The Professional Audio Manufacturers Alliance (PAMA), in partnership with Shure Incorporated, has been offering the Mark Brunner Professional Audio Scholarship for the past three years. The organizations recently checked in with the program’s first graduate, Emma Brooks, to see what course her career has taken since graduating magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in Music Production and Engineering from Berklee College of Music in December 2022.
During her studies at Berklee, Brooks had a two-year internship at Dolby, and was able to use that experience to secure a full-time position at the company. She has relocated to Los Angeles to be part of the Dolby organization. As a member of Dolby’s Music Partnerships team, Brooks leads and manages Dolby’s global music studio onboarding process and provides technical consultation to the music industry in support of content creation best practices and music studio workflows. She collaborates closely with third-party resellers, manufacturer partners, and the creative community to ensure alignment on the ideal design and implementation principles for Dolby Atmos® music rooms.
Brooks was given a major boost toward her academic and professional goals as a two-year recipient of the Mark Brunner Professional Audio Scholarship. She notes, “I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to PAMA and Shure for their passion, mentorship, and support over the past two years. The Mark Brunner scholarship is a wonderful way to continue an inspiring legacy of education and advocacy in the professional audio community. Thank you PAMA and Shure for this opportunity, I look forward to following the journeys and careers of future recipients!”
On behalf of PAMA, Chris Regan, chair of the board of directors, stated, “Emma was our very first Mark Brunner Scholarship recipient, and the first to complete her program and enter the professional world. We are extremely proud to see her thriving and claiming a position of responsibility that reflects her dedication to her studies and the ideals that Mark stood for. We wish her all the success in the future!”
About the Mark Brunner Professional Audio Scholarship
Mark Brunner, a long-time Shure executive, a past president of PAMA and a leading voice in the professional audio community, had an unwavering passion for education and mentorship throughout his career. An annual scholarship was established in his name by PAMA and Shure. Each $2,000 scholarship is offered annually to students worldwide who are pursuing an education in professional audio.
While President of PAMA from 2011-2013, and through years of service on its Board of Directors, Brunner provided a consistent voice to the strategic direction of PAMA and its role in advancing the professional audio industry. Mark joined Shure in 1989 and during his tenure held several key positions, including Director of Advertising and Managing Director of the Musical Instrument and Touring Sound business unit. Most recently, Mark was Vice President of Global Corporate & Government Relations, where he worked on numerous industry issues, including the FCC rules for wireless device operation/frequency, spectrum allocation, and lobbied to protect the wireless microphone market sector. Additionally, he was a prominent member of The Recording Academy Producers & Engineers Wing Manufacturers Council, where he frequently shared his views on legislative wireless white space and broadband issues as well as other related industry matters.
Individuals and companies interested in supporting the Mark Brunner Professional Audio Scholarship fund may donate via the PAMA website here. PAMA is appreciative of all donations that honor Mark’s legacy and support students pursuing careers in the professional audio industry.
For more information, please go to https://www.pamalliance.org/scholarship.
Photo file 1: EmmaBrooks.JPG
Photo caption 1: Emma Brooks
About PAMA:
Founded in 2003 and celebrating its 20th anniversary, the Professional Audio Manufacturers Alliance (PAMA) is the collective voice and forum for the leading manufacturers of professional audio products and the people who use them. PAMA member companies conduct business worldwide in support of high-quality audio across a wide range of industries – pursuing the state of the art in technology and practice to enable audio professionals to elevate their craft and delight listeners and audiences every day. PAMA’s mission is to promote awareness and appreciation of high-quality professional audio through market leadership, communication and education. Our core customers are pro-audio professionals around the world with an interest in promoting high-quality audio. Learn more at www.pamalliance.org.
