Wilson Brown > Antfood Music & Sound Design, NY
Just the facts: Age - 26; Hometown - Philadelphia, PA; Education - a BA in music theory and composition from Brown University (2003), and a Masters in electronic music and multimedia (2005); Employ - established Antfood with Polly Hall in March 2007.

Previous experience: Beyond academia, Brown was well entrenched in assorted music scenes as a solo musician and a producer for various bands. In 2005, upon completing his Masters, he set off to São Paulo, Brazil and worked with myriad artists. Eventually, he scored gigs as a tech at studios making money from spot work. Upon leaving in 2006 and heading back Stateside, he started doing freelance composing for them. His first broadcast spots, Renault "Linha de Montagem (Assembly Line)" in Brazil and Coca-Cola "Pablolandia" for the Mexican market, broke in late 2006.

Best work: Brown points to Lifelong Friendship Society's Freelancer's Union work and the track for Nike's "Next Ronaldinho" as his choice cuts. "The stuff I think I'm best at is combining real organic instruments with synthetic elements," he says.

DIY: Brown enjoys running his own shop, as he deals with his own clients and also does work for other music houses that want to call on Antfood's services. "We didn't lose money in our first year of business, which I'm told is a good thing," he says.

Antfood Music & Sound Design http://www.antfood.com

Pieter van Dessel > Studio Apollo, Montreal
Just the facts: Age - 30; Hometown - Affligem, Belgium; Education - Masters in audio production at University of Westminster in London; Employ - joined Studio Apollo in 2006.

Previous Experience: Post-secondary indecisiveness led Van Dessel to spend five years in law school, but marriage helped him realize his desire to be a full-time musician. When his wife got a grant to study IT in London, he followed, earning a Masters at Westminster. Her profession later took the couple to Montreal, where he hooked up with Apollo through a bandmate. "I just followed my wife, which doesn't sound very glamorous," he laughs. "But it worked perfectly for me."

Best Work: The spot "Automne" for retailer Laurier Quebec marked the first time Van Dessel (who is Dutch) ever sang in French. His accent, discernible to Francophone ears, sparked speculation in Quebec as to the identity of the mystery voice on the wistful, electro-pop tune about changing seasons.

Plastic Operator: Van Dessel's personal style is bittersweet electro-acoustic pop, usually played on banjo or mandolin. When he's not writing ad music for the Canadian market and building contacts in Europe for Apollo's new Brussels office, he's touring with his band Plastic Operator, whose new CD, Different Places, is out on Philly's Fine Day Records.

Studio Apollo http://www.studioapollo.com

Ryan Lott > Fluid, New York
Just the facts: Age - 29; Hometown - Denver, Colorado; Education - studied music, composition and piano at Indiana University; Employ - joined Fluid's roster in 2007.

Previous Experience: At an early age, Lott realized a talent for piano and was on his way to the conservatory when, during his teen years, a classically-trained teacher challenged him to write a rock song. "I couldn't write a decent hook," he admits. "I was learning from Bernstein scores with a poster of Kurt Cobain right above the piano. That was the perfect environment for me as a kid." During college, he met his wife, a ballet dancer, with whom he began collaborating.

Best Work: After his friend and sometime bandmate Judson Crane dropped a track by his band, Son Lux, into an ad, he landed a spot on Fluid's freelance roster. A year later, he's regularly composing for the company. His favorite spot to date is an Absolut ad for the European market, in which he spun a serene piano loop into an epic club beat. "I nailed what they wanted but I was very much myself," he says.

Fluid http://www.fluidny.com