Joel Douek Moves On; David Das Elected SCL Vice President

There has been a changing of the guard with respect to an SCL officer. After 19 years with the SCL, the last three as vice president, Joel Douek has stepped down from the Board to pursue other opportunities. Joel joined the SCL in NY in 2005 and was soon elected to the NY chapter’s Steering Committee, responsible for its seminar activities. After moving to Los Angeles in 2011, he joined the Board, and began to help streamline processes by implementing software to automate previously manual tasks. He soon took over leadership of the LA Seminar Committee, and eventually helped design the format and procedures for the SCL Awards. In 2021, he was elected vice president and had the unenviable task of filling the shoes of the one and only Arthur Hamilton, who had been a driving force at the SCL since its inception. Joel’s passion for our profession has been extremely helpful in the SCL’s advocacy endeavors and culminated in the drafting of our position paper on generative AI, which immediately brought us to the attention of policy makers in DC.

He says, “The SCL has been like a family to me since moving to LA for which I am deeply grateful, and it is exciting to see its role grow and its voice be heard in areas critical to our profession. I feel honored to have been able to play a part in its work through my time as a Board member and Vice President, and plan to remain an active member in the years to come. Onward!”

So, on behalf of the Board and the membership, I want to sincerely thank him for his many years of service to the SCL and every success in his future endeavors.

I’m pleased to announce David Das as our new Vice President. I’m sure many of you know David from his seven years as president of the Academy of Scoring Arts. David has been an SCL member since 2005, starting as a participant in our Mentor Program, then coordinating the Premier Partners program, before becoming a full Board member, and overseeing our technology department with the 2018 overhaul of our web site, membership engine, and branding. He also played an active part in the design and launch of the SCL Awards. Originally from England but having grown up in New Jersey, David is an active Los Angeles-based composer and songwriter, and speaks regularly on the creative, technical, and business aspects of the composing craft at SCL seminars, on YouTube, and for several partner organizations.

“I’m honored to take on this new role at the SCL,” David says. “The SCL helped me find my footing in LA when I first arrived in 2005, and has been my support system as well as continuing education ever since, as our industry has faced each new challenge and our technology has escalated in both complexity and possibility. The SCL has been a global leader in advocating for and supporting composers and songwriters, and I’m looking forward to this next season of growth and expansion. I’m thankful for our fantastic board of accomplished music creators who keep us moving forward.” 

I am thrilled to have David as part of the inner leadership team, and I have no doubt he will pick up the mantle where Joel left off.

Ashley Irwin

President