James is a professional trumpet player. Currently stationed in Seoul, Korea, he is preparing to finish his service as a musician in the U.S. Army and reenter the civilian world. In 2012, James founded Musica Missio, a charitable venture that enabled him to perform great pieces from the trumpet repertoire as well as build awareness for charitable endeavors. James is also the host of the Outside the Music Box podcast, which celebrates innovation, entrepreneurship and the language of Music.

Key Take Aways:

• You need encouragement from outsiders - the people who know what they're talking about, and know good music when they hear it
• Understand the value in what you're doing as a musician, and do not underplay it
• Spend more time learning music in general, than your specific instrument. At least early on, it is more important to have a broad understanding of music before doubling down
• Don't hone in so much on what you're focusing on that you close off all other areas of consideration. Learning more things, unrelated to music, will enrich the music you create

Recommended Books:

"The Music Lesson" by Victor Wooten

"The Starfish and the Spider" by Ori Brafman

Learn more about James Newcomb

OutsideTheMusicBox.com

MusicaMissio.com

Featured Artist: Brandon Cunningham

Learn more about Brandon Cunningham:

brandoncunningham.bandcamp.com soundcloud.com/brandoncunninghammusic facebook.com/brandoncunninghammusic

If you would like to be considered for featured artist, email music submissions [email protected]

Shownotes: modernmusician.co/019

Rod Thomson is a former award-winning daily newspaper reporter and editor with nearly 30 years of experience working for newspapers in Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa and Florida. He has been published in national publications such as the New York Times, Newsmax Magazine, People Magazine, Picture Week, National Review, Focus on the Family and many others. He became Executive Editor of the Gulf Coast Business Review in 2006 and oversaw an expansion in circulation, size and scope of the weekly publication, which covers the Florida east coast. Rod now runs a PR company out of Sarasota, Florida called Thomson PR, and is co-host on the popular podcast “Grow the Dream Show.”

Key Take Aways:

• There are more opportunities than ever for smart musicians today
• Messaging and communications make a huge difference for anyone who is trying to promote their own content
• Your audience needs to be made aware of your music
• Take the time to sit down and strategize who you are as a musician, like what it means to you, and what it says about you
• While you never want to compromise your creative integrity, that does not mean that you don't act in a practical way to get your message heard
• Don't shy away from getting media attention. Especially if you're any type of niche musician, bloggers and people like them are constantly looking for people like you
• Before reaching out to local publications, take the time to understand what they're all about, and the sort of stories that they like to write
• Make your story as interesting as possible to separate yourself from the rest of the musicians that will also be reaching out
• By presenting yourself as an interesting musician to news outlets, you are actually meeting their need for interesting content as well, so be bold in your approach

Learn more about Rod:

Website: RodThomson.com

ThomsonPR.com

FaceBook.com/TheThomsonGroup

Twitter.com/Rod_Thomson

Grow the Dream Show: GrowTheDream.com

Featured Artist: Abbi Rajasekhar

Website: AbbiRajasekhar.com

Facebook.com/abbirajasekharmusic

Twitter.com/AbbiRajasekhar

- to purchase music: AbbiRajasekhar.BandCamp.com

If you would like to be considered for featured artist, email music submissions [email protected]

Shownotes: modernmusician.co/018

Moral Obligation

1. Does your music have value (musician, composer, engineer)?
2. Is there a compelling reason that people should want to hear your music?
3. Are there people out there who would appreciate hearing your work?
4. If there are, than it is your moral obligation to give them the opportunity to experience it. This is not selfish or self-centered. If you firmly believe that others will enjoy it, then it is selfish not to share it
5. Ask yourself the above questions, and if you strongly believe that the answer is yes, then there is only one solution - you have to get your music out to as many people as possible
6. So what can you do?
7. Treat your music like a business (lots of tools throughout TMMS interviews)
8. Mindset is the important thing here.
9. Artists hate to think of anything they do as a business
10. But if your work has value, and if other people will enjoy it, and if treating it like a business is the way that you can get it out for them to hear it, then you must treat your music like a business
11. This means all the normal things - take the required tax steps, etc
12. But approach your work online as someone who has something of great value to share with others
13. This is not you seeking the spot-light, but rather you understanding your own work’s value, and understand how others will enjoy it, and understanding your obligation, therefore, to let them know about it
14. Today is all about mindset. Musicians and artists in general shy away from the business end of things - don’t be that way anymore. Embrace it with the full knowledge that it is not only going to help you, but it is entirely necessary, and on top of that, your moral obligation

Shownotes: modernmusician.co/017

Pianist Hugh Sung has been an active soloist and chamber musician ever since his debut with The Philadelphia Orchestra at the age of 11. He has performed at Carnegie Hall, Weill Hall, Wigmore Hall, and many others around the world. He served as Director of Student Recitals and Instrumental Accompaniment at The Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia for 19 years, and was the co-founder of AirTurn, a company that makes cutting edge tech accessories for musicians. He currently runs the website www.hughsung.com, where he teaches piano online to students from all around the world.

Key Take Aways:

• The best business ideas come from solving a problem, often one of your own problems
• Commit to a regular schedule in anything that you do. Especially online, this improves your "snowball effect" tremendously
• Take some time to create a good thumbnail for your YouTube videos
• Study your YouTube analytics - and understand what people want from you
• Look for what separates you from other musicians, what makes you special, and hone in on that

Recommended Book:

"Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell

"The Blue Ocean Strategy" by W. Chan Kim

"Platform: Get Noticed in a Busy World" by Michael Hyatt

Learn more about Hugh Sung:

Website: HughSung.com

HughSungPiano.com

YouTube: YouTube.com/HughSung

ArtistWorks Page: ArtistWorks.com/Piano-Lessons-Hugh-Sung

AirTurn: AirTurn.com

Featured Artist: Shannon Curtis

Song: "What Happens When"

Website: ShannonCurtis.net

FaceBook.comShannonCurtisMusic

Twitter.com/ShannonCurtis

Instagram.com/ShannonCurtisMusic

ShannonCurtis.tumblr.com

If you would like to be considered for featured artist, email music submissions to [email protected]

Shownotes: modernmusician.co/016

Shawn E. Okpebholo is a widely sought-after and award-winning composer, whose music can be characterized as diverse, dynamic, and genuine – comfortably composing in various styles and genres. His music has been performed all over the world, in five continents, in over thirty states, and in nearly every major U.S. city. He earned his masters and doctoral degrees in composition from the University of Cincinnati, College-Conservatory of Music where he also studied music theory. He currently teaches music composition at the Wheaton College Conservatory of music.

Key Take Aways:

• Understand and be fully aware that making a living as a musician is a lot of hard work. This doesn't mean you shouldn't pursue it, but you must understand this
• Ask a LOT of questions. Always be curious. The person who is the most curious will often get the furthest
• Don't be afraid to call people - even your heroes - and ask for advice
• You must not be afraid of failure. If something seems like a long shot - just give it a try!
• Rejection is fine - and will be a big part of your career
• Try to connect and work with the next big players, rather than spending too much time reaching too high
• Money is not the only form of compensation - so understand the value of opportunities, and take that into account when considering taking work for less than you would normally charge
• Know yourself, and when you do your best work, and don't let anything get in the way of your productivity during that time. Everyone is different, so know yourself
• If you can respect someone that has different convictions from you, that goes a long way

Recommended Book: "This Business of Music" by M. William Krasilovsky

Learn more about Dr. Shawn Okpebholo:

Website: ShawnOkpebholo.com

SoundCloud: SoundCloud.com/Shawn-E-Okpebholo

FaceBook: FaceBook.com/ShawnOkpebholoMusic

Twitter: Twitter.com/ShawnOkpebholo

Featured Artist: The Little Family Band Song: "Where The Sirens Sing At Night"

Website: TheLittleFamilyBand.comFacebook: FaceBook.com/TheLittleFamilyBandInstagram: @LittleFamilyBand

If you would like to be considered for featured artist, email music submissions [email protected]

Shownotes: modernmusician.co/015

Doug Adams is a Chicago-based author and one of today’s leading film music advocates. In 2001, Doug was invited by Howard Shore to observe and document his work on Peter Jackson’s motion picture trilogy of The Lord of the Rings, during which time Doug Adams was given total access to recording sessions, original scores, and the composer’s archives. This project culminated in the release of The Music of the Lord of the Rings Films, a comprehensive account of the scores. As the acknowledged authority on Howard Shore’s music, Doug has become a regular at concerts and events across the globe. Doug is also the author of the upcoming Impossible Silence, chronicling the early history of music in film.

Key Take Aways:

• Take initiative. This will position you for opportunities to come your way
• Finish what you start
• Everyone has ideas. Execution and the ability to stick with it is what can separate you
• You're part of your product - and part of why people will hire you
• There is such a thing as being too narrow in your mindset toward what you're interested in. You need to develop more interests for people to be interested in you in the first place
• If you fly overseas, consider trying to turn it into one longer day by leaving early in the morning. That way, you have one longer day instead of losing a day

Desert-Island Film Score: "The Empire Strikes Back" by John Williams

Recommended book: "The Rest Is Noise" by Alex Ross

Learn more about Doug Adams:

Blog: musicoflotr.com

Twitter: @DougAdamsTwitter

Featured Artist: The Diving Bell Website: divingbellmusic.com Facebook: facebook.com/divingbellmusic Instagram: instagram.com/divingbellmusic Twitter: twitter.com/pacificpearlco Bandcamp: divingbellmusic.bandcamp.com Tumblr: divingbellmusic.tumblr.com

If you would like to be considered for featured artist, email music submissions [email protected]

Shownotes: modernmusician.co/014

1. Do you think you can make it alone?
2. How important do you think other people are to what you’re doing?
3. Whatever level of importance you just assigned - double it
4. You CAN’T do it alone, and even if you could - would you want to?
5. Think about anything you’ve already accomplished in your life - can you honestly say that you made it happen by yourself? Other people are almost ALWAYS involved
6. So... Commit to meeting new people.
7. If you want to start easy - make it 2 a week. You BETTER be meeting at least 2 a week.
8. Better yet - how about 7 a week? Why not?
9. But don’t just shake hands - what you’re looking for is a REAL and LASTING relationship
10. This doesn’t mean that you’re best buds, hanging out with you every weekend
11. Rather, develop a real relationship to the point that they actually WANT to help you out.
12. This is the whole trick, isn’t it? When someone has mastered the art of making others WANT to help them - there is no limit to what they can accomplish
13. How do you do this? - NOT by being fake.
14. “How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie has some decent advice - but has led a lot of people in the wrong direction
15. He talks about acting very interested in other people
16. The most important thing is to be sincere, and sincerity cannot be faked.
17. The book has led to a lot of insincere people to pretend to be sincere, doing more harm than good. They come across as salesmen and women
18. So don’t PRETEND to be interested - BE interested.
19. Your most powerful tool in building relationships is a REAL, NOT FAKED, interest in other people - what they’re up to, what gets them excited, etc…
20. People can smell fake a mile away. There’s no way to fool anyone - and why would you want to?
21. REAL interest in the new people you meet is the only way
22. Lastly, find a way to deliver value to EVERYONE - not just the people that you think will help you down the road
23. Delivering value means helping them, in any way you can, NOT expecting anything in return
24. This mindset, and set of habits and practices will lead you to so many opportunities you could never have predicted. Don’t keep score on relationships - just give value relentlessly - and huge things will open up for you

If you would like to be considered for featured artist, email music submissions [email protected]

Shownotes: modernmusician.co/013

John W. Snyder is an active composer and pianist in Los Angeles. He has received numerous academic and composition honors, including induction into the Wheaton Scholastic Society, UCLA’s Henry Mancini Award, and an honor by the ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Awards. He has also scored numerous films, documentaries, and commercials for clients such as Capitol Records, Chevy, VW, the Affordable Care Act, Disney, Lenovo, and many others. Snyder holds degrees from Wheaton College, IL (B.M., summa cum laude) and UCLA (M.M.).

Key Take Aways:

• Know Yourself - What you can handle and what you cannot
• However difficult you think the music industry will be, multiply it by 10
• In order to find business - a lot of times your networking must be outside of your comfortable circle of musicians
• At the end of the day, you gotta deliver
• In Hollywood there is only one rule: You can't miss deadlines
• No matter how small the opportunity, when you get it, you've got to deliver. Even if it's not a project that you're super excited about
• All you need is one real pay-off to get the snowball rolling. So approach each opportunity as way more than just this one gig. You never know who is going to end up listening to what you're working on
• Getting your name out is a slow build. Start at the bottom, and work your way up
• You need more influences than music alone. You need to get out, and bring many different influences into your life

Recommended Book for Performers: "Basic Principles in Pianoforte Playing" by Josef Lhevinne

Recommended Book for Composers: "Harmony" by Walter Piston

Learn more about John Snyder: JohnWSnyder.com

Featured Artist: Matthew Szlachetka

Song: "Back Into Your Heart"

Website: MatthewSzlachetka.com

Facebook.com/matthewszlmusic

Twitter.com/MatthewSzlMusic

Instagram.com/matthewszl

YouTube

If you would like to be considered for featured artist, email music submissions [email protected]

Shownotes: modernmusician.co/012

Recognized for his energetic and fun approach to ensemble direction, Ryan Guth is the owner of VoiceWorks, a performing arts school for young singers, actors, and [strangely enough] handbell musicians. In addition to running the company, he directs two of VoiceWorks’ high school ensembles: Viridis, a classical choral ensemble, and Impulse Handbell Ensemble. Groups under Ryan’s direction have been featured on radio stations throughout the US and Canada, in the Huffington Post Online, PBS, the Today Show, and on professional stages around the US. Impulse Handbell Ensemble, his most sought-after performing group, was recently featured on the cover of “Overtones” magazine, the official publication of The Handbell Musicians of America. They also played the opening concert at the 2014 Handbell Musicians of America National Seminar in Atlanta, GA. Ryan is a sought-after clinician in the world of handbells and music entrepreneurship. As a baritone, Ryan often sings as a soloist in choral-orchestral oratorio concerts. Last year he performed as a soloist in Britten's Rejoice in the Lamb at Princeton University Chapel under conductor Ryan Brandau, in Handel's Israel in Egypt with the Westminster Chamber Choir under Joe Miller, and in Bach's Cantata 131 Aus der Tiefen. Formerly, Ryan was the choral director at Marlboro Memorial Middle School, where he served for nine years. Ryan hosts the Find Your Forte podcast, an interview show with the world’s leading choral directors.

Key Take Aways:

• Understand what your gut sounds like. Listen to it. Trust it
• Understand that people will try to sabotage you when you strike out on your own. Expect it, and be ready for it
• Entrepreneurial skills are more important now than they ever have been - especially for musicians
• Getting out of established norms, such as the big corporations, opens up a bunch of new opportunities to you
• When you don't have a guaranteed income, you're scared enough to make things work
• Don't neglect to pay yourself what you are worth
• Working backwards from where you know you need to be is a powerful tool for accomplishing your goals
• Understand when you're providing a premium service, and make sure that your price reflects that
• Pricing effects how seriously you and the service you provide is taken

Learn more about Ryan Guth: RyanGuth.com

Make the most of your online strategy, with what Ryan has specifically for Modern Musician listeners: RyanGuth.com/modern

Featured Artist: David Tramm

Website: DavidTramm.com

Soundcloud

If you would like to be considered for featured artist, email music submissions [email protected]

Shownotes: modernmusician.co/011

Hailed as a “music-theory expert” by Rolling Stone magazine, guitarist Desi Serna is the author of the very popular Fretboard Theory line of guitar instructional material, as well as Guitar Theory For Dummies and Guitar Rhythm and Technique For Dummies. He is known for his practical, hands-on approach to music teaching, with a focus on the guitar fretboard and emphasis on popular songs. Desi honed his craft through decades of teaching, performing, and publishing. He’s online everyday posting lessons and discussing various guitar-music-related topics with his fans and followers. In 2014, he relocated from his hometown of Toledo, Ohio, to an area near Nashville, Tennessee, to be closer to Music City and its community of guitar players.

Key Take Aways:

• Look for ways to make music theory concepts easy to understand and intuitive
• Look for ways to brand yourself, and then stick with that brand until it makes sense to break out of it
• Understanding business and having a strong work ethic is absolutely essential to the working musician
• The traditional music route (gigging) is not always the best route. Open your mind to other possibilities
• You need hustle. Even more than most careers, you can't be lazy
• Educate yourself about business. Spending money on this education will come back to you
• Producing free material is often the best form of marketing
• Don't neglect keywords. Researching them, and use them
• Today, videos are basically essential to your online presence

Learn more about Desi Serna:

Guitar-Music-Theory.com

YouTube

Podcast

FaceBook

Featured Artist: Chris Davis

Website: BehindTheNote.com

If you would like to be considered for featured artist, email music submissions [email protected]

Shownotes: modernmusician.co/010