In the heart of New York City lies a musical haven where veteran artists and aspiring musicians converge to hone their craft and build lasting connections. Join us as we delve into the vibrant community fostered by Funkadelic Studios, a cornerstone of NYC's music scene for over three decades.

In this episode, we uncover the rich history and enduring legacy of Funkadelic Studios, a beacon of creativity and community in the heart of the Big Apple. Join us as we celebrate 30 years of music-making and look ahead to the future of NYC's music scene from Dawn Orlando herself.

Special shout out to the late, great Kid Lucky.

Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://themillennialmusicianpodcast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more information on this show.

Funkadelic Studios:

Book Now: (212) 696-2513

Official Website: ⁠http://funkadelicstudios.com

Instagram: ⁠http://instagram.com/funkadelicstudiosnyc

GenXercise:

Official Website: https://genxercisenow.com/

Learn more about Shay:

Official Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://shayleonia.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://instagram.com/shayleonia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://tiktok.com/@shayleonia⁠⁠⁠⁠

Get ready for an in-depth conversation with Shawn Setaro, a respected journalist, author, and podcast host known for his influential work in the hip-hop community. In this episode, we revisit the legacy of his podcast, 'The Cipher,' and delve into his book 'Complex Presents Dummy Boy: Tekashi 6IX9INE and the Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods.'

Learn from Shawn's experience as he shares valuable insights on navigating the world of hip-hop journalism plus, some tips on how artists can break into major publications like Complex Magazine.

Enjoy this special episode, the first that we've done with special guest appearances. ;)

Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://themillennialmusicianpodcast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more information on this show.

“Love Hurts” by Elizabeth Mendez Berry” https://elizabethmendezberry.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/LOVE-HURTS-for-site-2.pdf

Shawn Setaro:

Book: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/688059/complex-presents-dummy-boy-by-shawn-setaro/

Podcast on YNW Melly: https://open.spotify.com/show/1XLWIiPrPABevlKft6ImVG

Complex article: "Best Hip-Hop Producers...": https://www.complex.com/music/a/shawn-setaro/best-hip-hop-producers

Featuring Shout Outs From:

Jay Smooth: http://instagram.com/jsmooth995

Thembisa Mshaka: http://instagram.com/officiallipgame

Mr. Mecc: http://instagram.com/mrmecc

A-King: http://instagram.com/itsaking

Mela Machinko: http://instagram.com/melamachinko

Toni Blackman: http://instagram.com/toniblackman

Cali Green: http://instagram.com/findcali

Mr. Len: http://instagram.com/lookatlen

Manny Faces: http://instagram.com/mannyfacesofficial

Learn more about Shay:

Official Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://shayleonia.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://instagram.com/shayleonia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://tiktok.com/@shayleonia⁠⁠⁠⁠

Former "The Voice" contestant and Memphis soul singer, Savannah Brister was kind enough to spend some time with me last year as we cackled (me) and cutely giggled (her) through sharing all the ins & outs of her wild experience on the hit reality TV show.

And she held nothing back...

What's in Store:

This episode jam packed with all you need to know before you send in that audition to "The Voice" *queue theme music*.

Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠http://themillennialmusicianpodcast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more information on this show.

Savannah Brister:

Official Website: http://savannahbrister.com

Instagram: http://instagram.com/savannahbrister

Learn more about Shay:

Official Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠http://shayleonia.com⁠⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠http://instagram.com/shayleonia⁠⁠⁠⁠

TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠http://tiktok.com/@shayleonia⁠⁠⁠

After wrapping up my first show at the legendary Bitter End, a visibly excited man rushed up onto the stage where I and my guitarist still stood. All he wanted was to take a picture of me wearing his sunglasses, a tradition he’d started amongst his favorite indie artists. That person was a guy named Mark McLaughlin, and unbeknownst to me, he had just become my first fan.

Mark bewildered me because he was the polar opposite of what I’d been taught my “fan avatar” would be. As Mark puts it, he is an “old white guy”. That’s how I knew it was time to throw out anything we think we know about who our fans are and what they love about our music.

That’s precisely why I’ve brought him on today’s episode, so you can hear from a fan directly about the questions that we only speculate on like:

…and so much more.

What’s also fun about today’s episode is that in true Mark fashion, he mentions several other artists he’s a fan of, so I’ve gone ahead and created a playlist of them all called “Mark’s Mentions”. Listen here: http://tinyurl.com/marksmentions

Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠http://themillennialmusicianpodcast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more information on this show.

Mark McLaughlin:

http://Instagram.com/whatmarkheard/

Learn more about Shay:

Official Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠http://shayleonia.com⁠⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠http://instagram.com/shayleonia⁠⁠⁠⁠

TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠http://tiktok.com/@shayleonia⁠⁠⁠

I'm guilty of it too... I've totally caught myself in a fantasy about how great it would be to sign with an indie label. In that fantasy, you're cared for, held in highest regard, and everyone at the label believes in your vision and knows how to execute it at a scale larger than you're currently capable of.

But things don't always turn out that way, which is what Kelsey Warren of Blak Emoji came on to discuss. In this episode, we're joined by not just Kelsey, but his bandmate Whitney Tai to talk about some ways you can potentially dodge a bad situation. Spoiler alert? Have your contracts reviewed!

On a positive note, we'll also hear about the new music their super duo, BLAKTAI has on the way.

Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠http://themillennialmusicianpodcast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more information on this show.

BLAKTAI:

https://linktr.ee/blaktai

Blak Emoji:

http://instagram.com/blak.emoji

Whitney Tai:

http://instagram.com/whitneytai

Learn more about Shay:

Official Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠http://shayleonia.com⁠⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠http://instagram.com/shayleonia⁠⁠⁠⁠

TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠http://tiktok.com/@shayleonia⁠⁠⁠

Every musician (especially their parents) has heard the classic "starving artist" trope, but there's someone on a mission to fix that.

Meet Ryan McCurdy, a multi-hyphenate who amidst being a stellar actor+, musician+ is also a financial educator for artists.

This conversation barely scratched the surface of all there is to discuss when it comes to finance reform from the top down, but we also got to discuss things like whether or not to unionize, how to find the ROI (return on investment) in your spending as a musician, and funny enough - if you stick around until the end of the episode, you'll see that we're both highly in demand.

You're bound to have some questions after listening to this episode, so be sure to contact me at https://www.themillennialmusicianpodcast.com/contact/ so we can invite Ryan back to answer!

Visit ⁠⁠⁠http://themillennialmusicianpodcast.com⁠⁠⁠ for more information on this show.

Ryan McCurdy:

http://instagram.com/actormccurdy

http://actormccurdy.com

Learn more about Shay:

Official Website: ⁠⁠⁠http://shayleonia.com⁠⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠http://instagram.com/shayleonia⁠⁠⁠

TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠http://tiktok.com/@shayleonia⁠⁠

No matter where my clients have found themselves on their music career journey, we've always arrived at that question... "...but what's my genre?"

And no matter the answer I give, these musicians are hard pressed to let the world stop turning until they can properly classify themselves and neatly fold up the box they long to fit inside. That's why I decided that if they won't listen to me, maybe they'll listen to a music legend...

Enter Bootie Brown, founding member of the iconic hip-hop group The Pharcyde and a Grammy-nominated artist in his own right. There is no bigger genre bending & flexing visionary that exists than Brown, having performed on stages with acts like Korn & Limp Bizkit or collaborating with The Gorillaz and Tame Impala - the man does it all, and he does it well.

Whether you're an indie musician looking to learn from one of the greats or just a huge fan of Brown and The Pharcyde, this conversation is for you. My endless gratitude for him taking the time to share his wisdom with us, and all the ways he's supported me in my own career.

Visit ⁠⁠http://themillennialmusicianpodcast.com⁠⁠ for more information on this show.

Bootie Brown:

⁠⁠http://instagram.com/bootiebrownofficial⁠

⁠http://instagram.com/thepharcyde

Learn more about Shay:

Official Website: ⁠⁠http://shayleonia.com⁠⁠

Instagram: ⁠⁠http://instagram.com/shayleonia⁠⁠

TikTok: ⁠⁠http://tiktok.com/@shayleonia⁠

Thanks to our late friend, producer Black Panther, I had heard the sounds of Maya Azucena on their song, "The Half" before I even had the honor of meeting her. Once that changed and I saw her perform, I was floored. She was an absolute force, and I had never seen or heard anyone do what she did on that stage. Since that day, Maya has become my mentor, my boss, and my friend.

When the pandemic began, Maya was living in Turkey and bouncing between countries as she usually did, performing on stages quite literally, far and wide. But in this time that was so dark for so many, Maya called on her ancestors to help her speak her heart. Through listening, she created "I Am Enough".

In this episode, we discover her thought process behind the lyrics, the songs, and the production of her EP, and we even discuss the importance of finding a way to cherish your own gifts.

So many of us battle in silence - it's time to hear Maya's story and let her wisdom transform you for the better, just as it's done for me.

Visit ⁠http://themillennialmusicianpodcast.com⁠ for more information on this show.

Maya Azucena:

http://mayaazucena.com

⁠http://instagram.com/mayaazucena

https://iamenoughworld.com/

Learn more about Shay:

Official Website: ⁠http://shayleonia.com⁠

Instagram: ⁠http://instagram.com/shayleonia⁠

TikTok: ⁠http://tiktok.com/@shayleonia⁠

I am absolutely (proudly) dating myself with this reference, but any millennial worth their salt will know that "Cheers" was the bar where everybody knows your name.

In each and every episode, Norm was the character who got acknowledged at the entrance - not once, did he hobble down those stairs and not get noticed and greeted by all the patrons.

Well... meet my friend, Ashton, known as ASHTNMRTN.

Like clockwork, any event I attend, the moment that Ash walks into the room, everyone stops what they're doing to swarm him with aggressive daps & warm hugs. And he always gets on that stage.

But what is it about Ashton that brings about that magnetic appeal? And better yet... can it be learned?

On this episode, I talk with my friend all about what's truly going on when he enters these rooms, and he also spills a whole lotta tea that you won't want to miss.

Visit ⁠http://themillennialmusicianpodcast.com⁠ for more information on this show.

*This episode is dedicated to Ashton's best friend, Aliscia Brittany Worrell who passed on 12/23/23. May her memory be a blessing.

Important Links:

Support Aliscia's Book: https://a.co/d/6H8Ufgk

ASHTNMRTN:

⁠http://instagram.com/ashtnmrtn⁠

https://youtu.be/OB6kYlo7u4I?si=Xg8jl465lcgqXflL

⁠https://youtu.be/F2E_hreQzig?si=jmUgs64AzxmYZa8z⁠

Learn more about Shay:

Official Website: ⁠http://shayleonia.com⁠

Instagram: ⁠http://instagram.com/shayleonia⁠

TikTok: ⁠http://tiktok.com/@shayleonia⁠

Sometimes inexplicably, our relationships shift and a connection we once thought was solid can seemingly disintegrate overnight. Our music industry network is no exception to this rule of human experience, so what should you or even can you do to fix it?

In this episode, we discuss how to remedy a potentially broken industry connection or if it’s even worth trying to. This one is sure to stir up some feelings so reach out to me on Instagram if you have thoughts around it!

Have a topic in mind or a question you'd like to submit?  Send me a DM on Instagram at @‌44thminutemedia and I'll even give you a shout out on the podcast!

Be sure to subscribe and leave a review so we can continue to grow this community!

Follow us on Instagram:

Instagram: http://instagram.com/44thminutemedia

Learn more about Shay:

Official Website: http://shayleonia.com

Instagram: http://instagram.com/shayleonia

TikTok: http://tiktok.com/@shayleonia