Keith Stiles

President & Production Director

Keith has a passion for mixing live front-of-house (FOH) sound and has over 40 years of live event production experience.  He is experienced with all aspects of event production, including sound, lighting, video, power distribution, staging & rigging, and special effects.

Keith got his early training as a sound engineer working for club bands in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.  He then went on to mix sound for heavy metal, rock, pop/dance, and Christian rock bands performing locally and touring regionally in the Northeast US and Canada. 

Keith obtained his initial event production training from working as a stagehand for international touring acts such as Sting, James Taylor, Heart, Tina Turner, REO Speedwagon, Bryan Adams, Judas Priest, Ratt, plus others.

Keith ran his own production company, Staged Right Productions, from 1992 till 2002 serving clients in Western New York and Southern California.  In 2003, he formed Stiles Sound as a design/build company and has designed, installed, and taught others to run sound systems for churches and commercial installations.  In 2012, he formed Stiles Sound & Light, LLC providing sound reinforcement and lighting services.

Keith knows what it takes to accomplish the “corporate look" and is well versed with the special sensitivities of working high profile events, e.g. Crest Style Awards hosted by Sharon Stone at the Beverly Hills Hotel. 

Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and lastly hailing from Los Angeles, Keith has called Tennessee home for the past 18  years.

Faye Waraksa

Treasurer

Faye spent the first 40 years of life in her native town of Buffalo, NY.  She earned a BS in accounting and MBA from SUNY at Buffalo.  Her 40+ year career in accounting and finance includes several Fortune 500 manufacturing companies as well as nonprofit corporations.

During 19 years with Avery Dennison, Faye relocated several times and enjoyed the opportunity for international project work in The Netherlands, Ireland and Italy.  It was during her first role with Avery Dennison in Buffalo that she met Keith Stiles (co-founder of Soultrip).  They have remained friends over the years despite changes in employers and moves to various parts of the country.

Faye retired from full-time work in September 2022 and has shifted her talents to work with several Middle Tennessee not-for-profit organizations.  While not a serious musician, Faye's first real interest in music developed in 4th grade while learning to play the clarinet.  This continued through high school, but took a back seat when other priorities took over.  Now she is enjoying immersing herself in soul music and learning the inner makings of a successful band.

Faye and her husband John enjoy raising furry children (currently 2 cats), participating in several church ministry groups, and love to travel.  They have called Tennessee home for the past 12 years.

Cordell Emery

Secretary

Cordell was born in Hot Springs, AR but spent most of his life in Louisiana.  He earned a BS in Computer Science from Louisiana Tech University and has worked in several different industries throughout his 38 year Information Systems career.  

He played multiple  instruments in school but focused on the bass at age 14 after playing a friend’s 1940s Kay upright bass.  Since then, he has performed in bluegrass, gospel, CCM, rock and easy listening bands. 

Cordell and his family have called Tennessee home for the past 18 years and moved here for for career opportunities but immediately embraced the local music scene.  He was a member of local bands Bad Dog and Sweet Baby James.  In addition to being the bassist for Soultrip, Cordell often performs with the worship team at his Spring Hill church.

Alan D. Valentine

Director

Alan has been the President and CEO of the Nashville Symphony for the past 26 years.  He has presided over an unprecedented period of growth at the Symphony, highlighted by a total of 14 GRAMMY® Awards and 26 GRAMMY® nominations; more than 30 highly regarded and best-selling CD releases; nine national television broadcasts, one of which won an Emmy Award; multiple national radio appearances, including the internationally syndicated series American Encores; two Carnegie Hall appearances; an East Coast tour; two successful capital and endowment campaigns in which a total of $145 million was raised; and the construction of the acoustically superb Schermerhorn Symphony Center, which opened in September 2006.

Alan shepherded the Nashville Symphony through the Great Recession of 2008-09, a catastrophic flood in 2010 which caused $40 million in damage to the Schermerhorn, and a troubled debt restructuring in 2013. Under his leadership, the institution emerged from these challenges with an unwavering commitment to its mission and artistic vision, subsequently achieving record-breaking ticket sales and fundraising.

Alan also serves on the Board of Directors of the League of American Orchestras and the Steering Committee for Nashville's Agenda.  He is a former member of the boards of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (Nashville Chapter), the Nashville Chamber of Commerce, the Nashville Arts Coalition, the Association of Non-Profit Executives, Center for Nonprofit Management, Nashville Downtown Partnership and the Nashville City Club.

Prior to the Nashville Symphony, he served for 10 years as executive director of the Oklahoma Philharmonic Society in Oklahoma City. He also served on the adjunct faculty of Oklahoma City University, where he taught graduate-level arts administration courses. A graduate of the University of Houston, Alan has served as the chief executive of the Mid-Columbia Symphony in Richland (WA), the Greensboro (NC) Symphony and the Chattanooga Symphony and Opera Association, and he served for two years as orchestra manager of the San Antonio Symphony.

When he has some spare time, Alan is an avid drummer and enjoys all genres of music, including soul.