I am an author, mentor, educator and speaker specializing in songwriting and artist development.

I like to say that my life path was preordained. I came out of the womb singing and dancing, music permeating my whole being. My childhood education included piano, voice, guitar, dance, and acting lessons – a rigorous course for a girl intent on performing.

But, after graduating from USC, I possessed zero connections and lacked nepotistic industry uncles. In that pre-internet era, I floundered. Then, out of nowhere, I met a woman seeking out jobs in the music business. I followed her closely, eventually accepting a job as an assistant at Arista Music Publishing. The publishing division of Arista Records, which was run by the legendary Clive Davis and, along with the label, occupied one floor of a Century City high-rise. During my tenure, I was witness to a music industry masterclass.

A music publisher is the curator of the song and the songwriter and so I learned how to listen to and critique songs, memorized publishing jargon and legalese, and connected with other music aficionados turned industry suits. Over the years my title would get fancier, but I mainly inhabited the role of “song plugger,” taking a songwriter’s songs and ‘plugging’ them into projects.

After seven years at Arista, I was hired to be the General Professional Manager at Screen Gems Music, a division of Capitol/EMI Records where I was assigned to develop my own stable of nubile songwriters. Housed in an old building on Sunset, Screen Gems displayed a more creative atmosphere. This is where I signed and developed Scott Cutler, Rick Nowles, and Jennifer Kimball. While those projects demanded years of work, the immediate emotional payoff came from relationships with titans like Carole King, Gerry Goffin, Barry Mann, and Cynthia Weil, whose catalogs we controlled.

In 1988, when mergers and acquisitions plagued the music industry, Time Inc. bought Warner Music Group causing a ripple effect throughout the industry. Subsequently, Warner Music Publishing bought Chappell Music Publishing, thereby becoming the world’s largest publishing company boasting one million copyrights. I was hired in 1989 and spent 20 years signing, developing, and managing staff songwriters – writers who seek out cuts with artists – such as John Shanks, Julian Bunetta, Kevin Kadish, and Wayne Kirkpatrick and singer-songwriters – writers who release their own recordings.

My first artist signing was Sheryl Crow and after her success, I became known as the chick-singer songwriter publisher. I subsequently signed Jewel, Michelle Branch, Joy Williams, and Katy Perry.

No one loved the music business more than me, but in 2005 I became frustrated as we transitioned into the cyber age. A recession tightened my power of purse preventing my investment in new writers and my colleagues were fired arbitrarily. Austerity won out while the creative process was sacrificed.

By the time I decided to leave in 2009, I had the plan to create my own company based on my motto: “It All Starts With Song.”

I realized that what I loved most about my job was development, being able to give someone the feedback they need in order to succeed and so The Judy Stakee Company was born. My intention is to guide songwriters by inspiring, nurturing, and protecting their creative process; which is the time, space, and tools given to create their life and career. I offer my services through one-on-one consultations, song critiques, monthly master classes, and fabulous songwriting retreats. Retreats are a chance for songwriters to take a week off of their lives and surround themselves with education, inspiration, community, and great food in order to challenge themselves.

Guiding and mentoring songwriters to express their feelings through story and music is my passion and a dream come true. And, I believe that our dreams become more meaningful when they are tied to the betterment of the community. How meaningful than to write a song that the whole world can benefit from forever and ever?