Our Story

In the summer of 2020, during one of the most trying times the music industry has seen, three friends with a shared passion for live music, artist development and making shit happen, decided to double-down on their side gigs to form Black Mountain Management.

Tiffany Finley, executive director of the Master Musicians Festival in Somerset; David Helmers, co-producer of Railbird Music Festival in Lexington; and John Smithwick, host of the Raven House in Lexington and co-owner of Hidden Ridge Camping in Monticello, together bring 20+ years of Kentucky music festival, venue management, and business expertise to the venture.

Two foundational beliefs drive the venture:

• The business of music too often gets in the way of the art of music.

• Each artist’s plan should be as unique as their sound.