YOU CAN Make a Living In The Music Industry Podcast

This week we end season 4 with recording artist, producer, and songwriter Galen Crew in Nashville, TN. Galen’s music is known for its dream-like quality which often features deep yet whimsical themes and seems to emanate from a different world. He is a huge fan of Tolkien, C.S. Lewis and other fantasy writers and if you imagine the mysterious Grimm Brothers fairy tale collections being somehow transformed into modern pop songs - you’ll start to get idea of the imagery, depth and layers within Galen’s music. Although an American artist, Galen’s music went viral in China and he has become a major pop star in that country. We are discussing writing music more like fairytales than mainstream music, working with legendary songwriter Roger Cook and building a huge fanbase and touring in China as an independent artist.

*Working with legendary songwriter Roger Cook.

*Having integrity as a producer.

This week I’m talking with Peder Eide from Lifest 2022. Peder has been the main stage host at Lifest for over 20 years as well as a successful independent artist. We are discussing what it takes to be a host/emcee for music festivals, how to interact with an audience and having venues to trust you to bring what they need. 

Sponsors: Edenbrooke Productions - We offer consulting services and are offering listeners a 1-hour introductory special. To request more info on consulting services, email Marty at [email protected]. 

*Opportunities come because of relationships.

BIO:

Peder Eide - Peder has spent the last 25 plus years as a singer/songwriter, speaker, worship leader, trainer and an advocate for orphans and children in poverty. His deep passion for the life-changing power of The Father’s love can be heard throughout the music of the songs and records he has written and recorded. Peder also has heart for helping youth and families draw closer to God and closer together through music and experiential worship. Peder’s critically acclaimed music has been described as playful yet spiritually challenging and it puts the fun back into contemporary Christian music…straightforward and relevant…, The creator of Taste Worship, a family connection event, Peder’s music and ministry has been highlighted by such groups as USA TODAY, Focus on the Family, Christianity Today and Worship Leader Magazine.  Peder was selected as a “Top Ten Young Minnesotan” by the MN Jaycees and in 2013 was honored by his high school, Oak Grove Lutheran High School with its most prestigious award, Living The Mission award.

More recently Peder has been using his years of experience to serve churches and ministries as a consultant for their Sunday worship experience. He helps worship leaders and their teams to connect and engage their congregation by equipping them with some unique creative skills that go beyond just the music.

Peder and his wife Sherri live in Farmington MN.  They have 5 children, Taylor, Allison, Ethan, Makenzie and Teshome.

This week I’m talking with five-time GRAMMY Nominated and platinum-selling songwriter and recording artist Dante Bowe at Lifest 2022. Dante made history as the first artist to have the greatest number of simultaneous GRAMMY nominations in both Gospel & Christian genres with 3 solo and 2 group award nominations for the 64th Annual GRAMMY Awards. We are discussing why hearing “no” repeatedly helps to perfect your songwriting, the process of putting a live show together and that if you don’t have a vision for yourself as an artist, your label will give you one.

*Getting “no” helps to perfect songwriting.

BIO:

Dante Bowe is a five-time GRAMMY Nominated and platinum-selling songwriter and recording artist from Rockingham, NC, now based in Nashville, TN. 

Known for his distinctive raspy vocals, Dante made history as the first artist to have the greatest number of simultaneous GRAMMY nominations in both Gospel & Christian genres with 3 solo and 2 group award nominations for the 64th GRAMMY Awards including Best Gospel Performance/Song twice for “Voice of God” and "joyful,” Best Gospel Performance/Song for “Wait on You” with Elevation Worship & Maverick City Music; Best 5 Gospel Album with Maverick City Music for Jubilee: Juneteenth Edition, and Best Contemporary Christian Music Album with Elevation Worship & Maverick City Music.

This week I’m talking with Rebecca St. James at Lifest 2022. Rebecca is a GRAMMY®-winning singer/songwriter, best-selling author, speaker and among the most defining artists in Christian music history. She also comes from a family that is firmly rooted in the music business, with a father who is a successful manager and brothers who make up the duo for KING & COUNTRY. We are discussing being part of musical family that works together in the industry, the role of a producer and a label and not letting yourself buy into what people say about you.

*Mentoring artists.

BIO:

Among the most defining artists in Christian music history, GRAMMY®-winning singer/songwriter, best-selling author, speaker and actress Rebecca St. James rocketed into the global spotlight following the release of her self-titled ForeFront Records debut in 1994. The Australian native’s modern pop sensibilities and uncompromising lyrics set a benchmark in Christian music, leading a new generation of artistry in the genre.  

This week I’m talk with Matt Roberts and Joe Piver from Jeff Roberts & Associates in Nashville, TN. JRA is a booking agency that works with some of the biggest names in Christian music including We The Kingdom, For King and Country and Skillet as well as breakout artists Anne Wilson, Katy Nicole, CAIN and many more. We are discussing the process of booking an artist into different types of venues, the cost of touring and the differences in booking new artists vs. established artists.

*What a booking agency does.

BIO:

Joe Piver - Senior Agent

This week I’m talking with Mike Gowen, president of Milestone Publicity in Nashville. Milestone teams with clients to generate awareness in the media to effectively promote their brands, singles, albums, tours and much more. We are discussing educating potential customers, how to deal with nightmare situations with clients and the difference in repping an emerging artist vs. an icon.

Sponsors: Edenbrooke Productions - We offer consulting services and are offering listeners a 1-hour introductory special. To request more info on consulting services, email Marty at [email protected]. 

*Scouting for talent.

Milestone Publicity—founded by industry professional Mike Gowen and now headquartered in Nashville—is a full-service public relations firm built to represent the needs of our music and lifestyle clients in the modern age of media. We team with clients to generate awareness in the media to effectively promote their brands, singles, albums, tours and much more. With a combined 25 years of experience, Milestone Publicity delivers well-executed campaigns in the current media landscape for its eclectic roster of clients. Every campaign is built around client goals and Milestone has the experience, relationships and tools to attain those goals. 

BIO:

This week I am talking with music industry icon Jason Davis. Jason is an entertainment industry executive with a broad range of titles including award winning songwriter and author, independent record label president, executive TV producer, entertainment consultant, former Senior VP of A&R for Dolly Parton's CTK management company and more. We are discussing when and why to hire an entertainment lawyer, the difference in managing a producer vs. an artist and what happens when you reach the top of the music industry and are still empty. 

Sponsors: Edenbrooke Productions - We offer consulting services and are offering listeners a 1-hour introductory special. To request more info on consulting services, email Marty at [email protected]. 

*Once you make a human connection, if you keep the bar high, that relationship is always there.

Websites: 

Jason Davis has spent his entire two decade career in the music industry and worked with many worldwide stars, including Boyz ll Men, Sugar Ray, P. Diddy, Alabama, Lonestar, Dolly Parton, among many others before working in Christian music. 

Davis is an entertainment industry executive with a broad range of titles including award winning songwriter, award winning author, independent record label president, executive TV producer, entertainment consultant, former Senior VP of A&R for Dolly Parton's management company CTK management and a serial entrepreneur. 

He has also secured record deal offers with CEO's from the largest music companies in the world, including Capitol Records, Sony, Interscope, Island / Def Jam, Epic, Atlantic, RCA, and J Records. 

Traveling between New York, London, Los Angeles, Miami and Nashville, he built a reputation working with the top songwriters, producers, and recording artists in the entertainment industry on a global level. 

Over the span of his career, he has not only pioneered new approaches to the signing and development of some of the world most successful recording artists and songwriters such as Anne Wilson who recently was nominated for Christian song of the year in the 2022 Billboard Awards. He has consistently championed innovative business models and partnerships with a wide range of companies around the world. 

His career began as a songwriter when he was discovered by Grant Cunningham, the former VP of A&R for Sparrow Records. Davis went on to write a #1 Billboard hit, received several ASCAP songwriting and publishing awards, and was nominated for a Latin music award. 

Davis has also co-founded other cutting edge entertainment companies such as: One One 7, Noble Management, and Awaken Records. He is also co-president and partner of Christian booking agency Higher Level Agency.

This week I’m talking with Korey Hicks from Visible Music College. Korey Hicks is the Head of both the Music Theory and Guitar Divisions globally at Visible Music College, one of the premier Christian institutions of higher learning in the country. In addition to being a professor and guitar teacher, Korey spent years playing in the House Band at Billy Bob's Texas (aka, the World's Largest Honkytonk) and has opened for Willie Nelson, REO Speedwagon, Dwight Yoakam, John Fogerty and dozens of other big artists. We are discussing what it’s like to teach 70 guitar students a week, the difficulty of auditioning for large scale music venues as a house band musician and learning to love the process of practicing on a regular basis.

*What it’s like to teach 70 guitar students a week.

BIO:

Korey Hicks is the Head of both the Music Theory and Guitar Divisions globally at Visible Music College, one of the premier Christian institutions of higher learning in the country.

On his way to creating a sustainable career in the music industry, Korey has played over 4000 live performances in the last 25 years and has been blessed to share the stage with some of the biggest names in contemporary music. A stylistic chameleon, he has played in a wide variety of genres, including Country, Worship, Pop, Rock, Jazz and Blues on some of the most iconic stages in the country. Venues include playing for years in the House Band at Billy Bob's Texas (aka, the World's Largest Honkytonk), and opening for Willie Nelson, REO Speedwagon, Dwight Yoakam, John Fogerty and dozens of other big artists.

He is an Alumnus of Berklee College of Music, and graduated Magna Cum Laude from McNally Smith College of Music with a Bachelor's Degree in Guitar Performance. 

This week I’m talking with Pam Lewis of PLA Media in Nashville. PLA is a Public Relations company that gets their clients in front of audiences and consumers through public appearances on tv and in print.  Pam has an amazing history of being one of the people who launched MTV in the early 80s and also helped launch the careers of Garth Brooks and Tricia Yearwood. We are discussing the abilities you need to have to work for a PR firm as well as what it takes to start your own PR company. 

*A publicist (Public Relations) is the glue that holds it all together.

BIO:

This week I am kicking off season 4 talking with my hero, mentor and dear friend Steve Curtis Chapman. Steven is celebrating 35 years in the music industry this year and is celebrating by releasing a brand new album called “Still.” He is the most awarded artist in Christian music history with 49 No. 1 singles, 59 GMA Dove Awards, multiple GRAMMYs and much more. He’s also one of the most down-to-earth people you will ever meet. We are discussing our history together, both being from Paducah, KY and his dad Herb Chapman being our guitar teacher and the impact he’s had on our lives, following where the music takes you in the songwriting process and struggling to put out new music and feeling relevant in today’s culture and his new album “Still” being the result of that struggle.

*SCC’s autobiography “Between Heaven and the Real World."

BIO:

The ever-present inner critic whispering “can he do it again?” made him question whether making new music was the right move. He says, “It’s a two-edged sword. At some point, you walk in with a bunch of new songs hoping people are ready to hear something new. The hard part is people don’t always want that. They want to hear the hits.” But he found he still had stories left to tell. “I finally gave myself permission to say, don’t question if this is relevant or where it’s gonna fit or will it work in the current landscape of Christian music. I had to silence the voices, sit down with my guitar, and write whatever was stirring in me, let it come out however it came out.”

It’s Chapman back to his glory days, recalling mega-hits like “The Great Adventure,” “Dive,” and “More To This Life,” but don’t mistake familiarity as a re-hash....Still is filled with entirely fresh, life-giving songs for the masses. His gift for writing tear-stained lyrics about serving a God he doesn’t always understand but always, always trusts is on full display. Chapman holds nothing back, his full-voiced cries of praise echoing God’s faithfulness in days gone by and trust in His mercy for the days ahead. “That’s what I’m trying to do with this project,” Chapman says, “remember where I’ve been and where I’m going.” With lead track “Still,” to “Don’t Lose Heart,” “I’m Alive,” “Kindness,” and “A Desperate Benediction (Peace On Earth),” Chapman’s willingness to shine a light on his pain, struggles, and faith, but also his joy, redemption, and hope infuses Still with universal goodness.