Off The Charts

How many cellists can sight-read a Bach suite and invent a pop hook on the spot?

Matthew Nelson is that rare musician — classically trained, yet fluent in the Nashville number system. A go-to player for sessions and live work alike, he bridges notation and improvisation with ease. Whether you read dots or numbers, you’ll find deep insight and quiet mastery in this conversation.

Producer, engineer, and artist Michael Estok made the unconventional decision to leave Nashvil for a small town in Ohio, where he rebuilt not only his studio, but his life as a professional creative, as well as father and husband. The results have been impressive and life enriching.

The myth "I have to live in a music town to be a serious musician" has never been less true. Michael reveals how combining your strengths with your values can lead to new kinds of creative success.

Dr. Hector Qirko's life dismantles a persistent myth in music: that if you don't make all your income from music, you're not a real musician. The same could be said for most any creative pursuit.

Qirko does not consider himself a musical hobbyist or an amateur. A professional musician since his arrival in the United States decades ago, he has earned the respect of many in the roots, blues, and Americana world. From touring with Lonnie Brooks in the 1970s, to recording with RB Morris, to forming the Hector Qirko Band, and most recently to his Darwin Diego projects, Qirko has maintained a thriving musical career. He also worked with Lionel on the early TNN television series I-40 Paradise and Pickin' At The Paradise, where they recorded over 1,500 songs live.

Not only has Dr. Qirko's role as anthropology professor at the College of Charleston not diluted his musical creativity, it's actually enriched it. In this countercultural episode, it becomes clear that whatever being a professional musician entails, it does not hang on deriving an income from it. Fame and money may be the most common metrics associated with measuring creative success, but they are only two of many.

After navigating six record labels and the demanding tour circuit, singer/songwriter/entrepreneur Savannah Conley brings a battle-tested perspective to today's fractured music landscape.

Savannah Conley, singer/songwriter/entrepreneur, is reexamining what it means to be an artist in TikTok's bite-sized content economy.

Her experience with rigorous touring, being on six record labels, as well as patriarchal hierarchies and fractured revenue streams give her a vantage point yielding sharp insights into how streaming economics, social media algorithms, and industry consolidation are reshaping what it means to make a living as an artist.

• Off The Charts video version: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLi-P8hoFrPjIIT-_myycOhauz9gRxVJMm

• Follow Savannah Conley on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/savannah.conley/p/CpdwA92OOIo/?img_index=1

• Listen to Off The Charts: https://feeds.captivate.fm/off-the-charts/

• Follow Lionel on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lionelcartwright

• Follow Lionel on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LionelCartwrightMusic/

Grammy winner and Country Music Hall of Fame inductee Charlie McCoy is one of a small group of musicians that transformed Nashville from the home of the Grand Ole Opry to a global recording hub.

His genre transcending discography reads like a Who's Who of American popular music, including epic recordings with Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, George Jones and hundreds more.

But Charlie's story is more than a window into a golden era of recording. It underscores a passion for music making that transcends format, genre, and era.

In this episode of Off The Charts, session legend Charlie McCoy and Lionel Cartwright discuss Charlie's almost mythical career as a session musician. Charlie shares in depth experiences from legendary sessions, the importance of recognizing opportunities, retaining a love for music making in the long run.

Links (optional):

• All things Charlie: https://www.charliemccoy.com/
• Check out the Off The Charts video versions: http://bit.ly/4prSAWg
• Find more episodes at https://feeds.captivate.fm/off-the-charts
• Follow Lionel on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lionelcartwright
• Follow Lionel on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LionelCartwrightMusic/

What if creative success isn’t just about fame or money? What myths keep us from fully embracing our creative potential?

Off The Charts explores these questions through conversations with artists, musicians, writers, and other creative voices — as well as reflections from host Lionel Cartwright, a lifelong recording artist, songwriter, composer, and music director.

By looking beyond metrics of popularity and sales, the show uncovers fresh perspectives on what a creative life can look like. Each episode is designed to encourage you to trust and engage your own creativity — wherever and however it’s expressed.

Todd Henry became a leading voice for creatives worldwide through bestselling books, a pioneering podcast, and talks to Fortune 500 companies. But first, he had to walk away from his dream of a music career in Nashville.

It takes courage to move on from a longstanding passion, to recognize that it might not be the best fit for your unique wiring. But there are usually indicators, as Todd points out, that lead to a better fitting dream, more aligned with who you are, with what lights you up.

Many people give up on creating a life fueled by curiosity and innate gifting, due to, as Todd says, a cul de sac. But cul de sacs are not dead ends, they're places to turn around and pursue unexplored possibilities.

Lolo is Logistics Manager for Post Malone's tour, her husband Dane plays lead guitar for Kane Brown. How do they make 18 years of marriage work with jobs that routinely create distance between them?

This episode is full of life hacks, marriage hacks, and insights into how two creative, enterprising people have learned to harmonize their passion for their work and their passion for each other; their dreams with the very real challenges of life on the road-apart from one another.

Lolo and Dane have found a way to endure time apart, and keep the center strong.