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Merl Saunders Jr.- San Francisco Chapter Executive Director, NARAS (National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences)- began performing with the San Francisco Youth Symphony and grew up in the heart of the San Francisco music scene, hanging with such musical families as the Grateful Dead, Creedence Clearwater Revival and Saul Zaentz's Fantasy Records. He learned the business and production end of the industry working with such diverse artists as Michael Jackson, Frank Zappa, David Crosby and Robert Cray. Saunders' career led him to Marketing Director for Gibson Guitars and Dean Markley Strings, where he arranged benefits for many philanthropic causes. He currently sits on the Board of Directors for Music in Schools Today, Taylor Family Foundation (pediatric AIDS).