WE ARE THE
WAYFARERS
THE TEAM
DIETER SPEARS
President, Owner
Vice President of Wayfarer Music Group Dieter Spears is the quintessential jack-of-all-trades. His high level of skills and expertise span the worlds of music, film, business and education while garnering one of the finest reputations in all these fields. Dieter has repeatedly been at the forefront of major industry breakthroughs while also employing the latest innovations and technologies to best serve whatever role he is taking on at the time. His reputation for being the ‘first-call” of some of the largest names in multiple industries when the right man to get the job done was needed is exactly what led him to become a crucial part of the Wayfarer family.
WILLIAM DENK
Vice President
William “Billy” Denk is a longtime veteran of the music and entertainment industry. As a musician, the immensely talented Denk is highly regarded in multiple genres ranging from ambient to jazz. His skills in the music industry, however, are not limited to just his commanding musical abilities. Billy is widely known and respected on the business side of the music industry and is highly recognized for his leadership and technical roles serving in various organizations in both entertainment and corporate sectors. His knowledge and prowess in the entertainment and corporate business worlds are precisely why he is more than just a recording artist with Wayfarer Music Group.
CARL RYDLUND
Director of Artist Development/Media Producer
Carl Rydlund is an unbelievably diverse member of the Wayfarer family, serving as a member of our Advisory Board due to his highly successful and in-depth knowledge of the film industry but, also as a highly accomplished recording artist on our roster. However, Carl’s talents expand even further as he is a very experienced recording industry professional and will now be focusing his efforts on the development of upcoming artists for Wayfarer Music Group as well as serving as an in-house Staff Producer. Carl’s incredible list of accomplishments coupled with his vast level of expertise make him the perfect person to team up with Wayfarer to nurture the next generation of artists in our genres.
JOSE “JJ” REYES
Director of Social Media
Wayfarer Music Group’s Director of Social Media is no stranger to Wayfarer music fans. As a Wayfarer staff member, he goes by Jose “JJ” Reyes but, to the rest of the world he is known as the award-winning composer Ambiente Solstice. JJ, not only a truly gifted musician and composer, is also a seasoned business professional with a vast knowledge of information. As one of the first Wayfarers to come onboard during the company’s restructuring, he was instrumental in building Wayfarer’s community-based philosophy. JJ’s dedication to his fellow Wayfarers and his nature to serve others makes him the perfect candidate to lead Wayfarer’s social media efforts into the future.
ALY SUTTON HARRIS
Director of Marketing and Spokesperson
Wayfarer Music Group’s Multimedia Spokesperson Aly Sutton Harris began charming crowds at the University of Georgia where she was a Football Cheerleader for the Georgia Bulldogs. Soon after, she ventured to Los Angeles and joined the renowned ranks of the Barker Beauties on the classic game show, The Price Is Right. In 2006, Aly relocated to Nashville to pursue her career in the entertainment industry quickly becoming the Brand Ambassador for the iconic Vietti Chili where she embodied the brand in multiple outlets including weekly appearances on the Music City Roots variety program for nearly a decade. Aly, a proven entrepreneur as well, is currently enjoying her 13th year as the proud owner of the highly successful Party Belles of Nashville and she’s the lead vocalist of the popular Nashville party band L’80’s Nite. Now, Aly will be serving as the voice of Wayfarer Music Group. She’ll help launch numerous multimedia projects including the newly launched Wayfarer Music Group Visual Radio.
MARK RICHARDSON
Chief Sound Engineer
Highly accomplished recording and mastering engineer Mark Richardson has had a career that most sound professionals can only dream of. Starting in 1983, he managed the technical staff at Electric Lady Studios and Atlantic Records in New York before establishing TM Studios producing hits for Moby, The Strokes, Toni Braxton, Regina Spektor, David Byrne and Grammy-winning projects for Deniece Williams. This morphed into him founding Alchematic Studios in 2007 and eventually setting up shop in Nashville in 2015. Mark is now serving as Chief Mixing and Mastering Sound Engineer for Wayfarer Music Group and its artists.
JJRD
Growth & Development Consultant
JJRD will bring his expertise to Wayfarer Records and help guide its direction in the new ERA of Music in an over saturated world of content creation. Educated at the Montreal Academy of Arts, JJRD is a photographer, art director, conceptual artist, writer & musician. Even though he learned piano and then trombone as a teenager, his fascination with photography would take the front seat when he got his first camera and, not long after, his first darkroom. Music would have to wait… for a long time. In the 80’s & 90’s, he exhibited as a conceptual artist in multiple venues and wrote 4 novels. He also held positions as a graphic designer and art director in several ad agencies. In 2002, he returned to his first passion, photography, with iStock. After a year as a contributing artist, he joined its Content team. In 2006, he became Photography Director then VP Content at Getty Images until 2012. Within Instants Collective, with his wife Hélène, JJRD is still pursuing visual media related ventures. He also takes care of Interzone, an outdoor visual arts festival in his hometown of Shawinigan, Québec. In recent years, music has taken an important part of his creative process & is becoming, as all things he touches, an obsession.