Vocal Lab

On today's show, we welcome drummer, singer, producer, and songwriter, Marc LaFrance. Marc has been a fixture in the Vancouver for over 4 decades. He has been the Drummer/Singer for Bachman & Turner and Randy Bachman since 2009, and is the Drummer/Singer with Cease & Desist. Notably, he has recorded with a vast array of prominent artists including Crowcuss, Chilliwack, Payolas, Loverboy, Trooper, Prism, Shari Ulrich, Bruce Miller, Straight Lines, Glass Tiger, Long John Baldry, Alice Cooper, Motley Crue, Bon Jovi, Cher, Carly Simon, Blue Murder, The Cult, David Lee Roth, Scorpions, Black Veil Brides, "Michael Bublé's Christmas in New York," and many others.

Marc and I talk about the what-I'd-do-differently and the what-I'd-do-agains, his music education, important career relationships, and creating longevity in the music industry. We talk about the perspective that this is indeed the music 'business', and there are some cross-sectional skills that are important. Marc talks about caring for his voice over the course of his career, and the physical requirements of being a singing drummer. We talk about his drum setup and posture to facilitate singing while playing, and about being at home out front and behind the kit.

Marc talks about the opportunities he had to work with Scholastic, and create music for video games and animation, and we get into the different organizations Marc has served with (on the Board), to lobby for artist rights, and the success of the music industry. Marc does a great job of explaining Neighbouring Rights, which is now administered by ACTRA RACS, and how significantly the concept has affected his career.

Make sure you catch both parts of this interview: episodes 25 (Monday) and 26 (Thursday)!

Be sure to check out Marc's new Eagles Tribute project: Take It To The Limit, the Ultimate Eagles Tribute at the Centennial Theatre, April 2, 2023

delinquentrecords.com

Instagram: @marc.lafrance1

Facebook: @marc.lafrance3

Recording Software / Apps Mentioned:

Sessionwire

Logic

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THE VOCAL LAB INSTAGRAM

THE VOCAL LAB WEBSITE

[email protected]

Theme music for The Vocal Lab by FreshEars Audio

Audio Editing for The Vocal Lab by Kurt Maas

Some links posted in the show notes may happen to be affiliate or partner links.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you are a working musician, this is an invaluable episode that you don't want to miss!

In my final episode with Rob Hamilton, he gives us the CliffNotes version of his Handbook for Musicians, coming from the perspective of a bandleader and employer. It's basically a guidebook for how to be the Most Employable Musician. Rob created it to answer the question he was often asked, "How to do work my way up the Side One call list?" But it's SO applicable for all working musicians!

I'm really grateful to Rob for 4 episodes of truly engaging conversation about the business of music, and his incredible generosity with his knowledge. If you haven't caught our other episodes, be sure to check out episodes 21-24!

www.sideone.ca

IG: @sideoneband

FB: @sideoneband

YouTube: @sideoneband

Vimeo: @sideone

_________________________

SUBMIT YOUR BURNING QUESTIONS or SUGGEST A GUEST

THE VOCAL LAB INSTAGRAM

THE VOCAL LAB WEBSITE

[email protected]

Theme music for The Vocal Lab by FreshEars Audio

Audio Editing for The Vocal Lab by Kurt Maas

Some links posted in the show notes may happen to be affiliate or partner links. That just means when you click the link to purchase something on this page, I may receive a commission for sharing it with you, even though it won't cost you a penny more. Which is pretty great, because I was going to share it with you anyway!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today's episode of the show, I welcome back Rob Hamilton guitarist, co-founder of Side One, and as his email signature will tell you: CEO of Rocking, for this 3rd episode in our 4-episode mini series.

We talk about the process of franchising Side One into other cities, a concept that is not often seen in the world of cover bands. Not only do we talk about the process of establishing the band in new cities, we also talk about the concept of ongoing management from a distance. Rob actually wrote a database app to create a hub for his musicians, his admin team, and his clients! We go on to talk about some very real issues with working on the road - from the logistics, to the realities of oxygen management when working at different altitudes.

Mentioned:

Leading the Starbucks Way: 5 Principles for Connecting with Your Customers, Your Products and Your People, by Joseph Michelli

www.sideone.ca

IG: @sideoneband

FB: @sideoneband

YouTube: @sideoneband

Vimeo: @sideone

_________________________

SUBMIT YOUR BURNING QUESTIONS or SUGGEST A GUEST

THE VOCAL LAB INSTAGRAM

THE VOCAL LAB WEBSITE

[email protected]

Theme music for The Vocal Lab by FreshEars Audio

Audio Editing for The Vocal Lab by Kurt Maas

Some links posted in the show notes may happen to be affiliate or partner links. That just means when you click the link to purchase something on this page, I may receive a commission for sharing it with you, even though it won't cost you a penny more. Which is pretty great, because I was going to share it with you anyway!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Meet Rob Hamilton, guitarist, bandleader, and entrepreneur. Rob and I have known each other for nearly 30 years, and we had such a great conversation that it couldn't be contained into 2 episodes. So we have an extra special 4 episode arc with Rob!

Rob's journey has taken him from full scholarship at Berklee College of Music, to Capilano College Jazz Studies, to touring with Lee Aaron, Soul Decision, and Vince Vaccaro, and becoming band leader for Vancouver funk institution Soulstream. Rob's original writing has been featured on television shows such as "The L-Word" and "The Dead Zone", and he has appeared on countless stages as a side man with Justin Bieber, Carly Rae Jepson, Michael Buble, and Tom Jones among others. In 2010 Rob launched event band Side One, which would forever change the course of his career from hired gun guitarist, to multi-million dollar a year entrepreneur, as Side One expanded from Vancouver to Calgary, Toronto, and Seattle.

It was such a pleasure to sit and talk music and career with Rob, and there are a ton of useful nuggets you can take away. Be sure to come back for all 4 episodes of this mini-series with Rob!

_________________________

SUBMIT YOUR BURNING QUESTIONS or SUGGEST A GUEST

THE VOCAL LAB INSTAGRAM

THE VOCAL LAB WEBSITE

[email protected]

Theme music for The Vocal Lab by FreshEars Audio

Audio Editing for The Vocal Lab by Kurt Maas

Some links posted in the show notes may happen to be affiliate or partner links. That just means when you click the link to purchase something on this page, I may receive a commission for sharing it with you, even though it won't cost you a penny more. Which is pretty great, because I was going to share it with you anyway!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Meet Rob Hamilton, guitarist, bandleader, and entrepreneur. Rob and I have known each other for nearly 30 years, and we had such a great conversation that it couldn't be contained into 2 episodes. So we have an extra special 4 episode arc with Rob!

Rob's journey has taken him from full scholarship at Berklee College of Music, to Capilano College Jazz Studies, to touring with Lee Aaron, Soul Decision, and Vince Vaccaro, and becoming band leader for Vancouver funk institution Soulstream. Rob's original writing has been featured on television shows such as "The L-Word" and "The Dead Zone", and he has appeared on countless stages as a side man with Justin Bieber, Carly Rae Jepson, Michael Buble, and Tom Jones among others. In 2010 Rob launched event band Side One, which would forever change the course of his career from hired gun guitarist, to multi-million dollar a year entrepreneur, as Side One expanded from Vancouver to Calgary, Toronto, and Seattle.

In this episode, we talk a lot about the unexpected pathway that music has taken Rob on, starting with giving up a full scholarship at Berklee to return to Vancouver and attend the relatively new Jazz Studies program at Capilano College, and working our way through his career. Rob talks about the immeasurable magic of a music community, and the generosity of a teacher willing to give up a great student to a better-suited teacher. We also talk about the effect that formal music education has had on Rob's career, and how that translates into working as a band leader with musicians of varying levels of formal education in Side One.

It was such a pleasure to sit and talk music and career with Rob, and there are a ton of useful nuggets you can take away. Be sure to come back for all 4 episodes of this mini-series with Rob!

_________________________

SUBMIT YOUR BURNING QUESTIONS or SUGGEST A GUEST

THE VOCAL LAB INSTAGRAM

THE VOCAL LAB WEBSITE

[email protected]

Theme music for The Vocal Lab by FreshEars Audio

Audio Editing for The Vocal Lab by Kurt Maas

Some links posted in the show notes may happen to be affiliate or partner links. That just means when you click the link to purchase something on this page, I may receive a commission for sharing it with you, even though it won't cost you a penny more. Which is pretty great, because I was going to share it with you anyway!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I am back today with part two of my interview with Michelle Markwart Deveaux, business strategist, personal development and mindset coach, author, speaker, and CEO of FaithCultureKiss Studios, LLC., and founder of The Speakeasy Cooperative. She teaches singers, actors, podcasters, and influencers to use their voice - physically and metaphorically. Michelle revels in the nitty-gritty of entrepreneurship, business shenanigans, and personal development.

If you haven't yet listened to part one of this interview, go back and start there (episode 19)!

On today's episode, we talk about the working singer, and what the really important skills are to build your business, and build your brand. We get vulnerably into the concepts of fear of failure and fear of success. And we talk about boundaries - and what that really means for an artist.

Michelle is so incredibly generous with her knowledge. It is so clear that she genuinely wants to help people become great at what they do, and she has an amazing set of skills to pave that yellow brick road for y'all. So PLEASE take advantage of her delightful brains!

Want to find more of Michelle's amazingness?

How to Run Your Biz Without Hating Your Boss 10-month Accelerator Program

Program starts Apr 4, 2023, runs through January 2024.

Applications open late Feb, 2023!

IG: @thespeakeasycooperative

FB: Faith Culture Kiss Studio for Voice and Acting: Home of the Speak Easy Cooperative

Web: www.thespeakeasycooperative.com

Email: [email protected]

_________________________

SUBMIT YOUR BURNING QUESTIONS or SUGGEST A GUEST

THE VOCAL LAB INSTAGRAM

THE VOCAL LAB WEBSITE

[email protected]

Theme music for The Vocal Lab by FreshEars Audio

Audio Editing for The Vocal Lab by Kurt Maas

Some links posted in the show notes may happen to be affiliate or partner links. That just means when you click the link to purchase something on this page, I may receive a commission for sharing it with you, even though it won't cost you a penny more. Which is pretty great, because I was going to share it with you anyway!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, I am so excited to have Michelle Markwart Deveaux on the show! Michelle is a business strategist, personal development and mindset coach, author, speaker, and CEO of FaithCultureKiss Studios, LLC. She is the founder of The Speakeasy Cooperative. She teaches singers, actors, podcasters, and influencers to use their voice - physically and metaphorically. Michelle revels in the nitty-gritty of entrepreneurship, business shenanigans, and personal development.

If you are in the Music Business, I am not exaggerating when I say that you DO NOT want to miss this episode. Pull up a chair, get out a notebook and your favourite pen (or note-taking app), and let's go to Business School for Musicians!

Not only do we talk about some necessary business basics, but Michelle also speaks to mindset for growth, skills, and the ABC's of business - which, by the way, inform all your business branding. (And yes, that actually includes your artist branding too!)

I'll be back on Thursday with Michelle for more must-have info for musical artists!

CONTENT WARNING: slavery, sex trafficking, human trafficking

Want to find more of Michelle's amazingness?

How to Run Your Biz Without Hating Your Boss 10-month Accelerator Program

Applications open late Feb, 2023.

Program starts Apr 4, 2023, runs through January 2024.

IG: @thespeakeasycooperative

FB: Faith Culture Kiss Studio for Voice and Acting: Home of the Speak Easy Cooperative

Web: www.thespeakeasycooperative.com

Email: [email protected]

_________________________

SUBMIT YOUR BURNING QUESTIONS or SUGGEST A GUEST

THE VOCAL LAB INSTAGRAM

THE VOCAL LAB WEBSITE

[email protected]

Theme music for The Vocal Lab by FreshEars Audio

Audio Editing for The Vocal Lab by Kurt Maas

Some links posted in the show notes may happen to be affiliate or partner links. That just means when you click the link to purchase something on this page, I may receive a commission for sharing it with you, even though it won't cost you a penny more. Which is pretty great, because I was going to share it with you anyway!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm back today with part two of my interview with Jeff Neill. Jeff has so much gold to share!

We talk about the collaborative process, the songwriting process, the relationship between hard work and inspiration, and the necessity to let things go. Did you know that they looked at 300 songs before settling on the final 9 for the Thriller record? Using that as an example, we talk about the need to write, write, and write some more on the way to making great records.

Jeff and I also talk in depth about the concept of the music BUSINESS - the concept that musicians need to have some business acumen as well, and how greatly it can impact your career.

Jeff is so generous with his knowledge. I hope you get a ton out of listening to this interview. And if you haven't caught part one yet, go back and listen to the episode right before this!

FB: @jeffreyneill

FB: @streetheartofficial

IG: @surrealneill

IG: @streetheartband

www.streetheart.ca

_________________________

SUBMIT YOUR BURNING QUESTIONS

SUGGEST A GUEST

THE VOCAL LAB INSTAGRAM

THE VOCAL LAB WEBSITE

Email the Vocal Lab at [email protected]

Theme music for The Vocal Lab by FreshEars Audio

Some links posted in the show notes may happen to be affiliate or partner links. That just means when you click the link to purchase something on this page, I may receive a commission for sharing it with you, even though it won't cost you a penny more. Which is pretty great, because I was going to share it with you anyway!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today's episode, I am honoured to have Canadian guitar legend, Jeff Neill of Streetheart and Jimmy Barnes fame. Jeff sits down with me and talks generously and honestly about the industry - the ups and the downs. We talk about his double duty, as he took over the business affairs of Streetheart in 2007.

We talk about passion vs. formal education in music, the relationships that have helped Jeff throughout his career, and what creates longevity in the music business…a changing landscape. Jeff has some great perspectives on challenge and the shifting sands of the music industry along the way.

Be sure to come back on Thursday for part 2 of my interview with Jeff as well!

FB: @jeffreyneill

FB: @streetheartofficial

IG: @surrealneill

IG: @streetheartband

www.streetheart.ca

_________________________

SUBMIT YOUR BURNING QUESTIONS

SUGGEST A GUEST

THE VOCAL LAB INSTAGRAM

THE VOCAL LAB WEBSITE

Email the Vocal Lab at [email protected]

Theme music for The Vocal Lab by FreshEars Audio

Some links posted in the show notes may happen to be affiliate or partner links. That just means when you click the link to purchase something on this page, I may receive a commission for sharing it with you, even though it won't cost you a penny more. Which is pretty great, because I was going to share it with you anyway!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today's episode, we have part 2 of my interview with Emma Higgins, Juno-winning director, and honestly just one of the greatest humans.

Emma gives us the lowdown on what video budgets really look like, and what you can expect to get for each level of budget - from a videographer, to a trailer fully stocked with Grey Goose for you and your whole posse. We talk about how best to prepare for a successful video, how to get into directing, the different grants that are available for making music videos, and why it really serves us to create a supportive community in a competitive industry.

Mentioned:

FACTOR Grants

MVP Grants through RBC

Telus STORYHIVE funding

Web: www.emmahiggins.com

IG: @emmaaverage

YouTube: @emmaaverage

Vimeo: @emmaaverage

_________________________

SUBMIT YOUR BURNING QUESTIONS

SUGGEST A GUEST

THE VOCAL LAB INSTAGRAM

THE VOCAL LAB WEBSITE

Email the Vocal Lab at [email protected]

Theme music for The Vocal Lab by FreshEars Audio

Some links posted in the show notes may happen to be affiliate or partner links. That just means when you click the link to purchase something on this page, I may receive a commission for sharing it with you, even though it won't cost you a penny more. Which is pretty great, because I was going to share it with you anyway!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.