The “church music scene,” or “church circuit,” for lack of any better term, has always been something I’ve known a little bit about but never really understood. I’ve met so many incredible musicians that have come out of playing churches, that it’s really piqued my interest. It seems to be a launchpad for musical talent. But why?

In this episode, my good friend and musical colleague, Derek Droogsma, sheds light on what these church gigs can all entail. Derek has been making a career for himself playing the church scene for the last few years. He breaks down the entire picture: from gig selection to rehearsals, and production scale to performance expectations.

Outside of being a steady way to play music for a living, church gigs also provide an awesome way to network with other talented musicians, as well as a weekly opportunity to hone your skills. From working with click and cues to getting comfortable with in-ear monitors, these performances involve gaining experience with high production value that isn’t often found at the local level.

Derek is an extremely talented guitarist, producer, musical director, and podcaster. If you’ve been interested in learning more about playing in this part of our local scene, you’ll love this episode.

Full Transcript and Show Notes

Connect with the Guest:

🔗 Derek Droogsma Links

🔗 Derek Droogsma Instagram

🔗 Droogsma Spotify

🔗 Catching Up With.. Podcast

Connect with Me:

✉️ ⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to the newsletter⁠⁠⁠

📷 ⁠⁠⁠Connect on Instagram⁠⁠⁠

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Give Feedback:

📬 Send me a message: ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠

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🧡 ⁠⁠⁠Leave a rating on Spotify⁠⁠⁠

✍️ ⁠⁠⁠Write a review on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠🎙️ Brought to you by Helvig Productions⁠

Production, videography, and coaching to help you sound your best, tell your story, and promote your music. Think of us like your extra bandmate, 100% focused on helping you create something special that you and your fans will enjoy for a lifetime.

🙏 Thank You

This podcast is made possible by the hard work, expertise, and commitment of my team: Max Greene and Joey Biehn. I'm forever grateful. And thank YOU, for listening.

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Chris Koza is a successful singer-songwriter based in Minneapolis and Denver. Koza discusses his solo career as well as collaborations with his band Rogue Valley and shares his experience of working with notable artists, including Brandi Carlile, Gordon Lightfoot, and Stephen Kellogg. With music regularly featured on popular shows like ABC's General Hospital, 60 Minutes, and Good Morning America, Koza talks about his process of creating music, collaborations, and achieving longevity in the music industry.

We cover topics such as staying present during big opportunities, accepting and honoring fan support, the importance of taking breaks, and a whole lot more. Koza’s 20-year+ journey as a working, independent artist is inspiring, and I hope you find some great bits of advice. Enjoy!

Full transcript and show notes

Connect with the Guest:

🔗 Chris Koza Website

🔗 Chris Koza Instagram

🔗 Rogue Valley Website

🔗 Rogue Valley Instagram

Connect with Me:

✉️ ⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to the newsletter⁠⁠⁠

📷 ⁠⁠⁠Connect on Instagram⁠⁠⁠

🕺 ⁠⁠⁠Connect on TikTok⁠⁠⁠

📺 ⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠⁠⁠

Give Feedback:

📬 Send me a message: ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠

💬 Suggest a guest or topic: ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠

🧡 ⁠⁠⁠Leave a rating on Spotify⁠⁠⁠

✍️ ⁠⁠⁠Write a review on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠🎙️ Brought to you by Helvig Productions⁠

Production, videography, and coaching to help you sound your best, tell your story, and promote your music. Think of us like your extra bandmate, 100% focused on helping you create something special that you and your fans will enjoy for a lifetime.

🙏 Thank You

This podcast is made possible by the hard work, expertise, and commitment of my team: Max Greene and Joey Biehn. I'm forever grateful. And thank YOU, for listening.

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“Work for hire” gigs can be a critical part of a musician’s career. If you’re trying to make a living by playing your instrument, for many, this is where it’s at. But what does it take to break into this side of the industry? If you get hired to do a gig, how do you make sure it’s successful?

In this episode, Max Greene, a seasoned musician and engineer, speaks about the fundamental aspects of preparing for a 'work for hire' gig. Whether it be for live shows, recording sessions, music videos, or church services, understanding the song, the part, and the specific expectations of the person who's hiring you, are all critical. Max discusses the mindset needed for such gigs, emphasizing the necessity for consistency in performance, flexibility, and a positive attitude. Moreover, we both stress the importance of good communication, being prepared with one's instruments, and understanding the environment and requirements of the gig. Max's journey of self-improvement through learning from past experiences and pushing himself past his comfort zone, provides helpful insights for budding session musicians.

Full transcript and show notes

Connect with the Guest:

🔗 Max Greene Instagram

🔗 Half Moon Instagram

Connect with Me:

✉️ ⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to the newsletter⁠⁠⁠

📷 ⁠⁠⁠Connect on Instagram⁠⁠⁠

🕺 ⁠⁠⁠Connect on TikTok⁠⁠⁠

📺 ⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠⁠⁠

Give Feedback:

📬 Send me a message: ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠

💬 Suggest a guest or topic: ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠

🧡 ⁠⁠⁠Leave a rating on Spotify⁠⁠⁠

✍️ ⁠⁠⁠Write a review on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠🎙️ Brought to you by Helvig Productions⁠

Production, videography, and coaching to help you sound your best, tell your story, and promote your music. Think of us like your extra bandmate, 100% focused on helping you create something special that you and your fans will enjoy for a lifetime.

🙏 Thank You

This podcast is made possible by the hard work, expertise, and commitment of my team: Max Greene and Joey Biehn. I'm forever grateful. And thank YOU, for listening.

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If you’ve done any sort of research on how to market your music or grow your fanbase, you’ve likely heard the phrase “building your personal brand” somewhere along the way. “Branding” is a hot buzz word amongst social media influencers and online educators. But the truth is, it’s always been a key part of any successful business or organization. But knowing that it’s important, and knowing how to actually utilize it for your self or your band, are not the same.

That’s why I’m so excited about this conversation with Nur-D (Matt Allen). Nur-D fully demonstrates all the ways that having a strong personal brand can benefit your musical career. Besides his long list of industry credits and accolades, Nur-D has a dedicated and growing fanbase, tons of media attention, and new opportunities coming in everyday.

The best part, is that Nur-D has created this brand simply by being his true, authentic self online. It’s not the only way to develop a brand, but it is one of simplest. And often, it’s the most sustainable strategies for a solo artist.

I think there is A TON of helpful stuff in here if you want to see the big picture of branding for musicians. And when you’re ready to start doing the work yourself, I’ve got a free branding guide that can help you get started. 

Full transcript and show notes

Connect with the Guest:

🔗 Nur-D Website

🔗 Nur-D Instagram

Connect with Me:

✉️ ⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to the newsletter⁠⁠⁠

📷 ⁠⁠⁠Connect on Instagram⁠⁠⁠

🕺 ⁠⁠⁠Connect on TikTok⁠⁠⁠

📺 ⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠⁠⁠

Give Feedback:

📬 Send me a message: ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠

💬 Suggest a guest or topic: ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠

🧡 ⁠⁠⁠Leave a rating on Spotify⁠⁠⁠

✍️ ⁠⁠⁠Write a review on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠🎙️ Brought to you by Helvig Productions⁠

Production, videography, and coaching to help you sound your best, tell your story, and promote your music. Think of us like your extra bandmate, 100% focused on helping you create something special that you and your fans will enjoy for a lifetime.

🙏 Thank You

This podcast is made possible by the hard work, expertise, and commitment of my team: Max Greene and Joey Biehn. I'm forever grateful. And thank YOU, for listening.

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This episode explores the art of songwriting with Leslie Rich (Leslie Rich and The Rocket Soul Choir) and Annie Enneking (Annie and the Bang Bang). These two veteran songwriters have been fronting bands and writing songs for decades. Leslie and Annie share their unique insights into the songwriting process. They discuss their personal approaches to creating music, emphasizing the importance of authenticity, the role of emotions, and the benefits of collaboration. We cover overcoming creative blocks, the process of revising drafts, the organic evolution of ideas over time, and more.

If you’re a songwriter looking to learn from others, or someone who has just started dabbling in the art form, this episode has a ton of great insights, advice, and techniques to soak up and try in your own process.

Full Transcript and Show Notes

Connect with the Guest:

🔗 Leslie Rich Instagram

🔗 Leslie Rich Website

🔗 Annie and the Bang Bang Instagram

🔗 Annie and the Bang Bang Website

Featured Song:

“Headlights” by Leslie Rich

🎧 Listen on Spotify 👀 Watch on YouTube

“Waste of Space” by Annie and the Bang Bang

🎧 Listen on Spotify 👀 Watch on YouTube

Connect with Me:

✉️ ⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to the newsletter⁠⁠⁠

📷 ⁠⁠⁠Connect on Instagram⁠⁠⁠

🕺 ⁠⁠⁠Connect on TikTok⁠⁠⁠

📺 ⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠⁠⁠

Give Feedback:

📬 Send me a message: ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠

💬 Suggest a guest or topic: ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠

🧡 ⁠⁠⁠Leave a rating on Spotify⁠⁠⁠

✍️ ⁠⁠⁠Write a review on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠🎙️ Brought to you by Helvig Productions⁠

Production, videography, and coaching to help you sound your best, tell your story, and promote your music. Think of us like your extra bandmate, 100% focused on helping you create something special that you and your fans will enjoy for a lifetime.

🙏 Thank You

This podcast is made possible by the hard work, expertise, and commitment of my team: Max Greene and Joey Biehn. I'm forever grateful. And thank YOU, for listening.

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The episode features Nick Elstad, the lead singer and guitarist of the band Sleeping Jesus and his solo project Sweet and Lonely. Nick is the booking agent for No Name Bar in Winona, MN and shares tips on how artists can approach booking, suggesting important factors like a short but concise emails, providing the dates you want in the first email, linking music and social media platforms, and providing possible partnering bands for the show.

Besides sharing his booking expertise, Nick walks us through the background of Sleeping Jesus, their new album, doing social media, setting up a home studio, and more.

Full Transcript and Show Notes

Connect with the Guest

🔗 Nick Elstad on Instagram

🔗 Sleeping Jesus Instagram

🔗 Sleeping Jesus Website

🔗 Sweet and Lonely Instagram

Featured Song

“Ferdy” by Sleeping Jesus

🎧 Listen on Spotify 

👀 Watch on YouTube

Connect with Me:

✉️ ⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to the newsletter⁠⁠⁠

📷 ⁠⁠⁠Connect on Instagram⁠⁠⁠

🕺 ⁠⁠⁠Connect on TikTok⁠⁠⁠

📺 ⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠⁠⁠

Give Feedback:

📬 Send me a message: ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠

💬 Suggest a guest or topic: ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠

🧡 ⁠⁠⁠Leave a rating on Spotify⁠⁠⁠

✍️ ⁠⁠⁠Write a review on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠🎙️ Brought to you by Helvig Productions⁠

Production, videography, and coaching to help you sound your best, tell your story, and promote your music. Think of us like your extra bandmate, 100% focused on helping you create something special that you and your fans will enjoy for a lifetime.

🙏 Thank You

This podcast is made possible by the hard work, expertise, and commitment of my team: Max Greene and Joey Biehn. I'm forever grateful. And thank YOU, for listening.

Theme Music: "Thankful" Courtesy of ⁠⁠⁠LUEDVIG⁠⁠⁠

This episode is great for bands that are looking to be as DIY as possible. Christian Grey from the band 'Villain of the Story' talks about their journey from the band’s formation in Minneapolis in 2014 to their impressive success, facilitated in large part by their DIY ethic. Incorporating elements of metalcore and radio rock, the band has released several successful albums and gained over 50 million plays across platforms. The group's experience ranges from signing with a label to being fully independent and returning to a label. Christian emphasizes their DIY approach specifically for music videos, citing that mainstream quality has lost some appeal. We also discuss generating revenue from fan bases via platforms like Patreon and YouTube memberships as well as the pros of learning how to self-produce and record music at home. Christian discusses the importance of their business model, and how having clearly defined band roles leads to healthier relationships and better productivity.

Full transcript and show notes

Episode Links and Mentions

🌐 Johnny Franck

🌐 BilMuri Band

🌐 Printify

🌐 Shopify

🌐 YouTube Membership

Connect with the Guest

🔗 Christian Grey Instagram

🔗 Villain of the Story website

🔗 Villain of the Story Facebook

🔗 Villain of the Story Instagram

Featured Song

"Stuck" by Villain of the Story

🎧 Listen on Spotify

👀 Watch on YouTube

Connect with Me

✉️ Subscribe to the newsletter

📷 Connect on Instagram

🕺 Connect on TikTok

📺 Subscribe on YouTube

Give Feedback🎙️ 

📬 Send me a message: [email protected]

💬 Suggest a guest or topic: [email protected]

🧡 Leave a rating on Spotify

✍️ Write a review on Apple Podcasts

Brought to you by Helvig Productions

Production, videography, and coaching to help you sound your best, tell your story, and promote your music. Think of us like your extra bandmate, 100% focused on helping you create something special that you and your fans will enjoy for a lifetime.

Thank You

This podcast is made possible by the hard work, expertise, and commitment of my team:

Max Greene and Joey Biehn. I'm forever grateful.

Theme Music: "Thankful" Courtesy of LUEDVIG

We've all been there. You find yourself scrolling, going deeper and deeper into someone's account or profile, and the more you scroll, the worse you feel. It happens to the best of us.

It's the comparison trap.

We think, "How are they doing it?" or “They’re so much further/better/more attractive/cooler than me”, or perhaps it's just the inward judgment along the lines of  "Why am I so disappointing?"

You get the point - it's an awful feeling and a terrible mental trap that has become so easy to fall into with how prevalent social media has become. It's easy to simply say, "Stop doing that," but it's waaaay harder to actually do.

In this episode, I break down a few simple tips and mindset shifts to help you better cope with this comparison tendency and hopefully keep that nasty inner voice in check. When we avoid the comparison trap, we feel happier, more confident, and self-assured with where we're at in our own personal journeys.

Just like eating healthy, working out, and sleeping 8 hours a night, we already know what we're supposed to do but often need plenty of reminders along the way to stay on track. If you've found yourself falling into this comparison tendency, this episode will give you encouragement and some skills to better avoid the perils of comparing ourselves to others.

Full transcript and show notes

Connect with Me

✉️ Subscribe to the newsletter

📷 Connect on Instagram

🕺 Connect on TikTok

📺 Subscribe on YouTube

Give Feedback🎙️

📬 Send me a message: [email protected]

💬 Suggest a guest or topic: [email protected]

🧡 Leave a rating on Spotify

✍️ Write a review on Apple Podcasts

Brought to you by Helvig Productions

Production, videography, and coaching to help you sound your best, tell your story, and promote your music. Think of us like your extra bandmate, 100% focused on helping you create something special that you and your fans will enjoy for a lifetime.

Thank You

This podcast is made possible by the hard work, expertise, and commitment of my team:

Max Greene and Joey Biehn. I'm forever grateful.

Theme Music: "Thankful" Courtesy of LUEDVIG

Ashley DuBose discusses her multifaceted career, sharing experiences from her journey in the music industry, highlights from her performances on NBC's 'The Voice,' and insights from her work in a cover band. Ashley and I discuss the importance of diversifying your income, both in and out of the music industry. Ashley attributes much of her success to trying new things and saying yes when opportunities present themselves. Because of that, she has income not only from her solo career, but from a successful cover band, voice acting jobs, real estate, and more.

This episode demonstrates many of the different ways to diversify your income as a solo artist while highlighting Ashley’s personal journey in music. I think there are a lot of great insights to digest, I hope you enjoy!

Full transcript and show notes

Connect with the Guest

🔗 Ashley on YouTube

🔗 Ashley on Instagram

Featured Song

“Boy Crazy” by Ashley Dubose

🎧 Listen on Spotify 

👀 Watch on YouTube

Connect with Me

✉️ ⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to the newsletter⁠⁠⁠

📷 ⁠⁠⁠Connect on Instagram⁠⁠⁠

🕺 ⁠⁠⁠Connect on TikTok⁠⁠⁠

📺 ⁠⁠⁠Subscribe on YouTube⁠⁠⁠

Give Feedback

📬 Send me a message: ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠

💬 Suggest a guest or topic: ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠

🧡 ⁠⁠⁠Leave a rating on Spotify⁠⁠⁠

✍️ ⁠⁠⁠Write a review on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠🎙️ Brought to you by Helvig Productions⁠⁠⁠

Production, videography, and coaching to help you sound your best, tell your story, and promote your music. Think of us like your extra bandmate, 100% focused on helping you create something special that you and your fans will enjoy for a lifetime.

Thank You

This podcast is made possible by the hard work, expertise, and commitment of my team: Max Greene and Joey Biehn. I'm forever grateful.

Theme Music: "Thankful" Courtesy of ⁠⁠⁠LUEDVIG⁠⁠⁠

In this episode, I talk about four ways you can maximize your time in the studio and get the most value out of your investment. This topic will be great for new artists looking to do their first recording session, but it will also be a good reminder for everyone of how to prepare, communicate, and fully utilize your recording session.

I want to help you avoid making some common mistakes like:

If you don’t prepare, you may end up with these consequences:

If you think through the four things in this episode, you’ll be fully prepared and ready for a professional recording experience which will reduce any stress or anxiety you may have and leave more room for your creative energy. You’ll be efficient with your time, you’ll have better content probably, and you’ll even enhance your own musicianship if you have the right mindset.

Full transcript and show notes

Connect with Me

✉️ Subscribe to the newsletter

📷 Connect on Instagram

🕺 Connect on TikTok

📺 Subscribe on YouTube

Give Feedback

📬 Send me a message: [email protected]

💬 Suggest a guest or topic: [email protected]

🧡 Leave a rating on Spotify

✍️ Write a review on Apple Podcasts

🎙️ Brought to you by Helvig Productions

Production, videography, and coaching to help you sound your best, tell your story, and promote your music. Think of us like your extra bandmate, 100% focused on helping you create something special that you and your fans will enjoy for a lifetime.

Thank You

This podcast is made possible by the hard work, expertise, and commitment of my team:

Max Greene and Joey Biehn. I'm forever grateful.

Theme Music: "Thankful" Courtesy of LUEDVIG