MusicBizCast with Kelly Castor

Singer, songwriter, and guitarist Bill Toms joined Pittsburgh’s legendary band, The Houserockers, as lead guitarist in 1987. The band’s meteoric rise into the professional music scene enabled Bill to tour the United States and Europe repeatedly.

While with Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers he opened for and played with a long and impressive list of notables, such as The Band, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Little Feat and Stevie Ray Vaughn. During his 20 years of playing guitar, co-writing, and singing back-up vocals for the Houserockers, Toms recorded six studio albums and one live concert album. In 1995, the acclaimed CD, “American Babylon,” was recorded and produced by Bruce Springsteen. In this episode, Bill talked about the release of his latest CD, “Deep in the Shadows.”

Stacey Sherman is a founder and media consultant at RSP Entertainment Marketing. Through her consultancy, Stacey promotes clients and coordinates all aspects of media, event, publicity, and image presentation. Stacey believes that everyone has a story to tell and she ensures that each clients’ story is heard.

It could be as simple as a rewrite and updated artist bio, a press release to let the media know about an upcoming CD release, or securing corporate sponsorships and planning a full-blown press tour–RSP Entertainment can handle it all. Stacey’s longstanding motto is stand out, be important, help others.

Grande Prairie, Alberta may not be the first place you expect to discover a reggae band. But it was there that Caleb Hart & Al Peterson first climbed an open mic stage together and improvised three songs. The crowd’s response could not be ignored, and while people gathered around them to ask where their music could be found, Caleb quickly made a Facebook page with the name Tasman Jude and directed people there.

Three months later they found themselves with a committed fanbase and an EP charting on iTunes. As they began to tour (now with a full band including Derek Wilder & Bethanie Earle) and word about their energetic live show spread, they released a second single “Family” which quickly began to find a home on radio stations around the world and pick up multiple songwriting awards.

Kendal Conrad is a singer, actor, published writer, and award-winning songwriter. Kendal appeared on MTV and recently sang a duet onstage with Keith Urban. Kendal was featured on Keith Urban's website as one of his favorite "Raise 'Em Up" Tour moments and appeared in Keith's 2014 Video Yearbook. She is International Miss Talent and won the title with her original song "Girlstrong." She has performed at the White House, Wells Fargo Center, Sands Casino, Six Flags, Hersheypark, the Bitter End, and Musikfest, as well as the Susquehanna Bank Center for 92.5 XTU's anniversary party.

Kendal has sung the National Anthem for MLB, NBA, MMA, NASCAR (televised on ESPN), and NBC’s National Dog Show. She was a finalist in the NBC 10 Talent Search and a finalist in the Colgate Country Showdown. She has opened for country artists Phil Vassar and Craig Morgan and performed personally for author Nicholas Sparks.

As an extra in in the film Silver Linings Playbook, she can be seen bumping into Bradley Cooper, and she is currently playing Holly Golightly in the exclusive post-Broadway production of Breakfast at Tiffany's at the Civic Theatre of Allentown. Furthermore, she models clothes for Hughwear Apparel and is endorsed by Fancy Guitar Capos. Kendal recorded her first EP in country star Reba McEntire’s studio in Nashville this past summer.

20 TWen is a East Detroit rap prodigy who first made a name for himself in the Michigan hip-hop scene by releasing a series of blazing mixtapes and catchy singles. Coming up, 20 Twen has collaborated with super-producers 9th Wonder, Kajmir Royale (DMX, Bow Wow, De La Soul), and Johnny Juliano (Wiz Khalifa, T-Pain, Rick Ross).

In 2013, 20 Twen released what became a critically acclaimed project, “No Feelings,” receiving praise from hip-hop heavyweight and multi-platinum producer Don Cannon (Lil Wayne, Young Jeezy and 50 cent, among others). There is no doubt, 20 Twen is rapidly becoming a sought-after act in today’s oversaturated hip-hop market.

Riley Weston is a Nashville-based writer of TV and film, actress, award-winning author, songwriter, singer, and performer.

As a singer/songwriter, Riley Riley cut her first single, If I Said Howdy to You, after self-teaching herself the guitar in only 18 months. And while working on her debut album,Surrender Laughing, Riley had the opportunity to open for her long time musical heroes, Montgomery Gentry.

As an actress, Riley starred in the indie feature, Footprints, where she played a disturbed runaway in Hollywood who dresses up as Super Girl. Footprints was declared "one of the 10 Best Films so Far this Year" by the Chairman of the NY Film Critics Circle. Riley also starred in the hit TV movie, What About Your Friends. 

As a writer, Riley has written for the WB television drama, Felicity as well as starred as Story Zimmer in the show. Riley also wrote and starred in the highly-rated ABC television movie, Christmas at Water’s Edge. Riley went on to write the hit TV movie, The Nanny Express, for Hallmark. The movie aired as the 2nd highest-rated movie for the network. Most recently, Riley’s latest TV movie, DAMAGED, premiered in January 2015 on the Lifetime network.

Van Wild is a southern blues-rock-pop musical project. Her debut EP, "Van Wild," is a mix of catchy love, social observation, and protest songs that are inspired by southern landscapes and folklore.

Van Wild’s single, "Cherry Tree," is currently #26 on the MediaBase Indie Label charts and can now be heard on BDS and MediaBase stations across the US. Her "Cherry Tree" music video is playing on more than 150 TV stations internationally and is on in-house closed circuit TV in American Eagle, Steve Madden, Four Seasons Hotels, Caesar’s Palace, and Macy’s.

Her follow-up single, "Hey Old Man," is already on radios internationally and will hit mainstream American radios in late Spring, 2015. In January, Van Wild was a selected as a semifinalist for the Belk Southern Artist Showcase and performed at Nashville's storied venue, 12th & Porter.

Brent Baxter is a Nashville-based lyricist and songwriting coach. Brent’s first cut came in early 2004 with “Monday Morning Church,” recorded by Alan Jackson. The song went on to become a top five hit, honored as one of Nashville Songwriters Association International’s ten “Songs I Wish I’d Written.” In early 2005, Brent signed his first publishing deal as staff songwriter for Major Bob Music, which yielded cuts by Lady Antebellum, Randy Travis, and Lonestar, among others.

In 2009 and 2010, Brent wrote for a joint venture of Peer Music and RPM Music, which yielded cuts by Joe Nichols, Ray Stevens, Charles Billingsley, and Randy Kohrs. From 2010 through 2012, Brent was the flagship writer for Infinity Music Group, yielding cuts by Canadian star Gord Bamford, as well as comedy legend Ray Stevens, blues guitar legend Steve Cropper, Andy Griggs, Buddy Jewell, and new Curb artist, and Ruthie Collins.

Brent currently writes for his own publishing company, Cowboy Chords Music, and he’s also a songwriting coach with a couple hundred hours of one-on-one mentoring and workshop experience through his website, ManvsRow.com.

Andrew Apanov is the founder of Dotted Music, a digital marketing agency for the music industry. Dotted Music offers branding, graphic design, inbound marketing, social media integration, website development, copywriting, targeted PR, and online management to music brands of all sizes.

Andrew also recently launched WeSpin, a video-based growth training and online community for musicians, bands, producers, and DJs. He is the former editor-in-chief of Ultimate Guitar, host of the WeSpin Recipes Podcast, and the Stand Above The Noise video series. Andrew speaks and consults internationally on issues facing the music industry, and still finds time to rock some drum & bass DJ.

Avion Blackstone is an Austin-based singer, songwriter, poet, and pianist that lays big pop sound in between layers of meaningful lyrics. Obsessed with symbolism, Avion writes music as metaphors for life, gender, sex, and urgent world events.

Her sound has been compared to Lady Gaga, and her songs are refreshing and deep with meaning while the quality of her music is equivalent to that of top tier stars. She credits her perfectionism--her fans, called #Aviants, credit her raw talent.

Bio excerpted in part from Rockbandom.