ABOUT
Shana Ballard
Founder of Apex Arts Studios, Shana Ballard was born to a family in the film and music industries in Los Angeles. As a child actor herself she learned at a young age how to navigate the industry. At 9 she joined the orchestra through school and found music to be the most powerful influence in her life. Shana spent a decade working in Broadcast Television with all major networks such as CBS, ABC, Viacom, NBC Universal and FOX. In 2010 with a deep rolodex, Ballard shifted her focus to large scale event planning and founded LCP Events. Following her passion for Real Estate in 2016, Shana became a Realtor. Over the years Ballard has built a dense investment portfolio of startups and real estate, working with various entertainment moguls across Los Angeles.
In 2019 with the help of many influential people in her life she opened Apex Arts Studios, a Los Angeles based recording studio that houses 8 recording studios and a large live room. Her goal was to create a welcoming and homelike environment to bring artists together to collaborate in music and life. In 2021 Shana, alongside her husband Erich, created Apex Arts Music a Publishing and Distribution company to help independent artists properly Publish and Distribute their music. In 2023 she helped launch the education program Of Sound Mind by Apex Arts Studios. The program is designed to help artists grow and educate themselves on all aspects of the music industry including Mental Health and Wellness in the music industry.
Erich Haemmerle
Erich Haemmerle is the Senior VP of Apex Arts Music Publishing and Distribution and the CTO of Apex Arts Studios. As a programmer for over 25 years, he naturally found himself in a world that combined his lifelong passion for music and the arts with the technical aspects of music.
In 1994, Erich entered the medical field and worked as an X-ray technician, assisting in surgeries at his West Hills Orthopedic office. In 1998, he ventured into the tech world and began his programming career in web development for a medical-based website. For the next 24 years, Haemmerle served as a senior web developer for three global resource firms.
In 2021, Shana Ballard and Erich Haemmerle launched Apex Arts Music, a publishing and distribution company that assists independent artists in properly and effectively distributing their music. In 2023, Erich played a key role in launching the education program “Of Sound Mind” by Apex Arts Studios, serving as CTO and industry mentor.
Chris Mattheu
Born to entrepreneurs in one of the hardest working cities in America, Mattheu grew up as the understudy to two time Grammy winner Ryan Lewis. From bedroom production to joining the team at GOOD Music in 2016, Mattheu quickly became accustomed to working with artists in R&B, Pop, and Hip Hop. Since 2016, Mattheu has worked with grammy-winners Anthony Kilhoffer, Brian Morgan, Jeff Bova, and Brian Wilson.
Eric Emery
Grammy-nominated engineer, producer, mixer, and multi-instrumentalist with over a decade of experience working in the music industry. Emery also tours the world as the frontman for the international progressive rock band, Skyharbor. Emery has shared the stage with acts such as Deftones, Babymetal, and Queensryche. With an extensive and diverse client list spanning a myriad of genres, Emery has established himself as one of the premier producers and mix engineers in the Los Angeles area.
Michael Knobbe
Michael is a filmmaker who collaborates with other creators to try and tell compelling stories through traditional filmmaking as well as other forms of new media concepts. Michael has spent over a decade helping others tell their stories and has gone from filming his friends bands performances in living rooms and local clubs around the Tacoma and Seattle area to working on multi-million dollar productions with Lionsgate Productions. Knobbe has also worked with companies like; Anton Bauer, Quest Nutrition and Premier Protein. In 2018, Knobbe graduated with honors from the Los Angles campus for the New York Film Academy with his Associates of Fine Arts Degree.
Nick Raige
Nick Raige is the founder of Raige Marketing, a social media marketing firm built on analytical and targeted branding for over 100 influencers and brands internationally. Since Raige Marketing’s inception, Nick has mobilized his companies to help build musical acts and nearly two dozen musicians, adding extensive width to their fanbase, and ticket sales to their tours. Raige has built a valuable and extensive algorithm for both influencers and brands. Raige’s approach has allowed him to organically grow and develop musicians, brands, and virtually all creatives.
