Superfan Attraction for Artists & Creatives with Diane Foy

Today’s guest is Robert Carli, who is one of Canada’s busiest and most in-demand composers for Film & Television. His music has received numerous industry awards and nominations, including 20 Gemini and Canadian Screen Award nominations, 5 Gemini Awards and 3 Canadian Screen Awards. He is the recipient of several SOCAN Awards for domestic television.

Today's episode is about why do some performing artists thrive while others spend years struggling to breakthrough. I've worked with hundreds of performing artists and the competitive edge for many has been that they have a clear message of who they are and what they stand for. And they know how to communicate that to connect with people. Talent is not enough. If you think about your favorite musicians, actors, dancers, I'm sure that you love them for more than just their talent. You are attracted to their image or personality, or you connect to the personal stories and experiences that they've shared

Today we have global superstar Akon. The American born Senegalese artist has sold over 35 Million albums worldwide, received 5 Grammy Nominations and collaborated with an array of A-list artists from many genres including Lady GaGa, Eminem, Gwen Stefani, Daddy Yankee, Lil’ Wayne, Michael Jackson, Snoop Dogg and many more.

I am so excited for today’s guest, Canada’s Punk Rock Queen Bif Naked! I have been a fan of hers since her 1996 self titled debut album and her follow up I Bificus with the hits “Daddy’s Getting Married,” “Spaceman” and “Moment of Weakness.” In 2001 her album Purge produced by Desmond Child had even more hits including “I love Myself Today,” “Chokin on the Truth” and one of my favourites “Tango Shoes.” The albums and tours continued and in 2011 she released BIF NAKED FOREVER: Acoustic Hits and Other Delights and in 2016 she released her autobiography I Bificus.

Today we have Christopher Leacock aka Jillionaire who staying true to his Trinidadian roots, fuses original Caribbean rhythms of soca with dancehall beats. Along with Diplo and Walshy Fire, he was a member of the electronic music group Major Lazer until this past June when he left the group to pursue solo projects. Major Lazer is best recognized for the global smash “Lean On” featuring DJ Snake and MØ and “Cold Water” with Justin Bieber and MØ. “Cold Water” became their second track to achieve one billion streams.

Broadway and Symphony Star Capathia Jenkins. I love this line from her bio that says “This woman who grappling with two dueling passions each with a strong grip: acting and music, yet she refuses to pick one because they both represent her soul. Capathia approaches a song the same way she approaches a script, like an artist. She looks for the nuances, the secret hidden within the notes or text. She seeks the melody, harmony, and rhythm. She asks herself: what am I trying to say? What do I want my audience to experience with me? She wants to take her audience on a journey."

Matthew Willson is an award-winning Canadian actor, director, producer and financier of the arts with more than 500 stage performances to his credit. A versatile and talented character actor, he also boasts numerous TV and film credits.  He also finances several projects including as the sole individual financer of the National Theatre School Drama Festival. Matthew shared fantastic advice and insight on being an actor, director, and producer in Canada and some great auditioning tips since he has been a casting director for his own projects. We also talk about our love/hate relationships with social media, the joy of podcasting and he makes a case for why I should listen to Howard Stern.

Live music producer Tom Jackson has transformed the live show for artists such as Taylor Swift, Shawn Mendes, The Band Perry, High Valley, Magic and many more.

Dave Randall is a guitarist, producer, and composer. He has contributed to multi-million selling albums by Grammy Award-winning artist Dido and has toured the world a number of times performing with UK dance act Faithless. As well as making music Dave has published numerous articles and given talks on the history of music and its role in society. His debut book Sound System – The Political Power of Music was published on Pluto Press in 2017.

Sing! Dance! Act! Thrive! is back after a short hiatus with a solo episode. The Toronto International Film Festival is happening right now and I was thrilled to attend Twitter Women’s #SheInspiresMe panel featuring Jennifer Lopez, Constance Wu, Keke Palmer, Lili Reinhart, and Writer/Director Lorene Scafaria of the movie Hustlers.