Jeff Reid: Publisher and Editor-in-Chief, purchased The Beat in August 2006 as an effort to improve and expand local music culture and business.  He is a native Wilmingtonian, musician, surfer and recording engineer/producer. Known for his every changing hair styles, he is now in a “Flock of Seagulls” moment and can be heard humming tunes from “Ram” by Paul McCartney

The Beat is pleased to have Laura Johnston on board as a contributing photographer and graphic design artist.  Laura is a native of Wilmington NC and is completing her junior year at UNCW as a saxophonist and music performance major. She has recently taken up photography, and has an eye of someone twice her age. “I love playing dress up and pretend and make-believe in a whole different world through photography. My imagination lives through these things - it gets mad if I keep it locked up.” she admits.

Tom O’Brien is a weekend musician, undiscovered songwriter, wannabe playwright, Dylan authority, unpublished novelist, and fledgling filmmaker who supports his vices by running an English and Communications Department at Stark State College of Technology in the frigid wilderness of Canton, Ohio.  His frequent trips to Wilmington, N.C. have, over the years, resulted in his adopting the coastal metropolis as his second home.  Tom is a regular contributor, combining his passion for words and music by penning articles and editing for his good friends at The Beat. 

Jennifer moved to Wilmington in 2005 right out of college to escape the cold winters of the North. When she isn't writing about music, she's going to live shows, reading music bios, or discussing music. She is always looking for that next great band and aspires to have her own record label someday but admits, if she hears “another band say they want to ‘CONQUER THE WORLD!’ one more time I'm going to scream!”

Wilmington’s Scott Quinn has worked with some of the music industry’s biggest corporations, as well as top name recording artists. Scott’s Jazz/Fusion project with drummer Lee Venters, has an album soon to be released entitled “Without Until.”

Guitarist, audio engineer/producer and writer David Pell resides in Hampstead, NC. He has studied guitar with Dave Brumble and has performed with Dave Brubek, Jimmy Rogers and occasionally plays with the Wilmington Big Band. David currently is the owner of Cat’s Imagination Media Solutions and has just released “Monday Nights In Hubert – Volume One”.