Elissa Felman is the Director of Music at 19 Recordings where she works on all music based programming, including shows such as AMERICAN IDOL. Elissa additionally runs point on the roster of artists signed to 19 Entertainment including Gabby Barrett, Maddie Poppe, Laine Hardy, scarypoolparty (aka Alejandro Aranda), Laci Kaye Booth and Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon.
Realizing her childhood dreams of “being Mariah Carey” wasn’t likely to become a reality and trying to push back the inevitable “start of a career”, Elissa found herself prolonging her schooling by attaining degrees from Belmont University and Southwestern University School of Law. Entering the music industry as an assistant, Elissa worked her way up through the ranks of management honing her managerial skills at companies such as Spectacle, AAM, Rebel One and Global (where she additionally worked in publishing) with artists, songwriters and producers such as Julia Michaels, Becky G, LP, Jason Evigan, Mozella, Lindy Robbins, Nate Campany, Kyle Shearer, Billboard, Brando and so on. Eventually, Elissa founded her own management company working with clients such as Starley and Ryan Riback who together created one of the most streamed records of all time, “Call on Me” (The Ryan Riback Remix).
Always open and looking for a new challenge, Elissa found herself consulting on AMERICAN IDOL during the 2018 /2019 season and, after being allured by the glitz and glamor of the TV world, accepted a position with Industrial Media Group to join the company full time. Some of Elissa’s favorite things include picnicking with a glass (or bottle) of wine on Friday nights listening to live jazz at the LACMA, people watching at The Original Farmer’s Market, figuring out how to get onto a boat pretty much all summer long, and trying out every boutique gym or spa experience available in LA… a gym with a sand pit to make you feel like you’re at the beach? Yes. An urban sweat lodge, you say? In. Cryotherapy? Sure. She can often be found trying to convince anyone and everyone to join her bookclub and/or to meet her at the gym at 6am.