Biography
Alan Friedman is the Managing Partner and co-founder of Friedman, Kannenberg & Company, P.C. (“FKCo”). Alan has over 40 years of experience in providing accounting, tax and consulting services to the music industry. He has assisted several music industry clients resolve problems related to financial reporting, cash flow, inventory management, business operations, accounting software systems, business valuation and succession plans.
Alan earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting in 1978, as well as a Master of Science degree in Professional Accounting in 1982, both from The University of Hartford. Upon graduation from college, Alan worked as an accounting software programmer for United Technologies Corporation. In 1981, Alan joined the consulting staff of the international accounting firm Ernst & Whinney (now Ernst & Young) where he served as a financial and computer consultant their client base of Fortune 500 companies. In 1983, Alan became the Chief Financial Officer of Continental Investor Services Corporation, a real estate and emerging markets syndication company. Shortly thereafter, Alan left his employment to become self-employed and start a CPA firm dedicated to the music industry.
In 1985, Alan co-founded FKCo, which has since become a leader in providing accounting, tax and consulting services to a variety of music industry clients. His client base currently includes music instrument and product retailers & manufacturers, musicians & bands, recording studios, engineers & producers, independent record labels, musical podcasters and social media companies, musical touring and theatrical companies, music education professionals and other music industry businesses.
Alan is a featured writer for Sweetwater, Music Inc., DrumHead and International Musician Magazines, and has taught music business classes for students at the Hartt School of Music and NYU’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music. Alan is also a faculty member of NAMM University and has presented financial sessions at every NAMM Trade Show since 1995. Alan currently moderates NAMM’s Financial Retail Summit, Yamaha’s Financial Advantage Program sponsored by their Customer Financial Services division, and has been the moderator of Harley Davidson Motor Company’s Inventory Excellence program.
Alan resides in West Hartford with his wife Beth, and has three grown children and five grandchildren. In his spare time, Alan can be found either recording in his home recording studio (with six albums of original music under his belt) or playing guitar in any one of his three rock bands…Cannonballz, Printz, and the all-CPA classic rock band, The Accounting Crows.