Vaguely Music

Time to talk about something that is the crux of Double Bar Music: teaching. The relationship between teacher and student is a strange blend of personal friendship and hierarchical leadership, and walking the line between friend and teacher is tricky. Ryan and Kelsey share their experiences, mistakes, and recommendations to new teachers and relatable stories for those who have been teaching for some time. They would also love to hear your experiences and teaching tips, so share them with us on FB or Instagram! @doublebarmusic

The first time Ryan and Kelsey went on this finance journey they ended up diving into a completely separate (although wonderful) discussion about the value of original music. That being said, they've finally come around again to talk finances. What are things you should be prepared for in the 2019 gigging world? Is it "under the table" just because it's cash? How do you know what to save for Big Brother? It's also important to talk realistic financial expectations when it comes to studio recording (when you give up on doing it yourself), and fair expectations about being a private instructor, from the mouths of a teacher and music school owner. Check it out!

Jason Kelley is releasing his FOURTH album in just over 10 years. In an era of Spotify playlists, one song hits, and shuffle artist discovery, where does his love of albums come from? Kelsey, Ryan, and Jason dive into songwriting, the art of building a "catalogue" of music that reflects your sound but doesn't become the same album released time and time again. Kelley discusses the magic of finding the right band to co-create, and what it's like to run a "beneficent dictatorship" in the songwriting process. You can check out J.Kelley's full discography and upcoming shows here:

https://jkelleymusic.com/wp/?page_id=2243

We've moved! This our first podcast from our new location, and today we're talking growth as an entrepreneur. Everyone wants to succeed, but most businesses fail because they try to expand too quickly. How do you know when expansion is right? Ryan and Kelsey use their recent experience at Double Bar to paint a picture of the process and what determined if the business was ready to expand. We also dive into the role of professional (and personal) relationships, and how they can make or break the success of ambitious business endeavors.

Brian has been faculty at Berklee College of music for years, working in their electronic composition department. He also gigs regularly on guitar, but professes that his first instrument was.... the computer? Join Ryan, Kelsey, and Brian as they talk about the benefits of embracing electronic instrumentation in modern day music and how, with the continuing improvements in technology, the electronic instrument is becoming as dynamic and expressive as the guitar.

https://www.berklee.edu/people/brian-cass

Self care... one of the most taboo words in the world today. Either people feel like their being sold a load of #$%#, or it's seen as weakness. But the problem remains, how do you sustain through a high-stress time? Right in the middle of our big location shift, Ryan and I thought it would be appropriate to talk about our own experiences (good and bad) with stress management and maintenance. What works for us, what we thought worked (and in fact doesn't), and what we know to avoid. We'd love to hear your thoughts on how you maintain balance in your life!

The age old mantra of older generations: modern music is trash. You can't even play it live, it's just studio wizardry. Well, we disagree. You can play it live, but it takes a new approach to how you learn your cover material. The simple copy and paste guitar part is gone. In this episode, we're going to boil down the conceptual steps of how to approach covering new music, electronic influences and all, whether you have electronic instrumentation or not. Enjoy!

Fear rejection? Afraid of hearing no? Take Lindsey's advice on how she built her career and business, Level Exchange, from her first attempt at organizing a show (who needs microphones anyway?) to successfully becoming tour manager for Warped Tour. 

https://www.levelexchange.co/

Let's talk music school. It's a conversation we inevitably have with our students and their families as they approach the end of their high school career, but does it makes sense for everyone? We'll give you our thoughts (we have plenty to go around) as well as our personal experiences and insights from working in the music industry. Things to keep in mind: finances, career goals, time constraints. Tune in to hear more!