Downhere
Jason Gray
Andrew Peterson
Aaron Shust
High Valley
Me In Motion
Sixteen Cities
Jaime Jamgochian
Bethlehem SkylineOur Staff
Caren Seidle - General Manager
Sports fan, equestrian, and business guru Caren Seidle serves as Centricity’s general manager, overseeing day-to-day operations for the label, monitoring industry trends, and helping develop strategy for the company. She’s also the CFO of Centricity’s parent company, Acorn Ventures, a role she came to with extensive banking and corporate finance experience. Caren, who lives in Philadelphia, spends her time accruing air miles, riding horses, playing golf, and trying to make it home to spend some time with her husband, Chip.
John Mays - Vice President of A&R
John Mays, VP of A&R for Centricity, is one of Christian music’s most respected executives, having worked in A&R at Word, Sparrow, and Star Song Records before serving as president of Benson Records. Over his 35-year career, Mays discovered and signed Point Of Grace, Scott Krippayne, Cindy Morgan, Matt Redman, Nichole Nordeman, Warren Barfield, and the Passion worship recordings. Mays helped found Centricity Music in 2003. He began his career in music at 17 as a musician, eventually landing jobs as a bass player with several bands and many Christian music recordings during the ’80s. Along the way, he co-wrote “Love In Any Language,” a career song for Sandi Patty included in CCM’s list of 100 greatest Christian songs.
The Andrews, TX, native has been married to Dianne for 34 years and continues to brag on his two kids, Kelsey and John Austin, now both in college.
When asked about his life philosophy, John says, “There aren’t too many problems that can’t be helped by a Mac computer, some Mexican food, or a trip to Texas.” Smart man, that John Mays.
Steve Ford - Vice President of Marketing
Steve Ford started as an engineer at LA’s famed Mama Jo’s studio before crossing over to the dark side: marketing. After a stint in artist development and A&R at Sparrow working with Steven Curtis Chapman, BeBe & CeCe Winans, and Out of the Gray, Ford moved onto Star Song and later Myrrh, marketing records by Newsboys, Fernando Ortega, and Amy Grant. He served as general manager at inpop records, signing Superchic(k) and Shane & Shane; he started INO’s rock imprint SRE, where he worked with Skillet, Flyleaf, Disciple, and Decypher Down. At Centricity, Ford oversees all aspects of sales and marketing, including radio, packaging, and hair product endorsements. Ford lists racquetball and “books” as his hobbies, which occupy what free time isn’t spent discovering obscuro new music.
Jeff Berry - Vice President of Artist Management/Eaglemont Entertainment
Jeff Berry earned his MBA at Baylor–and took the logical next step of becoming a worship leader. After teaching for five years at Baylor, Berry departed to lead worship in scenic Abilene, Texas, at an interdenominational Bible study that grew from a hundred students to over a thousand. He developed an interest in artist management out of that experience, and after running a studio and his own management company, he migrated to Tennessee, where he serves as Centricity’s vp of artist management. Jeff is ‘most likely to be listening to conservative talk radio’ at any given moment in the Centricity offices.
For more information on Eaglemont Entertainment, please visit www.eaglemontentertainment.com
Conor Farley - Head of Publishing
Conor Farley did not go to Belmont University, but works in the music business anyway. Go figure. After stints in promotion and marketing at Provident, he settled into an A&R there and later at Word, where he signed Leeland, Brandon Heath, and Meredith Andrews and worked on records by Third Day, Michael W. Smith, and Point Of Grace. He came to Centricity to head up its publishing operation, serving the company’s artists by pitching songs and facilitating song writing. Conor’s hobbies include mowing, surfing, applying the management lessons of The Office U.K.’s David Brent, and performing with the “Caren Seidle Seven,” though he did not specify whether as a singer or a dancer. He is fond also of Nick Hornby books, a sign of his good taste and intelligence.
Guy Zabka - Director of A&R
Guy Zabka provides the eye candy at the Centricity offices. Also, Guy is the label’s A&R director, helping their artists hone their songwriting and craft them into successful recordings. He’s a songwriter himself, with songs recorded by Natalie Grant, Brian Littrell, Joy Williams, and Kenny Rogers. Guy also composed the score for the Academy Award nominated short film, Most. He devotes his spare time to his wife and their three genetically-blessed children, and to fine-tuning his Amazing Race tryout video.
Jennifer Allen - Director of Radio Promotions
By day, Jennifer Allen is Centricity’s mild mannered director of national promotions, helping our artists’ singles get heard on the radio. By night, Jen is a guitar-slinging blues and rock singer, playing regularly around Nashville. Her musical influences cover a lot of ground, from Stevie Ray Vaughn and Led Zeppelin to Diana Krall and classic jazz artists you’d know by one name: Monk, Coltrane, Miles, and Ella. The east Tennessee native came to Centricity with 10 years of industry experience accumulated in promotions at EMI and INO. Her favorite quote is from Judy Garland: “It is better to be a first-class version of yourself than a second-class version of someone else.”
Dianne Mays - Office Manager
Dianne Mays hails from Detroit, but after years in Nashville, she’s successfully transformed into a Southern lady. She manages Centricity’s office in Franklin, plans and implements special events and projects, and coordinates travel for the Centricity family. Dianne started in music as a singer with the Speer Family, where she met John Mays, her husband of 31 years. After nine years in the industry, she took a break to homeschool their two children, John Austin and Kelsey, now college students at University of Tennessee and Middle Tennessee State, respectively. Her hobbies include gardening, indie movie watching, and Texan house-guest hosting. She is also quite proficient with a riding lawnmower.
Joanna Dee - Graphic Designer
Joanna Dee joined Centricity in 2010 after graduating from the O’More College of Design. The Murfreesboro, TN, native, who helps conceive and design websites, album, and promotional materials for the label, says she’s “kind of an old soul.” That’s reflected in her viewing preferences [the Dick Van Dyke Show is her favorite] and love for ‘70s R&B [The O’Jays, Al Green]. She’s also fond of music, like OK Go, Athlete, and Mumford & Sons that are on her current playlist. “Some girls buy shoes, but I buy music,” she says. “Lots of music.” Joanna finds inspiration fitting for a designer in a quote from Picasso: “Everything you can imagine is real.”
Jon Sell - Manager of National Promotions
Jon Sell, Centricity’s manager of national promotions, started at Centricity as an intern for VP of Artist Management Jeff Berry. Upon graduation from Belmont University, he shifted into a full-time role in promotions under marketing VP Steve Ford. Like most of his colleagues at the label, Sell likes Mumford & Sons, Mutemath, and Jon Foreman; he cites The Lord of the Rings as favorite films and books, along with a recent Bonhoeffer biography. When he’s not working with radio stations, the Ohio native enjoys basketball and tennis, going to the park with Buddy the Doberman, and spending time with his soon to be wife Caitlin.