Have you ever wondered what it's like to be a full-time musician? What is "a day in the life" like? We'll talk to working musicians to find out the answers.
Tampa Bay
Jeremy Douglass is a world class musician living here in Florida. He is the creative force behind The Florida Björkestra. I invited him on the podcast to talk about his experiences in music, the current craziness we're all living in, and his grapplings with Imposter Syndrome. TheFloridaBjorkestra.com @floridabjorkestra
My guest today is Will Scecina. This is his second appearance on the show, but this time we're talking about more serious issues. He told me a story of something he went through while on tour and this impacted me. I asked him to have this conversation with me so we could bring to light … Continue reading 29 – Will Scecina: Addressing Mental Health →
Special edition episode! Here we catch up with Alfred Sheppard and we get an update on how he's been coping with the current lockdown and economic situation. Please follow him on these platforms. IG: @alfredsheppardmusic YouTube Also, please support the local music scene by purchasing a shirt at Project-Mar.org — @musicgrindpodcast
Special edition episode! I'm excited to have Brandon Williams on today's show. He is a gifted entertainer here in Tampa Bay and has now started the “Let Music Be The Cure” initiative. He's partnered up with Project Mar to raise money to help support local musicians in need. Together they are running a T-shirt drive … Continue reading 27 – Brandon Williams: Let Music Be The Cure – COVID Checkup →
Special edition episode! Here we catch up with Dave Hamar and we get an update on how he's been coping with the current lockdown and economic situation. Please follow him on these platforms. @davehamar @themarstpete TheMarStPete.com Also, please support the local music scene by purchasing a shirt at Project-Mar.org — @musicgrindpodcast
Special edition episode! Here we catch up with Lance Cox and we get an update on how he's been coping with the current lockdown and economic situation. Please follow him on these platforms. @lancenormandrums @deadbrotherband Also, please support the local music scene by purchasing a shirt at Project-Mar.org — @musicgrindpodcast
Special edition episode! Here we catch up with Jaymee Granell and we get an update on how he's been coping with the current lockdown and economic situation. Please follow him on these platforms. @jaymeegranell @reflection_of_surrender @from_me_to_you_band Also, please support the local music scene by purchasing a shirt at Project-Mar.org — @musicgrindpodcast
Special edition episode! Here we catch up with Joe Cosas and we get an update on how he's been coping with the current lockdown and economic situation. Please follow him on these platforms. JoeCosas.com Instagram YouTube Also, please support the local music scene by purchasing a shirt at Project-Mar.org — @musicgrindpodcast
Samantha Leigh is an accomplished entertainer. She's performed on grand stages around the country, indeed around the world. After having performed with, and opened for, big name artists she is now focusing on expressing herself through her own songs. To become a songwriter she's had to overcome her own insecurities about it. That's what we … Continue reading 22 – Samantha Leigh: Overcoming Insecurities →
Dan Navarro is a virtuosic bassist in Tampa Bay. In fact, he is my personal favorite bass player around. We talk about his musical upbringing and how he had such a high pedigree from a young age. When he discovered Geddy Lee he knew he'd caught the bass guitar bug. Once he started playing in … Continue reading 21 – Dan Navarro: Definition of Greatness →
Willy Colon is an incredibly talented guitarist and a phenomenal entertainer. He's well known in the local scene but he's also played with national and international acts such as Coast City, Blanca, Yandel, and most recently, Luis Fonsi. We talk about how he's living the dream that he's had since he was a young musician. … Continue reading 20 – Willy Colon: Living the Dream →
Geo Ponce is a consummate musician and producer. His talent and skill have been bolstered by his work ethic, all of which have landed him on worldwide stages with reggeaton artist J. Balvin. We talk about his upbringing, his musical influences, and surprises he encountered on the road. You can follow Geo on Instagram and … Continue reading 19 – Geo Ponce: Discipline, Network & Gratitude →
Justino is a talented guitarist and singer, but he considers himself, primarily, as a songwriter. It shows in his total approach to music. He's one of the hardest working musicians in Florida so he definitely knows about the grind. His focus right now is his original band, Anthill Cinema. “Creativity Over Everything” isn't just a … Continue reading 18 – Justino: Creativity Over Everything →
Alfred Sheppard is an accomplished pianist, composer, arranger, and music director. Most recently he's been playing with Mandy Harvey. Serving as her musical director, he's been able to tour the US, write for pops orchestras, and play her music in all kinds of venues. Now he's moved to Los Angeles to pursue his dream of … Continue reading 17 – Alfred Sheppard: Storyteller →
Jonathan Thomas is an exceptional drummer in the Tampa Bay area. From an early age, he's been playing with most of the heavy-hitters in the Tampa music scene and he continues to do so. He rose to a national level with the band Ascend the Hill. Hear how he started out paying his dues, and … Continue reading 16 – Jonathan Thomas: Yes to Everything →
Matt Poynter is an accomplished drummer who actually started out on piano. He discovered his gift at a young age and has been musically active for most of his life. Now he's part of a band called “The Hip Abduction.” Their star has been rising and they're playing national stages like Jannus live, and Red … Continue reading 15 – Matt Poynter: On the Journey →
He was given the moniker, Giambi, in the studio. Now, after working his way up this is how he's known in the industry. Giambi has worked with acts like Dead Prez, Nappy Roots, Big Pun and Sean Price and his story is the quintessential networking and hard work story. Follow him on social media, and … Continue reading 14 – Giambi: Working Up the Ranks →
Jaymee Granell is a bassist, band-leader, and songwriter here in Tampa. He started out playing bass to simply join his friends in a band. Now he's an in-demand sideman as well as a leader of several musical projects in the Tampa Bay area. This is the 2nd part of my conversation with him. To catch … Continue reading 13 – Jaymee Granell – part 2: Developing a Product →
Melissa Petrescue is an up and coming pianist in the Tampa Bay area. Today I talk with her about growing up with a classical music background and how that applies to her current musical situation. She realized that music could be more than just a hobby, and is now successfully working full-time as a professional … Continue reading 12 – Melissa Petrescue: More Than Just a Hobby →
Lance Cox is a local drummer playing the wedding scene, Busch Gardens, and freelancing whenever he can. We talk about his story getting into music, why we might (or might not) need music school, and the benefit of listening to the whole group. Follow him online: instagram.com/lancedrumlove twitter.com/lancecox Check out these groups he plays with: … Continue reading 11 – Lance Cox: The perfect gig isn't coming →
Self-proclaimed cappuccino addict, Nathan Brown, is currently working with renowned blues artist, Coco Montoya. In this episode, we talk about life on tour, getting schooled in the blues, and his endorsements with Kiesel guitars and Tsunami cables. Growing up in Detroit prepared Nathan to provide a solid foundation for any group he's playing in. @NathanBrownBass CocoMontoyaBand.com … Continue reading 10 – Nathan Brown: It's a People Thing →
Erica DiCeglie is a singer/songwriter. Coming from a musical theater background, Erica is now writing her own songs and performing music her own way. Sometimes part of being a working musician is having multiple jobs at the same time. Erica is also an assistant music director at a local church, and this job lets her … Continue reading 9 – Erica DiCeglie: Erica with a C! →
Bobby Brennan is a phenomenal bass player who has performed on several major national tours. He's currently working on the Cirque du Soleil arena tour of “Corteo.” It's evident that Bobby loves what he does, and that joy permeates his whole life. He's also got a very inspirational story of drastic weight loss, and radical … Continue reading 8 – Bobby Brennan: Born to Bass →
Today's guest is Mike Pinder. He's a drummer, and music director based in Orlando and Tampa. In this episode, we talk about how Mike got started in music and his approach to his music career. He sums it up quite succinctly. “Don't Be a Dick!” Listen to Mike explain this point of view. You … Continue reading 7 – Mike Pinder: Don't Be a Dick →
Jaymee Granell is a bassist, music director, and composer here in Tampa. He started out playing bass to simply join his friends in a band. While that first band didn't quite get off the ground, he quickly found himself writing and recording songs with a high profile celebrity. In this conversation, we talk about the … Continue reading 6 – Jaymee Granell – part 1: Making the Band →
Stephen Dornfeld is a pianist, arranger, music director, and educator in Florida. His mild-manner belies his profound musical knowledge and ability, but that depth is evident on stage and in recordings. I talk to him in this episode about how he got started, how his formal education translated into a practical experience, and about overcoming … Continue reading 5 – Stephen Dornfeld: Don't get overwhelmed →
Joe Cosas is a pianist, composer, music director, educator, and studio owner/producer/engineer. Hailing from St Louis, Missouri, he's now in Tampa working the wedding and corporate gig scene as well as building his studio clientele. In this episode, we talk about what brought him to Tampa, how he built his network, how he handles the … Continue reading 4 – Joe Cosas: Purpose, Relevance, & Spirituality →
In this episode, I talk to Dave Hamar. He is a drummer, composer, teacher and he's currently playing with rising star, Mandy Harvey. We talk about getting started playing music, making the jump to be a professional, and even gear. See if you can catch the nerd references he throws out there. I actually really … Continue reading 3 – Dave Hamar: Learn from everything →
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