic studios such as RCA Studio B, Motown, and Van Gelder Studio, Diana approaches each project with a balance of both classic and modern recording techniques. Her process for tracking and mixing records incorporates a hybrid of “in-the-box” digital tools and analog outboard equipment, allowing her work to retain the harmonically rich, saturated qualities of analog while meeting today’s high-fidelity standards.

Diana’s engineering and mixing credits span a wide range of genres and artists, including work with JD McPherson, Amanda Shires, Jessica Simpson, Wild Rivers, and numerous independent artists throughout Nashville and the East Coast.

A musician herself, Diana is a firm believer that the key to a great record is a great performance. Her role as an engineer is to capture that performance with clarity and character, while preserving its soulful nuances. Whether engineering a session or mixing a record, Diana’s goal is always to bring the artist’s sonic vision to life with authenticity and impact.

Anika Heywood is an audio engineer based in Nashville, Tennessee.

After earning their Audio Engineering degree from Belmont University in 2023, Anika became a staff engineer at Ocean Way Studios, following an internship during their senior year. Ocean Way has enabled them to stay connected to their roots as a string player while also branching out to work with clients like Sony (Death Stranding 2), Amazon (Tis The Grinch Holiday Podcast), and The Aeolians (An Old Fashioned Christmas).

Anika has a passion for promoting inclusivity in the industry and capturing genuine emotions in the moment. They hope to continue fostering diversity and collaboration through their memberships with the Audio Engineering Society and the Nashville artist collective, Cool Girl.

Corrina – Singer and Songwriter

Corrina’s voice is as captivating as the open-hearted lyrics she crafts. With the release of her debut album, HOUSE ON ANOTHER STREET, the indie pop singer/songwriter is establishing herself as an artist to watch. Drawing from a blend of folk, rock, and pop influences, Corrina’s music is a mosaic of her heroes, infused with her own unique perspective and sound. She wears her heart on her sleeve, and the depth of her lyricism is a reflection of that vulnerability. Corrina’s raw emotion, sincerity, and undeniable authenticity, make her an artist you want to root for.

For those who crave something real, Corrina is your girl!

Larissa Maestro is a composer, cellist, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and arranger, based in Nashville. Their work as an artist is broad and varied, a testament to a deep love of creation, expression, and collaboration.

Larissa was named “Instrumentalist of the Year” at the 2022 Americana Music Awards, and is the first cellist and first member of the Asian American Pacific Islander community to receive the award. Since arriving in Nashville in 2007, Larissa has co-founded a community orchestra (The Nashville Concerto Orchestra), joyfully screamed 90s covers to thousands of people with local supergroup My So-Called Band, started a Star Trek podcast (Into the Wormhole with Larissa and Lauren), created countless string arrangements for recordings and live performances, and appeared on stages big and small, in person and on network television.

The list of artists with whom they have recorded, collaborated, and/or performed is as diverse as their interests: Hozier, Allison Russell, Wendy & Lisa, Chaka Khan, Eminem, Ruby Ibarra, Margo Price, Gillian Welch & Dave Rawlings, Mickey Guyton, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Jake Wesley Rogers, John Legend, H.E.R. & Daniel Caesar, Toni Braxton, Cam, Brandi Carlile, and more. They are currently writing and recording a solo pop/chamber music project called MZTZA.

As a composer, Larissa has used chamber music to express their rich inner world, relationship to their neurodivergence, and identity as a Filipinx-American. Their compositions have been performed by Julian Schwarz (cello), Patrick Dailey (countertenor), ALIAS Chamber Ensemble, Lockeland Strings, La Vie Quartet, The Nashville Concerto Orchestra, and members of the Nashville Symphony. They have been commissioned twice as a composer for the Nashville Ballet, and their second work for dance was featured in the ballet “Anthology” in February 2023. Recently, they provided original score and main title music for the Max docu-series “Justice USA”, which documented the stories of several people’s experience with the Nashville justice system.

Joanna is a Nashville-based audio engineer.

While earning her Bachelor’s degree in Audio Production from Middle Tennessee State University, she gained hands-on experience through an internship at Omnisound Studios, where she was introduced to the vibrant world of Nashville sessions. She went on to work under Joe Carrell at Treasure Isle Studios, sharpening her technical skills and learning the nuances of professional studio work.

For the past three years, Joanna has been a staff engineer at the legendary Sound Emporium Studios, where she has had the privilege of assisting many respected artists and engineers across a wide range of projects. She is passionate about fostering equity and representation in audio on a personal and industry-wide level.

WAMCon is made possible by our sponsors:

WAMCon Sponsorship Opportunities: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nWwFU3-Qt0Q63ADsPinORsu76VaBUFdE/view?usp=sharing

About Women’s Audio Mission

Women’s Audio Mission is a San Francisco-based nonprofit dedicated to the advancement of women and gender-expansive people in music production and the recording arts, fields in which they are critically underrepresented. WAM uses music and media arts training, mentorship, and conferences to serve over 2,500 women, girls, and gender-expansive people annually in order to inspire them to amplify their voices and become the music producers, recording engineers and innovators of tomorrow. In a field where women are critically underrepresented (less than 5%), WAM seeks to “change the face of sound” by providing hands-on training, experience, career counseling and job placement in media technology for music, radio, film, television and the internet. WAM believes that women/gender-diverse individuals’ mastery of music technology and inclusion in the production process will expand the vision and voice of media and popular culture. For more information, visit www.womensaudiomission.org.

About Bonnaroo Works Fund
Somewhere near the top of the Bonnaroo festival’s to-do list is “change the world.” So, in 2009, the Bonnaroo Works Fund was created as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization for the festival. Thanks to the generosity and support of fans around the world, BWF contributes to remarkable nonprofits helping communities thrive.

About EqualizeHer

EqualizeHer is the vision of two powerhouse women – multi-hyphenate music phenom Linda Perry and music-loving philanthropist Alisha Ballard – created to increase the number of young women enjoying successful careers in music by increasing access to professional training and hands-on experience. EqualizeHer is their shared mission, and they invite you to join them.

About Gold Pacific Studios

Gold Pacific Studios is a premier recording and production studio located in the heart of Berry Hill in Nashville, Tennessee. Known for its state-of-the-art facilities, approachable and comfortable ambiance, and commitment to sonic excellence, Gold Pacific Studios provides artists, producers, and songwriters with a creative space to bring their musical visions to life. With world-class engineers, cutting-edge equipment, and an atmosphere that inspires, the studio has become a trusted destination for both emerging talent and industry veterans.

Gold Pacific Studios expanded to Nashville in the second half of 2024, building on years of success with its flagship studio in Newport Beach, California. Studio co-owner Alisha Ballard has utilized the studio space to further the impact of her own music-centered initiatives, Inherit the Music and EqualizeHer offering professional training and hands-on experience to women and the next generation of musicians.

Pricing and Refunds:
Attendees can receive refunds up to 7 days before the event start date. Registration is non-transferable and will not be available once the event begins. If you are a WAM member or Academy student, please email education@womensaudiomission.org for your discount code.

Important Note:
Women’s Audio Mission focuses on increasing the gender balance in audio production and technology sectors. Less than 5% of the population employed in these sectors are women or gender-expansive people. Though we will not turn anyone away, there are limited spots available in our events, and they often sell out, so we ask that if you are not a woman (transgender or cisgender), non-binary, gender-expansive, or gender non-conforming, you reconsider registering or, alternatively, donating the price of a ticket. We thank you for your understanding in advance and for joining us in our mission to advance women, girls, and gender-expansive people in music production and the recording arts.

Photo Release:
Please note that by purchasing a ticket for this event, you are granting Women’s Audio Mission and its staff, volunteers, professional photographers, and the media the absolute right and permission to take during the event and to use and publish photographs of you, still or moving, with or without your name, and to reproduce same through any media, for artistic, promotional, advertising, web content, or other commercial and non-commercial purposes, and you shall not be entitled to any monetary compensation of any kind in respect thereof. We appreciate your support of WAM and our ability to share with our funders the work that we do to serve women and gender-expansive artists in audio.