Charlie Mangold, Chief Executive Officer, is an accomplished writer, producer, and thirty-five year veteran of the music industry. He is a graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music with a degree in Jazz Composition, and President of the Mangold Music Foundation, a non-profit organization which provides instruments and training to children in pediatric cancer wards. The Mangold Music Foundation also creates music programs in local communities that could otherwise not afford them. Charlie is a master educator of guitar (acoustic / electric), piano, bass, cello, and voice. His teaching technique focuses on songwriting, instrument proficiency, theory, recording, and production.
Charlie co-produced several projects alongside Phil Ramone with artists Bob Dylan, Billy Joel, and Frank Sinatra. He worked regularly with Grammy Award winning producer Frank Filipetti, who produced Korn and James Taylor. Charlie has written and performed with Sheryl Crow, Sinead O’Connor, and Chaka Kahn, and is a published songwriter for Geffen Music. He has produced tracks for Rod Stewart, Tony Bennett, and Carly Simon among other Atlantic Records artists, and has coached musicians that appeared on NBC’s The Voice.
Charlie has released three original albums - his first offering entitled “Charlie’s Dilemma” was co-produced with Phil Ramone, followed by his second - “I Hate Myself” - with Frank Filipetti. Charlie’s third album, the eclectic “Colon”, features Sean Pelton from SNL and Charlton Pettus (Tears for Fears).
Mike Devaney, Chief Operating Officer, is a musician, songwriter, and software engineer. After studying psychology and computer science at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Mike entered the software field in advertising analytics. As a full stack software engineer specializing in the .NET platform he wrote middleware and backend components, and designed data structures and communication protocols for SaaS applications. He eventually found his way to Olo, an online food-ordering startup, where he became a pioneer developing software in the internet-based food ordering industry alongside partners like Google, Uber Eats, and Doordash. Mike currently does consulting and development work for Red Sky Health, a startup that aims to help medical patients by automatically correcting and resubmitting rejected insurance claims via machine learning.
While spinning up various musical cover projects, Mike studied performance, composition, and production, and trained under instructors Claire Stadtmueller (performances at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center) and Fabienne Erni (Eluveitie, Illumishade). He led the avant-garde band Arcane Malevolence, who released their debut album “Wicked Turn of the Vine” in 2010. Mike went on to form the melodic metal band Lyra, whose most recent EP release entitled “Wanderlust” has met with high critical acclaim in the rock / metal community. Their new effort “True Names” is currently in production.
Allison Jackson, Marketing Director, M.S. CCC-SLP, is a board certified Speech and Language Pathologist with over 20 years of experience rehabilitating adults and children with voice, communication, and swallowing disorders. At Vega, Allison works with clients who face issues as a result of vocal misuse, injury, or surgery. She also trains and supports students who place high demands on their voice for their profession or hobby.
Allison works in acute care settings at Fairfield County hospitals and runs her own private practice. She earned her Masters of Science in Speech and Language Pathology from Columbia University, and her Bachelors of Science in Communication Disorders from Boston University. She is licensed to practice in CT and NY.
Allison handles marketing and advertising directives alongside her teaching initiatives.
Vinny Nobile is an international performer who has played with acclaimed bands including BimSkalaBim, The Trummtones, and Pilfers.
He is a twenty-five year veteran of individual tutoring, group lessons, classroom instruction, and conducting large and small ensembles. He teaches a wide variety of disciplines including curricula on trombone, trumpet, piano, guitar, songwriting, and performance. Vinny is in his element teaching a group of young students, or an individual lesson with a journeyman or expert musician.
He attended The Juilliard School, and graduated from New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. He currently teaches at Whitby School in Greenwich.
Michael Pontecorvo is an executive in recorded music business, digital music consumption, and marketing. He develops innovative artistic marketing campaigns that drive awareness and revenue. He has built the record labels Downtown Records and 30th Century Records into global success stories and valued brands.
Michael’s career highlights are riddled with a number of household names, including:
Breeders, Natalie Merchant, Better Than Ezra, Moby, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Hanson, Madonna, Deftones, Alanis Morissette, Lenny Kravitz, Rolling Stones, and Gnarls Barkley.
Rob Miliaresis is an accomplished teacher and songwriter. He attended the Berklee College of Music majoring in guitar and piano, and is a published arranger and composer. He has extensive experience touring, and has taught at New Canaan Music, Giuliano’s School of Music, and Greenwich Music.
Rob performs at a revolving set of venues, and loves bringing his experience and knowledge to students who might not regularly have access to musical education. He works closely with the Mangold Music Foundation running the ASPIRE program, a group-oriented musical education forum for students to learn guitar, ukulele, piano, and songwriting.
Kelly Nolan is a professional vocalist performing in and around the greater NYC and tri-state area. Her experience includes years of live performance and recording (pop, rock, R&B, country), as well as work in theater and choral music. Studying with top classical and Broadway vocal coaches and singing with the National Children's Choir at Carnegie Hall as a young student shaped her experience as a well-rounded expert in vocal styles and techniques.
Kelly brings movement, meaning, and mindfulness to students with her coaching, which has been cultivated by a unique variety of experiences as a young athlete (figure skating and dance), a Reiki practitioner, a Listener Poet (The Good Listening Project), a digital marketing professional, and a specialist in mind-body and somatic therapy modalities. Her holistic view of the voice underscores not only on technical aspects of singing, but also on supporting vocal longevity and the overall well-being of the artist – physically, mentally, emotionally, and energetically. Her individually focused approach to vocal instruction opens a customized pathway for each of her students to develop their unique gifts.
Matt Robins is a guitarist and music teacher. He is currently a senior at Quinnipiac University studying psychology and musical education. Matt enjoys curating playlists and discovering music of different genres and periods. He is passionate about teaching and loves helping students who want to further develop their musical talents. He is also an educator for the Mangold Music Foundation, Vega’s sister company dedicated to providing instruments and guidance to the next generation of excellent young musicians.
Jim O’Neill is a veteran bassist with over four decades of musical experience. He has worked as a production coordinator at Acme Studios dealing in logistics to support musicians, producers, and label executives. He has experience selling high-end guitars and other musical gear, and specializes in the nuances of instrument tone and timbre. As a performer, he is well-versed in pop, classic rock, reggae, funk, country, jam-band, and a multitude of other genres. Jim has recorded and played live extensively with a slew of cover bands and original acts, including Fingersleeve. Jim brings passion to aiding bands in their efforts to perform instinctually as a team by underscoring group dynamics, time-keeping, and proper gain-staged live audio leveling.