GRAMMY Museum Restructures Organization To Expand Music Education And Digital Initiatives

The GRAMMY Museum® today announced a senior staff reorganization, including the creation of three key senior leadership positions: Vice President of Finance and Administration; Vice President of Education for GRAMMY In The Schools®; and Vice President of Artist Relations, Programs, and Content. Key features of the restructure include expanding the education department's national music education programs, otherwise known as GRAMMY In The Schools programs, such as GRAMMY Camp®, which will be led by David R. Sears, the Museum's new Vice President of Education for GRAMMY In The Schools. Additionally, Hilary Fahlsing now leads the Finance and Administration team as Vice President and Lynne Sheridan has been promoted to Vice President of Artist Relations, Programs, and Content. Sears, Fahlsing and Sheridan will all continue to report to Michael Sticka, GRAMMY Museum President.

"As President of the GRAMMY Museum, it is my responsibility to ensure that everything we do helps to further our mission of celebrating our musical heritage and increasing access to music education, which is why we find it crucial to expand our education and digital initiatives," said Sticka. "I'm thrilled to have Hilary, David, and Lynne join GRAMMY Museum COO Rita George on our expanded leadership team to continue enriching the impact of the Museum and our programs in Los Angeles, nationally and digitally."

New Functional Alignments

As Vice President of Finance and Administration, Fahlsing will be responsible for the fiscal management of the Museum, including finance and accounting, legal, human resources, and insurance/risk management, and will serve as a staff liaison to the Board of Directors.

As Vice President of Education for GRAMMY In The Schools, Sears will be responsible for the Museum's renowned GRAMMY Camp, the Music Educator Award™, career-based education programs, as well as growing the Museum's regional and national education programs and initiatives.

As Vice President of Artist Relations, Programs, and Content, Sheridan will continue to run the Museum's popular Public Programs, as well as oversee its first digital content department. She will also continue to lead artist relations and manage the production team.

The changes take effect Aug. 1.

Hilary Fahlsing joined the GRAMMY Museum in 2018 and has more than a decade of experience in nonprofit finance, administration and operations. After beginning her career in marketing, Fahlsing fell in love with the nonprofit world when she chose to volunteer for Susan G. Komen for the Cure upon learning of her mother-in-law's breast cancer diagnosis. During her tenure at Komen, Fahlsing went from being an unpaid volunteer to becoming the director of operations for the Los Angeles County affiliate. She continued in the nonprofit sector at Toberman Neighborhood Center as CFO, followed by the Hammer Museum as director of finance & human resources. Fahlsing worked at the Hammer Museum for nearly five years serving as a key member of the senior management team and has developed an expertise in museum finance. She has consulted for other nonprofits and has helped organizations navigate significant change from growth to acquisition to other transformations. Fahlsing has a B.A. from UCLA and her M.B.A. from Loyola Marymount University.

David R. Sears has been a part of the Recording Academy family for more than 25 years and was integrally involved with the development and successful implementation of all of the former GRAMMY Foundation's national education initiatives (e.g., GRAMMY In The Schools, GRAMMY® Career Day, GRAMMY SoundChecks®, GRAMMY Camp, Music Educator Award, GRAMMY Signature Schools, GRAMMY Session, and others). His professional background is multifaceted, including being a public high school music educator, professional musician, music director, composer, arranger, conductor, producer, and more. Over his long music career he has worked with highly-regarded individuals in the industry, including GRAMMY winners. Sears is a lifetime voting member of the Recording Academy; a member of the College Music Society Career Development and Entrepreneurship Committee, the Advisory Committee of the Herb Alpert Music Center at Los Angeles City College, the American Society of Composers, Authors & Publishers (ASCAP), and the American Choral Directors Association. He is also a published contributor to the symposium Tanglewood II - Summoning The Future of Music Education and conceived the book of lesson plans Careers Through Music - Building Employable Skills In Your Music Class. Sears did his undergraduate and graduate college work at California State University, Los Angeles.

A 30-year music industry veteran, Lynne Sheridan has been with the GRAMMY Museum since its inception in 2007. At the Museum, Sheridan created its well-known Public Programs series, booking and producing nearly 1,000 artist interviews and performances, film screenings, and panel discussions with artists such as Andrea Bocelli, Brandi Carlile, Common, Public Enemy, Haim, La Santa Cecilia, John Legend, Shawn Mendes, Stevie Nicks, Mavis Staples, Ringo Starr, Sting, Barbra Streisand, Jack White, Brian Wilson, X, and more. Sheridan previously worked in New York City at both Columbia Records and Epic Records, Tommy Boy Music, and the Bob Dylan Music Company. She has booked and produced panels, programs, showcases and concerts at SXSW in Austin, Americana Music Festival & Conference in Nashville, and various tribute shows at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Sheridan has also produced concerts such as Like a Complete Unknown: A Concert Celebrating the Music of Bob Dylan with the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles, collaborated with the New York Performing Arts Library at Lincoln Center on various programs, as well as co-produced all five Woody Guthrie Centennial Concert celebrations that took place across the United States in 2012. Sheridan has a B.A. from New York University.

Don't Miss a Music News Story Sign up for all the news on the Spring season, discounts & more...