Musical ensemble

A musical ensemble, also known as a music group, is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music, typically known by a distinct name. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families (such as piano, strings, and wind instruments) or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles. In jazz ensembles, the instruments typically include wind instruments (one or more saxophones, trumpets, etc.), one or two chordal "comping" instruments (electric guitar, piano, or organ), a bass instrument (bass guitar or double bass), and a drummer or percussionist. In rock ensembles, usually called rock bands, there are usually guitars and keyboards (piano, electric piano, Hammond organ, synthesizer, etc.) and a rhythm section made up of a bass guitar and drum kit.

Classical chamber music

In Western classical music, smaller ensembles are called chamber music ensembles. The terms duet, trio, quartet, quintet, sextet, septet, octet, nonet and dectet describe groups of two up to ten musicians, respectively. A group of eleven musicians, such as found in The Carnival of the Animals, is called either a hendectet or an undectet (see Latin numerical prefixes). A solo is not an ensemble because it only contains one musician.

Warner Music Group

Warner Music Group (WMG), also known as Warner Music, is an American major global record company headquartered in New York City. The largest American-owned music conglomerate worldwide, it is one of the 'big three' recording companies (the third largest in the global music industry). The company operates some of the largest and most successful recording labels in the world, including its flagship labels Warner Bros. Records, Parlophone Records and Atlantic Records. WMG also owns Warner/Chappell Music, one of the world's largest music-publishing companies.

Formerly owned by Time Warner, the company was publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange until May 2011, when it announced its privatization and sale to Access Industries, which was completed in July 2011. With a multibillion-dollar annual turnover, WMG employs in excess of 3,500 people and has operations in more than 50 countries throughout the world.

History

1950s and 1960s

WMG's roots date back to the founding of Warner Bros. Records in 1958 as a division of Warner Bros. Pictures. The film company had no record label division at the time and one of its contracted actors, Tab Hunter, scored a hit song for Dot Records, which was a division of rival Paramount Pictures. In order to prevent any repetition of its actors recording for rival companies, and to also capitalize on the music business, Warner Bros. Records was created. In 1963, Warner purchased Reprise Records, which had been founded by Frank Sinatra three years earlier so that he could have more creative control over his recordings. With the Reprise acquisition, Warner gained the services of Mo Ostin, who would be mainly responsible for the success of Warner/Reprise.

Mike Caren

Mike Caren (Born May 5, 1977) is an American record producer, songwriter, and music executive. As of July 23rd 2012, Caren serves as President of A&R for all of Warner Music Group's labels, including Atlantic Records and Warner Bros. Records. He was previously the executive vice president of A&R for Atlantic Records, and the co-president of Elektra Records.

Career

Caren's involvement in music started at the age of 12 when he became a DJ. At 15 he completed an internship at Interscope Records. In 1993 Caren founded a high school and college marketing company called School Rules Promotions in Los Angeles.

Following jobs with SRC/Loud Records and Ruthless Records, Caren started with Atlantic in 1995 at the age of seventeen as Manager of Rap Marketing for the label's Big Beat imprint. He has since been responsible for signing numerous artists that have earned gold and platinum-selling records. His signings include Trey Songz, T.I., Flo Rida, Cody Simpson, Trick Daddy, Twista, Trina, Wiz Khalifa, Kevin Gates, Juvenile, Prince Royce, and Brianna Perry. Mike also counts B.o.B and Ed Sheeran among his victories.