Her Story
About CherylAn
CherylAn Sokol-Byrne is the co-owner of Cap Partners Music, a production music company she runs alongside her husband, providing broadcast-ready cinematic action, dramedy, and tension instrumentals for film, television, commercials, and podcasts. Her creative roots trace back to childhood, when she played clarinet and bassoon in symphony settings before teaching herself guitar and going on to become an in-house songwriter for Philadelphia International Records, working within the storied legacy of Gamble and Huff. Along the way, she also discovered that she learns best through visual and hands-on instruction, a realization shaped in part by her experience with ADHD, which she now considers a source of strength through intense focus and heightened creativity.
Before returning to music full-time, Sokol-Byrne built a substantial career in the mortgage industry, advancing from junior processor to underwriter, operations manager, and ultimately a top-producing loan officer recognized among the top seven percent of originators in her region for a decade. She eventually transitioned back into music, earning a certificate in computer programming and mastering new production tools to specialize in sync licensing. Today, she and her husband operate dual home studios in Souderton, Pennsylvania, where their compositions have been placed in television, film, and advertising projects worldwide, including licensing placements on major streaming platforms and reality television programming across multiple countries.
Her work has earned her a nomination for a Hollywood Independent Music Award, and she remains active within the industry as a member of the Production Music Association and as Director of Member Experience for the Sync Titan Community, a role in which she helps fellow composers access education, collaboration, and professional connections. Sokol-Byrne attends production music conferences in Los Angeles annually to strengthen relationships with music supervisors, and she credits her success throughout every stage of her career to persistence, professionalism, and an unwavering commitment to integrity.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with CherylAn
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to persistence and an unwillingness to give up. Time and again, I've proven to myself that if I stay committed, I can accomplish what I truly set out to do. My path has taken me from playing clarinet and bassoon, to teaching myself guitar, to writing in-house for Philadelphia International Records, into a career in the mortgage industry where I worked my way up to top-producing loan officer, and finally back to music, where I learned sync licensing and new production equipment to build my current career.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best advice I've received is to never give up. As the saying goes, obstacles are simply what you see when you take your eyes off your goals. I stay committed to my goals regardless of what gets in the way. I'm fairly hard-headed — when I want something, I go after it and don't easily take no for an answer.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice is that no one cares about your history — what matters is whether you have the ear and the industry knowledge to present yourself as a true professional. Can you deliver the type of music that's being requested, exactly when it's needed? Know your industry, stay focused, and bring as much professionalism and knowledge as you can. Ultimately, your job is to serve the industry, and listening closely is essential to doing that well.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Being based in Pennsylvania, one of my biggest challenges is making sure my presence is known and building in-person relationships with the music supervisors who make the decisions. It's still very much a male-dominated field, but once people see that I understand my craft and do it well, they care far less about my gender. Each year, I attend a production music conference in Los Angeles to build those connections, and that effort contributed to my nomination for a Hollywood Independent Music Award.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Integrity is the value that guides both my personal and professional life. It's easy to maintain on a good day, but it can be genuinely difficult on a hard one. Being honest with people isn't always simple, so I try to do it with gentleness. Integrity is the one thing that truly belongs to you — something no one can take away — and I try to run my life by that principle.
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