About The Owners

Laurie Windham,
Book, Lyrics, Music

Laurie has played keyboards and sung in various bands, as well as written countless pop, rock and jazz songs. Laurie enjoyed a successful career in the high-tech industry, building a multi-million dollar consultancy and writing two books, Dead Ahead: the Web Dilemma and the New Rules of Business and The Soul of the New Consumer, both of which are available worldwide in 10+ languages (Allworth Press, 1998, 2000). She spoke at conferences in Brazil, Argentina, Canada, Japan and Korea and in business centers across the US, China and Europe. She was profiled in Fortune Magazine, and quoted in the Wall Street Journal and Business Week. She was also featured guest on Ziff- Davis, CNN and Bloomburg talk show broadcasts as an expert on consumer behavior in the Internet Age. Several years ago, Laurie returned to her first love Musical Theater and recruited her long-time friend, McMillen, to rekindle their successful partnership and participate in the creation of Give Me A Break.

Barbara McMillen

Book, Lyrics, Music

Barbara McMillen has been singing, songwriting and playing the piano since she can remember. Her music career ranges from piano bars to touring bands performing all genres of music including musical theater, jazz, folk, bluegrass, country, blues, Top 40 and rock. She has played opening acts for stars such as Willie Nelson, David Allen Coe, Asleep at the Wheel, Rusty Weir, Albert Collins, Jerry Jeff Walker, Rex Allen, Jr., Reba McEntire, and Red Stegal at major club venues and large outdoor festivals.

Barbara studied music, and composition at North Texas State University and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Music Therapy from Texas Woman's University. She left her full time job as a music therapist to travel on the road with her own band for a number of years. After settling down to a career in production and composition, she gravitated back to music therapy part time, and manages to find time to work with memory loss patients. She also occasionally performs at festivals, conferences and private parties.

Barbara's composer credits include album cuts, television, films, and musical theatre. She's won the Mercom Gold Award and a US Film & Video Silver Screen Award for original music and lyrics on various film projects, and acted as a co-writer of the theme music for the nationally syndicated Billy Bob's Country Countdown. In musical theatre, she's co-written When I Was A Dinosaur, No More Christmas, and Give Me A Break.

She's also produced and hosted her own TV shows, Texas Music Magazine and Songwriter Spotlight, which featured local talent as well as special guest celebrities like Reverend Horton Heat, Robert Earl Keen, Gloria Estefan, and Tito Puente, Jr. Her Musical acting credits include local productions of Little Mary Sunshine, I'll Be Home For Christmas, and It's A Wonderful Life.

Barbara is Associate Professor of Songwriting at Collin College and Founding President Emeritus of the Dallas Songwriters Association, a nonprofit educational organization that assists songwriters in learning the craft and business of songwriting. She also serves as editor of Songwriters Notes. She has produced a number of songwriting conferences and lectured at many others. She is co-owner of the Texas Music Group an umbrella company for record labels, publishing, production and music consulting companies. She is a voting member of the Producers Wing of National Association of Recording Arts and Sciences which awards the Grammy.http://www.barbaramcmillen.com