our team

Dennis Dreith

President, Board of Directors

Dennis Dreith is well-known as a touring and recording artist (The Beach Boys, Osmond Brothers, Leon Russell, Paul Revere & the Raiders), an arranger for gold and platinum artists (Faith Hill, Mamas Pride, Firefall), a record producer (Tokens, O’Jays), and an orchestrator and conductor for film music giants including John Williams, Jerry Goldsmith, James Horner, Lalo Schifrin, Dominic Frontiere, Hans Zimmer, Elliott Goldenthal, Mark Isham, Cliff Eidelman and Marc Shaiman.  He is the composer of The Punisher, Mobsters, The Shadow and Columbo, and has orchestrated and conducted scores including Misery, Addams Family Values, Heart and Souls, Jurassic Park, Braveheart, Sleepless in Seattle, and A League of Their Own.  Dennis has also worked as a music supervisor on several major motion pictures and served as Music Consultant for the legendary Barbra Streisand New Year’s Las Vegas Concert.

A zealous activist for artist rights and music education, Dennis served as International President of the Recording Musicians’ Association in excess of 15 years where he pioneered the first US outreach to Japanese collecting societies resulting in originating payments to US non-featured performers from a foreign territory.  He consulted for the American Federation of Musicians Negotiating Committee addressing the U.S. Congress House Sub-committee on Intellectual Property Rights matters, worked with Congress to pass the Audio Home Recording Act (AHRA) of which he was among the drafters, and was directly involved in the passage of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). 

Dennis also was the Independent Administrator of the Film Musicians Secondary Markets Fund for 15 years overseeing its tremendous monetary growth on behalf of musicians.  He was the Executive Director of the AFM & SAG-AFTRA Intellectual Property Rights Distribution Fund, negotiating neighboring and related rights agreements with more than 30 foreign societies resulting in millions of dollars of royalties for US non-featured performers.  During his tenure, Dennis achieved unparalleled growth beginning in 1999 when he assumed leadership with less than $200,000 in revenue to an organization with over $100M in assets, a building of its own and over 70 employees by 2017.

A recognized expert in entertainment and intellectual property rights matters, Dreith is a frequent university lecturer and panelist at entertainment industry events including the Cannes Film Festival, SXSW, and the ASCAP I Create Music Expo.  In late 2017, Dreith co-founded Transparence Entertainment Group and serves as the company’s Chairman. He continues to own and operate his own publishing and production company Magic Closet Music, has recently composed the score for feature film The War Between premiering at the Phoenix Film Festival in April 2024, performs regularly with his 17-piece jazz ensemble, and is the Managing Partner of Transparence Wines.

Shari Hoffman

Secretary-Treasurer, Board of Directors

Shari is the co-founder and CEO of Transparence Entertainment Group, a music rights organization that manages worldwide music royalties for recording artists, producers, master rights holders, and DIY performers.

Her career encompasses major record label promotion to managing operations in the fields of booking and touring, post-production, performance rights, royalty management and large-scale non-profits in the entertainment industry.

Shari’s past endeavors include record label promotion for multi-platinum recording artists Sinead O’Connor, Jethro Tull, Billy Idol, & The Fixx as well as management of tour settlements for Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson, Pop Will Eat Itself, Live, The Neville Brothers, and Joan Osborne, to name a few.

She has represented above and below the line personnel for two major entertainment unions. During her tenure at the American Federation of Musicians, Shari crafted resolutions for numerous union-related issues that benefited thousands of recording artists working for symphony, opera and ballet orchestras.  Shari directed an 18-member team at IATSE National Benefit Funds in analysis and adjudication of contract provisions and in the processing of $450,000,000 in aggregate contributions on behalf of thousands of participating employers, resulting in a 20% annual growth of the company.  She launched the Live Television Division of the Film Musicians Secondary Markets Fund ensuring compliance of contracts that garnered millions of dollars of residuals on behalf of film & television musicians.  Prior to forming Transparence Entertainment Group, Shari served as the Chief Operating Officer for the AFM & SAG-AFTRA Intellectual Property Rights Distribution Fund, (then the 4^th largest collective in the world) where she established Fund’s foreign compliance and research team to service worldwide royalties that expanded the organization’s audio-visual division from a few million dollars in royalties to over $25M.

Shari is an active member of numerous non-profits and trade organizations serving the entertainment industry including her role as 2^nd Vice President of the Los Angeles Jazz Society, Secretary-Treasurer of the Environment of People Foundation, and memberships in The Society of Composers & Lyricists, SAG-AFTRA and the Recording Academy.

Shari has been a mentor to many music creators and has participated as a speaker, moderator and educator on numerous panels, webinars, podcasts & workshops including SXSW, ASCAP I Create Music, The California Copyright Committee, The Society of Composers & Lyricists, Urban Network Digital Music Conference, Music Business Association, Women in Music, the University of Miami Frost School of Music, and many others.  She has been actively involved with The Recording Academy in legislative initiatives, including the passage of the Music Modernization Act.  As a seasoned industry executive and professional vocalist, Shari passionately advocates for artist rights and preserving music education for children of all ages.

David Ewart

Board of Directors

Residing in Valencia, CA, David Ewart is a beloved figure, renowned for hosting joyous holiday gatherings, coaching youth sports teams, and adorning the streets with Halloween delights for children.

Born in Portland, Oregon, David graduated from Portland State University with a dual degree in Music Performance and Education. He completed his master’s degree in violin from the University of Arizona.  He was a concertmaster with the Portland Chamber Orchestra, Tucson Symphony and Florida Symphony and has performed in the position of first violin with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. David has been a session violinist on hundreds of record dates and live concerts including Barbra Streisand, John Williams, Elton John, Phil Collins, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Luciano Pavarotti, Quincy Jones, Luis Miguel, Madonna, Dave Grusin, and Harry Connick Jr.  He has also recorded on over of 1000 motion pictures scores including Black Panther, The Notebook, Jurassic Park and Titanic.

David’s journey is a testament to the power of music, resilience, and compassion.   In 2005, tragedy struck David’s life when a fire engulfed his home during Christmas, leaving him, his son Michael, and his father Hugh with severe burns nearly costing them their lives. His experience during recovery deepened his appreciation for life and family, and strengthened his resolve to find higher purpose and meaning.

David’s melodies have touched hearts and transcended boundaries.  He has witnessed the universal power of music to connect with people of varying backgrounds and languages.  Known for his philanthropic endeavors and missionary work, David is a testament to the transformative power of hope, inspiration, compassion, and artistry. He continues to resonate, leaving an enduring legacy for generations to come.

Lewis Levy

Board of Directors

Lewis N. Levy is a founding partner in Levy Phillips APC. With more than 30 years’ experience, Levy continues a prestigious family legacy initiated by his father, Abe F. Levy, Esq., and his grandfather Louis Levy, of fighting for justice on behalf of working men and women. 

Levy represents a broad spectrum of labor organizations in both the private and public sectors, as well as employee benefit trust funds, and individuals. Levy’s clients represent the interests of workers in aerospace, telecommunications, professional and clerical, hotel and hospitality, entertainment, and the public sector. He has practiced before a wide variety of governmental agencies, including the National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB”), the California Public Employment Relations Board (“PERB”) as well as other State, County and City agencies throughout Southern California. He is also familiar with the complex provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (“ERISA”) and related federal/state laws governing employment and employee benefits.  A dual member of the State Bars of California and Nevada, Levy represents many clients from both States. In addition to California and Nevada state courts, he is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court as well as various United States Circuit Courts of Appeal and United States District Courts. Levy is a certificated faculty member of the Labor Studies Program at the Los Angeles Trade Technical College, instructing current and future labor leaders on the rights of their members in the workplace.

Ron Yungul

Board of Directors

Ron began writing screenplays while a student in the Master’s program in film at San Francisco State University and then went on to be a semi-finalist in the Chesterfield screenwriting competition and a quarter finalist in the Nichols Fellowship.

He recently wrote and executive-produced the Civil War western feature, “The War Between“, shot entirely on location in Arizona and scheduled for its premiere on April 6th at the Phoenix Film Festival. https://www.thewarbetweenfilm.com/

Ron wrote and directed “Rafters”, a pilot for a 30-minute sitcom, and has two projects in development: “Fall”, the story of a Japanese-American girl who falls in love with a German P.O.W. in the American Midwest during World War II, and a TV series, “Space Mission 6”, a satirical take on TV production in the mid-1960s.

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