Our
Team

We have decades of experience working across the world’s leading music and financial institutions.

Leadership Team

Jason Somerville

Jason Somerville

Founder & Senior Managing Director

Professional Experience:

Jason Somerville founded Courage Music in 2017 to invest in overlooked independent music companies, artists and writers. Prior to Courage Music, he was an investment banker with over 20 years of experience and was considered one of the leading investment bankers to companies, individuals, and investors operating in music rights. From 2010 to 2017, Mr. Somerville was the founder and managing partner of EIG, where he advised on numerous music rights transactions. Prior to forming EIG, Mr. Somerville was a team leader in J.P.Morgan’s Entertainment Industries Group. At J.P.Morgan, Mr. Somerville managed a portfolio of senior debt investments in entertainment companies. Most notably, he founded the firm’s music practice and helped build the multi-billion-dollar capital market for music rights that exists today.

Education:

Mr. Somerville earned a B.A. in Arts from The Johns Hopkins University and a Bologna Center Certificate from The Johns Hopkins University Graduate School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).

Contact:

jsomerville@couragemusicpartners.com

Senior Team

Professional Experience:

Kin Cheng joined Courage Music in 2020 and serves as Senior Managing Director. He is a corporate and investment banking executive with 25 years of experience. Prior to Courage Music, Mr. Cheng was an Executive Director and Senior Relationship Manager in J.P. Morgan’s Commercial Banking Division. Previously at J.P. Morgan, he was a Senior Underwriter in J.P. Morgan’s Entertainment Industries Group where he managed the underwriting, performance monitoring, and compliance reporting for investments in entertainment companies, including many of Mr. Somerville’s music rights investments. In 1993, he began his banking career at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York as a foreign exchange analyst. At Courage Music, Mr. Cheng manages the Courage Music Team, as well as operations, business affairs and investment due diligence. He has known and worked with Mr. Somerville for 20 years.

Education:

Mr. Cheng has a B.A. in Economics from the University of California.

Contact:

kcheng@couragemusicpartners.com

Professional Experience:

Jason Kleve joined Courage Music in 2018 and serves as Managing Director. He is a statistician with 26 years of music industry experience. Prior to Courage Music, Mr. Kleve provided research and business analytics services to other leading music companies. Previously, he was Vice President of Universal Music Group, the world’s largest music company. At Universal Music Group, he founded the Business Analysis department in 2002 and managed a team of 17 business analysts. During his 21 years at Universal Music Group, Mr. Kleve was responsible for preparing the company’s forecasts and developing proprietary models for the music industry. He also implemented and actively managed performance optimization efforts for the company. At Courage Music, Mr. Kleve manages the Underwriting Team as well as the Portfolio Management and Data Analytics Team. He has worked with Mr. Somerville for eight years.

Education:

Mr. Kleve earned a B.A. in Applied Social Statistics from the University of Minnesota.

Contact:

jkleve@couragemusicpartners.com

Professional Experience:

Mike Fairburn is Managing Director of Global Business and Market Development at Courage Music. He has 25+ years of international experience in the entertainment sector, with a focus on the music industry, specializing in emerging markets, strategic partnerships, creative development, and commercial growth. Prior to Courage Music, he spent nearly a decade at Sony Music MENA & Pakistan, where he opened the company’s first office in Pakistan, drove growth in local and international music, and served on the IFPI MENA board, launching the region’s first official charts. Previously, he was part of the founding leadership team at Flash Entertainment in Abu Dhabi for over six years, where he launched UAE-based joint ventures with global partners, developed original IP experiences, and invested in local talent and infrastructure. Before relocating to the Middle East in 2007, he led music-brand strategy at Euro RSCG’s entertainment division in London, working with global clients across Europe, the US, and Asia.

Education:

Mr. Fairburn earned a 2:1 B.A. Honors degree in History from the University of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, UK

Contact:

mfairburn@couragemusicpartners.com

Professional Experience:

Sam Chappell joined Courage Music in 2017 as a Senior Advisor and is expected to transition in 2025 to the role of Managing Director. He is a music executive with over 40 years of experience. Prior to Courage Music, Mr. Chappell served as Executive Vice President of Integrity Media and President of Integrity Music, President of 40 Records, and Vice President of Gotee Records. Mr. Chappell’s experience as a music executive saw him superintend the creative development of an artist roster in addition to growing the label’s business interests. Additionally, he was the founding President and CEO of 40 Deep Management where he managed a roster of artists through album releases, record and publishing deals, and tours among other activities. He has known and worked with Mr. Somerville for 18 years.

Education:

Mr. Chappell earned a B.A. in Political Science from Anderson University and a J.D. from Oklahoma City University.

Contact:

schappell@couragemusicpartners.com

Core Team

Professional Experience:

Erin Anderson joined Courage Music in 2020 and serves as Director of Data Analytics. Prior to Courage Music, Ms. Anderson practiced law for six years at Day Pitney, Sheehan Phinney Bass + Green, and McKool Smith. During her tenure at these firms, she represented clients in complex civil litigation, with a specific focus on the state and federal False Claims Acts. Over the course of her legal career, she developed a strong interest in data, data analytics, and business intelligence, and ultimately changed careers to focus on these fields. At Courage Music, Ms. Anderson is a member of the Data Analytics Team. She also helps manage Yoda, Courage Music’s proprietary business analytics platform, and works closely with the Underwriting Team.

Education:

Ms. Anderson earned a B.A. from Dartmouth College and a J.D. from Boston College Law School.

Contact:

eanderson@couragemusicpartners.com

Professional Experience:

Cody Carpenter joined Courage Music in 2024 and serves as Director of Portfolio Management and Data Analytics. Prior to Courage Music, Mr. Carpenter was Director of Data and Digital Rights at Capitol Christian Music Group where he led digital rights collection efforts across user generated content focused outlets for both publishing and label teams. He also developed Capitol Christian Multi-Channel Network at YouTube, servicing 70+ channels generating billions of views across millions of subscribers. Previously, Mr. Carpenter held other roles at Universal Music Group/Capitol Christian in Interactive Marketing, Radio Promotions, Music Publishing Administration and Distribution and Label services. At Courage Music, Mr.Carpenter is a member of the Portfolio Management and Data Analytics Team. He also collaborates closely with the Underwriting and Investor Relations Teams.

Education:

Mr. Carpenter earned a B.B.A. in Music Business from Belmont University.

Contact:

ccarpenter@couragemusicpartners.com

Professional Experience:

Chandler Cozine joined Courage Music in 2023 and currently serves as Director of Partner Services. Prior to Courage Music, she held the role of West Coast Promotions Manager at Arista Records, a Sony Music label, where she led radio airplay campaigns and developed innovative marketing strategies for the label’s artist roster for three years in Los Angeles. Previously, Mrs. Cozine worked at In2une Music (a division of Kobalt), Atlantic Records, and WWE in New York City and Stamford, CT. Her work focused on radio promotion, marketing, artist development, and community relations. At Courage Music, Mrs. Cozine is a member of the Partner Services Team.

Education:

Mrs. Cozine earned a B.A. Communications with a concentration in Public Relations and Broadcast Journalism from Marist College.

Contact:

ccozine@couragemusicpartners.com

Professional Experience:

Rachel Glidden joined Courage Music in 2022 and serves as Director of Partner Services. Prior to Courage Music, Mrs. Glidden was the Head of Campaign Strategy at WMA for four years where she oversaw artist marketing plans and release schedules, working with various labels, management, and distribution companies to ensure successful project launches and strategies for domestic and international clients. Previously, she worked in streaming strategy, project management and business development at Digmark, and then Fame House under the Commercial Services division of Universal Music Group. At Courage Music, Mrs. Glidden is a member of the Partner Services Team.

Education:

Mrs. Glidden earned a B.B.A. in Music Business from Belmont University.

Contact:

rglidden@couragemusicpartners.com

Professional Experience:

Harrison McDonough joined Courage Music in 2023 and serves as Associate. Prior to Courage Music, he was an Analyst within the Corporate Valuation and M&A Advisory group at Houlihan Lokey, a leading middle market investment bank, where he conducted complex valuations and financial analysis for restructuring, capital markets, and M&A transactions. Previously, he was an M&A Associate at KPMG where he provided financial and tax advisory services for domestic and international private equity transactions. At Courage Music, Mr. McDonough is a member of the Underwriting Team. He also assists with many aspects of the Courage Music Team’s activities.

Education:

Mr. McDonough earned a B.A. in Accounting and a Masters in Accounting and Data Analytics from the University of Mississippi.

Contact:

hmcdonough@couragemusicpartners.com

Professional Experience:

Deborah Mickelson joined Courage Music in 2023 and serves as Senior Director of Operations and Human Resources. Prior to Courage Music, Ms. Mickelson served as Director of Operations at Valkyrie Investments, a digital asset management firm in Brentwood, Tennessee. Previously, she managed the launch and daily operations of Tri Star Sports & Entertainment's offices in West Hollywood, California. Over her 20-year career, she has held other business operations and human resources support positions across the fintech, legal, business management, and non-profit industries. At Courage Music, Ms. Mickelson helps manage the Courage Music Team. She also assists with many aspects of the Courage Music Team’s activities.

Education:

Ms. Mickelson earned a B.S. in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from California State University, East Bay.

Contact:

dmickelson@couragemusicpartners.com

Professional Experience:

Max Osnowitz joined Courage Music in 2024 and serves as Associate. Prior to Courage Music, he was an Investment Banking Associate at Republic Capital Group where he conducted financial analysis for restructuring and M&A transactions. Previously, he was a Research Associate at Stifel Financial where he conducted financial research on publicly traded Applications Software Companies. At Courage Music, Mr. Osnowitz is a member of the Underwriting Team. He also assists with many aspects of the Courage Music Team’s activities.

Education:

Mr. Osnowitz earned a B.A. in Business Administration from Missouri Baptist University and is a CFA® charter holder.

Contact:

mosnowitz@couragemusicpartners.com

Professional Experience:

Tyler Perrillo joined Courage Music in 2022 and serves as Senior Director of Portfolio Management and Data Analytics. Prior to Courage Music, Mr. Perrillo was Manager of Global Copyright at Universal Music Publishing Group for six years where he liaised with PROs, DSPs, and third-party collection societies on work registration-related projects. He also provided training and support to Universal Music Publishing Group’s 51 offices located across 41 countries. Previously, Mr. Perrillo worked in copyright for BMG and Bluewater Music Services Corp. and spent five years working in performance rights distribution at ASCAP. At Courage Music, Mr. Perrillo helps lead the Portfolio Management and Data Analytics Team. He also collaborates closely with the Underwriting and Investor Relations Teams.

Education:

Mr. Perrillo earned a B.A. in Music Industry from SUNY Oneonta.

Contact:

tperrillo@couragemusicpartners.com

Professional Experience:

Blake Rowlinson joined Courage Music in 2019 and serves as Senior Associate. Prior to Courage Music, he was an analyst in Wells Fargo’s Financial Sponsors Group. During his time at Wells Fargo, he developed strong financial analysis skills while working on M&A transactions for numerous financial sponsors, including Blackstone. At Courage Music, Mr. Rowlinson helps lead the Underwriting Team and is a member of the Investor Relations Team. He also assists with many aspects of the Courage Music Team’s activities.

Education:

Mr. Rowlinson earned a B.A. in Economics from Yale University.

Contact:

browlinson@couragemusicpartners.com

Professional Experience:

Rylan Soref joined Courage Music in 2019 and serves as Assistant Managing Director. Prior to Courage Music, Mr. Soref co-founded Songs For Film & TV in 2009, a music services agency that has secured thousands of placements for music rights in film, television, advertising and new media. Previously, he founded Obay Media in 2016, a creative strategy agency for companies operating in entertainment and technology. Throughout his career, Mr. Soref has worked on projects for Facebook, Google, Samsung, Showtime, and Comcast, among many others. At Courage Music, Mr. Soref helps lead the Business Development Team and is a member of the Investor Relations Team. He also collaborates closely with the Underwriting and Partner Services Teams.

Education:

Mr. Soref earned a B.A. in Political Science with a Minor in Integrated Liberal Studies from the University of Wisconsin - Madison.

Contact:

rsoref@couragemusicpartners.com

Contact Us

We were established in 2017 to provide better solutions to independent owners of music rights.

Our interdisciplinary team sources opportunities and services our partners from Nashville, Tennessee (USA) and Dubai (UAE).

Click Here

We look forward to hearing from you!

Courage Music is a division of Courage Capital Management, LLC. Courage Capital Management operates private funds on behalf of institutional investors and family offices.

Legal Disclaimer and Terms of Use

As used herein, the terms “you” and “user” shall mean any visitor to this site (this “Website”).

By accessing this Website, you signify your agreement with, and understanding of, the following terms of use and legal information (“Terms”) pertaining to both this Website and any material on it. This Website is offered to you conditioned on your acceptance without modification of the Terms contained herein. Your use of this Website constitutes your agreement to all such Terms.

Courage Capital Management LLC (“Courage”) reserves the right to change the opinions and any other content, including the Terms under which this Website is offered, without prior notice at any time. You should review the most current version of this document by visiting this Website and clicking on the Terms of Use hyperlink located at the bottom of the page. This Website and your access to it can be terinated at any time, with or without notice and for any reason.


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The materials and information on this Website are for information purposes only and should not be used or considered as, and do not constitute, an offer to sell or the solicitation of any offer to buy any securities or financial instruments or to provide any investment service or investment advice in any jurisdiction. Any such offer or solicitation will be made only by means of delivery of a confidential private offering memorandum relating to a particular fund or investment management contract to qualified investors in those jurisdictions where permitted by law.

Courage provides no advice or recommendations with respect to the use of this Website, nor do the contents of this Website constitute investment, legal, tax or accounting advice or advice regarding the suitability or profitability of any transaction or investment.


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Courage owns and maintains this Website. This Website and any and all accompanying screens, information, materials, user documentation, user interfaces, images, arrangements of information, related software and other proprietary property of Courage or its licensors (“Materials”) accessible via this Website is and shall remain the exclusive property of Courage and its licensors, as the case may be. All rights to this Website remain with Courage or its licensors. This Website and its Materials may only be used for your personal education and non-commercial use. You may not modify, copy, distribute, transmit, display, perform, reproduce, publish, license, create derivative works from, transfer, sell or otherwise use by electronic or any other means any Materials obtained from this site without Courage’s prior written consent.


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Non-United States Visitors


Given the global nature of the internet, this Website may be accessed by visitors residing outside of the United States. Courage makes no representations or warranties that this Website is appropriate or available for use in countries outside of the United States, or that services discussed on this Website are available or appropriate for sale or use in all jurisdictions, or by all counterparties. Visitors who choose to access this Website from outside of the United States do so at their own initiative and are responsible for compliance with any and all local laws and regulations that may apply to such access. You may not use or export the information or materials in violation of U.S. export laws and regulations. The information provided in or accessible through this Website is not intended for distribution to, or use by, any person or entity in any jurisdiction or country where such distribution or use would be contrary to law or regulation or which would subject Courage and/or its affiliates to any registration or other requirement within such jurisdiction or country.


Links to Third-Party Sites

Courage has not reviewed unaffiliated sites to which this Website is linked, and is not responsible for the content of off-site pages or any other site linked or linking to the site. Your linking to any off-site pages or other sites is at your own risk. Courage makes no representations whatsoever about the opinions or accuracy of information expressed by any third party appearing on a linked site, neither regularly monitors nor has control over the contents of such sites, and does not endorse or validate, and disclaims all responsibility for, the content of such statements or websites.


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This Website and all Materials are provided “as is,” “as available” without warranty of any kind, either express or implied, to the fullest extent permissible pursuant to applicable law. Without limitation, Courage does not warrant the accuracy, adequacy, completeness, reliability, timeliness or availability of this Website or any information on this Website, and expressly disclaims liability for errors or omissions on this Website. There is no warranty of merchantability, no warranty of fitness for a particular purpose, no warranty of non-infringement, no warranty of any kind, implied, express or statutory, in conjunction with this Website. Any contents on this Website are subject to change without notice. The Materials published on this Website may include inaccuracies or typographical errors. Courage does not undertake to update forward-looking statements. Courage further assumes no responsibility for, and makes no warranties that, functions contained at this Website will be uninterrupted or error-free, that defects will be corrected, or that the site or the server that makes it available will be free of viruses or other harmful components. In addition, Courage makes no representation about the suitability of the Materials for any purpose. You (and not Courage) assume the entire cost and risk of using this Website and the Materials. Please note that applicable law may not allow the exclusion of certain warranties, so some or all of the above exclusions may not apply to you.


Limitation of Liability


In no event will Courage be liable for any damages, or for repairs or corrections that must be performed, to or on your computer, person or other property, including, without limitation, direct or indirect, special, incidental, or consequential damages, losses or expenses arising in connection with this Website or use thereof or the inability by any party to use such site, or in connection with any failure of performance, error, omission, interruption, defect, delay in operation or transmission, computer virus or line or system failure, even if Courage, or representatives thereof, are advised of the possibility of such damages, losses or expenses. Because some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of liability for consequential or incidental damages, in such jurisdictions liability is limited to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law. This limitation of liability applies regardless of any negligence or gross negligence of Courage or any of its officers, representatives, associates or agents. You accept all risks in relying on any information contained in this Website.

If you are dissatisfied with any portion of this Website, or with any of these Terms, your sole and exclusive remedy is to discontinue using this Website.


Governing Law


These Terms will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Tennessee, without regard to any conflicts of laws provisions that would mandate the applicable of the law of another jurisdiction.


Severability


If a court of competent jurisdiction deems any provision of these Terms unenforceable, that provision will be enforced to the maximum extent permissible, and the remaining provisions will remain in full force and effect.


Additional Terms


Any information you receive from Courage is believed to be accurate. Nevertheless, neither Courage nor its agents are liable for any deficiencies in the accuracy, completeness, availability or timeliness of such information. The information provided on this Website does not necessarily reflect the most up to date or current information available. THE INFORMATION AND OPINIONS EXPRESSED HEREIN IS PROVIDED WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. ANY PROJECTIONS, OUTLOOKS OR ASSUMPTIONS SHOULD NOT BE CONSTRUED TO BE INDICATIVE OF THE ACTUAL EVENTS WHICH WILL OCCUR. ANY PROJECTIONS, MARKET OUTLOOKS OR ESTIMATES IN THIS DOCUMENT ARE FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS AND ARE BASED UPON CERTAIN ASSUMPTIONS. FURTHERMORE, COURAGE DOES NOT UNDERTAKE TO UPDATE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS. OTHER EVENTS WHICH WERE NOT TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT MAY OCCUR AND MAY SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECT SUCH OUTLOOKS OR ESTIMATES.

Client Information And Privacy Policy

Financial companies choose how they share your personal information. Federal law gives our clients the right to limit some but not all sharing. Federal law also requires Courage Capital (“Courage”, “us”, or “we”) to tell you how we collect, share, and protect your personal information. Please read this policy (“Privacy Notice”) carefully to understand what we do.

We do not disclose nonpublic personal information about our clients or former clients to third parties otherthan as described below.


Personal Information We Collect


We collect personal information about you in connection with our providing advisory services to you. This information includes your name, address, and social security number and may include other information such as your:


How We Collect This Information


We collect this information from you through various means. For example, when you give us your contact information, enter into an investment advisory contract with us, buy securities (i.e., interests in a fund) from us, tell us where to send money, or make a wire transfer. We also may collect your personal information from other sources, such as our affiliates1 or other nonaffiliated companies. Only employees with a valid business reason have access to your personal information. We train our employees on safeguarding your confidential information as well as provide data security awareness training.


How We Use This Information


All financial companies need to share customers’ personal information to run their everyday business and we use the personal information we collect from you for our everyday business purposes. These purposes may include for example:


Disclosure To Others


We may provide your personal information to our affiliates and to firms that assist us in servicing your account and have a need for such information, such as a broker, fund administrator, auditor, tax advisor, and legal counsel. We require third-party service providers to protect the confidentiality of your information and to use the information only for the purposes for which we disclose the information to them. These sharing practices are consistent with U.S. federal privacy, certain state privacy and related laws, and in general, you may not limit our use of your personal information for these purposes under such laws. We note that the U.S. federal privacy laws only give you the right to limit the certain types of information sharing that we do not engage in (e.g., sharing with our affiliates certain information relating to your transaction history or creditworthiness for their use in marketing to you, or sharing any personal information with nonaffiliates for them to market to you).


How We Protect Your Personal Information


To protect your personal information from unauthorized access and use, we use security measures that comply with U.S. federal law. These measures include designing and implementing a security control environment that follows the NIST framework. We restrict access to nonpublic personal information to our employees who need to know such information in order to provide services to you. All Courage files containing personal information are secured through our electronic firewalls, building security access, and reasonable restrictions to accessing physical and electronic records.


Who Is Providing This Privacy Notice


This Privacy Notice relates to all investors in private funds managed and advised by Courage Capital Management, LLC.


Who To Contact With Questions


If you have any questions about this Privacy Notice, email us at information@couragecap.com or visit www.couragecap.com.


1Our affiliates are companies related to us by common ownership or control and can include both financial and nonfinancial companies. Non-affiliates are companies not related to us by common ownership or control and can include both financial and nonfinancial companies.