About – Suzan Koc

Suzan Koç

"When I signed up for Suzan's songwriting workshop, I didn't realize how deeply I would be impacted by her style of mentorship and teaching, from songwriting to how I live my life as a woman. The way she fosters an authentic and inspiring space for us to tap into our fiercest versions of ourselves is a special thing for songwriters who want to become the best they can be. Suzan has an ability to sniff out authenticity, and she doesn't let us hide behind any crutches. Rather, she encourages us to face our weak spots with creativity and confidence.

Suzan's passion for songs and helping songwriters tap into their truest potential is palpable. It's incredible to be able to learn from Suzan, because her ability to convey her instincts with lyrics and melodies with songwriters is a rare and valuable skill that has helped me to see myself more clearly. My successes in this crazy industry would not be possible without the humorous, witty, and sharp guidance of Suzan's."

- MILCK, Atlantic Recording Artist, and Voice of the 2017 Women's March ("Quiet")

Suzan Koç is a music publisher and songwriting coach who specializes in helping songwriters find their unique voice. With her characteristic bluntness and gift for understanding exactly what a song needs to have maximum emotional impact, she has developed and mentored successful songwriters for over 30 years.

Her career in the music industry started as an intern at Warner Chappell in Paris in 1989 after meeting Nesuhi Ertegun, co-founder of Atlantic Records with his brother, the legendary Ahmet Ertegun. In 7 years she worked her way up to be the Director of International Creative and signed rising Swedish pop group Ace of Base (50 million records sold).

In 1996, she moved to New York, where she was VP of Creative for Hit & Run Music (Phil Collins, Genesis) where she met songwriter Shelly Peiken (“What A Girl Wants” (#1), “Bitch (#2)) and landed cuts with Reba McEntire, Brandy, and *NSYNC. She then became the VP of Writer Development at BMG Publishing in 2001.

Since 2008 she has mentored songwriters through individual online workshops and group workshops in Los Angeles. Notable alumni include MILCK (whose song “Quiet” was the anthem of the 2017 Women’s March and garnered 15 million views in 48 hours). She also teaches music publishing, songwriting, and creativity classes at UCLA Extension and Musician’s Institute.

In her free time, she enjoys cooking dishes she’s never cooked before for parties of 6 or more, riding her electric bike through the streets of Hollywood, and traveling back to her native France and Turkey.

Read Suzan's recent interview with Voyage LA!

Artist, songwriter, and activist MILCK talks with her mentor Suzan Koç about finding her voice and the moment that transformed her career forever.

- Featured in Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine, "Story Scouts"

“The day-to-day mentorship that I was so lucky to have received [from Suzan], publisher to writer, is quickly becoming a thing of the past. Writers can grow on their own, but not as many will thrive without someone who will lift them up when they're too hard on themselves, or tell them the truth - even when they don't want to hear it. And that's a pity, because that's what makes us better."

- Shelly Peiken, Multi #1 Songwriter and author of Confessions of a Serial Songwriter (2017 Grammy Nominee)

(L) Suzan and Shelly at the BMI awards for Brandy's "Almost Doesn't Count"

and again 20 years later (R)