Tap To Music Podcast

Show Notes Cheat Sheet

Jonathan Cavier's Three Word Description

"Atmospheric Acoustic Pop"

Introduction Song "Phoenix"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZKUmZvoUJo

* This song is all about "rising from the ashes of a relationship".

* Jonathan worked very hard to portray his vision for the song topic as well as display his band's live performance image.

Johnathan's Process Then vs. Now

* Not much has changed in the way he creates music but a lot has happened since then.

* Jonathan has started recording in different studio locations including Capitol Records.

* Since Jonathan has started recording here, he has challenged himself to write three songs every month.

*

"Its a fun process but it is a lot of work."

* Although Jonathan is writing new material every month, he still enjoys to salvage old MIDI performances and pair them with new fresh ideas to finish songs that were started long ago.

Jonathan Cavier's Latest Inspiration

* Instead of making up characters and situations for song topics, Jonathan Cavier has been inspired to write a "thank you" song dedicated to all the people who has helped him achieve success.

* He also finds himself interested in the concept of intention and manifesting something you focus on. He is excited to try and write a song to embody this topic.

"Blue Room" Title Track Creative Process

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfXphbCYKZA

* While flipping through an art magazine, Jonathan stumbled upon a Picaso painting called "Blue Room".

* Jonathan was moved by the painting and decided to make a story behind what he saw.

* He even added elements in the painting that did not exist to help build his story.

* The story he thought of consisted of a prostitute that is sitting in the room in the painting wondering what life would be like if she stopped her line of work.

* Jonathan has been working on this song for 10 years now and has finally created a version and a music video that brings this story to life.

* The melody came first when he wrote it on piano.

"When You Come Around" Breakdown Song

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIjniWNPNHM

* This song is more of a love story but focuses on a tricky element of being in a relationship.

* Sometimes one person's feelings in a relationship might progress faster than the other's. This causes a disconnect in a relationship. This is what "When You Come Around" is about.

* When coming up with this scenario topic for the song, Jonathan liked to put himself in the shoes of the characters and experience the emotions they might feel in that situation.

Links to Jonathan Cavier

Jonathan's Official Website

Didn't Catch the First Interview with Jonathan?

http://www.taptomusic.com/074/

TAP To Music is here for YOU and thrives because of YOU!

Creating quality music is no easy task. Thats why I release these episodes every week, to make sure you don’t give up on creating music. But thats not the only way I want to help. I am just a phone call, tweet, Facebook message, email, or Skype call away from your next creative endeavor.

Here is how we can make this show great:

* Know someone who might be a great fit for the show? Please fill out our guest form to submit a talented friend to be the inspirator.

Seth Hoffman is Back!

Have you ever caught yourself thinking, "This has got to be a sign"?

Maybe you've had the unshakable feeling of something in your gut that gives your insight.

Well Seth has captured this phenomena in the form of song lyrics based off of a real experience in his own travels.

Seth Hoffman believes it is important to not only follow these instincts but to become more familiar with when they happen.

To hear the story behind Seth Hoffman's latest song "Signs", listen to the interview above.

Updates on Seth Hoffman's Creative Process

* Seth was formally a 5th grade school teacher back from episode 55 from season 1 of TAP To Music Podcast.

* He would write songs for his students each year and play them on the first day of school.

* He has discontinued his teaching job to pursue music.

* He is now gigging all over the state of New Mexico as well as publishing a children's book based off of his song "Janie and the Hummingbird".

Links to Seth Hoffman:

Facebook

Website

ReverbNation

Album on CD Baby

TAP To Music is here for YOU and thrives because of YOU!

Creating quality music is no easy task. Thats why I release these episodes every week, to make sure you don’t give up on creating music. But thats not the only way I want to help. I am just a phone call, tweet, Facebook message, email, or Skype call away from your next creative endeavor.

Here is how we can make this show great:

* Know someone who might be a great fit for the show? Please fill out our guest form to submit a talented friend to be the inspirator.

* Want a shout out on the show? Please rate and review on iTunes. Let me know you did so by taking a screenshot of your review before you submit and send it to me. In your message, you can tell me what you are working on and i’ll promote it when I give you a shout out for your review. You can also upload files for me to interact with.

Help me help you. Ive made it easy.

* Have an idea for how the show can be better? I have created a swift and organized Collaboration Cue for you to submit your feedback in a fashion that best helps me. This saves both of our time!

* Share the gift of inspiration by sharing...

Show Notes Cheat Sheet

If you are listening on a podcast player, CLICK HERE to view the full Show Notes Cheat Sheet and watch Melissa's Live performance of "Holding On". 

Melissa Rios Holding on LIVE Performance

Melissa Rios's Current Creative Situation

* Melissa has recorded and released her debut album "Love and Time" and now she is having fun sharing it with the world and building fans by giging around town and selling her CDs.

* She is in the process of starting to record her new album.

*

"Having it done and recorded is very nice because I no longer have to isolate myself to focus making the album. Now I can go out and be social."

Three Word Music Description

"Raw, Acoustic, Soul"

 Into Live Performance- "Love and Time"

This song as well as the whole album is inspired by a relationship Melissa Rios was in.

*

"This song is about someone wanting to give a little bit more of themselves as well as wanting more from someone else."

*  Melissa had about 40 songs written before she put together this album and she hand picked all of the songs that were about her relationship.

Melissa's Favorite Element of "Love and Time"

*  The vocal was something Melissa really enjoyed doing on this song because it allowed her to let loose and really process the emotion related to the topic of the song.

* At first Melissa wasn't sure if her vocal technique would transfer well to the performance of the song but after she got her feet wet this became one of her favorite songs.

Melissa's Influences

* As far as an overall musical sound, the blues has really inspired Melissa.

* For the lyrical side of things, Melissa enjoys artists such as:

* Hozier

* Ed Sheeran 

* Jason Mraz

* KT Tunstal

* Adele

* Melissa really enjoys how these lyricists are able to tell you exactly how they feel through song.

* It seems that these artists get to say everything they need to say without leaving out any crucial details of the situation.

*

"Whenever I am writing, that is what I am trying to put out in the song."

Melissa's Lifestyle

* Melissa's life is all about music.

* She performs, writes, and teaches music for a living.

How Teaching Music Influences Melissa's Songwriting

*  Melissa's been teaching for about 4 years.

*

"The more you teach, the more you realize your strengths and weaknesses."

* Melissa has taught people how to play and write music from ages 6-60.

* Be biggest skill Melissa has developed is discovering the "core" of something.

* This allows Melissa to look under the hood of any topic and be able to identify the key components that make it work.

* Once she has recognized that, the challenge is being able to explain something complex to someone else in a simple way.

*  The same skill can be applied to songwriting. Writing a lyric that explains something complicated in a simple way is not an easy task and it becomes even harder when you have to match the right instrumental to the lyric.

* Since Melissa teaches songwriting, she is in a really cool position because she is often the first person to hear her students' original songs.

* After Melissa listens, they sometimes start working on the song together.

 

"Fill Me Up" Official Music Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFJiI7qha1o

Amilia's Description of Her Music

"Red, Dirt, Noir"

Introduction song "Harlan" by Amilia K Spicer

* This song is about a town in Kentucky called Harlan and it was not an easy song to write at first.

*  The lyrics are based on the stories that Amilia's dad told her about when he was growing up in Harlan.

* Visual landscapes and beautiful scenery from Amilia's home town in Pennsylvania also served as inspiration for the lyrics.

*

"This song is a tribute to my father."

Recording Struggles for Harlan

* When Amilia plays this song live, it has a distinctive building quality as the song progresses.

* It was difficult to portray the same building quality through the recording process because each instrument of the song was recorded separately meaning the band did not all play the song live in the studio together.

Surprises in the Studio

* When recording her own harmonies for this song, she discovered a new way of stacking harmonies that ended up happening spontaneously while she was recording.

* The way all of her voices sounded when she started to listen to them all at once was so powerful to Amilia that her heart started to beat fast through the rest of the recording session experience.

Advice for Recording in the Studio

*

"Recording is such a different art than performing live and thats so different than writing a song."

* There are so many opportunities to get stuck and become un-inspired.

* Try picking up an instrument you don't know how to play and explore (outside the studio).

* Follow your instincts inside the studio when you get the feeling inside you that something inside you wants to be heard.

Relationship to Music

* Amilia's relationship with music became very strained after a while because after all of the creative fun work is done, there is so much more work that involves a different type of perspective and mindset to make all of your creativity worth while in the end.

* Amilia found herself in this stage longer than she would like to be.

* Independent artists have to wear so many hats and now she is ready to put on the artist hat once again and reconnect with her creative side.

The Songwriting Struggle

* Amilia would find herself stuck in rhythm of the song to the point where she happened to fill in words to that rhythm that could be replaced by words that have more value or meaning to the song.

Transitioning from Piano to Guitar

* There are so many creative benefits to both instrument but when Amilia started to pick up the guitar, she felt a sense of freedom with the instrument because she can take it with her to many different type of places that influence her creativity.

* The guitar also helped bring a social element into her creative process because a guitar has a way of bringing people together.

Habits or Activities Outside of Music that Contribute to Amilia's Creativity

* Yoga and Swimming are found to be really helpful for Amilia when she writes music.

* The meditative and repetitive motion helps Amilia think about things in a different perspective.

Breakdown Song "Fill Me Up"

* This song was inspired by Amilia picking up the banjo for the first time.

*

"There is something about the tone or the twang of it that sent me to a back porch."

Alien Cowboy Official Lyric Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeMy_GMEgFc

Kyle Martin's Newest Music Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byfOTxTmQjM

"Two Big Holes" by Kyle Martin Song

Kyle's Description of His Music

* "West Rock"

* Kyle used to learn classic "honky tonk" country songs but he would play them on an electric guitar with lots of distortion.

Intro Song "Alien Cowboy"

* The idea came from an acoustic guitar riff late at night.

* It took a while for the idea to take form once the acoustic riff was established.

* Once Kyle started thinking about the words "Alien Cowboy", the song hit it's tipping point and the rest of the song was written without many strikes of writer's block.

* Kyle is a big fan of science fiction shows like "Star Trek" and "Star Wars" (this was part of  the inspiration behind "Alien Cowboy".

* He also identifies with the title because in a way he thinks he represents the idea of an alien cowboy.

"It was everything I wanted it to be."

The Workflow

* Kyle plays all of the instruments in studio except of the drums.

* Eddie Garcia (local musician) played the drums on both of the records.

* Jesse Korman helped Kyle produce the record at Elephonic Studios.

Musical Influences

Rock

* Chuck Berry

* Jerry Lee Lewis

* Little Richard

Country

* Willie Nelson

* Ray Price

* Marty Robbins

Classic Rock

* Led Zeppelin

* Van Halen (Huge fan)

Current

* Blackberry Smoke

* Kentucky Head Hunters

Lyric Writing

* Little silly, little arrogant.

"Its a little different."

* He enjoys writing songs with a storyline.

* Likes to from personal experiences because Kyle feels he can put more into a song if he feels personally connected to the story.

Creative Space

* If any type of idea hits Kyle, he will do his best to write it down on anything he can. Even if its a gum wrapper.

* He will keep his idea with him throughout the day and slowly add onto it as the day progresses.

* Once he has a few lines written he usually starts to think of a guitar part without even touching an instrument.

* In some cases, Kyle will think of an idea and then come back to it months later and use his new perspective as inspiration to finish his half written song idea.

Playing Live

* Kyle is always searching for a great experience where the crowd is providing a "symbiotic relationship" with his performance.

* This usually happens more often when Kyle plays to a smaller crowd because there is less distraction for audience members.

Breakdown Song "Two Big Holes"

* Played in drop D tuning with a kappo on the second fret.

*

"Slowly but surely it turned into a murder ballad."

* "Two Big Holes was one of the first songs that Kyle did in the studio.

* The lyrics stemmed from a hypothetical conversation that ends up with ...

Show Notes Cheat Sheet

"Lose Myself In You" Official Music Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyGJsluRHIA

"Lose Myself in You" Song:

Inspiration Behind "Lose Myself In You"

* Stemmed from a great session in front of her piano.

* Emotions were strong and she channeled those emotions into the song.

* Written in 30 mins.

"Lose Myself in You" Evolution

* Oriana worked with many other musicians and producers when writing this song before she found the right producer for the job.

* She started with a rough idea which consisted of multiple experiences with similar emotional themes.

* She brought the song to producer Koby Isrealite whom she's done many songs with in the past.

* Her trust in Koby's musical ability was so strong, she asked him to "work his magic".

Reaction to Koby's production:

*

"It really opened a new color to the song."

Oriana's Favorite Song Elements

* Towards the end of the song when she sang "Ah Ah".

*

"Everything is very fluid with depth to the instruments."

Overal Reactions

* With the music turning out so good, Oriana started to picture specific movements and dance moves.

Roadblocks

Quite easy process but...

* Oriana took extra time on her vocals.

* She is very picky with the way she choses to sing on her songs.

* She generally sings differently when she is in the studio opposed to singing live at a show.

* When she is singing int he recording studio, Oriana has noticed her voice sounds better when she sings with more breath and less velocity.

* This makes for a very intimate sound which compliments the instrumentation nicely.

Other People Involved

* After a majority of the song was recorded she had her co producers look it over to try and add dynamics to the song by adding harmonies and strategic placement of chords to build up transitions.

Current Musical Endeavors

* Oriana joined a songwriting group.

* This gives her a deadline, opportunities to collaborate, and a way to stretch her songwriting abilities.

* This songwriting group asks each member to write one song per week while following specific sets of rules which dictate the subject matter and lyrics.

Fan Q&A

Questions from Oriana's fan Willem:

1. Q: "How did you achieve in your music to bring out your special sound?"

A: After working with many producers Oriana met Koby Israelite. Together they crafted the "gypsy jazz" sound that Oriana Curls's fans have come to love.

2. Q: "How are you able to do so many creative things all the time?"

A: Set a priority, seize the opportunity, make yourself available.

Links to Oriana Curls and Koby Israelite

Official Website

Facebook 

Twitter

Instagram

Youtube

Koby Israelite 

TAP To Music is here for YOU and thrives because of YOU!

Creating quality music is no easy task. Thats why I release these episodes every week, to make sure you don't give up on creating music. But thats not the only way I want to help.

Show Notes Cheat Sheet

Cover Songs vs. Originals

Covers:

James Patrick Morgan enjoys reimagining R&B and Pop influenced music while taking on challenges by covering artists like Mariah Carey and Jeremih. Based off of appearance alone, James does not look like the type to be singing hip hop and R&B rooted music so when he steps on the stage and starts singing one of those songs, people are captivated and interested on by the artist and song pairing. Using this element of surprise helps to make a memorable first impression.

Originals:

Through writing original music, James has found a way to express the diverse mixture of genres influences in his music. He is able to explore through collaboration with other artists from many walks of life to construct a cohesive sound that drives home a point through emotion and lyric.

James's Influences:

"I don't like to listen to one set thing. It is different everyday."

John Mayer 

Jeremih

Daft Punk  

Favorite Lyric:

"City Love" by John Mayer

"She steals my clothes to wear to work

I know, her hairs are on my shirts" - John Mayer

* Sharing such a small detail that paints a big picture in a song can have a profound impact on the listener which helps them love the song.

Struggle:

Portraying common and relatable emotions while allowing the listener to figure it out on their own by listening.

Creative Space:

* James prefers the quite to help collect his thoughts.

* As a musician, he can hear so many sounds and song bits inside his head and being in a quite space allows him to sort through and accurately hear the bits of song ideas.

* Public places also fills himself with a sense of urgency and accountability.

* A coffee shop or a lounge type environment is a space that James enjoys creating.

Instrument of Choice:

Guitar is the instrument that James finds himself grabbing the most.

"The guitar allows me to flow off of it and in return, it flows off me."

Breakdown Song "Expected":

This song is all about how many things don't go as planned and how people have a hard time dealing with this unfortunate occurrence.

Links to James Patrick Morgan:

Website

Facebook

Spotify 

Instagram

 

TAP To Music now has an exclusive listener's newsletter!

What you can expect from the newsletter:

* Updates about new episodes as they release.

* Songwriting exercises, challeneges, and tips.

* Valuable first-hand insight into host Nick's creative process while working in the studio with musicians as well as working on the podcast.

TAP To Music is here for YOU and thrives because of YOU!

Creating quality music is no easy task. Thats why I release these episodes every week, to make sure you don't give up on creating music. But thats not the only way I want to help. I am just a phone call, tweet, Facebook message, email, or Skype call away from your next creative endeavor.

Here is how we can make this show great:

* Know someone who might be a great fit for the show? Please fill out our guest form to submit a talent...

I am taking a strategic hiatus to design new episodes for season two and I can use your help!

After successfully completing 79 different episodes that explore 38 different genres in season one, hosting this podcast has turned into a lifestyle. This has allowed me to form a clear vision for what the exciting direction of TAP To Music looks like. To ensure the future quality of TAP To Music, season two will not be released until the beginning of the new year.

During the break I will be designing and refining my internal and external creative process related to TAP To Music Podcast. I will also be studying very hard to graduate with my degree in Marketing come December 2016. I have made this special episode announcement to let all of you listeners know that I am NOT giving up on this show, I am just taking some time to make it more enjoyable for you to interact with and to form a stronger bond with your creative process.

Things You Can Expect in Season Two:

* Improved show notes to help you stay inspired.

* I plan to post new exciting content on social media based upon the episodes (videos, audio snippets, memes, quotes, and more).

* Ponder Series episodes will be enhanced in terms of production quality and variety of subject matter.

* New types of interviews will be introduced.

 Your Feedback Matters!

If you'd like to have an impact on what TAP To Music becomes in Season 2, please fill out this quick form.

4 Common Threads Found from Guests on the Show from Season One:

* Whenever asked about their struggle when creating music, musicians seem to share the struggle of simplifying their music and making time to write in general.

* Artists rarely have a single break through moment.

* Most of the big changes in their career come from a collection of moments that collectively make a big break through.

* Most songwriters claim the location where they write music changes frequently.

* Most of the guests travel and collaborate a lot so they have to create on the go.

* Other popular locations discussed on the show include their home studios and front and back porches.

* It seems like musicians interviewed on the show haven't made strong connections to how activities they engage in outside of music carry over into their creative processes. This has made for a great topic of discussion during the interview.

 During the Break...

* Be sure to head on over to our social media pages to keep up with my creative process behind season two's creation, I will also be posting memorable moments form episodes from season one.

* Facebook 

* Instagram 

* Twitter

* Enjoy listening back to the 79 episodes of season one.

* You can use them as a tool to help inspire you to create in times of writers block!

* Please fill out the Season Two Feedback Form to help me when I am designing the new episodes for season two. (The form is located above the four common threads.)

* I will still be accepting submissions to be a guest on the show during the break so if you want to be part of season two, please submit your music to the guest form.

Thank you for all your patience and understanding.

"Nighttime" Official Music Video:

Witness the song that Cranky George started with just one word.

https://vimeo.com/182629451

Starting with humble beginnings, Cranky George tries their best not to limit themselves with the type of music they decide to write. With all of the members being multi instrumentalists with various cultural backgrounds, Cranky George dips their toes in many genres while maintaining their signature performance dynamic. Enjoy as the fiddle player Kieran Mulroney describes his own creative process along with the band's creative process when writing songs with interesting topics backed by unique arrangements.

Show Notes Cheat Sheet:

Members:

* Dermot Mulroney - cello, mandolin, guitar, cymbals, vocals

* Kieran Mulroney- violin, ukuleles, guitar, cowbell, vocals

* Brad Wood - bass, hat-box bass-drum, vocals

* James Fearnley - accordion, guitar, snare, melodica, vocals

* Sebastian Sheehan - percussion

3 Word Description:

* Heartfelt

* All Skate (everyone plays their best)

* Worldwide

Intro Song "Nighttime":

* The idea stemmed from the single word "she".

* This led to the idea of how powerful it is to want to be held by and wanting to hold someone.

* Kieran likes to let one word start a domino effect of inspiration for lyrics.

* Melody helps to sustain the domino effect.

"I just followed this one."

Relationship to Music:

* Kieran's musical abilities originated from being one of 3 siblings that play orchestral instruments.

* He has a love for popular music but also appreciates the technicalities of classical music theory.

Cranky George's Relationship:

* Started as Cranky George Trio with:

* Dermot Mulroney

* Kieran Mulroney

* James Fearnley

* In the trio days they would divide the drum kit amongst members which turned out to be a performance dynamic they carried into the full band.

* Dermot would play high hat on a foot pedal.

* James played the bass drum with an old fashioned hat box.

* Kieran played cow bell with his feet.

* Types of genres that the band likes to explore:

* Eastern European

* Gypsy

* Irish

* American Folk

* Pop

Kieran's Inspirators:

* Tom Waits 

* Rufus Wainwright

* Elbow

Kieran's Favorite Lyrics:

"The first heatbreak is like a slap in the face with broken glass." - Kieran Mulroney

* Lyric from Tom Wait's song called "Picture in a Frame":

"Im gonna love you till the wheels come off."

Cranky George's Dynamic:

* Any idea gets a fair chance and will be tested in front of a lie audience.

* Since everyone plays multiple instruments, basic ideas can be built up quickly.

"The discovery happens on top of the song."

 Breakdown Song "Greenland's Ice":

* Irish themed story song about hopelessness backed by up tempo music.

* The accordion player brought the idea to the band.

"It has a punkish ethic."

* Kieran's favorite moment of the song is letting loose on fiddle in an irish context.

Links to Cranky George:

* Pledge Music

* Official Website 

Project Grand Slam - "You Really Got Me" Official Music Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQ7R83qO2lw

For Robert Miller's second appearance on the show, we highlighted what he and Project Grand Slam is currently working on and how the creative process has changed since he last joined us for an interview. Since December 2015, Project Grand Slam has released their new album "The Queens Carnival" and have reimagined "You Really Got Me" by the Kinks. This time, Robert has asked his own fans if they had any questions about Project Grand Slam's creative process. Their response was very warm and as a result, I asked three questions from the bunch of submissions.

Show Notes Cheat Sheet

Take a listen to episode 043 to hear a more in depth discussion with Robert Miller about his creative process:  http://www.taptomusic.com/robert/

About their cover song, "You Really Got Me":

* During the creation of their last album "Made in New York", Project Grand Slam chose to do another classic rock cover of "Fire" by Jimmy Hendrix and really enjoyed the process.

* Whenever playing a cover song, Robert Miller does not like to merely replicate the song.

* He likes to "reimgaine the song while maintaining the original flavor of it."

* The first time the band tried to play the song together it did not sound right so they focused on dialing in it's unique sound to bring out more rock influences.

* Robert Miller likes to create an "Ah Ha" moment with their cover songs.

* This dynamic makes listeners feel like they haven't heard the song and then once they hear the lyrics, they start to recognize the song.

Working with the band:

* Project Grand Slam is very diverse and comes from locations all around the world.

* Robert Miller brings "bare bones" ideas to the group and then trusts in their creative ability to contribute their talent within the idea's guidelines.

Project Grand Slam's current relationship to music:

* Since the members are from so many places and are involved with many projects, not every band member can always attend every engagement.

* Whenever this happens, Robert asks the band members if they know anyone that would be qualified for a given gig.

* Keeping things "within the family" has developed a rotating cast with many influences all willing to play music in the Project Grand Slam style.

Fan's questions:

* Guada asked: What inspired you to start Project Grand Slam?

* Founded in 2007.

* Robert wanted to form a band that broke away from traditional jazz band names.

* Project Grand Slam was inspired solely by James Bond's Goldfinger movie.

* Carly asked: What was your favorite song to create on The Queen's Carnival?

*

"Every time I write a song, its almost like giving birth to a child."

* Roberts favorite is "Lullaby For Julesy".

* the_bacon_supreme on Instagram asked: Being that you're Jazz Fusion, who has been your biggest non- jazz influence in your creative process?

* Jack Bruce, the bass player for Cream.

Thank you Project Grand Slam fans for submitting your questions!

Links to Project Grand Slam

PGS Official Website

Facebook 

Twitter 

TAP To Music is here for YOU and thrives because of YOU!

Creating quality music is no easy task. Thats why I release these episodes every week, to make sure you don't give up on creating music.