The Hosts
David Lowry
David Lowry was first attracted to the guitar at the young age of twelve. By the age of fifteen he had surpassed many teenagers’ wildest dreams as he performed regularly in bars as a part of various cover bands emulating rock icons such as Winger, Slaughter, Firehouse, Bone Angels, XYZ and Johnny Lang. During the early years of his career David also held the position of “guitar tech” for Shrapnel recording artist Todd Duane, David’s primary guitar instructor, as well as R&B Billboard chart toppers Mint Condition. Deftly skilled in all areas of music, from the technical to the creative, David has also worked with some of the Minneapolis Jazz legends on charting projects for the local jazz scene while developing a personal teaching curriculum for guitar theory. A graduate of Musicians Technical Training Institute in Minneapolis, MN in 1996, David has expanded his reach in the music industry to record music for HeadGames Publishing, now Activision Value on their best selling series of games for PC with Matt Fink (Dr. Fink) formerly of Prince and the Revolution.
David joined Difference United in 2006 and launched his new creative outlet immediately launched a tour through the Eastern European country of Romania. Since then the band has toured the United States, China and India.
In response to an overwhelming number of Nashville-based musicians seeking his management, in 2008 David founded The Lowry Agency. The Lowry Agency is a full service artist management/development and promotions agency. David and his dedicated, passionate team, work with musicians, actors, speakers, authors, voice over artists, entertainment companies, music coordination/supervision for film and TV. They strive to help their clients identify and fulfill their clients’ entertainment and business goals. The Lowry Agency’s talent roster has included such stars as Damon Johnson, Brother Cane, Juno Award winning songwriter & Candian Idol host Sass Jordan, TV personality Todd Newton, and up and coming rocker Goldy Locks.
In 2010 David launched the popular blog talk radio show “Live From Music City.” The show won the “Shorty” award for best radio show on twitter in its very first year of operation. The show focuses on how to make it in the music business with both music business professionals and successful artists who share their music business experience. David has interviewed guests such as The Oak Ridge Boys, King’s X, Billy Ray Cyrus, The Guess Who, Richie Kotzen, Tommy Emannuael, CJ Snare, Jesse James Dupree, Andy Timmons, Sass Jordan, Foghat, Warrant, Damon Johnson, Gunnar Nelson, Little River Band, Rik Emmett, Neil Zazza and Ambrosia
More information about The Lowry Agency and David Lowry can be found on www.thelowryagency.com.
Meloday-Ann Jones Kaufmann
Melody-Ann Jones Kaufmann
Melody-Ann Jones is an author, an old school nerd, and a techno-genius with feminist tendencies. The daughter of a Trekker, she’s seen every Star Wars movie & E.T. on the big screen, as well as watching Dr. Who and TNG every time it was on.
The Atari 2600 infected her with a love of video games and the Conan movies introduced her to Sword and Magic Fantasy which led her to trade in Nancy Drew for Tolkien. Reading everything she could get her hands on from Card, Howard, and Heinlein, to Lovecraft, and Boyett eventually strated long running love triangle with R.A. Salvatore’s work, Stephen King’s work, and Robin Cook’s work.
At the age of 18, Akira, opened the door to the realm of Japanese animation, and she immediately fell in love with the art style. She is a rabid collector of both Anime and Manga to the extent that her pocketbook will bear.
An avid Comic book fan she is a Storm fan-girl (with a hatred for Halle Berry) a collector of comics since before the birth of Image Comics. Witchblade, Darkness, and Fathom were her best friends through a nasty divorce.
She currently resides in Florida with her husband of seven years, Mr. Awesome, and their two boys Geek 2.0 and Lil’man. and two hyperactive fur covered carbon based lifeforms that the she says the people at the Pet Rescue told her were dogs.
She holds a BS in Computer Science, an MS in Information Security, and works as a Systems Development Analyst V at the University of Florida. SHe is a member of the editorial board for the E-Zine Geek eccentric, writing anime reviews and whatever else her co-editors will let her get by with.
A writer at heart, she writes code by day and fiction by night. Her current works in progress are Science Fiction / Science Fantasy leaning heavily toward cyberpunk. Her preferred genres are Science Fiction (particularly cyberpunk and steampunk) and Fantasy though she’s been known to write a steamy fan fic or two in her younger years.
In her free time she draws, reads, plays MMO’s, RPG’s, hosts a monthly Tabletop night, and plays Shadowrun as an albino gnome rigger with electric blue hair.
More information about Melody-Ann Jones Kaufmann can be found here: http://www.safireblade.com
The Book Reviewers
Tonya Cannarioto
Tonya Cannarioto
A voracious reader since she was a toddler, and an ordained spiritualist, Tonya Cannariato has now presided over the marriage of her love of reading and her love of writing. She’s lived a nomadic life, following first her parents in their Foreign Service career through Africa, Europe, and Asia, and then her own nose criss-crossing America as she’s gotten old enough to make those choices for herself. She’s currently based in Milwaukee with her three loves: her husband and two Siberian Huskies. She suspects her Huskies of mystical alchemy with their joyous liberation of her muse and other magical beings for her inspiration. She loves to sleep, to watch her interesting dreams, some of which are now finding new life in written form.
You can find out more about Tonya Connarioto here: http://www.tmycann.com
Club Fantasci 