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.

"The Music Lesson" by Victor Wooten

"The Starfish and the Spider" by Ori Brafman

Learn more about James Newcomb

OutsideTheMusicBox.com

MusicaMissio.com

Learn more about Brandon Cunningham:

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.”

Website: RodThomson.com

ThomsonPR.com

FaceBook.com/TheThomsonGroup

Twitter.com/Rod_Thomson

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

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:

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.

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

Website: TheLittleFamilyBand.com
Facebook: FaceBook.com/TheLittleFamilyBand
Instagram: @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.

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

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

Shownotes: modernmusician.co/014

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.).

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

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.

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

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.

Learn more about Desi Serna: 

Guitar-Music-Theory.com

YouTube

Podcast

FaceBook

Website: BehindTheNote.com

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

Shownotes: modernmusician.co/010