Music Is...

Carrie Schrader is a storyteller. She grew up in the Pacific Northwest on boats pushing the boundaries of her imagination. Schrader has seen both sides of the screen as an actor and director. She also maintains a healthy familiarity with the madness and wonderful potential that lie between the human brain and a blank sheet of paper. Indie-wire labeled her as one of the “Top 10 Directors to Watch Out For”. Schrader directed Ethan Cohen’s short film, Don’t Mess With Texas, and wrote and directed a feature-length film called The Founders. Her current project is an episodic that she wrote and is participating in the Stowe Story Labs. Schrader brings a contagious passion for creating things and an infectious curiosity that helped to drive a fascinating conversation in this episode. Finding out who you are is the fun part, and continuing to push the boundaries of that potential is what makes it all worth it.

Ruby Velle is a conscious artist and interdisciplinary creator with an insatiable desire to connect the world through music one person at a time. We are bombarded with negative energy streaming from news outlets and social media, and Velle aims to balance the scales with her recorded music, live performances and her humanitarian efforts in Atlanta and beyond. We dive deep into inspiration, meditation and the transcendental power of music. The solutions to our most challenging problems lie in the space between things, and this episode is proof that the power is within you to affect meaningful change.

Pure intentions and unencumbered trust build the foundation supporting any creative endeavor. Zach Wolfe brought a healthy dose of both of those ingredients as the trusted visual documentarian of Lil’Jon, Big Boi, Andre 3000, Killer Mike, T.I. and many others during the rise of Hip-Hop in Atlanta. Its epicenter was an unassuming house off of Harwell Street that flowed with undeniable energy. Zach reflects on the early days of Atlanta Hip-Hop before any national accolades emerged from the music industry at large. From 2002 through 2011, Zach captured the raw authenticity beaming from this group of innovative creators, but he was always seeking ways to reinvent himself. As new technology emerged, Zach began to apply his artistic principles to motion as a Director of Photography. He found opportunity in the world between things. Stay tuned for the release of the film, Better Man, a collaboration between Zach, writer/director Chris Stanford, Jeremy and the Tunewelders team. This episode is a masterclass in visual art coupled with an ethereal jolt reminding us of the power of continuous learning, experimenting and reinvention.

Matt Head is an award-winning composer, thoughtful collaborator, talented producer and friend. From Georgia State University’s Creative Media Industries Institute, we talk about how a daily musical assignment cultivated a mindset for creation and how four encouraging words from a friend ignited Matt’s journey into the world of music. As a former collegiate athlete, he explores the parallels between music and sports citing that the lessons from team sports translate powerfully into the world of music. We discuss the magic of the Thriller effect, earning your stripes with pro bono work, and leaving ego at the door.

In EPISODE #5, Jeremy interviews Nick Greer. I see Nick Greer's name every time I play my guitar. My pedalboard is an interconnected community of the manifestation of sounds that begin in Nick's head. My favorite part about these interviews is that I get to connect with the people behind the sounds and learn about the philosophies, processes, and experiences that set the stage for their creation. In this episode, I visit with Nick at his shop in Athens, GA, which happens to be located on one of the most unassumingly creative corners of the city. Greer Amplification shares a parking lot with Baxendale Guitars and Chase Park Transduction. Our conversation spans the foundational knowledge Nick absorbed from his Grandfather to picking up coins to buy his first acoustic guitar, a stubborn guitar pedal that kept breaking, a Technics stereo system that opened the door to "something else", and a professor that encouraged a journey down a path less traveled. For more on Greer Amplification visit www.greeramps.com or connect with Nick on social media at @greeramps.

In EPISODE #4, Jeremy talks with Scott Baxendale. Scott is a guitar player and a guitar maker. A visceral experience at five years old serves as the foundation for his intimate relationship with music. He was awoken in the middle of the night by a strange sound. It wasn't the radio or the record player. It was music but it had a character that he hadn't experienced before. Led by his curiosity, he peered down the hall, and as he rounded the corner to the basement door he could begin to feel it. He opened the door to find Kansas City jazz legends performing at an afterparty hosted by his parents. For Scott, the world had a different hue after this full collision with pure musical expression.

In EPISODE #3, Jeremy talks with Jack Preston. Jack is an artist, photographer, musician, rapper, producer and podcast host. He is also a huge believer in the potential of the city of Atlanta. Jack's music wraps southern roots delivery with time-warped textures and soundscapes. His podcast, Digital Good Times, nearing 100 episodes, brings together disconnected communities through storytelling and technology. As usual, the journey spans philosophy, inspiration, social impact and many other waypoints for the creative process leading to Jack's ultimate definition of music.

In EPISODE #2, Jeremy talks with Aaron and Nancy Hill. This is a story about an electrician-philosopher-bass player connecting with a pop star to foster a musical experience that is far greater than the sum of its parts. Aaron met Nancy in Los Angeles through a collaborative arts project called The Law Band. A mutual respect for each other's creative process grew into further collaborations, and a livelong partnership that goes deeper than music. For more information on Tunewell, visit www.tunewellmusic.com. For more information on Tunewelders, visit www.tunewelders.com. Copyright ℗ 2017 Tunewell, LLC.

In this episode, Jeremy talks with Joel Nettesheim about an intimate experience with John Denver, using the whole song as an instrument, Alan Watts, the songwriting process, unconventionally amazing production techniques, how absorbing the music his Dad used to play on the piano helped shape his musical perspective, and a white Falcon guitar. Joel's music has been described by NPR as some of "the most interestingly odd and unclassifiable music around", which is exactly why we are excited to have him as a Tunewell artist and a friend. You can check out more of Joel's music at www.tunewellmusic.com/trappers-cabin. For more information on Tunewelders, visit www.tunewelders.com.