Music Production Authorities Kala Sherman and Dave Wittman Launch Travis + Maude

Seasoned executive producer Kala Sherman and award-winning creative director/composer Dave Wittman, former leaders and long-time collaborators at top music production company Elias Arts, have teamed up to launch new music production company Travis + Maude.

Sherman and Wittman collectively have over two decades of experience creating original compositions for commercials, feature films and web content, having worked with clients such as Nike, Pepsi and Taco Bell. The relationships they have built through their careers have allowed them to achieve a remarkable level of success at the outset of their company, having already contributed to two impressive World Cup spots for ESPN, “Time Zone” and “Global Issues” out of Weiden & Kennedy NY.

Named after Sherman’s two hounds, Travis + Maude is a digitally savvy consultancy that is poised to redefine the existing music shop model. “Brands recognize the importance of the digital space, but most are still trying to figure out what works creatively,” notes Wittman, whose viral video “Whole Foods Parking Lot” has over five million views on YouTube. “Musically driven content is powerful, but it’s the authenticity and the craft that make it work. We have a pretty unique pairing in that respect.”

Sherman and Wittman have taken a distinctly hands-on approach to the projects at Travis + Maude and remain intimately involved in each step of the creative and production process. “It feels good to be completely vested and to build and nurture all of our own relationships,” explains Sherman. “We’re young enough to be enthusiastic and innovative, but have enough experience to do our jobs efficiently and consistently with major agencies and brands.”

Equipped with meaningful relationships with top-tier record label executives, publishers, artists and songwriters, the duo will combine these affiliations with their knowledge of agency operations to act as a conduit between artists and brands. “The idea is to make music an active part of the process again. It’s one of the most powerful and impactful parts of good creative work, but it’s also extremely subjective. The trick is to take all the resources and opportunities out there and make sense of them for our clients,” says Wittman.

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About Kala Sherman:

Kala has been producing music in the commercial world for over ten years, most recently acting as Executive Producer at Elias Arts. Her experience and talent have enabled her to produce music for clients such as Visa, Nike, BMW, ESPN, Audi, Pepsi, Budweiser, Infiniti and Verizon, to name a few.

Passionate about music since childhood, Kala is also an accomplished vocal performer who got her start in the industry by working in radio, followed by a career doing radio promotions for Columbia Records. She has also worked in the talent and marketing departments at renowned entertainment talent and literary agency, Endeavor, now WME.

About Dave Wittman:

Dave is an award-winning musician, composer and creative director. In 1999, Dave joined Elias Arts where he created scores that have received top honors including a Cannes Lion, CLIO and multiple AICP Awards. Dave has also contributed to the scores of many notable films, including director Dito Montiel’s hits A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints (2006) and Empire State (2013), and most recently, 2014 Tribeca Film Festival Spotlight film Boulevard, starring Robin Williams.

Dave continues to draw attention in the digital world, having been named to The Hollywood Reporter’s “Digital Power 50” in 2012.

About Travis + Maude:

Travis + Maude is a bicoastal music production company.
We offer award-winning composition, sound design and music supervision.
We score films, create musically driven digital content, put on shows…
We enjoy ourselves. We push each other.
We get excited when the phone rings.
We listen, write, and play in real time.
We’re about creative connections and the power of good ideas.