Charlene Chamberlain has immersed herself in the arts since childhood. This involvement led her to a lifelong career in working with fellow artists like herself. 

 

Charlene held executive positions with Capitol Records, Naxos, Richman Brothers Records, Dave Appell Music, where she spearheaded campaigns for recording artists including Madonna, Tina Turner, Vanessa Williams, The Hooters,The Rolling Stones, George Thorogood, Janet Jackson, Radiohead, Rick Springfield, KISS, Pretty Poison and many local and independent bands.

 

She was a featured artist on the PBS Portraits Project. Theatrically, she has performed with theater, ballet, and opera companies regionally, and has appeared in local and national television commercials. 

 

Charlene received a first round Grammy nomination consideration, is a member of The Recording Academy,  BMI, The Indie Collaborative, International Singer Songwriter Association, the NJ State Council on the Arts Marketing Team and has personally been involved in numerous projects that support youth and accessibility in the arts. 

 

She’s been a resident of Merchantville since 1988. Her roots to Merchantville go deeper as her family once owned a bakery on Maple Avenue in 1910.

Originally from Greenville, Delaware Jon Hoffmann is a proud graduate of Temple University, where he majored in Cello Performance and Music Technology. Beginning Cello lesson at age 5, Jon has performedfor thirty years with several ensembles in the Philadelphia area, including the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra, who he toured Europe with in the summer of 2000. Amongst chamber music recitals and participating in many master classes, Jon has had the opportunity to perform in many of the finest concert halls such as the Academy of Music, the Kimmel Center, Lincoln Center and Dvorak Hall in Prague.

 

With over 20 years producing Live Events and Concerts. Jon's skills extend to Audio Visual System design and engineering. He has designed and engineered Audio Visual systems during his time with PriceWaterhouse Coopers, Rush Street Gaming Casino, and most recently with Comcast Corporation. He currently assists in system design for Audio Visual and Collaboration Systems and produces Corporate and Virtual Events, Broadcasts and Screenings, and serves as the Engineer-In-Charge for a large venue for Comcast in Philadelphia.

 

Jon has co_chaired the Merchantville Music Festival for several years taking the festival fully virtual during the pandemic , to make sure we didn't miss a beat!

Matt began studying guitar at the age of 10 under the tutelage of jazz guitarist Frank Butrey. Matt holds a degree is classical guitar performance from Temple University where he studied with Allen Krantz. While at Temple Matt took an interest in sound recording and took two semesters of Temple’s sound recording class.

 

Matt has played in bands since the age of 14. Matt's first band, PDT was featured in the book “So, You Wanna Be Be A Rock Star.” The band later changed its name to Jon Arbuckle. Out of college Matt formed the band Super Consumers, who were featured on Radio 104.5's live at 5. Matt's current band, Fair Use played the 2019 Merchantville Music Fest and will be playing again at the 2023 Merchantville Music Fest. Matt also has composed over 20 instrumental guitar songs, which he records in his home studio and will someday release. 

 

Matt works for his family's business, New Jersey School of Music, where he teaches guitar and helps manage a staff of 35 employees between two locations (Cherry Hill and Medford). 

 

Matt and his wife Emily purchased and renovated a home in Merchantville in 2018 and officially moved in, in 2019. Matt helped fundraise and run sound for the 2019 music fest. Since

2020 Charlene, Jon and Matt have run all aspects of Merchantville Music Fest.