August 15, 2022

Trumpet Chops, Business Chops, and Political Commentary on the Side (just to keep things interesting) with Returning Podcast Veteran Steve Baker!

1 hour 26 minutes

Raleigh, NC based trumpeter and band leader Steve Baker returns to the show to talk about the ongoing recovery from the Coronapocalypse that musicians are dealing with. We also go in-depth on his beginnings on trumpet, how he got involved with the business side of music, along with tips on how not to go the entrepreneurial route. Toward the end is a quite contrarian topic to the show, but one on which Steve is a subject matter expert so I decided it's worth getting his thoughts on it while I had him on the line.

You won't regret pressing play on this episode!

What you'll hear in this episode:

-What the music business looks like in the post-covid aftermath...05:55

-Face mask compliance affected by tribal identity...13:00

-Money scarcity affects how many musicians are employed...16:25

-Steve's founding origins as a trumpeter and entrepreneur...19:00

-Working with the underground resistance in the Soviet Union...27:34

-Guilt dreams lead to picking up the trumpet again at age 39, after a ten-year layoff...31:23

-How you come to "own" a band...34:20

-The biggest mistake musicians make when they take the entrepreneurial leap...40:20

-Finding motivation to persevere when the money runs out...45:41

-Chasing the storm, and pursuing your passion to find success as a musicpreneur...52:41

-A first-hand account of the January 6 event at the U.S. Capitol building you won't hear on Fox News...58:46

-Plus whatever your discerning ears deem worthy of your time and interest...

Resources mentioned:

-Living Sound - the band Steve played in right after high school

-Pakhmutova trumpet concerto, performed by Timofei Dokschitzer (great listen!)

-Paid the Cost to Be the Boss, James Brown song

-thepragmaticconstitutionalist.locals.com

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