Meet the Team
Executive Director
Nick Carswell
Originally from Limerick, Ireland. Nick has been performing professionally for 25 years, in his native Ireland and across the US Midwest, where he has lived since 2011. His main creative output is as songwriter and frontman for the alt-rock 5 piece, Carswell & Hope.
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Nick has wide experience with arts & cultural non-profits, community organizing, public art and professional development. Nick is a Creative Industries Specialist for the Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission, a Senior Artist Leadership Fellow for the Mid-America Arts Alliance's Artist INC program, and a board member for the Heartland Song Network, and program manager for the Audio-Reader Network.
Events & Engagement Intern
Grace Hughes
Grace Hughes is a recent graduate of the University of Kansas, where she earned a degree in Communications along with certificates in Global Arts and Music Entrepreneurship. Grace has been singing and playing guitar at local venues since the age of 14 and has had a deep love for live music from an early age!
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During her time in Lawrence, she became an active part of the local music and arts community. She held leadership roles at the student-run radio station KJHK, serving as both Music Director and Program Director, and helped organize live music events through Student Union Activities as the Large Entertainment Coordinator.
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Currently, Grace is gaining hands-on experience at Kansas Public Radio as their Programming and Development Intern and is thrilled to join the Lawrence Music Alliance as their new Events and Engagement Intern, where she looks forward to supporting and celebrating the local music scene.
Project Specialist
Bill Sundahl
Bill Sundahl is a music business professional and consultant based in the Kansas City area. He is the owner and principal at Z&W Unlimited, For-Purpose Consulting, and the founder of the Crossroads Music Fest, which began in 2005. CMF is a multi-venue, genre-spanning festival that serves as a vital fundraiser for KKFI 90.1FM Kansas City Community Radio and has grown into a showcase for local and regional artists, as well as a model for music-driven community engagement​.
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He is also a performing member of the Starhaven Rounders, an old-school country band based in Kansas City. Whether producing festivals or mentoring arts organizations, Bill brings a grounded, practical approach shaped by years in nonprofit leadership and a lifelong commitment to the art form of music.
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