About Ronny Schiff
The Many Ears of Ronny Schiff
Ms. Schiff is a well-respected editor, author, music book producer, musicologist, publisher, audio musician, music programmer, and literary agent, with years of experience in the music industry. Ronny Schiff Productions edits and produces music and trade books, handles print and software licensing, and programs music for venues and audio compilations.
THE BOOKS
Editor, Co-Writer, Agent, Publisher, or Author
Over 2,000 music books and books about music bear Schiff’s name as editor, co-writer, agent, publisher, or author. Several of her music books have received the distinguished Paul Revere Award for overall concept and design excellence. She’s produced books for and worked with artists as diverse as Quincy Jones, Steve Vai, Joni Mitchell, Eric Clapton, Paul McCartney, Iron Maiden, Los Lobos, Billy Childs, and numerous jazz greats. She has served on the staffs at Warner Bros. Publications, Almo (A&M) Publications, Cherry Lane Publications, Dick Grove School of Music, Musicians Institute College of Music, and Hal Leonard Publications.
For Yamaha Music Division, Schiff was chief editor for their massive, multi-media Music in Education project. She has represented and edited many trade books on music that have enjoyed multiple printings including John Braheny’s Songwriting: The Craft & Business, Paul Zollo’s Songwriters on Songwriting, Dick Weissman’s How to Make a Living in Your Local Music Market, Jeff Rona’s The MIDI Companion and The Reel World, Jim Beloff’s The Illustrated History of the Ukulele, Dude McLean’s The Songwriter’s Survival Guide to Success: How to Pitch Your Songs, Richard Niles’s The Pat Metheny Interviews, Ian Whitcomb’s Ukulele Heroes, Sam Trust’s Would You Trust This Man with Your Song? and Shelly Peiken’s Confessions of a Serial Songwriter (that received a Grammy nomination for Best Audio Book, which Schiff produced).
INFLIGHT AUDIO PROGRAMMING
Airlines
Schiff served for 10 years as Vice President of Audio Programming for DMI Music, where she established the Inflight Audio Programming Division by winning the prestigious bid for United Airlines in 1997. She subsequently developed the division to include America West Airlines, Ted Airlines, AMTRAK’s Surfliner, and Air Force 1 and 2. Her Inflight Division won the Avion Awards from the World Airline Entertainment Association in 2001—First Place Overall Channels and Second Place Individual Channel—and placed in the top three in both categories for five years running.
Schiff added a unique twist to audio airline programming by developing a Songwriter Interview channel, plus producing interviews of hundreds of major artists from around the globe, including Sheryl Crow, Carlos Santana, Bill Withers, Paul Rodgers, Mary J. Blige, Andrea Bocelli, Kris Kristofferson, Jason Mraz, Alf Clausen (The Simpsons), Tony Bennett, Jimmy Jam, Dave Brubeck, Tom Petty, The Matrix, Melissa Etheridge, Earth Wind & Fire, Beck, and Rufus Wainwright. For the airlines, she was responsible for overseeing programming of over 1,000 songs every two months in 26 music genres and five languages (English, Mandarin, Japanese, Hindi, Spanish).VENUES, COMPILATIONS
For DMI’s Private Label Radio division, Schiff programmed for clients as diverse as the Ralph Lauren Polo Mansion stores, Sofitel Los Angeles, Saks Fifth Avenue flagship store, Suntrust Banks, and Build-a-Bear Workshops, plus other luxury resorts, restaurants, retailers, and spas. She was a member of the DMI Music team that was awarded the AARP Music-Branding initiative. For the Disc Marketing Special Products division, she produced compilations for their targeted clientele, and served as musicologist to Five Alarm Music Library for film, TV and advertising.
PROFESSIONAL CREDITS
Schiff is a Past President of the California Copyright Conference, past member of the Boards of Directors of The Association of Independent Music Publishers and L.A. Women in Music.
She has taught Music Business and Music History courses at the university level at UCLA Extension (co-instructed The History of Rock ‘n’ Roll course with Michael Ochs), plus Music Business seminars at Cal State Northridge, Pierce College, Cal Poly Pomona, and the Los Angeles Unified School District. She was part of the Curriculum Committee for the establishment of a Master's Degree in Music Industry Studies at California State University at Northridge. She is a Career Counselor at Musicians Institute College of Music in Hollywood.
Her undergraduate major was in Secondary Music Education with a minor in English. Her main instrument was viola, but she also played flute and keyboards; she continues to play guitar, ukulele, and fiddle.