Above the Noise

Michael Beinhorn joins the podcast. We talk production and working with some of the most notorious musicians and his take on musical creativity. Michael has a legendary career working with superstar acts and has achieved a combined worldwide sales of over 45 million albums. He is one of only a handful of producers to debut two separate recordings on Billboard's Top Ten in the same week. He wrote Rock It with Jazz Pianist Herbie Hancock, which became one of the most influential hip-hop songs of all time, and later on, played a massive role in the grunge sound. He has worked with Brian Eno, Herbie Hancock, Hole, Marilyn Manson, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ozzy Osbourne, Soul Asylum, Soundgarden, Korn… to name a few. You learn more you can visit his website: https://www.michaelbeinhorn.com And pick up his book Unlocking Creativity: A Producer's Guide to Making Music & Art here: https://www.amazon.com/Unlocking-Creativity-Producers-Making-Guides/dp/1480355135 This episode was edited by Bob Guido. Check him out here: https://www.bobguido.com

This interview is with the music supervisor, award-winning singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist, and entrepreneur, Lisa Brigantino. We talk about playing on stages around the world to putting music in major T.V. Ads, movies, and more. Along the way, we discover some of the key ingredients to Lisa's success and how you can apply them too! Lisa Brigantino has worked in the fields of music supervision, talent acquisition, branding, and rights clearance for over 25 years. She got her start in the business as Director of Licensing for BZ/Rights and Permissions, Inc. and then went on to become a founding partner of Creative License, Inc. and then later served as the company’s Vice President and Director of Business Affairs. Lisa then went on to start her own company, Hidden Pond Productions, Inc. Lisa has worked on music supervision, talent acquisition and rights clearance projects for brands and companies as diverse as BMW North America, Delta Air Lines, MetLife, AT&T, ConocoPhillips, Northern Tool + Equipment, Provident, Mary Kay, The United Way, Ace Hardware, SC Johnson, Little Debbie, State of Alabama Tourism, Winmark, InTune Partners, MCI, The Bridge Direct, The Wish Factory, Hearst-Argyle, Chevrolet, 7Up, Gatorade, Intel, IBM, Coca-Cola, Kraft, Macmillan Publishing, Merck, Geico, Hyundai, Claritin, Samsung, Anheuser Busch, Pfizer, Olympus, KIA, NY Lottery, Hershey, Ford, Hewlett Packard and many more. Lisa is a voting member of NARAS (The Grammys), a member of SESAC, The Songwriters Guild Of America, New York Women in Film and Television and Women In Music, Inc. She served on the Board of Directors of Women In Music, Inc. for six years, and was a contributing writer and editor of the organization’s quarterly magazine, WIM. Lisa currently serves on the Advisory Board of Women In Music, Inc. and is on the Advisory Board of Photo Quest Adventures, a global photography workshop company. Lisa is a former original member of Lez Zeppelin, the world’s first all-girl, all Led Zeppelin tribute band and toured internationally with the band for many years playing bass, bass pedals, keys, mandolin and doing backup vocals. During Lisa’s years with the band, they received rave reviews in many publications and news sources including Rolling Stone (US, Germany and Japan ), Time Out New York & Chicago, Entertainment Weekly, The London Times, The Boston Globe, The New Yorker, VH1, MTV News, CNN News, CBS Sunday Morning and many more. Performance highlights include appearances at The Bonnaroo Music Festival and Voodoo Fest (USA), Download Festival (UK) Rock am Ring/Rock am Park (Germany). The band’s self-titled debut CD was released in 2007, recorded and produced by the legendary Eddie Kramer. Lisa co-wrote two of the original songs on the album. Lisa left the band in 2009 to focus on her own original music. In addition to being a performing songwriter and musician, Lisa is a trained composer with a Master of Music in music composition and music theory from SUNY Fredonia, and she composes music for television, film, theatre, dance, and new media. Lisa Brigantino is proud to be a Kurzweil Endorsed Artist. She is a member of SESAC, The Songwriters Guild of America, New York Women in Film and Television, a voting member of NARAS (Grammys) and serves on the Advisory Board of Women In Music, Inc. Award-winning singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Lisa Brigantino is an engaging performer whose eclectic approach to songwriting spans groove, genre, and topic. Brigantino’s new album I’ll Waltz Before I Go released October 15, 2018, continues Brigantino’s tradition of producing albums containing her eclectic original songs which span a wide range of genres including Folk, Roots, Americana, Old-Time, Country, Pop, and Rock. Her songs touch on the topics of love, loss, longing, hope, gratitude, family, and more. Enjoy! Aaron Bethune. http://www.playitloudmusic.com http://www.lisabrigantino.com http://www.hiddenpondproductions.com

This podcast is with brand and marketing guru Allen Adamson and sheds light on the world of branding in business and how it applies to the music industry. Allen Adamson is a noted industry expert in all disciplines of branding. He’s worked with a broad spectrum of clients in industries ranging from packaged goods and technology to health care and financial services, to hospitality and entertainment, as well as brands in the non-profit sector. Given his perspective and depth of experience, Allen has helped his clients not simply understand, but, more critically, put into play strategies that enable them to shift ahead of the market and the competition, generating long-term value and increased brand equity. How organizations do – or do not – stay relevant is the subject of Allen’s most recent book, Shift Ahead. Using fascinating first-hand accounts and detailed case studies, Shift Ahead explains how the best organizations recognize when it’s time to change direction, and how they pull it off while bolstering their brands. Following the approach of Allen’s previous books, BrandSimple, BrandDigital, and The Edge: 50 Tips from Brands That Lead – which are used in universities across the country – Shift Ahead offers up practical and readily applied lessons learned. Prior to Metaforce, Allen was Chairman, North America of Landor Associates, a global branding firm. Under his leadership, the company partnered with a wide array of iconic brands, including Accenture, GE, Johnson & Johnson, FedEx, HBO, Marriott, MetLife, P& G, Sony, and Verizon. Before Landor, Allen was an executive at Unilever, responsible for leading marketing for a number of major packaged goods brands. Previously, he held senior management positions at Ogilvy & Mather and DMB&B. A sought-after industry commentator, Allen has appeared on NBC’s Today Show, CNBC’s Squawk Box and Closing Bell, and Fox Business Network. He is often quoted in The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Advertising Age, USA Today, the Washington Post, and Forbes, for which he also writes a column on brand strategy. He is a frequent guest lecturer at New York University’s Stern School of Business, the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University, and the Harvard School of Continuing Education. Allen is a member of the American Management Association and speaks on brand and marketing strategy for a range of professional organizations, corporate events, and at industry conferences. Allen received his BS from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, and an MBA from New York University’s Stern School of Business. I hope you enjoy our conversation! Aaron Bethune.

Justin Kalifowitz operates Songtrust and serves as President of Downtown Music Publishing. Prior to Downtown, Justin spent six years with Spirit Music Group acting as Head of A&R, and held positions with RCA and Virgin Records. Justin has been named in Billboard Magazine’s “30 Under 30" Faces to Watch and Crain’s “Forty Under 40" Rising Stars of New York Business. Justin is on the Board of Directors for the NY Chapter of the Association of Independent Music Publishers. This interview with Justin Kalifowitz on the topic of music publishing is a well of insight. His answers shed light on some of the key elements of the most valuable yet complicated areas of the music business. Newcomers and mainstays will have something to take away. Justin Kalifowitz, 35, thinks both big and small. Since Downtown Music Publishing was founded in 2007, the company has made deals for the songwriting catalogs of Ryan Tedder, Benny Blanco, and Niall Horan; served as administrator for independents like Big Yellow Dog and the John Lennon and Yoko Ono ­catalogs; and expanded to Los Angeles, London, Nashville, Amsterdam and, in February, Tokyo. But Downtown, based in Manhattan, remains dedicated to its indie roots. In 2011, Kalifowitz built Songtrust, an online platform that allows indie ­songwriters -- essentially anyone -- to register their compositions and collect ­royalties ­worldwide. While Downtown manages 100,000 songs, Songtrust ­administers 1.3 million, and the company reports ­collections were up 90 percent in 2016. Kalifowitz has also been working on NY is Music, the advocacy coalition he co-founded in 2014 that helped the NYC Mayor's Office of Media & Entertainment ­commissioner Julie Menin organize the inaugural New York Music Month, a city-sponsored event this June that includes ­concerts, conferences, and initiatives like 2,000 hours of free rehearsal space. With the city's monthlong celebration underway, Kalifowitz speaks about overseas growth, indie songwriters and New York's music economy. Enjoy! Aaron Bethune.

Today's interview is with Johanna Sawalha. Jo is an Executive Coach and coach to high performers. She has particular expertise in coaching C level professionals, building entrepreneurial companies, career building and transitions, as well as executive & leadership coaching and fast-track sales force training. Since returning to her native Sweden in 2015 after 25 years in the US, Jo coached executives in the advertising and children’s educational gaming industries. As Head of Executive Coaching and Business Development, she co-created the Executive Coaching Division of The Roll AB, of the SSE MBA LeadershipLive Program and the SSE MSc. Finance Career Development Accelerator Program (CDA) at the Stockholm School of Economics. Meanwhile, she retained her US and international clients, companies & organizations, shifting clients forward in highly valuable ways by providing coaching support, practices, structure, process, and energy to create value and achieve results. She has led executive coaching programs at, among others, the following New York institutions: The Woodhull Institute for Ethical Leadership, The Learning Annex, SoHo House, and also held a column in the trend watch magazine Modern Economy doing the global analysis of world trends. She was Senior Vice President a New York-based coaching firm teaching at MIT and Stanford Business School, with AOL, Sony and Conde Nast among their clients. Her clients range from high-level executives at Blackstone Investment Group to the Hollywood movie industry. Her client roster features Blackstone, The Port Authority, and during her five years in Texas The San Antonio Current and affiliated media companies, The Media Justice League, Turner Holdings, San Antonio Sports and VentureLab – a non-profit STEM organization for girls. In Texas, Jo also held coaching workshops at Our Lady of the Lake University for the student body, faculty, and staff, as well as coaching politicians in local government. Johanna’s served on the board of the San Antonio River Foundation, the selection committee for the board of her building as well as Strand Academy. Johanna's entrepreneurial background includes founding the perfume brand Lakshmi NYC which she ran for five years, and which was sold in both national and international retail stores. She also co-founded one of the first companies to offer international yoga retreats and took groups to Thailand and Mongolia among other places – Avatar Yoga Retreats. Johanna has experience with the Assessment Tools StrengthsFinder 2.0, HBDI, as well as MBTI Myers Briggs. To book the FREE strategy call mentioned in this podcast please visit: http://www/johannasawlha.com/appointment-booking § Email: coaching@sawalha.com § Phone: +46 73-589 86 48 § LinkedIn: https://se.linkedin.com/in/johannasawalha

Today's interview is with super-manager Jason Davis. Whether you are an aspiring manager, upcoming artist, established and looking for inspiration, Jason shares a ton of valuable hands on knowledge. 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. 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’s most successful recording artists and songwriters, but 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 Radar Label Group (Jimmy Eat World, Plain White T's, Neon Trees, The Unlikely Candidates), One One 7, Awaken Records (Austin French), and Care For Kids. He is also co-president and partner of booking agency Higher Level Agency and an artist manager with First Company Management. For more info on Jason's companies please visit: www.oneone7.com www.awakenrecordings.com www.higherlevelagency.org www.fcmgt.com Hope you enjoy listening to this one! Aaron Bethune. www.aaronbethune.com

As a 20-year entrepreneur and founder of Cyber PR, Ariel became interested in crowdfunding a decade ago while speaking on a panel with the founder of ArtistShare, the first documented crowdfunding website. Ariel is a seasoned speaker and dynamic guest, having spoken in over a dozen countries to 100,000 creatives and artists as well as speaking at SXSW 11 times and counting. After years of advising clients on crowdfunding campaigns and putting her money where her mouth is through a ton of contributions, Ariel decided put her PR experience, event planning and grit into practice and launched a crowdfunding campaign of her own. We’re excited to let you in on her new book that documents the lessons learned (and stress endured) during that campaign which raised over $60,000. In Crowdstart: The Ultimate Guide to a Powerful and Profitable Crowdfunding Campaign Ariel provides a clear, actionable roadmap that helps artists, entrepreneurs and creatives figure out who’s in their crowd and how to marshall that support into an effective crowdfunding campaign. The latter part of the book walks the reader (step-by-step and day-by-day) through how to create and implement a successful campaign, design an effective video, create the right amount of reward tiers and stay in an empowered mindset to ensure campaign success. In this podcast, we get into some useful and practical tips for building a successful crowdfunding campaign.

My friend Adam Spencer interviewed me for his Australian podcast. I thoroughly enjoyed our conversation and thought you might too! We discuss the importance of setting goals, seeing the big picture while also focusing on the next small step.

Big Data has become a term that we hear a lot these days. We are all trying to tap into our own data and find ways to turn it into useful information. That's where Data Scientists and Data Journalists come in. They are the ones that interpret the information and then turn that information into insightful information that we can all understand. There are some great tools out there available to the general public. With some great companies helping make sense of it all, a few of which are focused on the music industry. They help turn relevant data into gold mines of information that can help advance your career and build your brand. I have been a big fan of Next Big Sound and personally reaped the benefits of their product, as have my clients. In combination with other tools, it has given us creative marketing ideas, a new perspective on how and where to release music, the types of venues to focus on, concepts for custom merch designs that appeal to a specific demographic, and even the type of outside the box partnerships we have developed. Liv Buli has been successfully turning the raw data into insightful articles that make even the least tech savvy person find an interest in big data. As she puts it, she uses data to decipher the business of music. Liv has traveled all over the world talking about what she does – from Brisbane, to Chile, to NYU classrooms. She has been invited to speak and participate in panels at SXSW, CMJ, Music Biz, Future of Music Policy Summit, SF Music Tech, BigSound, ByLarm and more. Lately, she has been giving thought as to how to visualize data in simple, elegant ways to build better stories. As she says "...the best data journalism strikes a balance between finding (data science), showing (data visualization), and telling (journalism) a story." I enjoyed this conversation and as always learned something from it. I hope you do too! This episode was edited by Andy Warren of www.applesandchocolate.com Aaron Bethune Music Specialist. Author. Manager. Creative Collaborator. Speaker. http://www.playitloudmusic.com

A while back I interviewed Canadian radio promoter, Bill Miller of Sharp 9 Music. I first crossed paths with Bill when he was heading up Pitt Bull Promotions and had successfully developed the company into one of Canada's leading radio promotion companies. He has since started Sharp 9 Music. I was officially introduced through a mutual friend. The friend's band had successfully had their single go top 20 thank's to Bill and Pitt Bull's Promotion machine behind it. Part of the rockstar dream is to have your music on the radio. Every band wants it but not many understand how to make it happen. Hopefully, this interview will give you a better understanding! I am a big advocate of hiring people that are experts in their field, rather than try and do everything yourself. That said, I believe it is important to know how things work so that you can better understand the job of the person you are hiring. I have heard mixed opinions around promoting your own single to radio. A hard part is being turned down when pitching your own music, not everyone is cut out to take that with a smile. Some radio promoters have told me that they like it if an artist has tried promoting their first single as it means some of the ground work is done and can even at times lead to bringing the costs down of their services. For more information on Bill you can visit his website here. Aaron Bethune Music Specialist. Author. Manager. Creative Collaborator. Speaker. www.playitloudmusic.com

Sitting here in my hotel room in Nashville I am happy to finally have some time to post this interview with Ruth Blatt. There are many of these yet to come! I first found out about Ruth when reading one of her articles in Forbes. She writes about popular music using research on management and entrepreneurship. She shows a different side of musicians and music industry professionals by writing about them as navigators of their own careers, as leaders of small businesses, and as part of self-managed creative teams. Since becoming a father I have thought many times about all the great things music can do to help a person develop their communication skills, relationship skills, leadership skills, how it helps to build confidence and it's many other positive results. I would love and encourage for my children to experiment with music so as to experience the benefits that it has to offer. Most of all to have fun and be creative. Ruth's articles include these same thoughts and present them as business insights to companies, entrepreneurs and the general public. I wanted to ask her some questions of my own so as to gather more insights this time geared towards musicians. Ruth has a Ph.D. in Management and Organizations from the University of Michigan and taught Entrepreneurship to MBAs at the University of Illinois in Chicago. She has written for TheAtlantic.com, Psychology Today and Wired.com.She currently writing a book about the history and production of rock concerts. If you want to learn more about her you can visit: http://www.therockbandproject.com This episode was edited by Andy Warren of http://www.applesandchocolate.com Aaron Bethune Music Specialist. Creative Collaborator. Author. Musicpreneur

Ben's publicist reached out to me a while back when he was in Vancouver with Lionel Ritchie. She connected the two of us which lead to this interview. It was fascinating hearing Ben's story of how he got the gig playing with Lionel Ritchie, Brittany Spears, Christina Aguilera, John Fogerty, Tony Braxton, Don Felder and many more. I will hint that it had something to do with playing all the open mics and jam nights in NYC. Equally as interesting is hearing about how he is pursuing a parallel solo career as an independent artist. We talk about how he got into music, the importance of practicing, having the right support, persistence, playing out, remembering your beginnings, attitude, personality, learning the hits and how it has affected his personal career, as well as life on the road and his new album. This is an interview that a lot of you that are working hard to get the big break you've been waiting for will find inspiring and insightful. This episode was edited by Andy Warren of www.applesandchocolate.com Aaron Bethune. Music Specialist. Creative Collaborator. Author. Musicpreneur.

I recently had a great conversation with David Dufresne, CEO of Bandzoogle, an amazing company that probably a lot of you all ready use to build your websites. Bandzoogle is based in Quebec and have made a major impact on the independent music scene giving tools to musicians to help build their career. In our conversation we discussed ways you can ensure visitors to your website are converting into fans and spending their time and money where you want them to, website dos and don’ts, apps and responsive websites as well as knowing your audience and who consumes your content. With David’s background as a venture capitalist he shares his unique perspective on this new music industry. This episode was edited by Andy Warren of http://www.applesandchocolate.com Take a listen! Aaron Bethune. http://www.aaronbethune.com Music Specialist. Creative Collaborator. Author. Musicpreneur.

It has been quite some time since I last posted an interview. Although the posts have slowed down I have continued interviewing people on a regular basis. Of course this means I have numerous interviews backlogged. In fact so much so that some of the people I have interviewed have moved onto new roles at new companies since the time of the interview. Greg Van Bastelar is somebody I met at Rifflandia in Victoria while participating at a music industry panel. At the time Greg was marketing Director of Deezer Music Canada. After speaking with Greg I was immediately interested in interviewing him for the podcast. He has a lot of experience in the music industry ranging from working for FACTOR (The Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent On Recording) and seeing artists get funded for records to becoming the marketing director for the European streaming service Deezer Music. "Greg Van Bastelaar’s career began in 2001 by studying Recorded Music Production at The Trebas Institute Of Toronto. It was there that he met world-renowned Songwriter/Producer Justin Gray. A relationship was struck and his time at Big Boom Entertainment resulted in a phenomenal experience working directly in the creation of music. 2006 brought an exciting opportunity with Warner Music Canada, working directly under the General Manager of Warner Chappell Music Canada. During this time, Greg's knowledge of the industry grew considerably and a wealth of industry contacts were added to his network. Greg eventually jumped at the chance to work for The Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent On Recordings (FACTOR). This environment plugged him into the main-line of the Canadian music industry, allowing him to further develop key relationships as well as to directly help the industry thrive as a whole." Greg is a big sports fan as well as music fan. I have always been intrigued with the overlap in fan behaviour and their impact on performance in the music and sports world. Speaking with Greg gave me a chance to cover this topic and get his opinion on the subject. Enjoy! Aaron Bethune. Music Specialist. Creative Collaborator. Author. Musicpreneur. http://www.abovethenoise.ca http://www.playitloudmusic.com http://www.musicpreneur.ca http://www.aaronbethune.com

I really enjoyed being interviewed by James Lynch on the Big Value Big Business Podcast. Here is what he had to say: "Aaron Bethune comes to us from Musicpreneur.ca – Where you’ll find his epic marketing book by the same name: Musicpreneur: The Creative Approach to Making Money in Music. While being a musicpreneur as well as an author Aaron is also a speaker, a music educator, and an in-high-demand creative consultant. Aaron’s expertise in branding and marketing goes well beyond the music industry which has allowed him the opportunity to work with many major companies outside of music. You can find his agency at PlayItLoudMusic.com where he offers booking, management and consulting services for musicians, artists and more. Have a listen to my chat with Aaron Bethune" For the original interview please visit: http://bigvaluebigbusiness.com/podcast/aaron-bethune-interview-big-value-big-business-podcast-with-james-lynch/

I enjoyed being a part of Australian musician and marketer Dimitra's "Music As Your Business Summit." This is my portion of the summit, to hear all the experts you can visit: http://musicasyourbusinesssummit.com

A while back I interviewed radio host, author and music marketer David Hooper about his book Six Figure Musician. We did the interview in Nashville about a week prior to the launch. At the time he told me about his plans for the book and how he intended to market it. I thought it would be interesting to follow up with him and find out how his marketing strategies were working and what he had learned about his audience. The book is available for free as well as a number of paid versions too. Would people value them differently? Was there any unexpected insight as to what people would go for? I have noticed that free can often result in less interest due to a lower perceived value of the content, whether it is a free music industry panel, workshop, webinar, concert or album download... What can David tell us about the world of book marketing within the music industry? In our conversation we talk about marketing, getting a #1 on the billboard charts and a best selling book on Amazon. We discuss the global business market and the ability to choose the best partners on a global scale. Although I am not one for talking about hype, on this occasion I ask David his opinion of the media around Miley Syrus from a marketing perspective. As always the conversation takes many twists and at every turn David has some hugely valuable insight to share. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Aaron Bethune. Music Specialist. Creative Collaborator. http://www.playitloudmusic.com http://www.abovethenoise.ca http://www.twitter.com/playitloudmusic For more on David Hooper and his book Six Figure Musician please visit: http://www.musicmarketing.com http://www.musicianbook.com

Today's interview is with Gregg Stewart, a marketing expert with over 13 years of first hand experience in the entertainment industry. As the Associate Director, Music Marketing Strategy & MuchFACT he's the main point of contact for music industry partners at Bell Media Inc. when it comes to music & entertainment. Gregg leads the music team in weekly committee meetings, promo opportunities, communications, production, programming, appearances on all media platforms across their brands. Brands include MuchMusic, MuchMore, MTV, MTV2, MuchLoud, MuchVibe, MuchRetro, Juicebox, The Loop, E!, at broadcast and for all of their digital offerings. Gregg also leads the MuchFACT team which is a funding board that supports Canadian music through content creation for all media platforms. He was instrumental in the launch of MTV in Canada in 2006 and also grew the audiences of the major shows by 40% from year one! He has been involved with MTV events nationally from Wakefest in Kelowna to World Ski and Snowboard Festival in Whistler. This interview covers topics including: How to get into the music industry Building your value Instant gratification and YouTube New music discovery Making the most of music placements Building relationships and following through. SXSW and beyond Factors that count beyond the music Timing How MuchMusic and MTV formulate their own countdown chart and what factors in MuchFact and creative pitching Gregg is a very knowledgable guy and offers some great insight. Get out your pens and paper and take notes! Aaron Bethune. Music Specialist. Creative Collaborator. http://www.playitloudmusic.com http://www.abovethenoise.ca http://www.twitter.com/playitloudmusic To visit Gregg's blog Good Music Is Good Music:http://goodmusicisgoodmusicblog.blogspot.ca

Today's interview is with Jeff Leake, the director of music programming for Sirius XM Canada and host of The Leak In Review. I met Jeff at a music industry panel in Victoria, BC. He's a knowledgable guy, a funny guy and most definitely a very well connected guy! We got together at his hotel to do the interview and drink tea. Rock n' roll. I am always interested to ask questions about what people do but I'm especially interested to find out how they got where they are. The more I have looked at successful careers the more overlaps I have found with the types of events that lead to success. To be more specific, the types of opportunities that have been the stepping stones to success. Finding success in music or business is all about the accumulated experience and knowledge that allows us to recognize and seize the opportunity that ultimately results in what the general public observe to be "overnight success." I was curious as to what those opportunities had been for Jeff. With his experience and first hand stories to tell about artists and their careers I was curious as to what advice he could offer for those looking for a career in music. In our interview we talk about how to get your music on the radio, how to submit it, the importance of having a story, how to incorporate airplay into your overall strategy, the importance of follow up, but more importantly when to approach radio and why. Jeff also talks about networking and being ready and willing to take opportunities when they present themselves no matter how big or small they may seem. Enjoy! Aaron Bethune. Music Specialist. Creative Collaborator. http://www.playitloudmusic.com http://www.abovethenoise.ca http://www.twitter.com/playitloudmusic

Today's interview is with my friend Robbie Grayson from Franklyn Tennessee. Robbie is the CEO of TraitMarker, a way for you to discover the "real you." As it states on the website: "Chances are that your personality lies buried beneath years of expectations and demands that life has heaped upon you. TraitMarker uncovers the genuine you lying beneath it all..." Robbie works with many well known artists, athletes, entrepreneurs, and so on. I'm curious as to if there are any similarities in the traits of those that are most successful. I'm also interested to find out what Robbie told a number of highly successful business people as well as Grammy Award winning artists that he invited to his house, in Franklin TN, to meet me a while back. On very short notice he put together two days of meetings that he hosted at his house, but what was it that he said or did that inspired these people to show up? I have met a lot of people in my life and continue to build my network on a weekly basis. After a while you start to find similarities in people's ways and actions. I have come to recognize the types of people that have a large network of loyal relationships. There is just something about these people that make them connectors. Robbie is one of these people. We talk about trust and honesty and their role in business success and living the life we want. Not only that but how to build and establish trust in order to develop our careers. I hope you enjoy this weeks podcast! Aaron Bethune. Music Specialist. Creative Collaborator. http://www.PlayItLoudMusic.com http://www.AboveTheNoise.ca http://www.twitter.com/playitloudmusic For more information on TraitMarker please visit: http://www.traitmarker.com

I have been speaking to Martin about doing this interview for about a year. Between our schedules it seems to have been almost impossible to line it up. Finally we made it happen and 25 minutes in you'll find out how it ended... Martin is a guy that has "been there, done that..." he has played with everyone from Johnny Rotten in his band Public Image, Ltd to Pig Face, Killing Joke, Nine Inch Nails, Ministry, Flea, Danny Carey from Tool, and many others... He owns a record label and is an in demand speaker at music conferences around the world as well as a professor at Columbia College in Chicago. He is the author of many books including most recently Tour Smart. I was curious to find out what the decisions and opportunities had been along the way that lead Martin from Johnny Rotten to the educator and entrepreneur he is today. For the record he still plays on albums and sits behind the kit for bands. How he has time for everything I don't know but he was up for sharing some of it with me to answer these questions! Enjoy! Aaron Bethune. Music Specialist. Creative Collaborator http://www.playitloudmusic.com http://www.abovethenoise.ca http://www.twitter.com/playitloudmusic For more about Martin, his books ad tour dates please visit: http://www.toursmart.tstouring.com

While meeting with a songplugger friend in Nashville, he asked me if I would interview some clients of his that were in town. The truth be told I was not really interested. I have always tried to keep my personal interviews (unlike when I am being hired...) to be with people that I have actively searched out. This situation was a little different and also a perfect example of how the industry really is based on relationships. I didn't want to offend my friend and I understand in this biz that if you scratch my back I'll scratch yours. So I said "sure." It turns out that The Empty Pockets were a perfect group of musicians to interview. They had made the trip down from Chicago to pursue their dreams in Nashville. I figure that that just about sums up the majority of bands that go to Nashville looking to swim in a bigger pond. Now I had a chance to interview one. The Empty Pockets came across as driven, bursting with energy and rearing to go. But where were they going? What was the plan? What was driving them? What did they expect they would accomplish in Nashville? Was there a strategy? What could other bands learn from them? How were they paying their bills? How did they expect people to take interest in them? How were they securing meetings? What set them apart? What was their "difference"? Why would people care? What would constitute as successful trip? This interview was conducted live at a studio on Music Row in Nashville. While we were conducting the interview a German film crew came in with a German music star wearing a cowboy hat. They asked if the studio would mind them filming an interview with the star at the studio for German TV. The studio leapt and the opportunity to be on German TV and let them in. I thought it interesting that nobody once asked for proof that they were with German TV. I am not suggesting they weren't but I did think, if you are looking for ways to meet people in the industry and get guaranteed one on one time without prior appointment, maybe you should go around with a video camera and say you are from a TV station. Seems like a good way to open some doors... I hope you enjoy this interview with The Empty Pockets as much as I did! Aaron Bethune. Music Specialist. Creative Collaborator. Author. http://www.playitloudmusic.com http://www.abovethenoise.ca http://www.twitter.com/playitloudmusic For more information on The Empty Pockets please visit: http://www.theemptypockets.com

Today’s interview is with Oscar Furtado on the art of radio promotion. Oscar is a renowned Canadian radio promoter who has worked with the likes of Sarah McLachlan, Tiesto, Swollen Members, Classified, and Marcy’s Playground to Jets Over Head, Madeleine Peyroux, Robbie Robertson and Jordan Knight. He focuses on commercial radio in Canada and knows exactly what it takes to break on radio. Radio is not only part of the “rockstar dream” but it is a crucial aspect to a “rockstar career.” When I first met Oscar a few years back, I remember him telling me that he recommended artists do some of the groundwork themselves before hiring a radio tracker. But how do you get started? Where do you begin? I asked Oscar some straight up questions to help understand not only the process but how exactly you can get your music on the radio. What format do stations want your music in and how do you deliver it to them? Who do you call at the station? What do you say on the phone? How do you find out if your track gets added to rotation? How do the charts work and how can you chart? Should you focus on certain stations? Is it better to start locally or go nationally? What are the best ways to build relationships at radio? Who makes the decisions? Is there a better day of the week to phone? Why do some songs get picked and others don’t…? These are a few of the many questions Oscar tackled. There is a lot here and you might want to take some notes. Oscar’s answers will give you more than enough information to start laying the ground work and beyond! Enjoy! Aaron Bethune. Music Specialist. Creative Collaborator. http://www.playitloudmusic.com http://www.abovethenoise.ca http://www.twitter.com/playitloudmusic For more information on Oscar and his company Tandemtracks Promotions please visit his website here: http://www.tandemtracks.com

This week's interview is with Bill Caywood. Bill is a graphic designer and branding expert, he is the CEO of Brett Manning's Singing Success, the Creative Director of TraitMarker, founder of NashvilleParties.com, co-founder of Festivalus and the co-founder of Caspian Productions. His clients range from Faith Hill and Jimmy Eat World to Interscope Records, EMI and Warner Brothers. This is another of the interviews I conducted while in Tennessee set up through our mutual friend Robbie Grayson. I soon learned after meeting Robbie that if he said I should meet somebody I was going to be grateful of the connection. He knows some amazing people and they all listened when he said he wanted to connect them with the new guy in town! There is something about Robbie that makes him a connector and person that people gravitate to. You can expect an interview with him in the future! I had just interviewed Brett Manning when Robbie and Brett told me I should meet Bill, the mastermind behind the marketing of Singing Success. I am always interested to find out people's approach and what's behind successful marketing campaigns. After researching more on Bill I realized that Singing Success was just one of many successful projects that he was a part of. As a student of the school of life, and without formal higher education, I wanted to find out how Bill had gone from high school to working with some of the biggest names in the industry. In our interview we discuss a topic that many artists have difficulties with, how to charge for your art and value yourself. How do you put a price tag to something that is not always tangible, something that is an "experience"? We talk about the importance of taking risks and how to quantify success. Bill discusses in depth the Brett Manning brand and the natural and organic evolution of branding. I particularly enjoyed this interview because Bill goes into detail on his approach, he is authentic and a bright guy to say the least! I truly believe that the content of his answers can shed insight to your own marketing and branding. Aaron Bethune. Music Specialist. Creative Collaborator. http://www.playitloudmusic.com http://www.abovethenoise.ca http://www.twitter.com/playitloudmusic For more information on Bill please visit: http://www.billcaywood.com http://www.caspianproductions.com http://www.festivalus.com http://www.nashvilleparties.com http://www.traitmarker.com

By now you have realized my interviews are not always with music industry folk but that they are with people that can give insight to building a career within the music industry. I believe that finding answers that can help build a lasting career in the music industry are quite often easier to find outside of the industry. The truth is artists are entrepreneurs and a lot can be learned from other successful entrepreneurs. Today's interview is with Rick Wells. Rick is a very successful entrepreneur, and now he is a successful actor. The interesting thing is that once he decided to become an actor he, almost overnight, was able to find acting work as well as an agent to represent him... Considering how many people spend years to get those opportunities, I was interested to understand more about Rick and how his past experiences have led him to where he is today. After getting to know more about Rick it became apparent that he has experienced a high level of success both financially and personally. The curious part was realizing what a wide variety of careers he had chosen and how at first they all seemed so wildly different. In fact there seemed to be almost no common thread between them. However, at a closer glance I realized that the common thread in fact was Rick's approach, his ability to put himself out of his comfort zone and find ways to excel. He really summed it up when he told me that the reason he chooses to act is because he wants to feel uncomfortable. Rick shows once again that no amount of success can be achieved without a challenge and going beyond your comfort zone. After interviewing many successful artists, entrepreneurs, authors, etc... after a while a number of similarities start to appear, from their personality traits to the environment around them. Alhough one of those traits is the ability to put yourself out of your comfort zone, the real question is what have been the experiences that build people up to not only recognize opportunities but to also risk taking them. What in Rick's past experiences and development have allowed him to consciously choose to put himself in a place of vulnerability along way from his comfort zone? Not only once but many times over and excel? Rick was adopted three days after birth and found out a lot later in life. He learned to make his living from commission (as he puts it, "eat what you kill"), he has an ability to build relationships that he can leverage in business, he understands that trust is a key part of business no matter what line of work you get into, he has 9 children, he has moved around with his work and currently resides near Nashville, he is a handsome 6,2 American looking man, he thinks carefully before he answers my questions... These are by no means the key elements that make up Rick but they certainly stood out to me... Listen to this interview and see what you can find. I believe that a lot can be learned from other people's experiences and Rick certainly has had many! Aaron Bethune. Music Specialist. Creative Collaborator. http://www.playitloudmusic.com http://www.abovethenoise.ca http://twitter.com/playitloudmusic For more information on Rick please visit: http://about.me/rwells36

Today's interview is with Lee Parsons co-founder of Ditto Music. Ditto Music is a digital music distribution company with offices in Liverpool and Nashville. As CEO of Ditto Music Lee Parsons overseas distribution and marketing campaigns for over 20,000 worldwide artists including Suzi Quatro, Finch, Lil Wayne, Prince, Sir Paul McCartney and Kid British. Starting from their bedrooms in 2007 Lee and His brother Matt launched the first ever unsigned artist into the UK Top 40 singles chart which got them into the Guinness Book Of World Records. Ditto Music have now had 11 UK top 40 singles, all with unsigned artists. Ditto have since been hailed by The Guardian and The Independent as a serious threat to the domination of major labels and launched their own TV show on Sky. Lee spends his time in between Ditto’s US and UK offices overseeing projects, speaking at events and opening new doors for independent artists. The interview was conducted at the Ditto US office on Music Row in Nashville Tennessee. We had been talking for some time however I met Lee a couple days before at a music industry gathering for drinks and appetizers. When Lee walked in everybody stopped what they were doing to greet him, he's just a magnetic type of guy, you can tell when he enters the room. Just an observation. I like to pay attention to people's personalities, mannerisms, and facial expressions when I meet in person. In my quest to find out what it takes to rise "Above The Noise" everything needs to be taken into account! I hope you all enjoy our conversation as much as I did. Lee shares a ton of insight on how he built his career and of course there is always a lot to learn from the experiences of others! If you are releasing your album and are looking for distribution, Ditto Music come with my highest recommendation! Aaron Bethune. Music Specialist. Creative Collaborator. http://www.playitloudmusic.com http://www.abovethenoise.ca http://@playitloudmusic To learn more about Lee and his company Ditto Music please check out: http://www.dittomusic.com http://www.twitter.com/CEOleeparsons

Today's Interview is with vocal coach extraordinaire, Brett Manning. Brett has worked with many well known artists including Taylor Swift, Hayley Williams, Keith Urban, Wes Hampton and has also coached several Grammy and CMA Award winners, as well as recent Broadway casts of Les Miserables, Jekyll & Hyde and Elton John's Aida. Brett is the author of the "Singing Success" a "learn at home" vocal training program. Manning currently runs a vocal studio on Music Row in Nashville TN "Brett Manning Studios" where he teaches along with his associate teachers Shelby Rollins, Jeff Mathena and Jason Catron. Brett teaches his vocal techniques through seminars and workshops around the world. In 2008 Manning was featured as a vocal coach and judge on CMT's television talent search, Can You Duet. The interview was conducted at Robbie's house, a mutual friend in Franklin. Robbie was somebody I chance met a month or so ago on my way out of a coffee shop where I was meeting with Tom Jackson. I kept up the communication and headed back to Tennessee to strengthen the connection. It was Robbie that set up the meeting with Brett. Lately the interviews have been really leading themselves to the next person and I have been happy to follow where they lead me! I hope you enjoy this one and the insights that Brett has to share. Aaron Bethune. Music Specialist. Creative Collaborator. http://www.playitloudmusic.com http://www.abovethenoise.ca http://www.twitter.com/playitloudmusic For more information on Brett and Singing Success please visit his websites: http://www.singingsuccess.com http://www.brettmanningstudios.com

Today it is my pleasure to be talking with branding expert and authority, Karen Kang. Karen Kang is a recognized brand strategist and the CEO and founder of BrandingPays LLC, a corporate and personal branding company (www.brandingpays.com). She is the author of BrandingPays: The Five-Step System to Reinvent Your Personal Brand. She has trained thousands of professionals on the unique BrandingPays™ System for personal branding. She was a principal and partner with Regis McKenna Inc., the legendary marketing firm that created and launched the Apple brand. She’s consulted to more than 150 organizations in the US, Europe and Asia from Fortune 100 companies to non-profits and startups. Her broad experience has included such diverse clients as Ariba, AT&T, Genentech, HP, iCharts, Lavante, Synopsys, Maxtor, NCR, Park Systems, SigmaQuest (Camstar), UC Davis Health System, Webroot and VoyagePrive. Karen’s marketing and communications background gives her a 360-degree view of branding. A former newspaper journalist on both the East and West Coasts, she has held executive positions in marketing consulting, advertising and public relations firms. Karen is a frequent speaker at leading business schools and professional organizations. She has served on the boards of The Friends of the Palo Alto Library and the Women’s Technology Cluster (Astia). She has also donated her time to such worthy non-profit organizations as Girls for a Change, CORO, Asian Business League of San Francisco and Ascend. She is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Mills College, where she holds her B.A. degree in English, and has earned her M.S. degree in Journalism from Boston University. In our conversation we discuss personal branding, Karen's five steps to brand positioning, qualities of a good brand, qualities of a bad brand, brand positioning, selling experiences, bad behaviour equals a bad brand, branding from the inside out, shifting the mind set from me to we, and a whole lot more! Aaron Bethune. Music Specialist. Creative Collaborator. http://www.playitloudmusic.com http://www.abovethenoise.ca http://www.twitter.com/playitloudmusic For more information on Karen please visit: http://www.brandingpays.com http://www.twitter.com/karenkang To purchase Karen's Book: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0988437503/ref=cm_sw_su_dp

Today's interview is with digital music and media strategist, music technology educator, singer/songwriter, Nashvillian, and bioinformacist, Charles Alexander. Charles is also founder of Outside The Box Music, a digital media development, strategy and artist services company. Charles helps artists, musicians and songwriters create and extend their online presence. He implements strategies and runs campaigns to increase fan acquisition, engagement and create brand awareness. The intent of these efforts are to acquire and nurture a fan base that would help artists build and maintain sustainable careers. He has been quoted in The Washington Post and The Tennessean and featured on the front page of the international music technology blog, HypeBot.Com. He has spoken at events held by ASCAP, Americana Music Association, The Folk Alliance International, NSAI and has contributed to the national discussion on SOPA, the online piracy bill. Charles performs at venues like The Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, Tennessee on a regular basis. He speaks at national and regional indie and digital music events and is an ardent advocate for independent music. Today we go in depth on how to use analytics to build an online strategy, get your pen and paper ready! Aaron Bethune. Music Specialist. Creative Collaborator. http://www.playitloudmusic.com http://www.abovethenoise.ca http://www.twitter.com/playitloudmusic For more information on Charles you can visit his websites here: http://www.outsidetheboxmusic.com http://www.charlesalexander.com http://www.twitter.com/musiccharles

Today's music industry podcast is with the world's number one live music producer, Tom Jackson. While I was down visiting Nashville recently I met up with Tom in a coffee shop in Franklin, TN. I was really excited to get together with Tom because I am a huge fan of his work and his live music method. There are so many people that are experts in the marketing of music, the branding, the licensing, etc... but there is only one person that is recognized in the world of live performance producing and that is Tom Jackson. All roads lead to the stage is something Tom says and it is so true. At the end of the day it doesn't matter what else you do, no matter how well you do your business, how great of an album you record, how good you look, etc... If your live show isn't amazing you will never be a career artist. Whether you have one song to perform for an audition or a late night tv show, a world tour or an opening slot at Madison Square Gardens, Tom teaches musicians to create unforgettable moments. These moments result in more merch sales, more fans, endorsements, and a lasting career! Tom is author of the bookTom Jackson’s Live Music Method and the All Roads Lead to the Stage DVD series, is a master at transforming an artist’s live show into a magical experience for the audience! He has worked with hundreds of artists in nearly every genre, including major artists like Taylor Swift, The Band Perry, Jars of Clay, and others, along with countless indie artists and bands, giving them a foundation and direction to define their unique voice and style to showcase their talent. As a highly demanded speaker, Tom shares his expertise at music conferences and events around the world – from North America to Europe to Down Under – impacting tens of thousands of artists every year. Tom has been guest speaker and on panels at New Music Seminar, Canadian Music Week, Hillsong-Australia, CMJ, and more, as well as major music schools such as Berklee, University of Miami, and Anderson University. Here’s what music industry professionals say about Tom: “Tom makes a major impact…he’s a a true creative partner who helps realize the artist’s full performance potential.” Matt Serletic, Producer (Santana, Celine Dion, Aerosmith, Matchbox Twenty, Rob Thomas) “You are only hurting your music career if you are not listening to what Tom Jackson has to say about your onstage performance. If you are a singer, performing artist or in a band performing live and can only do one thing to further your career, take my advice, listen to Tom!” Derrick Ross, Slaight Music (formerly with Feldman & Associates – Avril Lavigne, Diana Krall, Barenaked Ladies) In our interview we discuss: Becoming a live music producer Increasing merch sales through live music experience Creating difference through performance Developing authenticity in onstage performance Are you married to your audience or are you dating your audience? Hi Tech and Hi Touch Keeping the fans and building your audience The Middle Class Musician Revenue Streams Sponsorships Selling from the stage Characteristics of successful artists Being ready Being present in the moment The three reasons people go to a show Maintaining success Do you move to where the action is? The live music method Aaron Bethune. Music Specialist. Creative Collaborator. http://www.playitloudmusic.com http://www.abovethenoise.ca http://www.twitter.com/playitloudmusic For more information on Tom and to purchase his book and DVD's please visit: Tom Jackson Productions http://tomjacksonproductions.com Onstage Success http://www.onstagesuccess.com

Today I am talking with graphic designer, photographer and branding expert, Josh Nychcuk. He designed the "Above The Noise" logo and is my go to guy when it comes to design for the projects I work on. I thought Josh would be the perfect person to ask some questions regarding building a brand identity. I wanted to get some "nuts and bolts" answers that could be directly applicable to developing your brand's visual identity. When asked to described what he does and why, Josh says this: I work in the field of visual communication as a graphic designer and photographer. I firmly believe in the potential of design—it's ability to create a better and more meaningful world. To me good design is a delicate balance between research, rational thinking, and intuition. When these 3 acts are in harmony, design has the ability to create positive lasting change. Design is a tremendous tool for improving and simplifying education and learning; creating experiences that are more delightful, functional and meaningful; developing businesses, organizations and initiatives that will have sustainable long-term growth, and a positive effect on the community and environment. Josh shares a ton of hands on advice in this interview that will be invaluable to building your brand's visual identity. In our conversation we discuss: Typography, Colours, Emotion, Imagery, Consistency, Contrast, values Aaron Bethune. Music Specialist. Creative Consultant. http://www.playitloudmusic.com http://www.abovethenoise.ca http://www.twitter.com/playitloudmusic For more information on Josh please visit: http://www.nychukdesign.com http://www.lookglassblog.com http://www.joshnychuk.tumblr.com

Today it is my pleasure to be talking with established social media marketing authority and New York Bestselling Author, Chris Brogan! I have been really interested in interviewing people that are not directly related to the music industry, but that can share a ton of insight as to how what they do can benefit the careers of musicians. It is always interesting to get a different angle on this industry! A musician in his free time, chris has surprisingly good knowledge of the current music industry and has a ton of great comparisons and examples to share. Chris is a New York Times Bestselling author of books like The Impact Equation and Trust Agents (cowritten with Julien Smith), Social Media 101, and Google Plus for Business. He has appeared in several magazine and news articles from Forbes, The Boston Globe, Success, USA Today, and has appeared on TV shows like The Dr Phil Show. (Oddly, in conversations with people who aren’t into the online world, people are always more impressed with the Dr. Phil appearance than the New York Times bestseller thing.) Chris is also the cofounder of the PodCamp new media conference series, exploring the use of new media community tools to extend and build value. He has 12 years of experience in online networks, social communities, and other elements of digital business. He has 16 years of enterprise telecommunications and wireless experience prior to all this. Aaron Bethune. Music Specialist. Creative Consultant. http://www.playitloudmusic.com & http://www.abovethenoise.ca Today's interview covers: Don't just be interesting, connect Build Relationships Deadmau5 Clictivisim Vs. Activism Record Labels that buy "Likes" Giving before you ask 90% for free Finding out who your audience is Fans are a community Selling the experience Hanging out with NIN drummer Adele at The Royal Albert Hall Bravery Ingredients to Success Overnight Success Creating offline viral sensations Storytelling Being Passionate Cutting through the noise Getting a "real job" 1000 True fans vs. the 150 Rule (Robin Dunbar number) For more information on Chris Brogan please visit: Chris Brogan Blog: http://www.chrisbrogan.com Chris Brogan's Weekly Newsletter: http://hbway.com/nl or http://www.humanbusinessworks.com/newsletter Human Business Works: http://humanbusinessworks.com About Human Business Works: http://www.humanbusinessworks.com/about Human Business Works Courses: http://www.humanbusinessworks.com/courses The Human Business Way Radio Show (Podcast): http://www.humanbusinessworks.com/radioshow Other DIrect Links: iTunes: http://hbway.com/itunes Stitcher: http://hbway.com/stitcher Blackberry: http://hbway.com/blackberry RSS via a podcatcher of your choice: http://hbway.libsyn.com/rss

Today's interview is with music marketing expert, author and host of Music Business Radio, David Hooper. I've always enjoyed listening to David's interviews, so when planning my trip down to Nashville recently I reached out to him on Twitter. I asked if he was up for being on the other side of the mic and answering some of my nosy questions. I was especially interested in interviewing David as he has interviewed many movers and shakers as well as artists in the industry, so I knew he was bound to have a ton of insight to share! David helps upcoming artists and songwriters to make more money in the music business. Since 1995, it’s what he's done on a daily basis. Last week David published his latest book "6 Figure Musician - How to Sell More Music, Get More People to Your Shows, and Make More Money in the Music Business. This music marketing book comes with the guarantee that if you follow his recommendations you will make $100,000 or more. It is packed with a ton of great information and best of all it is absolutely free! As you can imagine I was very curious to ask David some of his marketing secrets! We recorded the interview in the lobby of the hotel, amongst bustling musicians and other guests, so expect some interesting background noises! Among other topics we discuss how to make $100k in the new music industry, what we can learn from spam e-mails, techniques to building a mailing list, engaging fans, touring, traits of success, and much more! Aaron Bethune. Music Consultant. Creative Collaborator. http://www.playitloudmusic.com & http://www.abovethenoise.ca For more information on David Hooper please visit: For a free download of his new book 6 Figure Musician : http://www.musicianbook.com For up to date music marketing advice: http://www.musicmarketing.com For Music Business Radio: http://www.blog.musicbusinessradio.com To Follow David on Twitter: https://twitter.com/davidhooper

Today it is my pleasure to be speaking with a true Jazz legend, trumpet player, composer and record label owner, Dave Douglas. This is an occasions where I am getting to interview somebody I studied when I was in music school, somebody who in his field is a total celebrity. I was very humbled yet excited when Dave said he would like to be on the podcast. From the perspective of the business side of music I am curious to find out some of the differences between the jazz world and the commercial world. How artists are heard above the noise in a genre that requires being a master of your instrument, and the focus is entirely on the music. Dave and I talk about improvisation, music education, the perspective of time, collaborations, getting in the zone, what is success, his latest work, what’s to come in 2013, and much more. This is also the first podcast to feature a track, so be sure to check out “Be Still My Soul” off the “Be Still” album. DAVE DOUGLAS is a prolific trumpeter, composer and educator from New York City. His unique contributions to improvised music have garnered distinguished recognition some of which includes a Guggenheim Fellowship, Aaron Copland award and Grammy-nominations. Douglas has developed his work for several unique ensembles with whom he’s currently active including his quintet, electric sextet Keystone, Brass Ecstasy, Sound Prints Quintet, co-led with Joe Lovano. His new Quintet released their debut recording, Be Still, in September 2012 with singer Aoife O’Donovan, the first time Douglas has featured a vocalist on a recording. Since 2005, Douglas has operated his own record label, Greenleaf Music, releasing his own recordings, albums by other artists in the jazz idiom, and continues to prove himself as a forward-thinking leader in the realm of digital music distribution. He served as artistic director of the Workshop in Jazz and Creative Music at The Banff Centre in Canada 2002 through 2012 and is co-founder and director of the Festival of New Trumpet Music, which celebrates its tenth anniversary in 2013. Aaron Bethune. Music Specialist. Creative Collaborator. http://www. playitloudmusic.com & http://www.abovethenoise.ca & http://twitter.com/playitloudmusic For more information and music releases by Dave Douglas and Greenleaf Music please visit: http://www.davedouglas.com http://www.greenleafmusic.com http://www.twitter.com/dave_douglas

Today I have Ariel Hyatt on the show and we are covering everything from social media and crowd funding, to what it takes to rise above the noise in today's new music industry. I always enjoy speaking with Ariel as she is a wealth of knowledge and is always happy to share her insights! I find it especially cool that Ariel is currently carrying out her own crowdfunding campaign and by doing so is practicing what she preaches! For more information visit the site: http://bit.ly/ArielRockethub Ariel is a thought leader in the digital PR world: the founder of a successful PR firm; international speaker & educator and the author of two books on social media and marketing for artists. Ariel’s Cyber PR® process marks the intersection of social media with engaged behavior, PR, and online Marketing. Ariel made it her mission to educate artists on how to take advantage of the new digital world. Her efforts have been lauded by artists and industry professionals alike. Ariel’s bi-weekly newsletter and YouTube series ” Sound Advice” has attracted over 20,000 subscribers, and she has penned over 100 articles to date. Ariel is also the author of two successful books on PR and new media:Music Success in Nine Weeks and Musician’s Roadmap to Facebook & Twitter offer artists a step-by-step plan to create a profitable and sustainable business from their art. Ariel’s message is so compelling she has been invited to speak at festivals and conferences in twelve countries, including SXSW, CMJ, ASCAP’s I Create Music, The Future of Music, Canadian Music Week, APRA’s Song Summit (Sydney), You Are In Control (Reykjavik), The ECMAs, NARAS, Grammy Camp, and The Taxi Road Rally. In the Fall of 2011, Middle Tennessee State University began offing an official Cyber PR® Class based on principals used in Ariel’s day-to-day business. She and her staff led students in a rigorous Cyber PR® accreditation process that included hands on experience working on active Cyber PR® Campaigns. The course was so popular that 2 section and an advanced Cyber PR® class has now been added. Having pivoted her business once successfully, Ariel is now exploring the universal applications of her Cyber PR® philosophy and platform, to public relations campaigns at large. This is why Ariel Publicity has represented over 1,700 clients in the seventeen years since its inception: knowledge, passion, talent, innovation, and the sort of luck born of hard work. These qualities are embodied in Ariel Hyatt. Ariel proudly serves on the boards of Sweet Relief Musicians Fund, SoundCtrl, and The New Music Seminar. She is an obsessive world traveler, a total foodie, and a vintage lunchbox collector. I hope you enjoy today's interview! Aaron Bethune. Music Specialist. Creative Collaborator. http://www.playitloudmusic.com & http://www.abovethenoise.ca

Happy New Year! I know 2013 is going to be a great year and I look forward to the possibilities it brings us all! I was going to post this particular podcast last week however, I realized that posting an interview on Christmas Day might be overstepping what should be time spent with my family... so here it is today! Today I have Martin F. Frascogna on the show, he is an attorney who specializes in international entertainment law. He has worked with international musicians, Grammy winners, labels and tours, currently representing clientele in 23 countries spanning 6 continents. Frascogna also works directly with indie artists at various levels in their career in order to help them efficiently progress using new age approaches and a global mindset. A constant blogger who boldly leaks information typically withheld from artist by labels, attorneys, manager and agents, Frascogna is also published by the American Bar Associations (ABA), the leading authority used by lawyers and universities. Frascogna acted as a contributing author to Entertainment Law for the General Practitioner addressing new global issues. The contribution made Frascogna one of the youngest attorneys published by the ABA on entertainment law. He also authored an e-book series to assist indie artists with hopes of expanding into international markets (How To Market & Promote Music in SWEDEN – How To Market & Promote Music in ITALY). Frascogna is also a contributor, both as a blogger and speaker to MIDEM, the world’s largest music conference held annually in Cannes France. Marty has a lot of stories to tell and advice to give so be sure to check this one out!

Today I am speaking once again with Marty Neumeier. The last time we spoke it was on the topic of branding, a topic on which Marty is an internationally renown authority. He has written many books including Zag which was named one of the "top hundred business books of all time" for its insights into radical differentiation; and The Brand Gap, considered by many the foundational text for modern brand building. It fascinates me how often musicians are told to find a real job and that they will never be successful in terms of a career at their art. However, it seems that "real jobs" are less and less of a "real option" in today's economy as technology is taking over in what Marty is calling "the robotic age." We are certainly in the midst of of a shift into a new paradigm,and to find success in this new age we need to apply a different set of skills, Metaskills. And these skills are exactly what Marty's book is all about! Today's wide spread unemployment is not a jobs crisis, it's a talent crisis. Technology is taking every job that doesn't require a high level of creativity, humanity or leadership. These traits should be familiar to any successful artist as they are a big part of building a career in the new music industry. In today's interview we are going to talk about how these skills described in Marty's book can be applied to the careers of musicians and artists and we will be discussing the metaskills feeling, seeing, dreaming, making and learning. I love Marty's books and getting to talk to him once again is fascinating as well as enlightening. I know you will appreciate the insights that Marty shares! Aaron Bethune. Music Consultant. Creative Collaborator. For more information on Marty and his new book please visit: http://www.metaskillsbook.com

Today's podcast is with Mark Tavern, an A&R administrator, mentor, speaker, blogger, and creator of strategies for the new music industry among other things. Mark has made a career out of helping musicians execute their creative vision. His industry experience spans more than 18 years, with positions at record labels and at performing arts organizations. Whether the music is hip-hop, rock, pop, jazz or classical, he's leveraged his education, creative sensibility, management skills, operations expertise, administrative experience and industry contacts to deliver artistic and commercial success. Mark has worked on a wide range of projects including Justin Bieber, The Roots, Mariah Carey, India.Arie, Whitney Houston, The Killers, Adam Lambert, Kelly Clarkson, Angie Stone, Maroon 5, Carrie Underwood, The Chieftains, Etta James, Jim Brickman, Andy Summers, Dave Douglas, Eliane Elias, Tom Harrell, Fourplay, Dominique Eade, Denyce Graves, Leontyne Price, a dozen Broadway cast albums including Urinetown, Avenue Q, Cabaret and Ragtime, and more than 15 opera productions at companies such as the Glimmerglass Festival, Glyndebourne (UK) and New York City Opera. In today's conversation we are going to be talking about the realities of the new music industry, finding the right studios and the right producers, artist development, the new rockstar dream, the value of music and "free" music, traits of successful artists, editing out the soul of a song, and whole lot more! I really enjoyed today's interview and I am sure you will too! It contains lots of insight for a career in today's new music industry. Aaron Bethune. Music Specialist. Creative Collaborator. http://www.playitloudmusic.com & http://www.abovethenoise.ca For More Information on Mark please visit his website: http://www.marktavern.com For a list of projects Mark has worked on please visit: http://www.artistdirect.com/artist/mark-tavern/2616237

Today's podcast is with David Das, a sonic architect with a wide-ranging and unique background. He is an active composer, producer, and songwriter based in Los Angeles. His experience covers the range from films, TV shows, commercials, and other media work, over to pop/rock/jazz music production, choral and orchestral writing and arranging, and more. His clients include 20th Century Fox, Coca Cola, Delta Airlines, and Disney, and numerous pop, rock, R&B, soul, and jazz artists. With a background in pop and jazz but thoroughly schooled in the classical tradition, David has lived and studied all over the world, including the U.S., England, Italy, and Singapore. He earned his degree in classical piano and conducting from the University of North Texas, and during that time was a member of the award-winning Jazz Singers. Later seasons in both Nashville and in his current home of Los Angeles brought opportunities to tour as a keyboard player, arranger, and musical director for such diverse artists as Grammy-winning singer Rebecca St. James, American Idol superstar Katharine McPhee, Ginny Owens, Margaret Becker, Bryan Duncan, Ryan Farish, and many others. Nowadays his production work ranges from film scores and orchestral/choral writing over to pop, rock, R&B, soul, and jazz production. His music has appeared in numerous TV shows and films, including American Idol, America’s Got Talent, The Sing-Off, and his arrangements have been published by Hal Leonard. He also does a considerable amount of sound design work for companies such as Big Fish Audio, Native Instruments, and MOTU. My conversation with David discusses how he finds work as a composer, how he interprets music requests from music supervisors, writing songs that stick, social media, the power of word of mouth, and whole lot more! I think this one is going to really appeal to all of you musicians that are interested in writing music for film and TV. Aaron Bethune. Music Specialist. Creative Collaborator. http://www.playitloudmusic.com & http://www.abovethenoise.ca For more information and to listen to David's music please visit his website: http://www.daviddas.com

Above The Noise Music Industry Podcast with Steve Rennie, Manager of Incubus Steve Rennie was a record executive and artist manager for more than a decade before he decided enough was enough. He wouldn’t take on clients– no new bands. That was before he found Incubus. Several years and millions of albums later, Rennie manages just one band, Incubus. Despite the band’s success Incubus now faces the same challenges as any other trying to find an audience. The playing field has never been more level. Bands, labels, managers, agents, publicists; everyone is forced to rethink the game. This is where Rennie’s gregarious nature comes in. Rennie is arguably one of the most forward-thinking managers in the business. He understands which old school promotions methods still work and which don’t. He has opinions on which digital strategies produce measurable results and which are wastes of time and money. And he wants to share this knowledge with you free of charge with no strings attached. Steve Rennie pulls no punches. No topic is off-limits, ever. With the kick-off of his web series and community-driven website, Rennie aims to be the Dr. Phil of the music business. His series is designed to help musicians and industry hopefuls get their heads in the right place to do something great in the music business. He intends to answer every question with no sugar-coating, as “Renman” says, “absolutely no bullsh*t.” Read more: http://bit.ly/Q6F3Rc Today I am talking to Steve Rennie about how artists rise above the noise. For someone who has been there and done that in every area of the music industry and has been part of the old model and the new, Renman has a lot of insight to share! We discuss: How he got started, having a goal, dream it do it, networking, characteristics of artists that rise above the noise, success and the middle class musician. The knowledge that Steve shares in this interview as well as all you can find on his website is priceless! Aaron Bethune. Music Consultant. Creative Collaborator. For more from Steve Rennie on the music business including a ton of videos please visit his website: http://www.renmanmb.com

Today I'm talking with the head of music supervision at Elias arts and Saturday night host on KCRW, Jason Kramer. Elias arts is a prestigious music production company based in Santa Monica and New York. Elias Arts specializes in original music composition, sound design, music supervision, and audio branding for television, film, and commercials, and has won countless awards for over the years. Jason’s extensive knowledge of music coupled with a great intuition makes him an integral part of the Elias Team. His job is to help find the perfect music solution for every project. Jason has also been a part of the KCRW 89.9 FM family for the last 14 years and still hosts the widely popular show on Saturday Evenings from 10-12. He is immersed in all the new music before it hits the airwaves. Jason also has been heavily involved in virtually every aspect of music for decades, from working with bands like Skunk Records/ Sublime, to music supervision, radio producing for FOX, publishing, music photography and commercial and television production. We talk about how environment, relationships, knowledge, passion, and persistence play a part in being heard above the noise! We also talk about how you can get your music licensed. Aaron Bethune. Music Specialist. Creative Collaborator. http:www.playitloudmusic.com & http:www.abovethenoise.ca For more information you can check out: KCRW: http://www.kcrw.com/people/kramer_jason?role=host Elias Arts: http://eliasarts.com/elias-arts-hires-new-head-of-music-supervision-jason-kramer/ Follow Jason on Twitter: @kcrwkramer

It has been a few weeks since my last podcast and I have certainly missed it! I love these interviews and get the feeling so do all of you! I have moved down to the Southern States with my family and set up a new office in Georgia. Although I would be the first to rave about Canada I certainly can't say I am missing the weather. November in Georgia, wearing shorts and t-shirts, beats wearing rain gear on Vancouver Island! Today I am interviewing Brian Thompson of Thornybleeder. Brian is a well known social media and music marketing expert. Today however I am asking Brian questions regarding what it has taken for him to rise above the noise. Over the last few years Brian has carved his niche in the current music industry. After having been head buyer for a popular Canadian music retail chain, he has now become an advocate of the freemium music model. His Twitter bio reads: "creative coach. music marketer. podcaster. blogger. guy behind The DIY Daily Newsletter & Podcast" and for those of you who don't know, Brian puts out a podcast every day! Wow! Brian and I go deep on what it takes to find personal success and rise above the noise. A couple of years ago I interviewed Brian with a focus on Social media and can say that it is still extremely relevant. If you would like to read it you ca do so here: http://playitloudmusic.wordpress.com/2011/03/29/interview-with-artist-manager-speaker-consultant-factor-accredited-juror-and-managing-partner-at-thorny-bleeder-records-brian-thompson/

Today I am talking with Nashville based music and technology entrepreneur Mark Montgomery. Mark is a pioneer in the e-commerce and business to consumer marketing space. Over the past 15 years, he has worked with hundreds of entertainment and corporate clients, including names like Sony, Kanye West, Keith Urban, RIM/Blackberry, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Bon Jovi, Pearl Jam, Best Buy, Gnarls Barkley, Rascal Flatts, and General Motors to name a few. Mark has been working in the web space since the early 90′s, launching his first B2C ecommerce play in early 1996. In 1999, he co-founded echo, a company focused on building communities around entertainment brands. He was the co-creator of the patented platform echotools™, a direct to consumer delivery and data management system which ultimately grew to serve millions of users and distribute hundreds of millions of pages, data feeds, and e-commerce transactions. In 2007, the company was acquired by Barry Diller’s IAC/Ticketmaster for eight figures. A winner of multiple “Best in Business” awards, as well as “Entrepreneur of the Year” in 2007, Mark is a frequent keynote speaker and panelist in the US and Europe for corporate functions as well as conferences on a variety of topics. He recently founded FLO {a thinkery}, and maintains his role as the Entrepreneur in Residence for Claritas Capital, headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. Along with his EIR role, he holds several board seats in the profit and not for profit companies. In addition, he maintains a small list of consulting clients focused on overall strategy, business development, branding, and technology initiatives. For more information than you’d probably ever want to know (including facts about the hair metal era) check wikipedia.

Today I am talking with Doug Grean. Doug is a producer, engineer, performer, songwriter, studio owner and all around talented guy to say the least! His career is one that many wish for. In 1995 he met Scott Weiland and the two became friends. In 1998 he partnered with Scott to form Lavish studios (Burbank Ca) At the same time the two began collaborating and writing together. One of the first songs they wrote together "Big Black Monster" is featured on the newest Weiland solo record "Happy in Galoshes" it is one of 16 songs Grean co-wrote on the record as well as co-producing, engineering, mixing and playing guitar, bass, lap steel, banjo and keyboards. Grean also plays in Weiland's solo band and acts as his musical director. In 2005 Doug Grean appeared on the 47 th annual Gammy awards with Velvet Revolver as keyboardist performing with an allstar cast including Stevie Wonder, Norah Jones, Bono, Steven Tyler, Brian Wilson and Allison Kraus . Doug Grean has worked or performed with many talented artist including. Sheryl Crow, Riki Lee Jones, Glen Campbell, Stone Temple Pilots, Scott Weiland, Slash, Velvet Revolver, Tim Mcgraw, Cindi Lauper, Annabella Lwin (Bow Wow Wow), Corey Glover (Living Color), The Crystal Method, Camp Freddy, DJ Hurricane and John Taylor (Duran Duran). Between his own career and those of the people he has surrounded himself with, I want to find out what he feels the key to success has been and how to be heard above the noise! You can visit Doug's site here: http://www.douglasgrean.com

This week I'm talking with music supervisor, sonic brander and creative consultant, David Hayman. Since 2005, David Hayman has led a strong team of music supers at Toronto’s Vapor Music but has now left to start up his own shop SUPERSONIC CREATIVE + CONSULTING who’s clients include Coca-Cola, McDonalds, Hershey’s, Buick and other top brands, and networks like ABC, NBC, CTV and Global television. David has had great success working with some of the worlds most impressive brands, including Coca-Cola, Nike, Ford, Budweiser, Right To Play, P&G, and every mobile company to name a few. David was an integral part of the team that created the phenomenon that was “Dove Evolution,” and the campaign for real beauty. David also divides his time working on feature films, new media ventures and supervising music for A-list televisions series like HBO’s “Less Than Kind” and CBC’s hit comedy series “The Kids In The Hall - Death Comes To Town”. David is also lead music supervisor on the new Ubi-Soft video game “Shaun White Skateboarding.” Last year David supervised the music on a feature film called “Textuality” where he produced five inventive covers of popular tracks featuring Ron Sexsmith (“Since I Don’t Have You”), The Midway State (“True”), Chali 2Na of Jurassic 5 (Rump Shaker), Aceyalone & Treasure Davis (Hit The Road Jack), which is being hailed by the Ray Charles Foundation as “the greatest cover of Hit The Road Jack ever”. He also supervised “Bang Bang Club”, “Don’t You forget About Me” and “The Whistleblower” in 2011. David is currently working on the film “Old Stock” and recently competed his work on the films “Love Me” and “Hiding”. Follow David on Twitter: @davidhueyhayman Visit David's website: http://www.supersoniccreative.com

Bas Grasmayer is a futurist, communication consultant, DJ and music lover from The Netherlands. He is currently the Head of Information Strategy of Dream Industries – which operates Zvooq, Bookmate and T&P-. He majored in International Communication Management which looks into branding and identity, intercultural communication, trendwatching and concept development, as well as PR. You may have read one of his articles on Techdirt or Hypebot or even seen his presentation at the most recent MIDEM conference in Cannes, or like me, you may have found out about him after coming across his thesis online! His graduation thesis is about non-linear music marketing in the digital age. He presents ways in which record labels can adjust their online communication strategy to the realities created by the internet. Through his thesis he develops a thorough understanding of how brands can use the internet to connect with consumers and build a community that they can market to. He talks about how to build an ecosystem so as to build, develop and maintain fans. And, more importantly, how to market to them. After realizing the current problems within the music industry he has developed a model which he believes is sustainable and profitable for all. Our interview discusses his model, the current industry, the future of music and what you can do to increase your success in it!

Cameo Carlson is currently head of digital business development at Borman Entertainment, a management company that takes care of artists including country stars Keith Urban and Lady Antebellum. Cameo has been at the forefront of the digital music revolution from its earliest stages and Billboard Magazine has named her one of the industry’s top mobile executives. She has been involved in radio, from terrestrial to online, and was the rock and alternative music director for AOL Music. She spent three years as manager of label relations and music programming at iTunes and has been the executive VP of Universal MoTown Republic where her role included mobile, online and digital sales, promotions and business development for artists such as Drake, Amy Winehouse, Lil Wayne, and Jack Johnson to name a few. With Lil Wayne, she made the rare move of releasing six songs from "Tha Carter III" as individual downloads on iTunes before the album was released, using the "Complete My Album" feature to drive album sales. The result: 52% of his digital album sales came as a result of "Complete My Album" purchases. She has been responsible for three of the 10 biggest digital albums in history as well as breaking mobile ringtone records for first week sales, top-selling of all time and number of multi-platinum sales. To say Cameo can share some insight into the current industry is putting it lightly! We talk about all kinds of things including digital strategy, how to engage fans depending on the music genre, how to get featured on the front page of iTunes, and a whole lot more! Aaron Bethune. Music Specialist.

After being away a few weeks getting married and spending time with family and friends I am back with a new episode of "Above The Noise." This week I have Mike James on the show and he has a ton of information to share! From writing Billboard hits to radio promoting, music publishing and music placements, Mike has a great wealth of music industry knowledge! He is the owner of Milk Music Co., a publishing company administered by Netwerk One Music, and co-founder and president of HipJoint, a production company and label with distribution via Universal Music. Mike has had success with artists of all styles. Kelly Rowland "Unity" - released worldwide on her Diva Deluxe album - Top 10 radio hit in Canada, Delerium "Dust In Gravity" - Hipjoint were the top line writers on this track that achieved US Billboard #1 status on the Dance/Club Play chart in 2010, Calvin Klein CK1 - Hipjoint's song "We Are One" was used as the positioning track for Calvin Klein's worldwide relaunch of CK1 in 2009 Mika Nakashima "Candy Girl" - The Japanese superstar recently took this Hipjoint track to #4 on Japan's Oricon Weekly Singles Chart, Shiloh "Operator (A Girl Like Me)" - Hipjoint discovered this Canadian artist at 13 and wrote and produced her platinum debut hit for her (Universal Music Canada/Universal Republic), Nikon Cool Pix - Nikon used Hipjoint's track "Bounce With Me" by Kreesha Turner as it's positioning song for a series of Nikon Hip Joint Productions Mike JamesCool Pix ads featuring Ashton Kutcher, NFL Network - The NFL has chosen the Hipjoint written and produced "Crank It Up" by The Young Goulets to promote 2010 NFL Thursday Night Football. With success at writing hits, promoting singles on the radio, placing music in TV and film, as well as developing his businesses I have asked Mike what he does to be heard above the noise in all that he does! Aaron Bethune. In our conversation we discuss: What makes a hit Writing for radio Music discovery Finding new talent Music placements What are the parts that make up a successful artist? What is success? How you get heard "Above The Noise."

This week I am interviewing Solveig Whittle. Solveig is involved in the North West Music Experience, a music conference debuting next year in Seattle. She is a singer and music marketer as well as a software developer. As she puts it: "I’m a high tech marketer who has a serious music habit I’ve been feeding for the past 30 years. I love how these two interests are finally coming together for me." Starting her professional career in music a little later in life she has applied her previous success in business to her career in music. With her own success she is helping other aspiring musicians to do the same. Coming from the tech world it is surprising just how many similarities can be drawn to the current music industry. Solveig was involved in the early software development at Microsoft. Creativity and collaboration were as important in the early days of Microsoft as they are in today's music industry. There is always a lot to be learned from the experiences of others and the conversation with Solveig shares many! Aaron Bethune www.playitloudmusic.com

After speaking with experts on the business side of the industry as well as established artists, now it is time to talk to the consumer and fan! This week I have 15 year old Shimone on the show. Shimone has been a great person to talk to as he is a music consumer, music fan and a budding young musician. He is a potential client for producers and studios, and is part of the generation targeted by a lot of the experts I have spoken to. At 15 he has the ability to make some money and choose where he spends it, even get a loan if need be from his parents and pay them back. It is interesting where he spends this money, how he values music, where he discovers music, what is "cool," how he experiences music, how much music he listens to, etc... While originally from the Czech Republic Shimone now lives in Malibu. With friends in both countries and trips to visit Europe multiple times a year, it is interesting to find out about the music scenes, the different music trends, what is considered hip, and what similarities and differences exist, etc... I cannot recommend more highly listening to what Shimone has to say as his insight is as eye opening to your marketing, sales, branding, fanbase building, etc... as any of the other experts who have appeared on the show so far! Aaron Bethune.

As promised, here's our Q&A with musician Jo Burt. After the introduction two weeks ago we left it open for you to send in your questions. Well, we're back and Jo has your answers! With all of Jo's musical experiences and stories from the road you might want to kick back and put your feet up for this one! Jo has written, toured, recorded and performed with many artists including Jason Bonham, Jimmy Page, Paul Rodgers, Black Sabbath, Elton John, Bob Geldorf, Roger Taylor, Bryan Adams, The Troggs, Freddie Mercury and many more. From flying across borders and passport controls in private jets, being led by police escorts, performances on navy ships, and having Mick Jagger in the audience while Madonna was the waitress... Jo has a few stories to tell! This interview covers: Your thoughts create your future Big fish in a small pond The ability to play many genres of music Agents and managers Session work: credits or payment Trashing hotel rooms The power of live performance and how it affects people Jo's spinal tap moment with Black Sabbath in Italy