Richard James Burgess
President & CEO,
A2IM
Dr. Richard James Burgess MBE has produced, recorded, and performed on many gold, platinum, and multi-platinum albums. He was previously head of business at Smithsonian Folkways Recordings where he produced Jazz: The Smithsonian Anthology, chronicling the history of jazz and The Smithsonian Anthology of Hip-Hop and Rap. His career path includes studio musician, touring musician, recording artist, producer, manager, and label owner. He is known for his pioneering work with synthesizers, computers, sampling, EDM, New Romantics, early house music, as the inventor of the SDSV drum synthesizer and for coining the music genre terms EDM and New Romantic. His latest books are, The Art of Music Production: The Theory and Practice, 4th Edition and The History of Music Production (Oxford University Press). Burgess has been listed multiple times as a Power Player and an Independent Power Player by Billboard and has received awards from Music Week, the British Arts Council, the Greater London Arts Association, the Park Lane Group, and the British Council for Education. He was awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in the Queen’s New Year’s Honors list 2022. The American Association of Independent Music (A2IM) is a 501(c)(6) not-for-profit trade organization that serves as a central voice for a diverse community of over 600 independently owned record labels operating within the United States. A2IM represents their interests in the marketplace, in the media, on Capitol Hill, and as part of the global music community. As an organization, A2IM is committed to protecting the value of independent musical contributions and influence on a policy level.