THE TEAM

DANIEL DI MONTE // LEAD PRODUCER, COMPOSER, ENGINEER

For producer, filmmaker, composer, studio engineer and interdisciplinary artist, Daniel Di Monte, a fusion of orchestral Italian cinema soundtracks, electronic funk, soul and jazz, Americana, and Indigenous world music elements has garnered him a reputation as a versatile and respected young artist and technician. Whether composing for film, television, gaming, live streams, theater, liturgical, or choral concert music, Di Monte employs a variety of genre sources to create organic, colorful soundscapes that blend seamlessly with the rest of the soundtrack—enhancing the visual drama and developing powerful, immersive stories.

As part of Chicago producer team DAN & OCEAN. and founder of sustainable media production company STUDIO DI MONTE (est. 2017), Di Monte has built and contributed several hours of music to major film studio libraries, podcasts, YT / VTuber live streams, web & network TV programs, and Blockbuster AAA video games — with clients including America’s Got Talent (NBC & HULU), The Crew 2 (Ubisoft & Ubisoft Milan), 411 Music Group, and the world’s best-selling video game franchise Call of Duty (Activision & Raven Software). He has also produced for emerging American artists Pablo Armendariz (20th Century Fox, HBO, HULU, MTV, BRAVO, PBS) and Lewis Knudsen (411 Music Group).

In 2019, Di Monte’s extensive knowledge of music production and creative strategies led to his being hired as Music Director and Composer by Rarefied Recording’s prestigious Recording & Mixing Workshop; working directly with RIAA Gold-certified mixing engineer Brian Scheuble (Elton John, Ice Cube, Nine Inch Nails, Zac Brown Band, Tina Turner, Fiona Apple, and John Mayer). Additionally, his solo work as a recording artist has been featured by the best in tastemaker media, including NPR, A&R Factory, Medium, and The Daily Iowan.

Di Monte holds a B.A. in Music from University of Iowa School of Music, and a B.S. in Nursing from University of Iowa College of Nursing. In addition to his work in classical and contemporary music, he has 10 years of medical practice in multiple nursing specialties. He has been a regular guest on Adrianne Behning’s popular medical podcast “Nursing Uncensored”, while also being an active supporter of his local and global music communities as a voting member of The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), and contributor to The MusiCares Foundation.

OCEAN DI MONTE // EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, COMPOSER, ENGINEER

Ocean Di Monte is a Los Angeles-born digital media producer, composer, cinematographer, and studio engineer who came from a family of classical musicians, nurses, and mechanical engineers from Beauregard Parish, Louisiana. From age 5, she learned piano, classical voice, gospel arranging, and music history in her grandmother’s studio, followed by extensive formal study of various woodwinds, strings, classical guitar, and bass as a teen and adult. Bass remains her preferred performance instrument.

After a successful career in China and Hong Kong working in film, television, music, theater and luxury branding, new business pursuits beckoned Ocean back home to California in late 2014. Her return synchronized quite perfectly with a renaissance of improvisational music and Diasporic art percolating in the L.A. area. From meditative daytime synth gatherings in Highland Park to underground beat cyphers in Chinatown, and endless collaborations with top players, emcees, dancers, DJs and producers in Mid-City and North Hollywood’s Arts District.

Living in Asia for 4 years opened Ocean to a wealth of growth opportunities and major exhibitions of her original music and film works—most notably at World Expo 2010 Shanghai, China, with a record-breaking attendance of over 73 million visitors. Additional international music commissions and live engagements included the 2011 Smart Car brand campaign “Big, In The City” at Shanghai’s Mercedes-Benz Arena featuring late NBA superstar Kobe Bryant, 2012 Shanghai Rolex Masters Tennis Tournament featuring Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, 2014 Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix featuring Lewis Hamilton, and commercial radio and television projects for major brands like Cartier, Hugo Boss, Le Coq Sportif, Canon, Nikon, Apple and Huawei.

Joining STUDIO DI MONTE in 2019 has allowed Ocean the space and unfettered freedom to experience true artistic spirituality—combining her passions for experimental sonic & visual storytelling, art, history, literature, nature, and design. She now splits her time between homes in Italy, Japan, and the US, and remains a valuable asset on productions as an artist, technician, curator, ecosystem-builder, and philanthropist—furthering the company’s mission of sustainability within film, media, education, and the performing arts.