MusicPreneur: Making Money Making Music

It's one thing we don't want to talk about...

The thing we fear most in this life - right up there with public speaking.

Death. And what to do with our estate once we're gone from this world.

We've heard some of the stories from well-known musicians who have passed away: Michael Jackson, Prince, and now Aretha Franklin.

Although an unpleasant topic, a bit of planning would have spared their families years of litigation, millions in lawyer fees and agonizing dispute between family members.

Well, we may not achieve the stature of a Michael Jackson or Aretha Franklin (but who says we can't?) but we owe it to ourselves and our loved ones to plan for when we're no longer on the earth.

About the guest:

Alex Heiche is the founder and CEO of Sound Royalties. He has an innate passion for music and strong roots in the music industry. Alex established the company in 2014 after identifying the gaping need for fair funding options for music professionals, which allowed creatives to retain their copyrights.

Alex has almost two decades of experience in providing cash and finance raising strategies to large annuity recipients, professional athletes, songwriters and artists. He has worked with leading music industry professionals, including Grammy Award winners, platinum recording artists and notable music industry executives in every genre, always with the utmost discretion and privacy.

Alex is a strong and outspoken advocate for the rights of songwriters, producers and artists, and the importance of those in the creative world being fairly compensated for their work.

About Me and My Podcast

Hi. My name is James Newcomb.

MusicPreneur.Com is a combination of two things that are near and dear to me: music and commerce. I believe that these are two of the most powerful forces known to man and are able to do a great deal of good (and not so good) for humanity.

With this podcast, I want to go beyond simply Making Money Making Music. It's my hope that listeners will be inspired to live a lifestyle that is holistic, selfless and makes the world a little bit better place to live.

In a year and a half of running the show, I've identified 5 core areas of the MusicPreneur Lifestyle.

Expert musicianship

Business savvy

Innovation

Financial wellness

Physical, emotional and spiritual wellness.

As you listen to the show, you'll hear these core areas emphasized repeatedly.

It's more than just a job, or even a career. A MusicPreneur lives a life that reflects who they are as individuals and as musicians.

I hope you'll check out an episode or two. Of course, subscribing to the show will make it much easier for you to keep up to date.

Thanks for checking out my little podcast!

To your success,

James Newcomb

listen and subscribe on your favorite podcast player

Apple Podcasts

Google Podcasts

Overcast

Stitcher

 

The electric guitar had Jimi Hendrix. The trumpet had Harry James. The clarinet had Benny Goodman.

Every instrument has had a pioneer that pushed the envelope and made it conscious in the mainstream.

Toots Thieleman on the harmonica. Arnold Jacobs on the tuba.

And the bassoon...has somehow survived without a prominent figure leading the way. Here's to hoping that it's their turn next in line.

Well, you ask any bassist who the Hendrix of the instrument is, and they'll almost unanimously say it was Jaco Pastorius. A virtuoso, a visionary, he saw more potential for his instrument than anyone else in his age. Many of the leading bassists today look to Jaco as their inspiration; they credit him for paving the way for their own success.

He died way too soon, at least in our own perspective. But we had a great man in our midst for a short time, and for that we're grateful.

In this episode, we talk about the life and legacy of Jaco Pastorius with the curator and proprietor of a website dedicated to him.

In my chat with Corey Brown, you'll hear:

The life of Jaco Pastorius... 

Why Jaco is considered to be the "Hendrix of Bass"... 

Should we be sad we lost Jaco so early, or glad that we had him at all?... 

How Jaco "pushed the envelope" for the bass, which at the time wasn't known as a "lead" instrument... 

Would bassists today have the platform they do had Jaco not done what he did?... 

The story of how Corey began his passion project devoted to the life and legacy of Jaco Pastorius... 

And much more!

Resources from this episode:

jacopastorius.com

"Jaco" the film

Knucklepuck Media - the agency Corey represents for all your digital marketing needs.

Got a question for Corey or me? Just send me an email, or leave a voicemail on the blue button on the right side of this page!

About Me and My Podcast

Hi. My name is James Newcomb.

MusicPreneur.Com is a combination of two things that are near and dear to me: music and commerce. I believe that these are two of the most powerful forces known to man and are able to do a great deal of good (and not so good) for humanity.

With this podcast, I want to go beyond simply Making Money Making Music. It's my hope that listeners will be inspired to live a lifestyle that is holistic, selfless and makes the world a little bit better place to live.

In a year and a half of running the show, I've identified 5 core areas of the MusicPreneur Lifestyle.

Expert musicianship

Business savvy

Innovation

Financial wellness

Physical, emotional and spiritual wellness.

As you listen to the show, you'll hear these core areas emphasized repeatedly.

It's more than just a job, or even a career. A MusicPreneur lives a life that reflects who they are as individuals and as musicians.

I hope you'll check out an episode or two. Of course, subscribing to the show will make it much easier for you to keep up to date.

Thanks for checking out my little podcast!

To your success,

James Newcomb

listen and subscribe on your favorite podcast player

Apple Podcasts

Google Podcasts

Overcast

Stitcher

A couple of weeks ago, I conducted some "market research." I went on a Facebook group for musicians who are entrepreneurially minded (or so I thought) and asked the question: "What is the first thing you think of when you hear the word "entrepreneur?"

The answers ranged from profound to downright insulting.

But it's not like I didn't ask for it.

It showed me that there's a lot of work to do when it comes to educating musicians on the principles of the market - not to mention understanding what an entrepreneur really is.

In this episode, I go over some of the answers I received and share what Ibelieve to the correct definition of an entrepreneur (in my humble but accurate opinion.)

Hint: It's not as intricate as it might sound. In fact, it may be more difficult to actually pronounce or spell the word "entrepreneur" than to understand what an entrepreneur really is!

About Me and My Podcast

Hi. My name is James Newcomb.

MusicPreneur.Com is a combination of two things that are near and dear to me: music and commerce. I believe that these are two of the most powerful forces known to man and are able to do a great deal of good (and not so good) for humanity.

With this podcast, I want to go beyond simply Making Money Making Music. It's my hope that listeners will be inspired to live a lifestyle that is holistic, selfless and makes the world a little bit better place to live.

In a year and a half of running the show, I've identified 5 core areas of the MusicPreneur Lifestyle.

Expert musicianship

Business savvy

Innovation

Financial wellness

Physical, emotional and spiritual wellness.

As you listen to the show, you'll hear these core areas emphasized repeatedly.

It's more than just a job, or even a career. A MusicPreneur lives a life that reflects who they are as individuals and as musicians.

I hope you'll check out an episode or two. Of course, subscribing to the show will make it much easier for you to keep up to date.

Thanks for checking out my little podcast!

To your success,

James Newcomb

listen and subscribe on your favorite podcast player

Apple Podcasts

Google Podcasts

Overcast

Stitcher

if you enjoyed this episode, i'll bet you'll like this one too!

We all know that podcasts are here to stay. They're an incredibly powerful tool to market yourself to new fans, followers and happy customers.

But it's important that you represent yourself the best way possible when you do get the chance to be on a podcast.

Did you know? There are people who have built 7 figure businesses using podcasts as their primary means of marketing? It's brilliant if you think about it. Let someone else do all the work of hosting a podcast, and you just show up, chew the fat for a few minutes and go on your merry way delivering value to your new customers.

Those people who build businesses being on other people's podcasts all have one thing in common: They prepare, and they invest in themselves.

Basically, they do what I'm about to tell you in this episode.

Maybe this will be of some value if and when you decide to utilize other people's podcasts to market yourself.

Hailing from just south of Toronto, Ontario Canada, Tia McGraff is an internationally-renowned, award-winning Americana/singer-songwriter and author. Accompanying Tia on her musical journey is her life/musical partner, Tommy Parham.

The two met and married while both were living in Nashville, TN and have enjoyed an extensive career performing, song writing and recording together for more than 12 years. They bring such an honesty and passion to their music that they have even been described as the modern day, Johnny and June!

2015-2017 were stand out years for Tia and Tommy, with sold out shows around the world (including the coveted, Bluebird Café, in Nashville, TN); international acclaim for their cd release Crazy Beautiful and radio play on such notable shows as Bob Harris Country on BBC Radio 2 in the UK.

With the 2018 release of Stubborn In My Blood, first single, “Strong” is already reaching beyond all demographics and boundaries, having been adopted by “Me2” and women’s empowerment groups around the world! New single, a cover of the classic, “One Tin Soldier” is sure to light up summer radio playlists.

A gifted author, Tia’s children’s book, Jake The Road Dawg has helped raise funds and awareness for her local chapter of The Dolly Parton Imagination Library. Seven international CD releases, various film/tv placements, and numerous nominations and awards (including Americana CD of the year first round nomination for 2016 Grammy Awards), have earned Tia and Tommy a respect in the music industry and a global fan base. The duo have a gift for ‘getting to the heart of the matter’ and writing relatable songs about life, love and this crazy world we live in.

subscribe to the mini course: Lifestyle of the musicpreneur. Delivered to your email inbox!

 

In my conversation with Tia, you'll hear...

-About the importance of being authentic and not catering to the whims of others...

-Why Tia doesn't record "Christian" music, even though her faith greatly influences her music...

-What Tia means when she says she records "life songs"...

-How Tia has connected with new audiences in the U.K....

-The hilarious story from Tia's first tour in the U.K. and how it eventually led to gaining a foothold in that market...

-Tia gives the back story on a few of the songs on her latest album, "Stubborn in My Blood...

And much more!...

 

About Me and My Podcast

Hi. My name is James Newcomb.

MusicPreneur.Com is a combination of two things that are near and dear to me: music and commerce. I believe that these are two of the most powerful forces known to man and are able to do a great deal of good (and not so good) for humanity.

With this podcast, I want to go beyond simply Making Money Making Music. It's my hope that listeners will be inspired to live a lifestyle that is holistic, selfless and makes the world a little bit better place to live.

In a year and a half of running the show, I've identified 5 core areas of the MusicPreneur Lifestyle.

Expert musicianship

Business savvy

Innovation

Financial wellness

Physical, emotional and spiritual wellness.

As you listen to the show, you'll hear these core areas emphasized repeatedly.

It's more than just a job, or even a career. A MusicPreneur lives a life that reflects who they are as individuals and as musicians.

I hope you'll check out an episode or two. Of course, subscribing to the show will make it much easier for you to keep up to date.

Thanks for checking out my little podcast!

To your success,

James Newcomb

listen and subscribe on your favorite podcast pl...

In late March, early April timeframe, I experienced this weird phenomenon called... Well, I don't know what to call it other than misplaced idealism turned into self-righteous indignation. Because I showed insufficient remorse for what seemed like a dumb question on my Facebook group dealing with women trumpet players, I endured the wrath of a couple of female trumpet players who took exception to my response to the question - or lack thereof.

While the whole thing was pretty silly, there were a couple of things that in retrospect I could have done differently. To put it bluntly: nothing. I would have done nothing. But we all have to learn hard lessons in whatever we're endeavoring to do, and I guess it was just my turn to be in the hot seat for a week or so.

I share with my three listeners, Glenn, Stu and Shaniqua, what went down and what I would do differently the next time I encounter a similar situation.

Welcome to T-T-T-T Tuesday here on MusicPreneur.Com. Where we address a specific tool, tactic, technique and occasional tough love to help you in your journey of Making Money Making Music.

Got a question you want answered on the podcast? Just go to MusicPreneur.Com/q and leave a comment or a voicemail and I'll get to it!

So, after a long time apart, my three listeners and I finally reconnected for a blessed time of fellowship. We recapped our summers, and I made a few observations about the gigging scene here on Virginia Beach. Not in Virginia Beach, the city, but the actual beach.

I guess I need to get out more, because I'm not terribly impressed with what I've seen thus far.

Plus I shared a semi-valuable lesson for the entrepreneurially inclined from my favorite show, Better Call Saul.

Happy listening!

P.S. Don Greene is my guest on this Sunday's episode of the show. While it was an honor to interview Dr. Greene and talk about his new online platform, Winning on Stage, it's no comparison with the first 2 minutes of the episode. If you don't agree that it's the cutest 2 minutes in the history of podcasting, we can't be friends.

Just kidding.

Maybe.

About Me and My Podcast

Hi. My name is James Newcomb.

MusicPreneur.Com is a combination of two things that are near and dear to me: music and commerce. I believe that these are two of the most powerful forces known to man and are able to do a great deal of good (and not so good) for humanity.

With this podcast, I want to go beyond simply Making Money Making Music. It's my hope that listeners will be inspired to live a lifestyle that is holistic, selfless and makes the world a little bit better place to live.

In a year and a half of running the show, I've identified 5 core areas of the MusicPreneur Lifestyle.

Expert musicianship

Business savvy

Innovation

Financial wellness

Physical, emotional and spiritual wellness.

As you listen to the show, you'll hear these core areas emphasized repeatedly.

It's more than just a job, or even a career. A MusicPreneur lives a life that reflects who they are as individuals and as musicians.

I hope you'll check out an episode or two. Of course, subscribing to the show will make it much easier for you to keep up to date.

Thanks for checking out my little podcast!

To your success,

James Newcomb

listen and subscribe on your favorite podcast player

Apple Podcasts

Google Podcasts

Overcast

Stitcher

If you missed Stephen's fantastic interview on the podcast this past Sunday, you seriously missed out, comrade. Make a point of listening to it today :)

How to Identify What's Important

There's so much advice out there, but we all have different needs, desires, circumstances. So Stephen doesn't focus on teaching what to do, but finding your why.

Once you know your why, then you'll know what to do.

We've all heard of SMART goals, but how do these help you prioritize your activities?

Creative people get passionate about so many things, and so we often just throw our energy into whatever looks cool at the time.

There's a term for this: Shiny object syndrome. It's an emotional response and will derail you from achieving your goals.

So what can we do to overcome this?

Set some ground rules for your career.

There are no decisions made without guidelines. Set your parameters. This is not limiting yourself, it's setting boundaries and structure to your work as a MusicPreneur.

Show notes for this episode can be found at MusicPreneur.Com/stephentuesday

Without parameters, you'll just be scrambling around, throwing your energy into whatever seems fanciful at the time.

So how do you choose what's important? It all depends on the parameters you set. And if you don't set parameters, you'll allow others to set your parameters for you. You'll make career decisions based on what others have already established.

About Me and My Podcast

Hi. My name is James Newcomb.

MusicPreneur.Com is a combination of two things that are near and dear to me: music and commerce. I believe that these are two of the most powerful forces known to man and are able to do a great deal of good (and not so good) for humanity.

With this podcast, I want to go beyond simply Making Money Making Music. It's my hope that listeners will be inspired to live a lifestyle that is holistic, selfless and makes the world a little bit better place to live.

In a year and a half of running the show, I've identified 5 core areas of the MusicPreneur Lifestyle.

Expert musicianship

Business savvy

Innovation

Financial wellness

Physical, emotional and spiritual wellness.

As you listen to the show, you'll hear these core areas emphasized repeatedly.

It's more than just a job, or even a career. A MusicPreneur lives a life that reflects who they are as individuals and as musicians.

I hope you'll check out an episode or two. Of course, subscribing to the show will make it much easier for you to keep up to date.

Thanks for checking out my little podcast!

To your success,

James Newcomb

listen on your favorite podcast player

Apple Podcasts

Google Podcasts

Overcast

Spotify (Coming Soon)

Why are classical musicians so sad?

I began my interview with Stephen P. Brown with this question, and it seemed I caught him off guard. (Boy, do I love my job :)

But after thinking about it for a moment, he offered this response: "Classical musicians have not been taught that it's okay to show your pleasure while you're playing."

Have you ever been on the phone with someone, and although you can't see them smiling, you know they're smiling. You can hear it in their voice.

That's what the typical classical musician is missing, according to Stephen. Smile while you're playing.

Of course, you can't physically smile while you're playing a trumpet, or concentrating on a difficult piece of music. But that doesn't mean you can't communicate your pleasure to your audience.

As Stephen says, "There's more to music than just music." Put another way: There's more to music making than the music notes in front of you, the time signature, the key signature, etc.

It's an over emphasis on those things that causes musicians to miss out on the abundance of opportunities that exist for the classical musician today.

But you can't "settle" for a job. In order to live a comfortable lifestyle, you must get out of your comfort zone. Or better yet, stretch your comfort zone. When you stretch the boundaries of your comfort zone, soon enough it's a habit. And then you can find the opportunities you wouldn't have seen while your head was stuck in the proverbial music stand.

In this fascinating conversation with Stephen Brown, we'll discuss:

-Stephen's answer to the question, "Why are musicians so sad?"... 

-What prevents classical musicians from seeing the opportunities that are seemingly right in front of them...  

-The non-musicians who inspire Stephen in his work coaching musicians in their careers...  

-How to enjoy yourself as a musician without being a gratuitous jerk  

-What we can look forward to in Stephen's FREE masterclass on Sep. 6...  

-And much more...

Resources from this episode

Stephen Brown's website

Register for Stephen's masterclass on Sep. 6 here

Got a question for me or Stephen? Leave a comment below,