The Independent Musician

David Ritchey, a passionate advocate for inclusivity in music and art, founded the Deafstock Music & Art Festival to bridge the gap between the Deaf and hearing communities. Inspired by the idea of Woodstock and frustrated by the lack of accessibility at traditional events, David envisioned a festival where everyone could enjoy music and art together for all walks of life. 

Website: Deafstock Festival

Howard Gripp currently resides in middle Wisconsin. Originally a rock n' roller, now fully in the Christian Contemporary/Rock world. New Christian artist with strong, inspirational messages designed to touch your soul and let people know that they are not alone. New to the Christian genre, with years of musical experience venturing into a new season of life. Some quotes from listeners: "My eyes and heart were misty"; "Very powerful! Your songs could save lives!"

In this episode of The Independent Musician, host Mark A. Skoda sits down with Ben Kyle, the talented lead vocalist, guitarist, and founder of the band Oblivea. As one of Iron Gate Records' prominent artists, Ben shares an intimate look into his journey through the music industry, from the band's formation to the creative process behind their powerful sound.

Tune in as they discuss Oblivea’s unique blend of rock and metal, the inspirations behind their hit singles, and the hard work that goes into maintaining a band’s success in today’s evolving music landscape. Ben opens up about the challenges and triumphs he’s faced, and offers insights into what it takes to push boundaries in the modern music scene.

Whether you're a fan of Oblivea or curious about what it takes to make it in the music industry, this episode is packed with wisdom, stories, and passion for music. Don’t miss it!

Alex Holbourn, an independent musician from Liverpool, England, joined Mark A. Skoda on a podcast to discuss his upcoming black metal split album, Bastard Sons of Tyranny, produced in collaboration with fellow Liverpool artist Castle of the Winds. Fully self-produced and funded, this project showcases Holbourn's dedication to the niche genre of black metal. In the conversation, Alex shares insights on the music ecosystems in both Liverpool and Nashville, exploring the parallels and contrasts between the two iconic music cities.

Garrett Huffman is a dynamic and versatile musician, known for his captivating performances and diverse musical repertoire. He skillfully blends genres like country, pop, alternative, and oldies, showcasing his range across decades of music. Garrett's dedication to his craft is evident in his active performance schedule, with numerous upcoming events listed on his website. His latest single "L.A. Queen" highlights his contemporary sound and is available on major streaming platforms. Garrett's music and presence connect deeply with his audience, making him a standout artist in the current music scene.

For more details, you can visit his website: Garrett Huffman.

Sean Gill has been playing and creating music for over 30 years. He went to the traditional college route for education in music, and has had a very non-traditional career path. He has spent most of his working life as a self-employed freelancer and has done everything from playing in a jazz trio at wine bars to editing audiobooks, creating websites and playing electric guitar with an orchestra.

He has also produced and hosted a science podcast and written extensively about his life philosophy as he constantly seeks a better understanding of what contentment means to him.

Robbie Phoenixx is an industry recognized competitive intelligence expert working with Fortune 1000 titans Live Nation, Verizon, and AT&T contributing $254 million+ and earning 30 million+ song plays and a Daytime Emmy submission in his debut release.

As a keynote speaker and strategic marketing advisor, Robbie shares with entrepreneurs and top business leaders how to leverage one's creative advantage to become your competitive advantage.

In just his first three weeks, Robbie has soared to Rank #21 Globally as Top 0.1% on Podmatch.com's Global Leaderboard, interviewing to over 300,000+ hitting 32,000 downloads on iHeartRadio, Apple, Google, Spotify, Castbox, Pocket Casts, RadioPublic and more.

Robbie's interviewed at the Global Legal Business Development Summit to over 40,000 attendees, led as a Subject Matter Expert at the Global Innovation Leadership Summit, and The Future of Cable Business Services global conference.

Benjamin Kapit is a writer, director, producer, songwriter, and award winning photographer, cinematographer, and composer. I have worked on projects of all kinds, from small indie films to videography for Caravan Palace on tour to photographing for an article in British Vogue.

Ben founded his production company, Second World Entertainment, when he was 15, and his team is currently in post production for two short films, two seasons of our show Apocalypse 92.7 FM, and the second season of our show The Sunrise House. He is currently working on his fourth indie-pop album under the stage name Dreamer’s Club. 

Rob Jonas is the CEO of Luminate Data, entertainment’s preeminent data and insights company, unleashing access to the most essential, objective, and trustworthy information across music, film and television.

Patrick Hicks is a Chicago based TikTok creator who tells the story of music and musicians through his channel. His style and approach are both interesting and fun. You can find Patrick at: TikTok Patrick Hicks