Founded in 2009 by music industry veteran Jake McKim, Birch Street Music, LLC specializes in A&R and artist development services. Most record labels no longer have the time, means, or staff to develop artists for release to market. We strive to fill that void.
Artist Development:
Birch Street Music's incubator division Amp U is a cutting-edge artist development program based in L.A., NYC, Nashville, Houston and Dallas, Tx. Major record labels, managers, publishers and independent artists have utilized this program to nurture talent from studio to stage. Learn more at http://www.ampumusic.com.
About The Owner:
Jake McKim's ascension through the ranks of the music industry has been swift and focused. Most recently he was brought on to A&R and Artist Develop for Beyonce's Parkwood Entertainment. His work with Dot/Big Machine duo Maddie & Tae helped them land at the top of the country charts. Other notable clients have included Solange, award-winning country and pop songwriter Shane Stevens, and Warner Music Group recording artist Anastasia. Jake also launched the nonprofit Amp Ur Room in 2016. AUR brings music and entertainment experiences to the bedsides of cancer patients at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, Tx. among others. Recent visits have included Fifth Harmony, Pentatonix, Luke Bryan, and Maddie & Tae.
Throughout the years, Jake has worked in many capacities in the music industry including A&R, Marketing, Finance, and Video. He is credited on highly-acclaimed, award-winning projects Beyonce "I Am ... Sasha Fierce", Solange's "SoL-AngeL & The Hadley Street Dreams", and Trin-I-Tee 5:7's "T57". Jake also acted in a consulting role on Mathew Knowles' hit MTV show “Breaking From Above” to develop UK-based girl group From Above. In addition he has assisted in the development and release of several highly acclaimed projects such as Kelly Rowland's "Simply Deep", Beyonce's "Dangerously In Love", Destiny's Child's "Destiny Fulfilled", and soundtracks for the movies "Dreamgirls", "Cadillac Records, and "The Fighting Temptations" soundtrack, among many others.
Working alongside Knowles, Jake had a hand in releasing De La Soul's "The Grind Date", Ray J's "Raydiation" and Earth, Wind, & Fire's "Illumination" through a venture with Sanctuary Music Group. In his role as Producer Manager of Knowles' Music World Entertainment, Jake oversaw and guided the careers of a roster of highly-regarded producers and songwriters including Solange, Cam Wallace, and WatchTheDuck. During this time he was instrumental in placing these producers in commercial campaigns with Ford, Wal-Mart, and L'Oreal and on major album releases like Beyonce's "B'Day" and Kelly Rowland's "Ms. Kelly".
Executive Staff:
Alton Hawthorne is the General Manager for Birch Street Music and is someone who is in tune with the pulse of the music industry. Former University of Houston Coog, he interned with the City of Houston's, Mayor's Office of Special Events and Amp Music Academy. His attention to detail and passion for the music business has put him in a position to work amongst major music executives across the country and has made him quite the entertainment consultant. As the General Manager for Birch Street Music, Alton handles A&R administration for artists signed to Beyonce's Parkwood Entertainment and to Epic Records, among others. Within just a few years he has been a sales, marketing and booking consultant, stage producer and event coordinator while co-managing associated Birch Street Music acts. When asked about his future as it pertains to his career he answered, "endless possibilities".