Introducing American Songwriter’s 3rd Annual Road Ready Talent Contest Judges Panel

We’re excited to introduce the judges for the 3rd Annual Road Ready Talent Contest! This year’s panel features a seasoned group of music industry professionals who specialize in discovering, developing, and breaking emerging artists. With deep experience across the industry, these judges know what it takes to get artists truly road ready. Keep reading to learn more about the panel and find out how to get your music in front of them!

Darius Zelkha

Longtime manager at Brilliant Corners, guiding the careers of Toro y Moi, Josh Ritter, Real Estate, The Dip, and others.

Dave Hopper

Dave’s music industry career began with stints in live event marketing, artist + tour merchandising and public relations before landing at a Nashville based Artist Mgmt firm in the mid-2000s. During his years there he handled day-to-day management responsibilities for multiple Grammy nominated & winning, Gold + Platinum selling recording artists. While at the company, Dave also helped launch a music publishing arm and was part of signing a roster of talented artists, songwriters & producers.

In 2010, Dave stepped away to launch Violet Hill, a management firm focused on the Record Producers, Songwriters, Recording & Mix Engineers and Artist Projects. Dave is still actively leading Violet Hill today. Current clients have credits with top-tier talent including Taylor Swift, Tate McRae, Shaboozey, BigXthaplug, Hayley Williams, Sia, BTS, ENHYPEN, Niall Horan, Allen Stone, Mae Muller, Cheat Codes, All Time Low, P!nk, Florence + The Machine, Judah & The Lion, The Struts, Andra Day, KIRBY, Raekwon, Yo Gotti, NCT 127, Moon Taxi, Daughtry and many others. As an extension of Violet Hill, Dave also oversees the daily business of the boutique music publishing company, pray for my haters, which he helped launch alongside his management client, Tony Esterly. PFMH currently publishes multiple producer-songwriters & artists who are seeing great success with both artist centric releases as well as numerous sync placements in advertising, film and television.

Jordan Burger

Jordan is a few decades into his live music industry career, primarily as a booking agent, festival curator, artist manager, and touring coach. He’s had the pleasure of booking thousands of tours for hundreds of artists at all levels of touring, from small clubs to large theaters, destination experiences, and festival events.  Jordan has opened offices and developed agency festival teams in both Nashville and New York, and in the pandemic downtime of 2020-2021, transformed his home into a concert amphitheater, employed a professional crew, and curated thirty socially distanced outdoor concerts for the local community.  

Under that “Burgers & Dogs Talent” umbrella, Jordan has been representing headline and festival acts for multiple independent agencies, including Royal Artist Group and Pyramid Entertainment. He has been coaching & mentoring independent touring artists, training managers to book their own tours, and consulting on a festival-VIP-gaming application called Fanaply. Jordan is also curating multiple destination events, forthcoming at Camp Starlight, PA.  You can often find him traveling with his family, though office hours are at music festivals and karaoke joints around the world. If you dig, you can find the episode he won a trip to Barbados on Wheel of Fortune.

Josh Sarubin

In my career, I have held senior A&R positions at Columbia, Arista, Island Def Jam, Sony Music Publishing, and Warner Music. I have also served as Head of A&R/Publishing for Secret Road Music. Overall, I’ve A&R’d records that have sold a combined 60 Million+ units worldwide. Some of the artists I have signed or worked with include Lady Gaga, Avril Lavigne, Santana, Lionel Richie, Pink, Sia, David Guetta, Ingrid Michaelson, Citizen Cope, Butch Walker and Presidents of the United States of America. I have also worked with high-profile international talent like Diljit Dosanjh, Aya Nakamura, JJ Lin, King, Laura Pausini, Tia Ray, Sofia Reyes, Stormzy, Ludmilla, Ckay, and Afrojack.

Larry Webman

Larry Webman is a Senior Vice President at THE TEAM, based in the agency’s New York office, where he represents a diverse roster of globally recognized headliners, including Coldplay, MGMT, Bastille, Dropkick Murphys, Barenaked Ladies and David Gray, alongside a dynamic group of emerging artists such as MICO. Sawyer Hill and Michigander.

Driven by a lifelong passion for music, Larry began promoting concerts while a student at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts.  He was previously the Vice President of Little Big Man Booking, and later served as a Senior Vice President at both Paradigm and Wasserman, building a career defined by artist advocacy and deep industry expertise.

Outside of his professional work, Larry is a dedicated dog rescue advocate, actively volunteering his time and supporting a range of organizations committed to animal welfare.

Rachel Pestik

Rachel Pestik is a seasoned music agent known for her ability to identify talent and connect artists with opportunities for success. With a background in music management, Rachel brings over a decade of experience to her role, helping steward clients’ touring strategies and guiding them toward their career goals.

Rachel has played a pivotal role in the careers of numerous artists, including long-time client Of Monsters and Men, as well as the development of successful brands & businesses such as Emo Nite. Her dedication to nurturing long-term relationships with both artists and industry professionals has earned her the trust and respect of clients and colleagues alike. 

A Florida native, Rachel started at Paradigm Talent Agency as an assistant out of college, where she got her start in the industry booking shows at Club Downunder for Florida

 State University. After a brief stint in artist management at Mick Management, Rachel returned to the agency world, first returning to Paradigm and has been at United Talent for a little over a year.

Outside of her professional endeavors, Rachel is a studio ceramicist, finding creative expression through clay.

Scott Graves

Scott Graves is an industry A&R veteran with Warner Music, Sony Music, and Virgin Records, to name a few. Scott, a tireless supporter and nurturer of talent, is known for the signing of Josh Ritter, Brendan Benson, Langhorne Slim, Lenka, and more.