Podcasts about berklee college

Today on Boston Public Radio: EJ Dionne talks about the status of Build Back Better, President Joe Biden's medical report and whether he is eyeing a run for a second presidential term. Dionne is a columnist for The Washington Post and a senior fellow at The Brookings Institution. His latest book is "Code Red: How Progressives And Moderates Can Unite To Save Our Country." Then, we ask listeners about their media diets, following a PEW survey showing how some types of news consumption have declined. Michael Curry weighs in on the latest COVID-19 numbers and the recent availability of booster shots for all adults. Curry is the president and CEO of the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers and a member of Gov. Charlie Baker's COVID Vaccine Advisory Group. He's also a member of the National NAACP Board of Directors and chair of the board's advocacy and policy committee. Katie Caster and Kim Parker discuss burnout among teachers of color, and what needs to change for the teacher force to better represent the students they serve. Katie Caster is manager of curriculum and education at Latinos for Education. Kim Parker is President of the Black Educators' Alliance of Massachusetts. Revs. Irene Monroe and Emmett G. Price III share their reactions to the Kyle Rittenhouse verdict, in which he was found not guilty on all counts. Monroe is a syndicated religion columnist, the Boston voice for Detour's African American Heritage Trail and co-host of the All Rev'd Up podcast. Price is the founding pastor of Community of Love Christian Fellowship in Allston, the Inaugural Dean of Africana Studies at Berklee College of Music and co-host of the All Rev'd Up podcast. Brian Weeden tells the Wampanoag tribe's side of the Thanksgiving origin story, and how his community will be commemorating Thursday as a national day of mourning instead. Brian Weeden is the Chairman of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe. He is from Eel Clan. He is also Co-President/Trustee of the United National Indian Tribal Youth, or UNITY. We end the show by asking listeners if their family planning has changed, as some people opt to forgo having kids out of fear for the environment. 

Elsa y Elmar siempre quiso cantarle al amor. Y es lo que hizo y sigue haciendo. En este episodio, la cantante originaria de Bucaramanga, Colombia nos lleva por los rincones de su vida que más le han significado: su infancia en Bucaramanga y acercamiento al mundo de las ideas; la universidad de Berklee College of Music en Boston; la música como carrera siendo una mujer latina; la vida en la CDMX y todos los obstáculos que se le han puesto en frente y que ha tenido que brincar uno a uno. Este episodio es una plática entre amigas, un acercamiento a la vida de una mujer cambiando la industria de la música latinoamericana. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Ella McDonald and Maya Mudgal begin the show by sharing their reactions to the COP26 climate summit and their thoughts on mayor-elect Michelle Wu's climate platform. McDonald is a senior at Tufts University, and communications director at Act on Mass, a non-profit working towards more transparency at the state house. Mudgal is a senior at Northeastern University, and organized for Wu during the campaign. They both have been involved with Sunrise Movement's Boston chapter. Then, we ask listeners how best they think society should tackle climate change. Charlie Sennott discusses his thoughts on the outcome of the COP26 climate summit, and the state of the Taliban today. Sennott is a GBH News analyst and the founder and CEO of The GroundTruth Project. Dan Adams reflects on five years of marijuana legalization, and what still needs to happen to make legalization just and equitable. Dan Adams is cannabis reporter for Boston Globe and author of the “This Week in Weed” email newsletter. Revs. Irene Monroe and Emmett G. Price III talk about incidents of racist bullying at schools across the region, and a top Catholic bishop calling social justice movements “pseudo-religion” and “dangerous.” Monroe is a syndicated religion columnist, the Boston voice for Detour's African American Heritage Trail and co-host of the All Rev'd Up podcast. Price is the founding pastor of Community of Love Christian Fellowship in Allston, the Inaugural Dean of Africana Studies at Berklee College of Music and co-host of the All Rev'd Up podcast. Richard Blanco reads poetry by January Gill O'Neil, Beverly resident and Associate Professor of English at Salem State University, including “On Being Told I Look Like FLOTUS, New Year's Eve Party 2014” and “In Praise of Okra.” Blanco is the fifth inaugural poet in U.S. history. His latest book, "How To Love A Country," deals with various socio-political issues that shadow America. We end the show by asking listeners what secrets they have held inside, after a Lynnfield father admitted to his bank robbing crimes right before his death.

Dr Emmett G Price III, renowned pianist, composer, ordained minister, author, and now Dean of Africana Studies at Berklee College of Music joins us this week!

Linnéa Lundgren, is a singer and composer based in Stockholm, Sweden. She has a degree in performance from Berklee College of Music and a music education degree from SMI in Stockholm. She currently works as a musician in church, leading choirs and writing and performing in services and concerts. With her upcoming release “Wish I thought it through”, Linnéa has been working with a large ensemble to explore the borders between pop and jazz music. Intertwining melodies creates the harmonic landscape visualized in her mind. Release date: 8th of december. To see more of what Linnéa does, visit: www.linnealundgren.com or contact her on www.facebook.com/linneakristinalundgren You can tag me on Instagram: @musikarn Learn more on Dreams Not Memes Podcast.

Carly, George, and Dan are joined by Berklee College of Music student Adam Saah. Adam recently wrote two articles on the B-Certification process (To "B" or Not To "B" and To Care More) and has been helping GHStrategic (George's consulting firm) become B-certified. The group discusses what that process has been like and how ethics can be a competitive advantage.

Composer and musician Kaki King is considered one of the world's greatest living guitarists, known both for her technical mastery and for her constant quest to push the boundaries of the instrument. Hailed by Rolling Stone as “a genre unto herself,” Kaki has released 9 albums and toured extensively, presenting in such prestigious arts centers as the Kennedy Center, MoMA, LACMA, The Met and Smithsonian Design Museum. She has created music for numerous film and TV soundtracks, including “August Rush” and “Into the Wild”, for which received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Original Score. She has performed with symphonies and chamber ensembles, and recorded an album in collaboration with the Porta Girevole Chamber Orchestra commissioned by the Berklee College of Music.

Today on Boston Public Radio: EJ Dionne weighs in on what the infrastructure bill, the Virginia mayoral race and the status of voting rights and the filibuster all mean for Democrats in 2022. Dionne is a columnist for The Washington Post and a senior fellow at The Brookings Institution. His latest book is "Code Red: How Progressives And Moderates Can Unite To Save Our Country." Then, we ask listeners about whether they have hope in the U.S. political system, or if the country is doomed to political silos. Acting Mayor Kim Janey reflects on her time as the first woman and first person of color to lead the city, how she brought her lived experiences to the job and what's next for her after mayor-elect Michelle Wu takes office. Janey is acting mayor of Boston. Michael Curry discusses the state of the pandemic, including the availability of COVID-19 treatment pills, and a push from legislators to save local hospitals. Curry is the president and CEO of the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers and a member of Gov. Charlie Baker's COVID Vaccine Advisory Group. He's also a member of the National NAACP Board of Directors and chair of the board's advocacy and policy committee. Revs. Irene Monroe and Emmett G. Price III argue that medical professionals need to go into churches to promote the COVID-19 vaccine, and talk about the role of white women in elections. Monroe is a syndicated religion columnist, the Boston voice for Detour's African American Heritage Trail and co-host of the All Rev'd Up podcast. Price is the founding pastor of Community of Love Christian Fellowship in Allston, the Inaugural Dean of Africana Studies at Berklee College of Music and co-host of the All Rev'd Up podcast. Ali Noorani talks about cycles of anger towards immigrants, why it is so hard to unite the country around immigration issues and how to ease the Green Card backlog. Noorani is the president and chief executive officer of the National Immigration Forum. His forthcoming book is “Crossing Borders: The Reconciliation of a Nation of Immigrants.” We end the show by asking listeners if their opinions towards marijuana have changed after five years of legalization.

Vietnamese American musician Julian Saporiti grew up in Nashville, surrounded by music made by people who didn't look like him. Determined to dig deeper into the definition of American Folk music as part of his extensive doctoral studies, Saporiti began to explore his own family's history, pore over archival material, and conduct interviews; what he found were the untold musical stories of Asian American artists like himself. He transformed his research into concerts, albums, and films to create the immersive multimedia experience known as No-No Boy. In Town Hall's 113th episode of the In the Moment podcast, musician and former Town Hall Artist-in-Resident Tomo Nakayama talks with Saporiti about lyric writing, inspiration, and the art of making music not only as Asian Americans, but also as Americans. Julian Saporiti is the Vietnamese American songwriter, scholar, and creator of the multimedia musical experience, No-No Boy. His art and music reflect issues such as race, refugees, and immigration, allowing audience members to sit with complication as music and visuals open doorways to difficult histories. Saporiti has taught courses in songwriting, music, literature, history, Asian American Studies, and ethnic studies at the University of Wyoming, Colorado College, and Brown University and has served as artist/scholar in residence at many universities and high schools across the country. Saporiti holds degrees from Berklee College of Music, University of Wyoming, and Brown University, and has been commissioned by cultural institutions such as Lincoln Center, the LA Philharmonic, the National Parks, and Carnegie Hall. His latest album, 1975, was released by Smithsonian Folkways earlier this year. Tomo Nakayama is an artist whose melodic, complex, and emotionally compelling music has been praised by NPR, New York Times, and The Stranger. His albums include Fog on the Lens, Pieces of Sky (named “Best Folk Act” by Seattle Weekly), and Melonday, which was named one of the Top Albums of 2020 by Seattle Times, KEXP, and Seattle Met. No-No Boy: https://www.nonoboyproject.com/    No-No Boy performs live at Town Hall Seattle on November 12, 2021. Learn more and get tickets to this exciting multimedia concert, presented in partnership with the Wing Luke Museum and the International Examiner.

Plus, we dig into other noteworthy election results from across the state, and talk about a new jazz program at Berklee College of Music, aimed at helping women and non-binary jazz musicians get a foothold in an industry traditionally dominated by men.

The Hump is thrilled to welcome our guest this week! Bassist and MUCH more, Mike Valerio! Tune in to find out why this episode is called, "Multi Bassist"

Husband and wife creative duo Dan + Claudia Zanes join Rhett to talk about the making of their new record, Let Love Be Your Guide, which was created during the pandemic. They tell Rhett about the tension of working in a competitive society while sticking to their values, music as a unifying force, and what they would tell their 21-year old selves.Dan and Claudia Zanes have been making music together since the day they met in 2016. Dan Zane was a member of the 1980s band The Del Fuegos and is now the front man of the Grammy-winning group Dan Zanes and Friends. Claudia Zanes is a Haitian-American Vocalist and Music Therapist, and a graduate from Berklee College of Music in Boston. Together, they created Night Train 57: A Sensory Friendly Comic Folk Opera, a theater piece which premiered in October 2017, as well as an award-winning songbook titled Dan Zanes' House Party: A Family Roots Music Treasury. Claudia also runs her own skin care business called CLEO Soaps, and Dan works with Constructive White Conversations, an anti-racist organization he co-founded in 2011.Wheels Off is brought to you by Osiris Media. Hosted and produced by Rhett Miller. Co-produced by Kirsten Cluthe in partnership with Nick Ruffini (Revoice Media). Editing by Justin Thomas. Production Assistance by Matt Bavuso. Music by OLD 97's. Episode artwork by Katherine Boils. Show logo by Tim Skirven.Revisit previous episodes of Wheels Off with Rosanne Cash, Rob Thomas, Will Forte, Lydia Loveless, Allison Moorer, Ted Leo, Paul F. Tompkins, Jen Kirkman, and more. This podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also ask Alexa to play it. Please leave us a rating or review on iTunes. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Adam Reilly and Saraya Wintersmith give final insights from the Boston mayoral race before tomorrow's election. Reilly is a reporter for GBH News and co-host of the Scrum politics podcast. Wintersmith covers Boston City Hall for GBH News. They co-host “Election 2021: Boston's Race Into History” on GBH 2. Then, we ask listeners their thoughts on tomorrow's mayoral election. Charlie Sennott updates listeners on the state of climate change and statements from leaders at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, known as COP62. Sennott is a GBH News analyst and the founder and CEO of The GroundTruth Project. Michelle Singletary talks about the importance of the child tax credit and paid child leave, sharing her experiences facing racism and caring for her brother as a young adult. She also gives tips on how to avoid internet scams. Singletary is a nationally syndicated columnist for The Washington Post, whose award-winning column "The Color of Money" provides insight into the world of personal finance. Revs. Irene Monroe and Emmett G. Price III weigh in on a Boston Globe report showing how Black and white people travel to different areas of the city, and persisting reactions to Dave Chappelle Netflix special. Monroe is a syndicated religion columnist, the Boston voice for Detour's African American Heritage Trail and co-host of the All Rev'd Up podcast. Price is the founding pastor of Community of Love Christian Fellowship in Allston, the Inaugural Dean of Africana Studies at Berklee College of Music and co-host of the All Rev'd Up podcast. Richard Blanco reads fall-themed poetry, including “Nothing Gold Can Stay” by Robert Frost, “The Blower of Leaves” by January Gill O'Neil, “November 2: Día de los muertos” by Alberto Ríos and “Autumn Begins in Martins Ferry, Ohio” by James Wright. Blanco is the fifth inaugural poet in U.S. history. His latest book, "How To Love A Country," deals with various socio-political issues that shadow America. We end the show by talking with listeners about how they're adapting their gift-giving plans amid supply chain issues and shortages.

Over the course of seventeen years Joel has helped make CD Baby the largest music-employer in Oregon and one of the leading on-line distributors of independent music. The company hosts more than 650,000 artists, is available to over 100 digital platforms around the world, and represents 1/5th of the music at Spotify. Joel was a working musician when he began opening mail on weekends for CD Baby. He has since become a spokesman for the independent music scene and a mentor to many of its members. Joel posts regularly on a number of social media platforms, offering advice to the independent music community on business matters and issues having to do with management, touring, song writing, and music production. A fixture at industry events, Joel speaks frequently about independent music. He appeared at a recent South by Southwest Festival in a group of entrepreneurs that offered support to artists looking to place their demos. Joel also helps organize community ventures in Portland and around the world that aim to nurture careers in independent music, such as Downtown Music's summer schools, the DIY Musician Conference at the Berklee College of Music campus in Spain, and various question and answer sessions about finding externships in music fields. In spring 2019, Joel took members of Lewis & Clark Law School's Intellectual Property Student Organization (IPSO) on a tour of CD Baby's facilities. He also has arranged for the company every year to support a summer intern. In addition to the internship he arranged at CD Baby, Joel continues to make himself available to the Lewis & Clark Law School, taking part in a recent panel on “The Contracts Behind Influencer & Audience Agreements” sponsored by IPSO and the Center for Business Law & Innovation. https://twitter.com/joeljamesandrew https://www.billboard.com/articles/business/record-labels/9602406/cd-baby-artist-redefine-success-major-label https://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2021/07/you-dont-have-to-buy-into-that-antiquated-system-says-cd-baby-president-joel-andrew.html https://soundcloud.com/michaelbrandvoldmarketing/482-how-to-measure-success-without-using-old-antiquated-record-label-measures @thecareermusician @nomadsplace

The last eighteen months have affected Tony Malaby's music and personal life in a drastic manner. An early bout with covid created a necessity for Malaby to retool his saxophone playing from a physical standpoint and at the same time it created the space for him to revisit the music that informed his playing in his earlier years. In this episode of LINER NOTES Tony speaks about the music that he created in this time, his new position of professor of saxophone at the Berklee College of Music, as well as a new record on Sunnyside Records recorded live at the 55 Bar with guitarist Ben Monder and drummer Tom Rainey, the week before the shutdown last March.

Today’s episode marks the One Year Anniversary of the start of this channel and podcast. It is also 25 years since Norm left us. I hope that you enjoy listening, share in the many laughs and smiles and maybe even a shed a tear or two. I know I have. I will continue to work hard to bring you content with some plans and ideas for this channel that I hope will entertain you as we begin year 2. Like, subscribe and share…across all the platforms. It really helps. I’m considering starting a Patreon where you could support the channel and podcast and a portion of that revenue would go to support the Norm Nathan Scholarship fund at the Berklee College of Music. We shall see what the next year brings! Now let’s wind it back to the penultimate day of October…October 30th, 1993 for a Dumb Birthday game and then a Norm Nathan Show post game hour. Our Players: Hillary from Upper Bucks County PA Phil from Mt. Forest, Canada Mike in Medford Barry in Worcester Mike Epstein producing and playing Sid Whitaker producing and playing Jack Harte in his Traffic Suite adorned with birthday easy chairs, charts and where he does his birthday-ups exercises Bdays and Events in History: Henry Winkler Grace Slick Louis Malle Ruth Hussey Harry Hamlin Timothy B. Schmidt Events in History: In what year did Orson Welles do the ‘War of the Worlds’ broadcast which created panic? Muhammad Ali regained his heavyweight boxing title by knocking out George Foreman in the 8th round in what year? Post-game we get calls from: Glenn in Brighton inquiring about Sid Whittakers’ roots but the tape switches sides and talk continues with Glenn about some other subjects including a past DBG and, if you can believe it, considering the foolishness going on now, offensive Halloween costumes?! Lisa with some details on Ruth Hussey Larry in Westborough with a bewitching call Jim from RI Rob with a Floramo’s review Betty in Sudbury who would like Norm to talk about jazz to the 7th graders she teaches and just the mere possibility is creating a buzz! Maria from NH Norm mentions his ambition to play piano for booze. And we get some ribald ‘Casting Spells’ jokes from the man with a body of well-tempered steel. Commercial content is as follows: Ovaltine Marezine helping Arlene Trieg from Coquille, OR Advertise on WBZ starring 'Call Mr. Duplitron!' AMTRAK/Kid Company – Geography Bee to Washington DC The One Year Anniversary Show begins now! Email the show normnathanvos@gmail.com Castos https://norm-nathans-vault-of-silliness.castos.com Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/norm-nathans-vault-of-silliness/id1539251258 Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/74Z2CAHU1TT9KHCEiEdrkG Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Ep-Norm-Nathans-Vault-Silliness/dp/B08JJSR5MF/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=vault+of+silliness&qid=1604440081&sr=8-1 Google

We had the pleasure of interviewing Bluhauz over Zoom video!  Throughout his life, singer/guitarist Bluhauz has experienced a truly unpredictable and unprecedented journey. From his native Argentina to living in Miami, from admiring Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page to being mentored by him, from attending Berklee College of Music to playing some of the most famed festivals in the world - Bluhauz has done all of these things. Now, with his debut solo album, BLUHAUZ, he's setting off on his biggest adventure yet - musically, spiritually, and personally. Bluhauz began his musical journey while growing up in Argentina. A pivotal moment came when he was thirteen years old, when his musical horizons were greatly expanded after his Uncle Martin uploaded songs onto his iPod, giving him his first introduction to Led Zeppelin, Frank Zappa and Pink Floyd. But he wasn't content to simply listen to this type of music: he wanted to create it, too, so he soon learned to play the guitar. As a teenager, he joined his first band who rehearsed in a blue house, which later inspired his “Bluhauz” artist moniker. When he was seventeen years old, he started playing shows - and immediately knew this is what he needed to do with his lifeMoving to the U.S. when he was twenty years old (though he'd been visiting family in America his whole life), Bluhauz enrolled at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston - where he promptly made his mark by remaining true to rock, instead of the school's typical jazz focus. In 2013, he formed the hard rock band Stone Giant with like-minded classmates. With his clear musical vision and trusted team backing him, Bluhauz is ready release this debut solo album and fully launch this latest phase in his career. Things already look promising: the three singles have all been well-received, leading to his much-praised appearance at the Billboard AR virtual festival last July. Given all the unexpected twists and turns his life has already taken, it will undoubtedly be interesting to watch - and hear - what Bluhauz does next. We want to hear from you! Please email Tera@BringinitBackwards.com. www.BringinitBackwards.com #podcast #interview #bringinbackpod #Bluhauz #zoom  Listen & Subscribe to BiB Follow our podcast on Instagram and Twitter! 

Music has always been a passion for Washington, D.C. native, Kevin Ross. He attended a performing arts high school and went on to earn a degree from Berklee College of Music. His career began as a songwriter, getting his first placement with Jamie Foxx, which was followed by Ross writing and producing songs for such artists as Trey Songz, Toni Braxton, & Tank. In 2017 Kevin released his long-awaited debut full length album, The Awakening. The album's first single, “Long Song Away” peaked at #1 on Billboard's Adult R&B Song chart and at Urban Contemporary Radio with the follow up single, “Don't Go”, cracking the Top 15. The chart-topping success of The Awakening led to Ross receiving several award nominations: Best New Artist (Soul Train Awards), Outstanding New Artist (NAACP Image Awards), and New R&B Artist (iHeartRadio Awards). Ross continues to make a significant mark on the contemporary music scene as he kicked off 2020 debuting at #3 on iTunes R&B Albums chart with Audacity Vol 1. “Thing Called Love,” the EP's lead single, recently entered the Top 20 on Billboard's Adult R&B Songs chart and was named the top song at Sirius XM's Heart and Soul.  Audacity Vol. 2 which released in August made huge leaps with the single “God is a Genius” which gave Ross another #1 at Sirius XM and millions of streams across all DSP's. Ross has finally released the last chapter in the Audacity series aptly titled, Audacity: Complete. Ross is gearing up to release his new project, “Drive 2.” “Looking for Love” debuted at #28 on Billboard's Adult R&B Airplay charts week of August 1, 2021. The record has since gone on to peak at #11 on Billboard's Adult R&B Airplay chart. On September 20th Ebro featured Ross as ‘Discovered on Apple Music' artist for “Looking for Love.”

Tomo Fujita is one of the most well-known guitar teachers on the planet, famously beloved by his current and former students at Berklee College of Music (including John Mayer). His YouTube and Instagram channels have a treasure-trove of useful lessons for guitarists of all levels, and their popularity led Guitar World to name him among "15 of the greatest all-star guitar teachers" (a list that also included the Gristleman himself).2:57 - What drew Tomo to the guitar, the influence of Jeff Beck and Larry Carlton, and earning a scholarship to attend Berklee College of Music9:40 - Graduating from Berklee, transitioning to becoming a professor, and the early years as a teacher13:27 - Tomo's website ‘Guitar Wisdom', and the importance of finding balance in your life20:24 - How to navigate lesson plans for students who aren't exactly excited about the material33:20 - Performing in the US versus Japan & other countries35:36 - Tomo's favorite type of guitars, unique short-scale guitars, and vintage guitars46:26 - Playing the guitar in the time of COVID50:16 - Tomo's relationship with Ibanez Guitars, and his work with them as an advisor to help build out better guitars for less62:15 - How to stay motivatedTotal Length: 69:25Fishman Dedicated to helping musicians achieve the truest sound possible whenever they plug-in. Wildwood Guitars One of the world's premier retailers of exceptional electric and acoustic guitars.

Mozelle Andrulot grew up in Eastham and attended Lesley University where she studied Liberal Arts. Her career has taken her to New York City and London where she performed at the SoHo House in both cities. Here on the Cape, she's performed at Mahony's, Tin Pan Alley, The Muse and regularly with Zoë Lewis's Bootleggers show in Provincetown. She has graced the stage with local notable jazz artists Bruce Abbot, Fred Fried, Fred Boyle and John Thomas. This local jazz jewel, along with Doug Ricardi's Jazz till Dawn, entertains audiences from Wellfleet's Preservation Hall to the Yarmouth Cultural Center. This summer she will be singing outdoors regularly at the Fox and Crow. MikeMRF is a performing artist, recording artist, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter. His latest album Mob Music 2 hit #39 on the iTunes R&B Albums Chart and was featured on Apple Music. Album opener, "Tip Jar" landed in the Semi-Finals of the 2020 International Songwriting Competition and was featured in the Amazon Prime Show "30 The Series" along with two other songs. Mike is also a Lennon Award winner in the 2017 John Lennon Songwriting Contest for his original song "Mob Music", the title-track off of his iTunes Chart-Topping sophomore album. In 2014, Mike won 2 OUTmusic Awards (with 5 nominations, the most that year) including the highly coveted Humanitarian Songwriter of the Year for his song "Be Strong (LGBT Youth)". "Be Strong" was selected as Boston Pride's Flag-Raising Anthem. Mike holds a Bachelor's of Music in Jazz Saxophone & Music Education from Berklee College of Music, as well as a Master's of Music in Music Theory & Composition from New York University where he currently teaches Songwriting and Composition as an Adjunct Professor. Mike has performed with Ada Vox, Matt Alber, Esera Tuaolo, Ruth Pointer (Pointer Sisters), Cassandra Wilson, Esperanza Spaulding, Varla Jean Merman and many more. He performs and music-directs various shows in Provincetown, MA.

Welcome to a new edition of the Neon Jazz interview series with Austin-based Jazz Bassist Angel Roman .. We caught up with him about his new 2021 CD Festive Interplay .. On an album that he aimed to gently stretch the boundaries of Afro Latin Jazz by being more inclusive of the many voices that helped shaped my musical landscape. He was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and studied music at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music and continued his education at Berklee College of Music. These days he is living in Austin Texas, performing in a variety of live venues. Dig his story .. Click to listen.Neon Jazz is a radio program airing since 2011. Hosted by Joe Dimino and Engineered by John Christopher in Kansas City, Missouri giving listeners a journey into one of America's finest inventions. Take a listen on KCXL (102.9 FM / 1140 AM) out of Liberty, MO. Listen to KCXL on Tunein Radio at http://tunein.com/radio/Neon-Jazz-With-Joe-Dimino-p381685/. You can now catch Neon Jazz on KOJH 104.7 FM out of the Mutual Musicians Foundation from Noon - 1 p.m. CST Monday-Friday at https://www.kojhfm.org/. Check us out at All About Jazz @ https://kansascity.jazznearyou.com/neon-jazz.php. For all things Neon Jazz, visit http://theneonjazz.blogspot.com/If you like what you hear, please let us know. You can contribute a few bucks to keep Neon Jazz going strong into the future.   https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=ERA4C4TTVKLR4

California born, London raised, and currently finishing up his degree at Berklee College of Music in Boston - J.Pappas stopped by our studio in downtown Boston to share insight into his artistry and talk about his post-grad goals. His music is influenced by 90's Hip-Hop and R&B, modern day Jazz Rap, and Neo-Soul which culminates in a unique sound that is distinct to J.Pappas. You can hear some of our favorite J.Pappas tracks streaming now on the Music You're Missing Spotify playlist! This episode is sponsored by Dollar Shave Club! For a limited time they are hooking our listeners up with their starter shave set for just $5. This set includes 2 razor cartridges, a handle, and 3 shave aid samples. You can take advantage of this deal on instagram at the link in our bio @musicyouremissing.

Today on Boston Public Radio: Michael Curry discusses the importance of community partnerships in increasing vaccination levels, and weighs in on opinions on the mayor's race in Boston's Black community. Curry is the president and CEO of the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers and a member of Gov. Charlie Baker's COVID Vaccine Advisory Group. He's also a member of the National NAACP Board of Directors and chair of the board's advocacy and policy committee. Then, we ask listeners about whether they think a recent rise in union actions symbolizes genuine change, or if the current push for better labor practices will fizzle out. Dr. Katherine Gergen Barnett takes questions from listeners about all things vaccine related, as authorization for children aged 5-11 nears and people begin to mix and match booster shots. Gergen Barnett teaches in the Department of Family Medicine at Boston Medical Center and Boston University Medical School. Revs. Irene Monroe and Emmett G. Price III talk about how Evangelical Christians are looking for a new label for their community. Monroe is a syndicated religion columnist, the Boston voice for Detour's African American Heritage Trail and co-host of the All Rev'd Up podcast. Price is the founding pastor of Community of Love Christian Fellowship in Allston, the Inaugural Dean of Africana Studies at Berklee College of Music and co-host of the All Rev'd Up podcast. Susan Orlean previews her latest book about animals, including the history of the movie “Free Willy,” her relationship with turkeys and her Valentine's Day spent with a lion. Orlean is a staff writer for the New Yorker, and an author; her latest book is “On Animals.” We end the show by talking with listeners about their experiences with “Buy Nothing” Facebook groups and efforts for sustainable buying and selling.

Today on Too Opinionated we sit down with musician, author and motivational speaker Charyn Harris. Charyn Harris started her career touring as a keyboardist for R&B legend Barry White. She's also performed with a variety of artists including Malcolm Jamal Warner, MC Hammer, The Cranberries, Jonathan Butler, Al B. Sure!, Doc Powell, Lord Nelson, Malcolm Jamal Warner, Luciano Pavarotti, and more. Harris is a graduate of Berklee College of Music and earned an MBA from The University of Phoenix. She also serves as a Conductor of Music Programs for A Place Called Home (APCH), a popular community youth center located in South Los Angeles. In 2004, Charyn founded Project MuszEd, a nonprofit agency providing arts education, performance, and programming. She facilitated and manages the thriving partnerships between APCH and Project MuszEd with Berklee College of Music's Berklee City Music Network. Over thirty-five students under Harris' tutelage have attended Berklee's summer programs on scholarship, while over a dozen students have received full four-year scholarships to Berklee. Harris is noted for training a roster of highly sought-after young musicians. Some of them can be found on stage with artists like Smokey Robinson and Aloe Blacc. Her students have also opened for the Black Eyed Peas, Diana Ross, performed with The Isley Brothers, Macy Gray, and more. Harris has been recognized both locally and nationally for designing and directing vibrant arts programming and developing stellar resources to support youth through the arts. Harris just released The Art of War for Creatives, based on her knowledge and experience, sharing many of the hacks that she has used and seen others use to gain mad success. Want to watch: YouTube Meisterkhan Pod

** PLEASE SUBSCRIBE ** Brought to you by FUNKNSTUFF.NET and hosted by Scott "DR GX" Goldfine — musicologist and author of “Everything Is on THE ONE: The First Guide of Funk” ― “TRUTH IN RHYTHM” is the interview show that gets DEEP into the pocket with contemporary music's foremost masters of the groove. Become a TRUTH IN RHYTHM Member through YouTube or at https://www.patreon.com/truthinrhythm. Featured in TIR Episode 214, Part 2 of 2: Recording engineer, producer and inventor George Massenburg, a four-time Grammy winner who for the past 45 years has been involved with more than 400 records. That includes Earth, Wind & Fire's output from 1975 onward and that group's associated acts of the Emotions, Deniece Williams and Ramsey Lewis. He has been acknowledged as a key architect of EWF's classic sound. Other credited acts include jazz fusion giants like Herbie Hancock, Weather Report, Stanley Clarke and David Sanborn; great bands like Average White Band, Tower of Power, Journey, Little Feat and Toto; and mainstream stars like Linda Ronstadt, Randy Newman, Dolly Parton, Bonnie Raitt, Cher, Billy Joel, Roy Orbison, Carly Simon, Neil Diamond and even Frank Sinatra.  His George Massenburg Labs is a pioneering audio electronics company that has released many innovative recording technologies based on his original designs. Currently, he is an associate professor of sound recording at the Schulich School of Music at Montreal's McGill University, and a visiting lecturer at the Berklee College of Music in Boston and Valencia, Spain, and at Tennessee's University of Memphis. RECORDED AUGUST 2021 LEGAL NOTICE: All video and audio content is protected by copyright. Any use of this material is strictly prohibited without expressed consent from original content producer and owner Scott Goldfine, dba FUNKNSTUFF. For inquiries, email info@funknstuff.net. TRUTH IN RHYTHM is a registered U.S. Trademark (Serial #88540281). Get your copy of "Everything Is on the One: The First Guide of Funk" today! https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1541256603/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1541256603&linkCode=as2&tag=funknstuff-20&linkId=b6c7558ddc7f8fc9fe440c5d9f3c400

The amazing singer/songwriter Elana Brody talks about her latest release “Rock Steady” with a debut EP to be released this fall and shares her journey going from the least populated rural area of Virginia to Berklee College in Boston to NYC! Elana also talks about how she was going to prepare to release a stripped-back Americana EP with contemporary ballads written during the pandemic combined with social activism, Jewish spirituality, herbalism and folklore, but switched gears and instead released the song with 10 years of pent-up longing in just 3 minutes! Check out the multi-talented Elana Brody on all streaming platforms and www.elanabrody.com ! #elanabrody #singer #songwriter #ruralvirginia #rocksteady #berkleecollege #boston #NYC #americana #jewish #spirituality #amazon #audible #iheartradio #spreaker #spotify #itunes #googleplay #applemusic #youtube #anchorfm #mikewagner #themikewagnershow #mikewagnerelanabrody #themikewagnershowelanabrody

** PLEASE SUBSCRIBE ** Brought to you by FUNKNSTUFF.NET and hosted by Scott "DR GX" Goldfine — musicologist and author of “Everything Is on THE ONE: The First Guide of Funk” ― “TRUTH IN RHYTHM” is the interview show that gets DEEP into the pocket with contemporary music's foremost masters of the groove. Become a TRUTH IN RHYTHM Member through YouTube or at https://www.patreon.com/truthinrhythm. Featured in TIR Episode 214, Part 1 of 2: Recording engineer, producer and inventor George Massenburg, a four-time Grammy winner who for the past 45 years has been involved with more than 400 records. That includes Earth, Wind & Fire's output from 1975 onward and that group's associated acts of the Emotions, Deniece Williams and Ramsey Lewis. He has been acknowledged as a key architect of EWF's classic sound. Other credited acts include jazz fusion giants like Herbie Hancock, Weather Report, Stanley Clarke and David Sanborn; great bands like Average White Band, Tower of Power, Journey, Little Feat and Toto; and mainstream stars like Linda Ronstadt, Randy Newman, Dolly Parton, Bonnie Raitt, Cher, Billy Joel, Roy Orbison, Carly Simon, Neil Diamond and even Frank Sinatra.  His George Massenburg Labs is a pioneering audio electronics company that has released many innovative recording technologies based on his original designs. Currently, he is an associate professor of sound recording at the Schulich School of Music at Montreal's McGill University, and a visiting lecturer at the Berklee College of Music in Boston and Valencia, Spain, and at Tennessee's University of Memphis. RECORDED AUGUST 2021 LEGAL NOTICE: All video and audio content is protected by copyright. Any use of this material is strictly prohibited without expressed consent from original content producer and owner Scott Goldfine, dba FUNKNSTUFF. For inquiries, email info@funknstuff.net. TRUTH IN RHYTHM is a registered U.S. Trademark (Serial #88540281). Get your copy of "Everything Is on the One: The First Guide of Funk" today! https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1541256603/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1541256603&linkCode=as2&tag=funknstuff-20&linkId=b6c7558ddc7f8fc9fe440c5d9f3c400

Composer/Instrumentalist/Producer/Arranger/Editor/Professor Ruth Mendelson has written award-winning scores for film and television. She teaches at the Berklee College of music and she has written a fantastical, multi-dimensional, treasure hunt fairy tale for children of all ages called The Water Tree Way that will positively alter your trajectory through the world, pointing you towards joy, success and love. Ruth joins us with the wisdom behind her wisdom and Fritz and Weezy are recommending Dopesick on Hulu and The Invisible Wall by Harry Bernstein.Path Points of Interest:Ruth MendelsonRuth Mendelson at Berklee College of MusicThe Water Tree Way by Ruth MendelsonDr. Jane Goodall on The Water Tree WayWell Wishes and Blessings Project The Prison Within FilmThe Hopecast - Dr. Jane Goodall's PodcastDopeSick on HuluThe Invisible Wall by Harry BernsteinWater Tree Way Lessons Include:PersevereRespect NatureNotice PatternsFind Your CenterPractice CalmnessDe-Escalate ConflictHonor Your IdeasHear Your Own MusicBe KindWe are all connected 

The Memphis titan of the tenor sax has played and recorded with artists including Al Green, Alex Chilton, Tony Bennett, Mavis Staples, Mose Allison, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins and Jerry Lee Lewis. A fixture on sessions at Ardent Recording and Sam Phillips Studios, and with famed producers Willie Mitchell and Jim Dickinson, he covers the waterfront from jazz to R&B, soul, and rock’n’roll. Jim shines on any stage he finds himself on. Tonight he sits in on a set with the Troubled Men. Topics include ditch digging, losses, Manny for Mayor, prequels, a resignation, NFL culture, family ties, a school band, a Huey’s residency, Doug Garrison, Jerry Lawler, Stan Getz, Eddie Harris, Jim Terry, Stax, the Memphis Horns, Leon Russell, Berklee College of Music, Sid Selvidge, Fred Ford, Nokie Taylor, the Antenna Club, Doug Easley, the Del Fuegos, the Replacements, Duck Dunn, Randy Haspel, band sandwiches, Levon Helm, Joe Mulherin, Austin City Limits, a Clinton inauguration, Garth Hudson, Brenda Lee, Chuck Berry, Ike Turner, and much more. Intro music: Styler/Coman Break music: “Shut Your Mouth When You Sneeze” by Screamin’ Jay Hawkins featuring Jim Spake Outro music: “River of Jive” by Charlie Wood featuring Jim Spake Support the podcast here. Join the Patreon page here. Shop for Troubled Men’s Wear here. Subscribe, review, and rate (5 stars) on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast source. Follow on social media, share with friends, and spread the Troubled Word. Troubled Men Podcast Facebook Troubled Men Podacst Instagram Jim Spake Homepage Jim Spake Facebook

This episode helps us get to know Stephanie Level of Music for Kiddos.  Stephanie is the creator of Music for Kiddos, a website that provides high-quality music and music resources for music therapists, music educators, and parents. She's mom to a spunky young daughter, a seasoned performer, an experienced music educator, and a board-certified music therapist. Stephanie is a Berklee College of Music graduate and is passionate about using music to help kids succeed. She specializes in working with babies and kids through age 6.   Stephanie jokes that she has a low tolerance for cheesy music. She writes music to help kids be successful in their daily life: night-time routines, transitions, movement, instrument exploration, academic concepts, and helping kids understand and express their feelings. Music cannot be "prescribed", because the effectiveness of music is highly individualized, but this is a starting point... some tried and true music and resources that you might find helpful, too.  You can learn more at https://www.musicforkiddos.com/   Check out our YouTube channel: Remember to Share and Subscribe! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdGhqK_DWpRIKS45ICqN3eQ   ***Classroom and Homeschool Teachers***  Find our digital resource to help enhance your classroom HERE!   Like us on Facebook!    Mr. Fite Check out original fun and educational music from Mr. Fite at  https://brucefite.com/music and subscribe to Mr. Fite's YouTube Channel   Mr. Henry Are you looking for affordable piano lessons for your 6-10-year-old? Start the music journey with Mr. Henry by taking a sneak peek into the Premier Membership with the free mini-piano course! https://www.mrhenrysmusicworld.com/piano   FREE Rock Out Loud Online Music Teaching Platform  [Disclosure: The Music Podcast for Kids is an affiliate of Rock Out Loud which means we receive a percentage of sales if a teacher decides to upgrade the service. There is no additional cost to the user. Our link gives access to the app for free as well!]

For four intense years in the 1980s, Susan Rogers worked side by side with pop superstar Prince, recording many of his best-known songs — and creating the archive of his recordings that's led to "new" releases, and expanded re-releases, since his 2016 passing. Susan's bio at the Berklee College of Music: https://college.berklee.edu/people/susan-rogers Opening theme: "Keepers" by Still Flyin' Closing theme: "Slow Draw/Feeling In My Heart" by Eric Frisch Additional music by Otis McDonald, TrackTribe, and Chad Crouch www.forkeepspodcast.com

Today on Boston Public Radio: EJ Dionne discusses the death of former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell, and the status of Democratic negotiations over President Joe Biden's spending bill. Dionne is a columnist for The Washington Post and a senior fellow at The Brookings Institution. His latest book is "Code Red: How Progressives And Moderates Can Unite To Save Our Country." Then, we ask listeners if they would go back to the office if promised one month of remote work, after Amazon announced a similar plan for its corporate employees. Charlie Sennott talks about the United States' role in political and economic chaos in Haiti, following the kidnapping of 17 U.S. and Canadian missionaries. He also emphasizes the importance of journalism with the awarding of this year's Nobel Peace Prize to journalists Dmitri A. Muratov from Russia and Maria Ressa from the Philippines. Sennott is a GBH News analyst and the founder and CEO of The GroundTruth Project. Renée Landers previews the upcoming U.S. Supreme Court term, including the Dzhokhar Tsarnaev death penalty case and debates over abortion. She also weighs in on term limits and whether or not she thinks Justice Stephen Breyer will retire before the end of Biden's term. Landers is a professor of law and faculty director of the health and biomedical law concentration at Suffolk University's School of Law. Revs. Irene Monroe and Emmett G. Price III weigh in on Dave Chapelle's Netflix special and Lizzo calling twerking sacred. Monroe is a syndicated religion columnist, the Boston voice for Detour's African American Heritage Trail and co-host of the All Rev'd Up podcast. Price is the founding pastor of Community of Love Christian Fellowship in Allston, the Inaugural Dean of Africana Studies at Berklee College of Music and co-host of the All Rev'd Up podcast. We end the show by talking with listeners about how they respond to receiving care from private healthcare workers who remain unvaccinated.

Aaron and Brent look at music from a Berklee College of Music grad originally from upstate New York and an Oscar nominated singer/songwriter from Portland. With honest and vulnerable lyrics devoted to introspection, social commentary and political awareness, Aaron highlights three songs from Brooklyn-based musician Brian Dunne. Propelled into the mainstream after director Gus Van Sant featured his music in the film Good Will Hunting, Brent spotlights three songs from the late Elliott Smith. Visit www.crossingthestreamspodcast.com for extended show notes.

Our Kickass Boomer of the Day is Susan Cattaneo, one of Boston's most respected singer/songwriters, blending rock and folk with a healthy dose of country. Susan won the CT Folk Festival and has been a finalist or winner at some of the country's most prestigious songwriting and music contests including: Kerrville New Folk, Emerging Artist Falcon Ridge, the International Acoustic Music Awards, the Independent Music Awards and the USA Songwriting Competition. Her latest album The Hammer and The Heart charted #1 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart and yielded a folk radio #1 single and top 10 album.  Join me in this episode and learn why Susan is a Kickass Boomer!  [00:01 - 04:55] Opening Segment I introduce and welcome Susan Cattaneo Susan talks about her amazing journey as a songwriter [04:56 - 14:53] Work Hard, Love Harder Susan shares her insights about the effects of COVID to our daily lives She talks about her experiences in writing songs Susan tells us the story behind some of her songs [14:54 - 24:33] The Beauty of Learning Susan shares the story when she almost quit songwriting The beauty of learning according to Susan Susan talks about the achievements she's most proud of [24:34 - 33:34] Finding Purpose in Life What's next for Susan? She shares her plans in the coming months We have an inspiring conversation about finding your purpose Don't miss Susan's message for Boomers! [33:35 - 37:04] Closing Segment  Connect with Susan! Links below  Final announcements    Tweetable Quotes: “I found that my journey is not just one river. It had a lot of tributaries and occasional little side things. It's been a wonderful journey.” - Susan Cattaneo “I don't believe in being sedentary in my life.” - Susan Cattaneo   Resource mentioned: Berklee College of Music Kickass Boomers Ep. 21: His 1963 hit “Forget Him,” his 5th Gold Record makes it hard to forget Teen Idol and Entertainer Bobby Rydell   Email susan@jerseygirlmusic.com to connect with Susan or follow her on Facebook. Check out her personal website to learn more about her music.  ----- BEE BOLD, NOT OLD.  LEAVE A REVIEW and join me on my journey to become and stay a Kickass Boomer! Visit http://kickassboomers.com/ to listen to the previous episodes. Also check us out on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.   You can also connect with me by emailing terry@kickassboomers.com. 

The Hump is PUMPED to present a  special episode this week honoring the birthday of bass legend, Ray Brown! Enjoy clips from Christian McBride, Larry Grenedier, John Clayton and more as they remember and share stories about Ray Brown. Tune in to find out why this episode is called, "'Nuff Said!"

This week's guest is Chris Chaney, a first-call player widely respected for his untouchable groove and uncanny sense for putting the notes just where they need to be. His well-earned reputation brought him from the classrooms of Berklee College and the beer-soaked floors of Los Angeles clubs to the world's biggest stages and top recording studios, including work with Alanis Morrisette, Jane's Addiction, Taylor Hawkins, and numerous film scores.Speaking with Josh Paul, Chris discusses his musical journey, insights on playing and getting gigs, as well as the fun world of gear. Listen to the Bass Freq's Podcast now, wherever you listen to podcasts, and subscribe so that you can hear from more intriguing and inspiring guests every week.

Today on Boston Public Radio: We begin the show by asking listeners whether or not they think Donald Trump will run in the 2024 Presidential Election. Trenni Kusnierek updates listeners on the latest sports news, including Jon Gruden's resignation as coach of the Las Vegas Raiders following the release of homophobic, racist and misogynistic emails, and the FBI's failure to investigate Larry Nassar. Kusnierek is an anchor and reporter for NBC Sports Boston, as well as a Boston Public Radio contributor. Ali Noorani discusses the scientific achievements of immigrants to the United States amid recent Nobel Prize announcements, and critiques the conditions at the border and treatment of Haitian migrants. Noorani is the President & Chief Executive Officer of the National Immigration Forum. His forthcoming book is Crossing Borders: The Reconciliation of a Nation of Immigrants. Rick Steves reports back from his latest travels to Paris and Mont Blanc, and shares his hopes for his next trip to Europe. Steves is an author, television and radio host and the owner of the Rick Steves' Europe tour group. You can catch his television show, "Rick Steves' Europe," weeknights at 7:30 p.m. on GBH 2 and his radio show, “Travel With Rick Steves,” Sundays at 4 p.m. on GBH. Revs. Irene Monroe and Emmett G. Price III talk about the significance of Indigenous People's Day and the effect of Facebook's outage on religious communities. Monroe is a syndicated religion columnist, the Boston voice for Detour's African American Heritage Trail and co-host of the All Rev'd Up podcast. Price is the founding pastor of Community of Love Christian Fellowship in Allston, the Inaugural Dean of Africana Studies at Berklee College of Music and co-host of the All Rev'd Up podcast. John King weighs in on the latest political headlines, including Democratic infighting in Washington D.C. and the possibility of Trump running again. King is CNN's Chief National Correspondent and anchor of "Inside Politics,” which airs weekdays and Sunday mornings at 8 a.m. We end the show by continuing the conversation with listeners about the possibility of a Trump 2024 campaign.

In this episode, Maggie is joined by Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig, who together make up the duo Lucius. Jess and Holly tell Maggie about the early days of their collaboration, how their unique sound and bold visual presence came together, and how they've navigated relationships in and out of the band over the years. The three discuss what's next for Lucius and touring plans for 2022.After meeting at Boston's Berklee College of Music, Wolfe and Laessig moved to Brooklyn and made their debut with 2013's Wildewoman. Their sophomore album Good Grief arrived in 2016, encompassing everything from glitzy rhythmic pop to songs channeling the charm and crushed innocence of '60s girl groups. They now reside in Los Angeles.Salute the Songbird is brought to you by Osiris Media. Hosted by Maggie Rose. Produced by Austin Marshall, Maggie Rose, Kirsten Cluthe and Brad Stratton. Music by Maggie Rose. Show logo by Premier Music Group. Graphics by Katherine Boils. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode, Alfred Darlington (aka Daedelus) and Dan discuss the future of music technology, hacks using Ableton Live's Drum Buss, the mentality of creating music, and much more. Alfred (they/them) have 20+ years producing on labels such as Brainfeeder, Ninjatune, Warp, and important upstarts like Albert's Favourites and Dome of Doom. Daedelus has collaborated with artists including Flying Lotus, MF Doom, Death Cab for Cutie, Kimbra, while performing over 1,000+ shows worldwide, from underground raves to festival mainstages. In 2019, they were taken on as faculty at the Berklee College of Music teaching electronic performance techniques and in 2020 became an artist in residence at S.E.T.I. Follow Daedelus: Twitter @Daedelus Instagram Facebook BandCamp Spotify Episode Supported By Melodics.com Melodics is a desktop app that helps you build your skills playing MIDI keyboards, pad controllers, or electronic drums. Check out the free trial and start having more fun while practicing at: https://melodics.com/ Save money purchasing the latest version of Ableton Live https://www.liveproducersonline.com/buyableton Join the newsletter and be the first to receive new episodes, Ableton Live downloads, special events, and more: https://www.liveproducersonline.com/newsletter

If you've ever felt like you don't identify as a singer or you are a better songwriter and you just kind of sing because you want your songs to get out there. Or, if you've always considered your voice to be second to your piano playing, this episode is for you! Andrea of BLB is an award winning singer/songwriter in electronica duo Brite Lite Brite with electronics master Lukas Johnson, both alumni of Berklee College of Music. Andrea's musical highlights include winning the grand prize in the electronic category of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, earning semi-finalist placement for three songs in the International Songwriting Contest, live performances at Lollapalooza and Virgin Mobile Fest, a song representation with EMI Music Publishing, and song placements in Film and TV. 

   Andrea's always considered herself a songwriter first, and she joined the Star Singer Greenroom and started taking voice lessons last Fall to learn more about singing. Andrea has written hundreds of songs in multiple genres and is currently looking for singers to collaborate with and help get noticed in the music industry. She's prepared a playlist of songs that she is currently in search of singers for and will be pitching to a music supervisor whom she is presently working with. Instrumentals of the songs, vocal demos, and lyrics are posted at: https://soundcloud.com/andreaofblb/sets/star-singer-collaborations/s-TxT0iK6AHku If you're interested in singing any of her songs, please contact Andrea via this Google form:  https://forms.gle/v7rJ7igddRrPRML3A Styles currently seeking: R&B, Indie, Pop, Electronic Female and Male Vocals Socials Insta. and Twitter: @AndreaofBLB @BriteLiteBrite andrea@britelitebrite.com www.britelitebrite.com Spotify (All song releases): https://open.spotify.com/playlist/42wxt5d8ym4j3lp5xQu51B?si=5eba817b57d841a3  

SUMMARYOur guest on this episode of Songcraft is Justin Gray, a songwriter, record producer, and music executive whose projects have sold in excess of 40 million copies, and earned more than eight billion streams worldwide. He'll join us in a bit to talk about his day-to-day life as a songwriter-producer who has worked with Avril Lavigne, Mariah Carey, Glen Campbell, John Legend, and many others. PART ONEScott and Paul welcome Darrin Pfeiffer for a conversation about drumming, songwriting, and more. Darrin is a fabulous drummer (formerly of Goldfinger), the host of the Dangerous Darrin Show podcast, Scott's neighbor, and a heck of a nice guy. PART TWOOur in-depth interview with Justin GrayABOUT JUSTIN GRAYJustin Gray is a Canadian-born, Los Angeles-based songwriter, record producer, music executive and tech entrepreneur. His various projects have sold in excess of 40 million copies, and earned more than eight billion streams worldwide. He has collaborated with a diverse range of artists including Avril Lavigne, Mariah Carey, John Legend, Luis Fonsi, Joss Stone, Glen Campbell, and many others. He has scored several #1 hits around the globe, including one of China's biggest hits of 2020 with Universal Music artist Sunnee. His extensive film and TV work includes Toy Story 4, Melissa McCarthy's Life of The Party, Hannah Montana, Beverly Hills 90210, Modern Family, Lethal Weapon, Hawaii 5-0, and many others. He has been a guest speaker at Canadian Music Week and South by Southwest, and has been a lecturer for master classes in songwriting and production at Berklee College of Music, USC Thornton School of Music, and UCLA. 

Ana Ortiz Wienken is a Berklee College of Music alumni, graduated with a Magna Cum Laude in Film Scoring, Conducting and Music Production. Her career has been eventually intense as she began her musical training at the Russian Conservatory Katarina Gurska of Madrid, in where she obtained a Magna Cum Laude degree in classical piano performance and contemporary composition. Ana had the honor of assisting and working with award winning composers in relation with Warner Bros. Studios, Music & Motion Productions, Team Disney, Output, Velvet Green Music, Chroma Music for TV and Advertising and the Latin Grammy Scholarship Foundation. Her knowledge and experience in recording studios in Los Angeles, CA. Boston, MA. New York, NY. Madrid, Spain. Panamá, Venice, Italy, and Dublin, Ireland has taken her to found her company AOW Music Productions. In our conversation Ana speaks about her experiences with working in the film and composing industry and how she works for herself as an entrepreneurial composer. Learn more on Dreams Not Memes.

Daedelus (aka Alfred Darlington) stands for a world awash in sound. With 20+ years producing on labels such as Brainfeeder, Ninjatune, Warp, and important upstarts like Albert's Favourites and Dome of Doom. All the while performing over 1,000+ shows worldwide, from underground raves to festival mainstages. In 2019 they were taken on as faculty at the Berklee College of Music teaching electronic performance techniques and in 2020 became an artist in residence at S.E.T.I.   Daedelus Links:   https://www.facebook.com/Daedelusmusic/     https://www.youtube.com/user/daedelusdarling     https://www.instagram.com/daedelus/     https://twitter.com/daedelus     Mr. Bill's Links: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mrbillstunes https://live.mrbillstunes.com/ https://discord.gg/ySjhgWQ https://mrbill.bandcamp.com/ https://www.youtube.com/user/MrBillsTunes Podcast Produced & Edited by: https://twitter.com/303FuMo

Today on Boston Public Radio: District Attorney Rachael Rollins responds to Republican attacks, following a tied party-line vote by the Senate Judiciary Committee on her nomination for U.S. Attorney. She also talks about her decision to move towards overturning a 50-year-old rape conviction, after the victim expressed worries about identifying the wrong perpetrator. Rollins is the Suffolk County DA and nominee to be the State's next U.S. Attorney. Then, we ask listeners their thoughts on Facebook, as the company comes under fire by whistleblower Frances Haugen. Charlie Sennott talks about a partnership between over 150 investigative journalists to leak the Pandora Papers, which exposed financial secrets of some of the world's most wealthy and powerful people. He also discusses the need for better immigration policy from President Joe Biden. Sennott is a GBH News analyst and the founder and CEO of The GroundTruth Project. British Consul General Peter Abbott talks about opportunities for offshore wind energy partnerships between the U.S. and U.K., and the relationship between Biden and U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Abbott is the British Consul General to New England. Revs. Irene Monroe and Emmett G. Price III debate the ethics of singing Amazing Grace and other songs with troubled histories, given that Amazing Grace was written by a slave trader. They also discuss a racist email sent to Black students at UMass Amherst. Monroe is a syndicated religion columnist, the Boston voice for Detour's African American Heritage Trail and co-host of the All Rev'd Up podcast. Price is the founding pastor of Community of Love Christian Fellowship in Allston, the Inaugural Dean of Africana Studies at Berklee College of Music and co-host of the All Rev'd Up podcast. Adam Reilly weighs in on the state of the mayor's race, including Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley's endorsement of City Councilor and mayoral candidate Michelle Wu, and who he thinks has a leg up in the historic election. Reilly is a reporter for GBH news, co-host of the Scrum Politics podcast and co-host of Election 2021: Boston's Race Into History on GBH 2. We end the show by asking listeners whether they enjoy apple picking as a fun fall activity -- or decry its performativity -- as October begins.

I caught up with my old friend and phenomenal drummer, the incredible Mike Mangini! Mike discussed teaching and keeping busy during Dream Theater's downtime, traveling together on his first clinic tour in 1996, his love of education, practice and warm up routines, old friends Dennis Chambers and Dave Weckl, and much more! 

Sharing messages of understanding in her music, Stacey Kelleher writes songs that make one thing clear: she's still figuring life out, and that's okay. With catchy melodies reminiscent of LANY and Maggie Rogers, emotive lyrics like Phoebe Bridgers', and quirky indie-pop production similar to Holly Humberstone's, Kelleher has cultivated the unique sound of herself - a young woman working hard and keeping it real. A talent-based scholarship graduate of the prestigious Berklee College of Music, Kelleher has performed at legendary venues including The Hotel Café in Los Angeles, California and the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee, where she is currently releasing new music leading up to her new EP, due out in November 2021. We welcome Stacey to share her story, unique path and more.

Jessica DeFino is a freelance beauty journalist living in Los Angeles, California. For the past seven years Jessica has been writing, researching, editing, and publishing about the beauty and wellness industry. Her work has appeared in Vogue, The Cut, Fashionista.com, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Business Insider, SELF, HelloGiggles, Harper's Bazaar, and more.Before starting her career as a freelance journalist, Jessica worked as a beauty writer for The Zoe Report. She was Director of Communications at Fame and Partners, and worked as a ghostwriter for Khloé Kardashian and Kendall Jenner.Jessica earned her bachelor's degree in Music/Business Songwriting from the Berklee College of Music. Jessica's music degree brings a unique perspective to her writing. It infuses each piece with lyrical qualities of storytelling, flow, and connection to her audience.Jessica also publishes a bi-monthly beauty newsletter called The Unpublishable, where she shares “What the beauty industry won't tell you — from a reporter on a mission to reform it.”In this episode, you'll learn about: Making lasting connections with your audience Why understanding music and rhythm makes your writing better Capturing and keeping your readers' attention right from the outset The dangers of cross-posting your content across social media Links & Resources Vogue Magazine Allure Harper's Bazaar Ursula K. Le Guin RhymeZone Ali Abdaal Jessica DeFino's Links Follow Jessica on Twitter The Unpublishable Jessica's Instagram Episode Transcript[00:00:00] Jessica:I started writing as a songwriter. The musicality of something is very important to me. So I'll read my own stuff out loud sometimes. I feel when people can read something and there's a clear flow and rhythm to it, and the words melt into each other sound nice next to each other, it locks them into the content early on. You want to keep reading because if you stop reading it's like you're breaking this rhythm that you've started.[00:00:34] Nathan:In this episode I talk to Jessica DeFino. She's a journalist covering the beauty industry, but she tends to take an approach that's not as popular with sponsors and publishers, because she's anti a lot of their products and a lot of the nonsense that is put into the products and the marketing behind it.She's taking a critical angle and she's well loved by her readers because of it, but maybe not so loved by the big brands. We talk about how that came about. We talk about her writing style, her approach of using her background in song writing and going to school for songwriting to have a better, more interesting writing style.She gives some tips along that angle, talking about how she launched a newsletter last year and growing that to 9,000 subscribers. How that is a backbone for the rest of her work she does in journalism.It's a great conversation. So, let's dive in.Jessica, welcome to the show.[00:01:28] Jessica:Thank you so much for having me.[00:01:29] Nathan:We'll jump around a whole bunch, but I want to start on the launching of your newsletter. What was the moment when you started to think, okay, I want to actually run a newsletter and start to control my own audience?[00:01:44] Jessica:I had been toying with the idea for a while, and then I think it was, April, 2020, right after the pandemic, where I had gotten into a situation where—I'm a freelance reporter—I had four freelance stories out when March happened, and Coronavirus lockdowns happened and everything was up in the air.The company severed ties with all of their freelancers and basically gave these four unpublished stories back to me, and gave me a kill fee. So it was like I had reported out these whole stories. I had spent months on them, and now I had nowhere to put them, and I gave it about a month of pitching it out to other alums.There weren't any takers because media was in such a precarious position at the time. Finally I was like, maybe this is the opportunity I've been waiting for to launch a newsletter. and I decided to call it The Unpublishable because I couldn't get anyone to publish this. And yeah, it's been going, almost like every other week.[00:02:50] Nathan:Nice. Yeah. It's interesting how these unfortunate moments result in something that's like, okay, this is actually either a good thing now, or hopefully going to be a good thing soon, but it starts with difficult times.[00:03:05] Jessica:Yeah, exactly. I wanted these pieces to be big. They were stories that I thought were important to tell, and I really wanted them to be in a major outlet. Sometimes with media, you can't sit on things for very long. It was like, I maybe have two more weeks before they stopped becoming relevant.[00:03:23] Nathan:Yeah. So for context, for anyone listening, what were some of those stories as an example?[00:03:27] Jessica:The first story I published with a piece called “Where are All the Brown Hands?” It was a look into the overwhelming whiteness of the top nailcare companies in beauty. If you would look at their Instagrams or if you would look at their websites, everything was modeled on white hands.As a beauty reporter, when I have to source images for the stories, I don't want to just be showing white hands. If I'm writing about nail trends or whatever, and it would take me hours every week to comb through places and try to find the trend I was speaking to on a person of color. At one point, I was like, why is this happening and how come it's so hard?This should not be hard. So, I wanted to do an investigation into it, and just like that the whole process had already taken six months. I was like, you don't know what's going to happen in this story. It might be scooped. It might be written by somebody else. It might be irrelevant in another month or so.So, I really wanted to get that out there, and that started it.[00:04:31] Nathan:When you publish a story like that, and you're used to publishing for a major beauty publication, but you're publishing it for yourself. What did that look like? What was the process of saying, I have this story that I've worked on for a long time, and I have a brand new newsletter and all at once.How did you bring that to life and pull the audience together?[00:04:52] Jessica:Well, luckily at that point I had a mask, a little bit of a social media following just from my work on work, like major publications. Like I had been writing for Vogue and allure. Harper's bizarre. And I had been pretty diligent about building up a social media audience. So I had a pretty sizable, amount of readers just from Instagram.And a couple of years prior, I had like tried starting my own beauty content platform, but I never really had the time to dedicate to it. But I had a small email list from that, from when I was still doing it. So I kind of like funneled all of that together under this new umbrella of this is going to be like my personal reporting newsletter and I kind of got the word out on Instagram.So it ended up reaching like a surprisingly large audience for something that was like a first-time newsletter.[00:05:44] Nathan:Yeah. So if you don't mind sharing how many subscribers were like to that first article?[00:05:49] Jessica:I think that first article probably went out to like 1500 subscribers[00:05:53] Nathan:Okay. Yeah, but that's you're right. That, that is a surprisingly of like, here's the first thing that we're doing.And I guess it goes to show from right. Spending a whole career being known and, and building it in this space. And then, you know, you're not starting from scratch when you funnel entity.[00:06:10] Jessica:Yeah, it, it had always been important to me to, not as important, but it was something I thought about to collect email addresses and to get social media followers, because my goal had always been to write a book. And I know that when publishers are looking at whether to buy a book from you, it matters what kind of audience you have and how many people you have on an email list.So even though I wasn't sending things out prior to finally launching the newsletter, Collecting emails here and there. Just, just to have for the, for the book pitch one day.[00:06:42] Nathan:Yes. That's something that I've always heard is, you know, from agents and friends who are authors and all of that, as they talked about the, the email as being the thing that the publisher is looking for, they're like, Yeah, that sounds good. First question.[00:06:57] Jessica:Yeah.[00:06:57] Nathan:I mean, they use it as a proxy for how many copies can you sell?[00:07:01] Jessica:Exactly. Yeah. When I was pitching out my book, it was all about, Instagram. I, this was probably like two years ago now. and I couldn't get an agent to talk to me until I had 10,000 Instagram followers. So that's like, all I cared about for maybe a year, I was like, I don't care. I'm not going to put effort into anything else.I just need these Instagram followers.[00:07:23] Nathan:Yeah. So you have 35,000 followers on Instagram now. what were the things that worked for you as far as growing that, that audience on it?[00:07:32] Jessica:Honestly, in the beginning, when I was like, I need to get to 10,000 followers, I was a little scammy about it. I did a lot of the like follow unfollow. So I followed a ton of people who were following accounts that were similar to mine.And kind of, and what you do with that is like, they see that you followed them, they check out your page.Hopefully they follow you back. If they don't follow you back, you can like unfollow that person to keep your ratio looking good.[00:08:00] Nathan:So is that like going through and following like 50 people a day kind of thing or hundreds[00:08:05] Jessica:Yeah. I mean probably 50 to 200 people. Like I would spend probably an hour or two hours a day just doing. Stupid stuff like that, but I didn't really care about, but I was like, I'll do anything to get a book deal. If it's following 200 people a day, that doesn't bother me. And if at the end of the day, they're looking at my profile and saying, Hey, this is somebody whose content I care about.I'm going to follow them. It doesn't feel like bad or wrong to me. So I just did a lot of that[00:08:34] Nathan:Yeah, it's a very small way, like small and non-intrusive way to be like, Hey. Do you want to pay? Like, you're just sort of raising your hand and people either go like no, or they go, oh yeah, I'll look at that for a second.What's interesting is I think that a lot of creators started in that way, but probably now when they tell their story, they're like, yeah. You know, I just, I just put out good content and then the content itself. And before you know it, I was, you know, internet famous, you know,[00:09:01] Jessica:I think that worked, it worked like 10 years ago, maybe even five years ago, but right now there's just so much content out there on every platform. And I don't think it's fair to say that if you have great content, you will be successful on that alone. Like, I think you need more than that today.[00:09:18] Nathan:Yeah. So, so the following, people in the space, which we'd recommend, you know, regardless, what are some of the other things, on that quest to 10, that will.[00:09:27] Jessica:Yeah, I was falling up a storm.I was liking a ton of stuff cause that's kind of the same strategy. Like sometimes Instagram too will phrase your account. If you like too many things or you. follow too many people. So I was getting into that. I did a ton of hashtagging at the time. luckily the, the area that I write to to beauty has like a very big and dedicated community on Instagram.So there are a ton of like beauty community hashtags out there that I was following and getting involved in and commenting and just really making my presence known in this community while at the same time posting my own content. That I thought had a very different point of view that would be intriguing to people.So once they saw that I was engaged, they were like, who is this person? And there was, you know, a lot of content there for them to, to delve into.[00:10:18] Nathan:Yeah, that's good. In the last, episode of this show, I had a YouTuber on his name's Ali doll and he's got, you know, he's built up to 2 million subscribers on YouTube, but he talked about that like back catalog that you have of when someone comes across your work for the first time, like seeing the back catalog and seeing it have a unique point of view.And I feel like. That would be the experience, you know, when you pop up in some little way. Okay. Another, you know, beauty, Instagram account, and then you come in like, oh, this is actually different. Has a unique point of view. So, I'd love for you to share. I don't know what the, the short version of like the different perspective that you're bringing to the beauty industry and what someone would notice when they come to your Instagram or your, newsletter.And they're like, this is different. This is a, you know,[00:11:08] Jessica:Yeah.[00:11:09] Nathan:Challenging.[00:11:10] Jessica:I think the easiest way to put it that most beauty content out there is very fluffy. and very positive and very product heavy. and my stance is very beauty industry critical. and I, I say that I'm pro skin anti product. So I'm much more interested in how beauty applies to like your actual skin and your actual body and like the human itself, rather than this external product, you can apply some very focused on the science of how human beings work rather than the science of like a skincare and.[00:11:44] Nathan:Right. Okay. Is there an example that comes to mind of something where you're like, do this? Not that.[00:11:50] Jessica:Yeah. I mean, probably the biggest example is just, I mostly tell people to stop using skincare, you know, period. End of story. Just, you don't have to, our skin does all of that for us. You know, humans have survived millennia without pre bottled products, and there's no reason why. In the past 30 years, our skin has suddenly evolved to need a 10 step routine.It doesn't so, yeah, I just tell people, stop using it. And they're shocked at the results all the time.[00:12:20] Nathan:I like that. I could see a conflict in. Message and business model in the industry. and your interaction in this. there's a lot of money in the industry of obviously selling, I mean, any product, but especially a product that you need to buy every month or every three months or something like that.Like that's a very good business. So have you had any, any conflict of publications not wanting to pick up your stories or any of those things as the publication is. You tell your people to not buy our sponsor's products, you know, or something like that.[00:12:55] Jessica:Oh yeah. I mean, there's been a ton of pushback and depending on what platform I'm writing for, I. See my work being edited in a certain way or softened in a certain way or a brand name being taken out. I've had articles be published and then the platform takes them down almost immediately because an advertiser has complained.I've had legal action threatened against me while I'm reporting for a story just for asking questions. yeah. Yeah. It's that kind of stuff happens all the time because in beauty journalism, there is a huge. Conflict between what you're supposed to be writing about and who's footing the bill for that content, which is products and advertisers.And I think in the beauty industry in particular, there's this extreme lack of objectivity where, you know, editors and journalists and influencers are all gifted product or taken on press trips. And. And given money to review products in a way that in any other industry, you wouldn't be able to call that journalism.You know, there's always gotta be some sort of separation there. Like a typical journalist is not allowed to accept gifts in the beauty industry. It's the complete opposite. It's like, well, how can you write about our product if we don't gift it to you? So it's, it's a very weird space that is very reliant on gifts and money and advertising.[00:14:18] Nathan:So how has that changed as well as you've launched your own newsletter? I imagine you're still doing plenty of freelance writing. Is that.[00:14:27] Jessica:Yeah. Yeah. I'm still, my, my thing is, is I try if I have a story I want to tell, I obviously want to tell it to the biggest platform possible. And then if I can't get the story placed somewhere else, I will, I will tackle it for the news.[00:14:43] Nathan:Okay. So yeah. How has like, has the news that are helped? Like, for example, you're trying to get us started placed and they're like, sure, we'll place it. But could we do this version of it instead? And, and you know, maybe you're saying that like, no that's okay. Whereas before the paycheck might've mattered more or how's That. relationship?[00:15:01] Jessica:Yeah, that's pretty much spot on. I, I didn't really push back too much before, but now that I have. platform that like actually brings in, okay. Money for me. It's not like if I say no, I don't want that story published this way. It's really not like I'm losing out on a paycheck anymore because I will make that up from my own subscribers.So, I think since I've launched the newsletter, there have been two instances of that where I've written a story for a platform have been uncomfortable with the edits and actually. And was like, no, I don't, I don't want to publish it this way. And that feels really good to have a little bit more control over, over what I want to say and the information I want to put out there.[00:15:45] Nathan:Yeah. I mean, you have even more, I mean, you, you always had agency, right. But now it's like, you have an alternative instead of like, I'll keep pitching it to someone else who might have the same objections or, or that kind of thing. On the business side what's well, actually, maybe if we dive into the newsletter today, right?So that we talked about where I was at a year ago when we launched to, I just said, we, when you launched, I had nothing to do with my launch. There's no Royal we in that are taking credit later. when you launched, you know, a year and a half ago, there was at 1500 subscribers. where's it at today,[00:16:24] Jessica:I'm at 9,000 subscribers now.[00:16:26] Nathan:Right?[00:16:28] Jessica:But, I mean, I have a model where some of it is free and some of it is paid, so there are like different cohorts within the subscriber-based too. But like, I'm, I'm pretty happy with how it's grown on the free side so far.[00:16:41] Nathan:Yeah. And so on the paid side, you're charging $7 a month, or 77 a year. What was the thinking on the pricing there? Was that something that you like agonized over a lot or was that a, like, we'll just go with something and see how it works.[00:16:54] Jessica:Yeah, I didn't agonize over it too much. I started out at $5 a month and, after I got maybe my first hundred or 200 paid subscribers and I felt really good about like, wow, that feels like a lot. That's like a good chunk of change I didn't have before. And then when I was looking into the fees that were taken from like Stripe processing, from sub staff, I was taking home like closer to $3 per subscriber.And I was like for the time and attention that I want to give this project, I'm just not going to be making it. At $5 a month until I hit a certain number of paid subscribers. so I decided to bump it up to seven, just to sort of motivate myself to put the time and attention into it that I wanted to give it because if I wasn't going to be bringing in like, actually $5 to me, it didn't feel worth it.So by pricing it at seven, I get more like $5, which felt like a, okay, I'm happy with that number. now that I do have more paid subscribers, I am toying with the idea of, of lowering it because I feel like I feel like from, at least from my perspective, when I am subscribing to a newsletter,I subscribe to a ton of them.I'm much more interested to click. I'm much more likely to click pay and subscribe if it's $5.And if it's like six or seven or eight,[00:18:21] Nathan:You think about[00:18:22] Jessica:Eh, that's kind of a lot. Do I care enough about this content to pay that much? But personally for me, $5 is like a whatever I'll I'll subscribe kind of thing. So I, I think I'm getting closer to the point where I feel like I have enough of a base that I can do that and hopefully reach more people.[00:18:42] Nathan:Right. Okay. I have so many questions here, but diving into the psychology side of when you're deciding to subscribe to something, right? Cause everyone listening is Ryan newsletter and asking these same questions. Like, should it be $5? Should it be $20? Should it be free? Shouldn't be $2. You know, like any of these things.And then they're analyzing their own buying habits. And they're like, but what if it's a business versus a fitness versus, you know, any of these, like what category I'm in and what are those other things that you notice beyond price? When you as a newsletter consumer, I go to like instant subscribe versus like, well, think about this.How many articles have I enjoyed from the recent layer? Like that, tips it over to the other side.[00:19:25] Jessica:Right. Oh, I don't know that there are that, like my personal revelations will be. relevant to people. I personally, just because I run a newsletter, I love to support. So if it's anything that I'm like vaguely interested in and it's like $5 a month or less, I don't know why $5 is my cutoff, but also subscribe.And I'll just see what it's like for a couple of months. And if I don't like it, Whatever I can always unsubscribe, but I just really love the idea of putting that abundance out there into the universe and just being like, I'm a little bit interested in this and I want to support this creator because I know what a, like a hustle it is.I'm sure the average, like newsletter consumer doesn't really doesn't really think that way. but for me, I don't know. I love a good headline if it's like a good quippy, funny headline, like I want to be reading. fun, critical content. There's a lot of like heavy, critical content out there. and I love something that's like fun and critical, so that'll get my[00:20:27] Nathan:Yeah. There are things wrong with the world and we could get depressed about them, but that doesn't[00:20:32] Jessica:Yeah,[00:20:34] Nathan:About fixing the things that are wrong with the world,[00:20:36] Jessica:yeah, exactly. Like turn it into a little bit of a, like the state of the world I feel is so bizarre.[00:20:43] Nathan:Right.[00:20:44] Jessica:Just so wild that we have set up the world the way we've set it up. Like everything that, that exists is just something that like some guy made up one day and we were like, okay, we're going to go along with it.And I feel like there is a lot of humor in that. so yeah, I, I love looking at the depressing state of the world for like a bit of a jokey lens. So if I find anything like that, I'm like immediate.[00:21:09] Nathan:Yeah, that makes sense. And I think that's where for anyone writing their content, like having that voice really matters. So it's not just, you know, this is what you're teaching or this is, the educational side. Or present the entertaining side. It's like, okay. But how can you, how are you gonna make me feel as I read and consume this.[00:21:29] Jessica:That's a great way to think about it. I think the difference, when I'm consuming like a newsletter versus the news is I don't really know. I don't concern myself with like tone or voice when I'm reading an article from like the New York times or the Washington post. but a newsletter is so much more personal.It's like you're getting into people's personal inbox, it's more of a one-on-one relationship. and I think it's a great opportunity to play with your voice in a way that you really sometimes can not when you're writing for a media plan.[00:22:04] Nathan:Yeah. So what are the things that you've done to practice that obviously you've had a whole career as a writer. And so, you know, as you've found your voice and the things that you play with, are there yeah. Little exercises or things that you play with or try on, or anything like that? Any, any tips for someone who's also looking to like craft their own way?[00:22:26] Jessica:It's as much of a tip, but I started writing as a songwriter. I went to school for songwriting. So I feel like a lot of my writing takes that into account. Like that's the musicality of something is very important to me. So I'll like read my own stuff out loud. Sometimes like flow of a sentence is very important to me, the rhythm of a sentence, the like intonation, the, Continence and assonance and all of that alliteration, I, I feel like when people can read something and there's a clear flow and rhythm to it, and the words like melt into each other sound nice next to each other.I personally feel like it locks them into the content early on. Like you want to keep reading because if you stop reading, it's like you're breaking this rhythm that you've started. So, yeah, I would say rhythm is very important to me and reading things out loud helps me make sure that what I've written is what I'd like envisioned and felt[00:23:35] Nathan:Yeah.[00:23:36] Jessica:Mind and my heart when I was conceptualizing the thing.[00:23:39] Nathan:Yeah, reading out loud is a really good tip because there's so many things where I'll find myself starting to read what I wrote and then like finishing it in a much more like in my head in a much more conversational way, and then realizing the sentences or the following sentences that I had. We're not conversational.They were like stilted. The version that I wanted to auto finish in my head is like, oh, that's better. Let's let's say that instead.[00:24:05] Jessica:I love that. And I think, I think newsletter subscribers are like ready for more. Conversational writing. Like I don't, I think you can be like professional and say something that has weight and has merit and has value and still be kind of, you know, casual about it.[00:24:23] Nathan:Yeah.[00:24:23] Jessica:As a strategy to connect with people.[00:24:26] Nathan:Is there a poster or a piece that you've written that you felt like. Maybe you struggled to find that balance of like, it was a, maybe a weighty piece or something like that. And you're like, oh, maybe this one I shouldn't be playful with or, you know, finding[00:24:41] Jessica:Yeah, there are definitely times when I take a break from the jokey conversationality I think the last big piece that I wrote, was about, anti-Asian racism when like all the news came out that like anti-Asian hate crimes were at an all time high. there's a lot of the beauty industry tends to take a lot of its concepts from Eastern culture, from Asian cultures.So, there was a lot to say there about racism within the beauty industry that, you know, happens in ways that you may not even realize. So for a piece like that, I think there were some moments of, of humor within it, like a dark humor within it, but for the most part, for, for things like that, I take that very seriously.I think my readers take that very seriously and I. It's less conversational then, because it's like, no, I have something that's like very important and clear that I want to get through to you. And I don't want it to be muddled with any sort of, uh jokingness.[00:25:46] Nathan:Yeah, that makes sense. So let's say you were a writing coach, coaching someone,Ryan newsletter, that sort of thing. You don't have to become a writing coach after this. Just.[00:25:59] Jessica:Thank God.[00:26:00] Nathan:But like, you know, you have a friend, maybe they're writing the newsletter, they've got a couple of thousand subscribers they're getting going in.And they're saying like, you know, they, they hear what you're talking about of the, the musicality and the, the flow of, of writing. And they're like, okay. Short of going to songwriting school, like, what's the, what, you know, is there, a book or another thing that you would recommend of where to start to, to sort of dive into the flow of what you write?[00:26:29] Jessica:There is a great essay, by Ursula K Le, is that how you say her last name?[00:26:37] Nathan:I'm not sure.[00:26:37] Jessica:Read it and I've never said it out loud before.[00:26:41] Nathan:Yep. I have so many things like that in my life where I'm like, I don't know how to pronounce this word.[00:26:46] Jessica:It's so embarrassing writing about skincare, because there are these huge, like long skincare ingredients that I write all the time. I can spell them for you off the top of my head, but then I tried to like say them out loud on a podcast, for example. And I'm like, I don't know how to say this at all. I'm looking for this, this essay it's from her book.No, no time to spare[00:27:10] Nathan:Okay.[00:27:10] Jessica:And there's this. And she writes a lot about right. but she has this beautiful essay about rhythm, and how it's different in poetry and how it's different in pros and how to kind of like sort out the rhythm of your piece. and I would say that was hugely helpful to me when I, when I first read it.So I would recommend doing that and. Yeah, I don't know. I use things like, I mean, I, I use it the sores all the time, but I use rhyme zone a lot for like fun phrasing and plays on words. It's just rhyme zone.com and you type in the word that you're you're playing with. And it'll kind of like, you know,[00:27:50] Nathan:Oh, interesting. Yeah.That's exactly the kind of, kind of that's good. Yeah. A lot of people, you know, they come to newsletters from kind of two different sides, either from the journalist, professional writer side or the, you know, hobbyist, maybe even, I never thought I'd be a writer, but I have this skill or something to teach or behind the scenes in this industry.And like writing maybe as a slog or a chore. And so it was always interesting when these two worlds meet and either, you know, one group might be really good at marketing because they knew they came from that world and another group.[00:28:27] Jessica:Yeah.[00:28:27] Nathan:Really good at writing and they each hate the other's job, but[00:28:31] Jessica:Yeah,[00:28:31] Nathan:Like they pick the job.That's the intersection of both of those worlds.[00:28:35] Jessica:Yeah, no, you're so right. I think there is this like sort of misconception in the journalism and reporting space that any reporter who is on sub stack has decided to go in all in on the newsletter. Because there have been some very high profile journalists who are no longer writing for like the times or the posts and they're just doing their newsletter.But I think for the large majority of, of reporters and journalists who have, who have started newsletters as well, it's like a both and kind of thing.[00:29:06] Nathan:Yeah.[00:29:06] Jessica:Sill freelancing and we have this, this sort of personal platform.[00:29:11] Nathan:Yeah. So how do you think about your career developing over the next couple of years? Is it, is there a specific milestone in mind, where you're trying to grow the newsletter to, to do that full-time or is it always trying to place a piece to the biggest possible audience?What's that like?[00:29:29] Jessica:Yeah, I would say my goal, like I very much, this is kind of earnest and nerdy, but like, I very much want to change the beauty industry. I see so much that is wrong with it and I see how it like emotionally impacts people. in terms of anxiety, depression, mental disorders, eating disorders, like there's a lot of heavy stuff that comes out of the beauty industry.And I like, I'm very passionate about actually measurably changing it. So for me, the number one thing is always, I want to reach the largest audience possible with an unadulterated message. So if I can do that in a place like the New York times, of course, I'd rather place it there than my own news. if I can do that through a book, of course, I'd rather write it in a book then in my own newsletter.So the newsletter has been sort of like a nice foundation for me to have and a nice fallback for me to have. And I, I truly love fostering it as its own little separate entity, but I would, I would say I almost try harder to place things elsewhere because I wantAs many people as possible to be able to, to read the things that I'm writing. the newsletter I'm I am writing my first book right now, and it's definitely been hard to juggle book writing with like reporting for other platforms and deadlines. So I will say like juggling a book and my own personal newsletter has been much easier than trying to juggle a book and reporting. So I think, I think there will be times in my writing career while I'll lean a little bit more heavily on the newsletter.And times where I'll lighten up on the newsletter. I'm always seeing it as sort of like a supplemental tool to my like greater mission.[00:31:13] Nathan:I think, I don't know what publication they were writing for. but someone was telling me about, was that in each of these publications, they're watching the view counts, you know, for every story. And they had gotten the newsletter. I think they were maybe at 20, 25,000 subscribers. And they would, when they placed a piece with a fairly major publication, they would email it out.And they, it was enough direct traffic to that individual piece that they could get it to move on. Some of these internally watched leaderboards and stuff like that. And so editors were paying attention to that of like, they didn't necessarily know like making things up that, you know, Jessica was the one who drove a bunch of traffic to this, but they're just like, wow, Jessica's stories are consistently resonating.And so they were wanting to pick up more pieces in that. and so I was always wondering about that, of how you can, it's not gaming an algorithm or anything like that.[00:32:08] Jessica:Hmm.[00:32:08] Nathan:Just saying like, look, here's my story. And I bring an audiences.[00:32:12] Jessica:Oh, I love that. I might try to do that. I always do. Like I do these little roundups every other week for my paid subscribers.And if I have something that comes out, I'll always put, drop the link in there, but I've never done like a strategized push like[00:32:28] Nathan:Right.[00:32:29] Jessica:Be interesting to experiment for sure.[00:32:31] Nathan:Well, cause it's like, if someone is following you that they're following you for. Your content and your ideas and your perspective. And they probably don't really care if it's, you know, in your sub stack, you know, on your Instagram or, you know,[00:32:48] Jessica:Right.[00:32:48] Nathan:Major publication, there's like, look, I want to read your, your content.And you're like, oh, today's article is[00:32:54] Jessica:Yeah.[00:32:55] Nathan:Here on Vogue. Or, you know,[00:32:57] Jessica:Kind of nice to hear, because I think that's something that I do worry about pretty often with my newsletter is I feel like a ton of my newsletter readership has come from social media. And so I'm like very conscious of cross posting. Like I don't, I don't want someone to get my newsletter and say, I already saw this on your Instagram, so I don't need to subscribe.I don't need another email in my inbox because I'm seeing it on Insta, you know? And I don't know if that's like a legitimate concern or how much people see when they subscribe to you on different platforms. but that has been. You know, something that I'm very mindful of, where if it's like a meme that I'm posting on social media, or just like a one-off Instagram post, I'm probably not going to repeat that content, even if I think it's good or important on the newsletter. Just because I don't know, I'm aware of like how precious it is to allow someone into your email inbox, because at least for me, like email is very annoying. The worst part of my day is trying to like go through my inbox and file it away into folders. And I never want my newsletter to be like, oh, I've seen this already. I've seen something very similar from her already.[00:34:09] Nathan:Right. Yeah. I don't know that I have a perspective on that. I'm just thinking about it. I don't have the same concern. but I don't know that. You know whether I should or not. I think probably my approach would be that if you've already seen something, let's say there's five or six things in the newsletter and I've already seen one of them on Instagram, but I just skipped past that one.[00:34:30] Jessica:Yeah.[00:34:31] Nathan:And so my focus would be on making sure that everything is high quality, more than making sure that everything is, completely a unique[00:34:40] Jessica:Yeah. That's I mean, that's encouraging to hear, and I think that that might, change how I approach my like every other week[00:34:49] Nathan:Yeah,[00:34:49] Jessica:Maybe I'll experiment and I'll see, I'll see if people are like, Hey,I saw that.[00:34:54] Nathan:The other thing that I would do is I would ask, one of my favorite things to do is to ask for replies to my newsletter, which has a downside of that you get a whole bunch of emails, but they can often be really fun cause they're, No, the people who are reading every day and like they're following your stuff.And, and so they're usually not pitching you things. They're just saying, like, here's the thing that I, and so in that case, just say, Hey, you know, if I share something on Instagram, would you also like it here? Or do you feel like, keep those worlds more separate? Like don't I want everything to be unique.And then I would just like, say hit reply and let me know.[00:35:34] Jessica:Yeah.[00:35:34] Nathan:And it's. Yeah, but you know, out of 9,000 subscribers, I'd bet you'd get at least, I dunno, 20, 30, 40 replies or something.[00:35:42] Jessica:Yeah, that's a good point. Okay. Oh, you're inspiring me. I have so many ideas now.[00:35:48] Nathan:Perfect. I love it. okay. One thing that I want to know more about is growing that. That newsletter from the pieces that you're, I assume subscribers are coming from Instagram. And then also from the pieces that you're publishing,[00:36:04] Jessica:Yeah.[00:36:04] Nathan:Seen like spikes? when it came from an Instagram post that did really well or some other promotion to drive subscribers,[00:36:13] Jessica:I mean, I definitely get new subscribers every time I post about it on Instagram or Instagram stories. So I would say that's been like a main driver for me, but my two biggest, like surges of subscribers came from, All of the newsletter press that's been happening lately. Cause you know, like the newsletter revolution is here.So, I got a little write up in New York magazine and then one in the UK Sunday style magazine and both of those were amazing and totally unexpected. I had no idea they were coming. so now I'm like, damn, how do I, how do I facilitate some more press for myself? Because this is where that.[00:36:55] Nathan:Like what would a spike like that look like? Cause that a couple of hundred subscribers, 500 a thousand from one of those[00:37:01] Jessica:I would say from New York magazine, it was probably close to a thousand. And then from the UK, Sunday times was probably between like 500, 600.[00:37:11] Nathan:Yeah. That that's substantial.[00:37:14] Jessica:Yeah. It was, it was really exciting. and it definitely goes to show like the power that these publications have. It's interesting to see that power as applied to like inherently, anti large publication platform, like a personal newsletter, you know?[00:37:35] Nathan:Yeah. So how do you, how do you think about it when it's like. More press would be nice. You're like, Hey, this, this is a big boost, you know? I'd 10% lift in total subscribers or something from a single thing. And then knowing what you know about journalism and being in the space, like, is that something that you craft a strategy around and say, okay, I'm going to intentionally pursue, placements in these publication.[00:38:02] Jessica:No, in terms of just the newsletter, I, I don't think I'll ever like strategize and try to do that. I think, I mean, the, the reason that I got those two placements is just because I. In the beauty space, my newsletter does offer something that's really different that you're not getting anywhere else. and so it becomes inherently interesting to write about or call out because this is the only place you can get that kind of thing if that's what you're looking for.So I think it's just more of like striving to figure out, like, how can I create more, very original content that actually. Gives value to the reader in a way that's going to create that kind of buzz. I don't want to like manufacture the buzz so much as I want. Like my condoms would be good enough for people to actually talk about it.But that being said, when my book comes out eventually like, hell yes, I plan to like strategize and try to get the shit written about me everywhere, which will hopefully we get to the newsletter as well. But yeah, I feel like I'm going to save all of that, like smarmy, you know, networking for book launch.[00:39:14] Nathan:Yeah, that makes sense to me. I want to push back on it a little bit, because so much of the success of the book is going to be dependent on a lot on a lot of things, but a big factor is going to be the size of your platform. When that book comes out.[00:39:29] Jessica:Yeah.[00:39:29] Nathan:And so if you wait to be self promotional until the book comes out, then like, that'll get this far, but let's say you were self promotional in a tasteful way.We're going to be tasteful about all of this. you know, but along the way, and that 9,000 subscribers turned into 25,000.Right. And it's that much bigger of a platform to launch from. So I'll say that with the caveat that I think the same thing.[00:39:51] Jessica:Yeah.[00:39:52] Nathan:We have, I've lots of friends who have big platforms and I'm like, oh, I could guest post on them.You know, with them, or like ask, Hey, can I come on your podcast or something like that? And I'm like 90% sure that they would say yes, but then I think, oh, I should save that for when my book comes out. Right.Cause you know, you have that, maybe that, just that one ask.So I think it's something that a lot of creators struggle with of like when to promote.And so intellectually I'm like promote early enough.[00:40:21] Jessica:Yeah.[00:40:22] Nathan:And then emotionally, what I'm actually doing is I think exactly what you're doing, but I'll save that for when I really need it.[00:40:28] Jessica:Yeah, I think for me, there's also this, this sort of inherent struggle with what I write about and getting press, because I am pretty critical of beauty media coverage. and I'm aware that I have made some enemies in the beauty media space. Like I'm not the most well-liked person, in some of these circles.So I do feel like I only have like a certain amount of rope that I can, use up like a certain amount of leeway in these spaces. and then also I, yeah, I don't know. I think it's something I have not sat down to really work out my feelings about. But there is some sort of ethical dilemma there where if I'm critiquing the way a certain platform has covered this beauty trend or whatever it is, I'm critiquing.And then I'm sort of like asking for press at the same time, like ethically, what does that say about me and my participation in these systems?You[00:41:30] Nathan:Right.[00:41:31] Jessica:Which is a big question and not one that I'm going to be able to answer here.[00:41:36] Nathan:Yeah. Are there publications outside of the beauty space that would have less of the, maybe sponsored ties or other, you know, issues[00:41:47] Jessica:Yeah,[00:41:48] Nathan:The main publications might have, but that would find your story.[00:41:52] Jessica:I think so. I think the path that I am trying to follow in beauty coverage right now. the path of sustainable fashion coverage, like I feel like fashion and beauty have been so intertwined in their coverage and they're, they're both sort of seen as these like less serious pursuits. They're both seen as like inherently female interests.And they've struggled to be taken seriously, I think. but with like the push towards sustainability content and, you know, the inevitability of climate change, I think. Sustainability and fashion is getting a ton of like serious quality coverage all over the place, even from platforms that wouldn't normally touch fashion.And I see beauty as being very behind that. Like there are still these huge global issues in the beauty industry and beauty production and just the way that we consume and beauty, that hasn't been touched. But I see it starting to be touched by these larger, serious. News organizations. And I feel like there's such an opportunity there.And that those are topics that I'm super passionate about and super interested in. So I'm, I'm trying to carve out a space for myself there to say, look, we're taking fashion seriously for the impact that it has culturally societaly environmentally. Like we have to start taking beauty justice seriously because it's just as big of a person.[00:43:17] Nathan:I like, I like that angle on that. That makes a lot of sense. And just seeing trends in a neighboring industry. I think you're right. I hope that I hope that you're right in, that plays out in there.[00:43:28] Jessica:Me too.[00:43:29] Nathan:One of the things that I'm curious about is kind of the rise of newsletters in the journalism space.I don't come from that world. I very much come from the newsletter world. And so seeing, you know, so many people either make the switch full-time, or get to the point where they're like, Hey, I've been writing these pieces everywhere. And like, my byline has just directed people back to Twitter or Instagram or.And now it's directing people back to my own audience. What are you seeing in like in your friends and colleagues and all of that is, are a lot of people starting newsletters or is there this overwhelming trend of some are starting it, and maybe it's getting hyped more than is actually happening.[00:44:12] Jessica:Yeah, I think that's what I've noticed. I don't think as many people within my like, sort of direct. Community of journalists and reporters are starting newsletters. And I think it's gotten so hyped. Like we're in such a moment of coverage right now that it almost like, seems like a little lame to start a newsletter now.Cause like everyone's doing.But the reality of the situation is that everyone is not doing it. And I think there's still a lot of opportunity and a lot of room to grow and to move into and to create your own kind of thing. like I mentioned, I think there is a big misconception that if you're starting your newsletter, that means you're done with journalism and you're just doing this now.It's like, no, you can very much do both. And you can do your newsletter once a month. You can do it, you know, once a week you can do it. However, often you have time for it. Like you said you could use it as a tool just to send out your journalism, pursuits to a wider audience. but yeah, I think sort of the hype around newsletters has sort of, created this little, Ooh, I don't know if I want to do a newsletter too.Cause I might get to see them. Like, I'm just doing what everybody else is doing.[00:45:23] Nathan:Right. Yeah. The, the newsletter hipster trend is sort of passed and it's gone mainstream. I can't do it[00:45:31] Jessica:Exactly. I mean, for the record, I don't believe that that's true, I think that's how people are perceiving.[00:45:38] Nathan:Well, it's so funny to me because, I've been doing E you know, email and email newsletters and that kind of thing since I guess, 2013. and you know, very excited. They got into all of that. And I was telling people like, email is amazing and friends that have me, who've been doing it since like 2001 were like, yeah, like good job, discovering it.Do you want to go and start? Like what a pat on the back, what are you hoping for here? And watching is, you know, these trends as they come, if you had a friend who, you know, is in the space who comes to you and says like, oh, I'm going to start a new. You know, what are the things, I don't know, the three or four things that you would tell them right away of here's what they should watch out for is strategies that they should employ any of those things.[00:46:25] Jessica:I mean, my number one piece of advice that seems really obvious. Isn't always is just to find your niche. Like I would say hone in on something as specific as you possibly can, within your space so that people have a reason to subscribe. I would say to have, like, especially if you're doing sub stack or a place where you can view past newsletters, like have a healthy backlog before you actually start soliciting people to sign up so that they can see what your content is like.And then this is a big thing that I think is missing from a lot of the journalism to newsletter side, because like he said, there are people who are coming from marketing and people who have never done marketing in their life. something that I do is that when I'm sending something out to my paid subscribers, I send a shorter version out of it to my free subscribers.Click to continue. And then it brings them to the paid subscriber thing. And I convert between 30 and 50 people every time.And when I sign up for free newsletters, which I sign up for a ton of them, I have never once got in that. I've never once gotten an email. That's like the intro of the article. And then it, you know, sort of leads me into that paid funnel.And I used to work in marketing. I used to work in fashion marketing. That was just like a no, duh of course I would do that sort of thing. but I've never seen any other like journalists to newsletter convert, use that very easy tool. so I would say, take advantage of that for sure.[00:48:07] Nathan:Yeah, that's interesting of the things that in one industry, like you're right in the marketing industry, everyone's like, obviously, you know, of course you would do that. And then you get into another space and it is this exciting, new thing. I started in, in design and, like user experience and interface design.And so I brought a lot of design ideas to marketing and then a lot of like direct response marketing ideas into the design world. And it needs to circle. Everyone was like, whoa, this is amazing and new.[00:48:35] Jessica:Yeah,[00:48:36] Nathan:You did it in the original circle, people are just like, obviously there's nothing novel about it.[00:48:41] Jessica:Exactly. I think people really, underestimate. The skills they learn on the way to get to where they've, they've gotten to. Like, I never would have thought the job that I hated in fashion marketing would have served me in, in, any way. Cause I sort of wanted to get away from all of that. Like marketing bullshit, lack of a better word, because at least at the company that I was at, it mostly felt like lying and just like squeezing money out of people.I think you can use those tools for good as well, which is what I'm trying to do.[00:49:15] Nathan:Yeah. So a lot of creators struggle with that transition where they feel like either from a past experience or something that they've seen where they're like, oh, I can never ask for money for this or charge for it or, that kind of thing. Or they're very, very hesitant to sell in any, anything. what would you say to them?Or what's your journey been like in saying like, no, this is what it costs. This is why you should subscribe.[00:49:40] Jessica:Yeah. I mean, I think it's important to have, to have a reason, you know, make it very clear that it's reader funded or user funded. for me, all of my content is very clear that I blame the media advertisement model for so much of the misinformation and bullshit that's out there in beauty. So me saying that my newsletter and this content is completely user funded, so that I'm loyal to you.The reader rather than an advertiser, is very like, you know, quote unquote on brand for me. And I think people who are interested in my content are more than happy to pay for it. It's solving a problem that I am pointing out in my reporting, you know? and then I would just say also like allow yourself to be surprised at how much people want to support you.I have been so pleasantly surprised by people who are just, they just liked my content and they're happy to pay for it. And I think one of the, the biggest, the biggest ways that I've seen that happen is that, on substance. They let you do like the page, so you can do monthly or a yearly rate, or you can do something called a founding member, which is just somebody who pays a little bit more to support and they don't really get any extra benefits at all.And I am shocked at the amount of people who give me 50 more dollars than they need to, just to support, And that's like, every time I get that email, that's like someone signed up for the founding member level. It's heartwarming because it's like, there are a lot of people out there who want to support great creator, led content.[00:51:23] Nathan:Do you have a percentage or numbers on that? Like I'm curious, every time I see that I'm like how many people select that[00:51:29] Jessica:Yeah.[00:51:29] Nathan:Know from doing multiple prices or packages, that it's one of the best ways to increase revenue is to just have a higher price option available.[00:51:38] Jessica:Yeah.[00:51:38] Nathan:confirming that, but I want to know any[00:51:40] Jessica:Yeah. I have not like crunched the numbers on anything, but just from, so I sent out a paid newsletter, on Thursday. So between Thursday and today from like my conversions of free[00:51:55] Nathan:Yep.[00:51:56] Jessica:Sign up, I've gotten, I think 56, new signups. I would say maybe 10 of them were the yearly membership and maybe five of them were the founding member.[00:52:08] Nathan:Okay. Wow. So half of the year, the ones being the like yeah. I'll pay you $50 more just to support your work. Even[00:52:17] Jessica:Yeah,[00:52:18] Nathan:Because the yearly membership is supporting your work, but even just[00:52:21] Jessica:Yeah,[00:52:21] Nathan:Above and beyond.[00:52:23] Jessica:Yeah, exactly. I mean, that's just what, roughly, from what I remember from the email. I'm not like super concerned with, with stats and strategizing right now. I'm just like ecstatic. Every time I get the ding on my phone that says somebody new signed up.[00:52:39] Nathan:Yeah. That's super fun. So, what are the things that you're thinking about next for the newsletter? Is it slow, steady, growth, and maintaining that while working on the book? Is there a big milestone that you're working towards any of those things?[00:52:52] Jessica:There is not a huge milestone, but I think when I first started it, and this is, I think maybe just a personal hangup, but I was very conscious of not bothering people too much, like not being in their inbox constantly. So, it was like one big story a month, and then every other week for paid. Now I'm toying with the idea of doing more, short form content and where weekly content.I'm going to be launching a new feature for paid subscribers that's gonna be, like an advice column, but more like, how do I navigate the industry? How do I divest from these marketing tactics? How do I like stay smart and know what's alive and what's not?So, I'm going to be launching that within the next month.Then, for everybody, I'm going to be launching weekly or even twice a week, just like little, like a little tip newsletter. Because what I do in my newsletter a lot is critique the beauty, and point out what's wrong with it.People are always like, okay, sure, but how do I apply that to my own life? Like how do I get over the fact that I know it's marketing, that I don't need to have big lips to be beautiful, but how do I stop feeling that way?So, it's going to be more practical tips for, I guess, sort of healing from all of the beauty industry shit that they put us through, but it's going to be very short, quick hits, like, you know, five sentences, a paragraph tops. So, I'm going to experiment with a couple of different, forms of writing and a couple of different frequencies and see, see what people.[00:54:38] Nathan:Yeah, that sounds good. Well, if anyone wants to go subscribe to that and follow you on Instagram and other things around the web, where should they go?[00:54:46] Jessica:My sub stack is JessicaDefino.substack.com, and you can sign up for The Unpublishable there. And then on Instagram, I'm @JessicaDeFino_.[00:54:56] Nathan:Sounds good. Well, thanks so much for coming on. This has been fun to[00:54:59] Jessica:Yeah.[00:54:59] Nathan:learn about a whole side of the newsletter industry that I'm less familiar with, and just hear your story, and your writing tips, and everything else.[00:55:08] Jessica:Yeah, thank you so much. I feel inspired. I'm going to go send more newsletters.[00:55:13] Nathan:Sounds good.

We've got another killer singer-songwriter to welcome to the dHarmic Evolution. Hailing from Wexford, Pennsylvania, she's an independent R&B soul-pop artist, who has an absolutely stunning career going on in the music industry. Strap up your seatbelts as we go to Nashville to meet DANiiVORY. Dani always had music in her life. Her mom was a music teacher, a liturgical minister and encouraged her to pursue her passion for music. She went on to obtain a higher education at the esteemed and famous Berklee College of Music, graduated with a dual degree in contemporary writing and production and vocal performance. Dani has done it all! She's toured with Beyonce, small theaters, and big theaters. She is currently living in Nashville, Tennessee with her husband and daughter, where she continues to write and record music with influences that range from Janet Jackson to The Beatles. Dani has crafted a dreamy electronic pop sound that is all her own. Let's listen together to this amazing singer-songwriter as we feature some of her great songs like “Blackout” and “Pink Lightning.” We'll also get to know more about her, her experiences and also some future plans. Check out this episode of dHarmic Evolution with DANiiVORY! More about DANiiVORY Support DANiiVORY and her music. Follow her on Instagram and check on her website and Facebook page to see what her upcoming schedules are. All links are provided below! Quotes: 05:23 “..trying to balance having an infant child and still trying to pursue music and figure out okay, “Well, what sessions can I do? What can I not do? Is this gonna be worth my time?” That's what gets hard. So that's when it's like, if you have family close, definitely tap into that resource.” 17:44 “...I would lay down, like just a basic piano track and come up with ideas. Sometimes I'd be on the bus. I would come up with the lyrical idea, I'd record voice memos on my phone. Any songwriter probably has like millions of voicemail recordings” 25:12 “It was really more about the personal growth I was able to have as a performer and a young upcoming singer-songwriter, and seeing what it takes to be successful in that area of entertainment.” 36:47 “Don't stop, Keep it up. Keep going. Work on your craft. You just got to show up on the page and even if you don't feel like it, and it's a hard day, just push through it. You don't have to feel inspired every day but from there you can find the inspiration I feel like so it's just so important that you show up. Don't give up. Because just like anything else, an author they're not going to always come up with like their award-winning story every time they go to write something but you know they sit down every day and they show up at the page and they write, so it's in the monotony I guess on some of those days that you can find magic, I think.” Timestamps: 01:11 Introducing DANiiVORY 03:02 How is Dani's musical life fitting around now that she is a mom of a wonderful daughter? 04:13 Dani shares her transition from LA to Nashville. 06:53 Listen to “Blackout” by DANiiVORY. 10:27 A little backstory on how Dani came up with “Blackout.” 12:47 Dani tells about her experiences in Thailand. 16:10 A peek inside the studio and production on how they arrived at the sound of “Blackout.” 18:16 Listen to “Pink Lightning” by DANiiVORY 21:57 How was Dani's experience touring with Beyoncé 24:03 Dani shares her personal take on the tour with Beyoncé as an artist and a performer. 25:28 What are the favorite gigs that Dani likes to do? 27:38 Dani talks about her mom being a music teacher and a minister. 29:33 What is  Berklee College of Music like? 31:32 Did the school help out with organizing her schedules day-to-day? 33:53 How was your experience with CeeLo Green? 34:33 What is life looking like for DANiiVORY in the next coming months and the end of the year? 35:27 The best place to connect to DANiiVORY 36:28 Dani's words of wisdom and message to the upcoming singer-songwriters. 38:22 Listen to “Ride On” by James Kevin O'Connor   Spotify Playlist: Have you seen and heard our third Spotify playlist yet? Check these 30 amazing artists and songs to listen to with our new playlist named Lyra. It's a total of 90 songs together with the Aquila and Orion playlists. Let me know what your favorites are by posting it in your comments! Share it with your families and friends as well, and post it on your socials to continue supporting these great indie music artists from around the world! dHarmic Rising Stars: Aquila https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4loDaYF0OuWRjZeMXvEjK4 dHarmic Rising Stars: Orion https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5CnL9tl0xbU4oDh6jtJBZx dHarmic Rising Stars: Lyra https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1ov0OqNMJmPhHrxZjsXthS dHarmic Evolution links: Don't forget to stop by dharmicevolution.com! The new website makes it easier for you to check out the blog posts, photos, music, and interviews from our guests, and a lot of other goodies. Let me know what you think! Also, the book “7 Steps to Mental Freedom' is accessible through dharmicevolution.com  as well. If you know someone who is suffering from anxiety and depression, please send them to the website and have them check on the book. It would be a great help for them. Check out the Facebook Page as well so you can keep updated. Visit the link here: dHarmic Evolution AND…  If you are an artist, singer, songwriter, or keynote speaker, and would like to share your content, you can visit our Facebook Group. It is a great place to let the world know what you do and support you! Join the group here: dHarmic Evolution Community.   Special links and Mentions: Beyoncé The Beatles Janet Jackson Rhye Drake Gallant Sufjan Stevens Whitney Houston Dennis Montgomery III CeeLo Green Connect with DANiiVORY Website: http://www.daniivory.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daniivory/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/daniivoryartist/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/daniivory YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOnr6MeoTN1PGkoplxLtMpA Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1pRttxFqgfmdrapNSTizGR Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/daniivory/820128754 Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/daniivory

Piao Huang is the next Pop/R&B superstar to take the world by storm. Originally born in the city of Shanghai, she then moved to Toronto as a child. Growing up in a musical family, her mom who is also a singer, would put earbuds on her stomach so Piao could listen in. After moving to Canada, Piao was accepted into the prestigious Young Artist Performance Academy of The Royal Conservatory of Music, where she studied classical piano performance. In the space of 4 years, she received first place standings in seven provincial competitions under the ARCT Conservatory division. She then went on to attend and graduated from the Berklee College of Music with a full presidential scholarship. Listen to her journey with a few belly laughs as Piao joins T-Pain's Nappy Boy Radio Podcast! Thanks to our sponsors: Starbucks Tripleshot= Find your Starbucks Tripleshot Energy online or at your local store. Camsoda= Enter camsoda.com/tpain and get $20 free with first purchase. LogicTech UE Fits= For a limited time, get 15% off your pair of Ultimate Ears FITS True Wireless Earbuds at ue.com/fits . Just use promo code TPAIN at checkout.

Together with Sean Ulbs of The Eiffels, we had the pleasure of interviewing Jillian Rossi over Zoom video! Singer-songwriter Jillian Rossi dropped her strikingly powerful new single “Give Me A Reason,” a song that emphasizes Jillian's vocal prowess and her hopes to continue to cement herself as the next power vocalist of the next rising generation of pop acts. The 21-year-old artist recently teased the song on her Tik Tok, receiving over 1 million views and attention from Shaquille O'Neal, Paris Hilton, Disney Channel Star Skai Jackson, Tik Tok star Nick Austin and other celebrities who commented on her profile in anticipation of the song – gaining over 100,000 pre-saves for her 2nd song in a row. This makes her the first independent pop artist in history to accomplish this feat on back to back songs. Give Me A Reason within 48 hours has been featured already on Spotify's New Music Friday & Chill Pop, Apple Music's New Music Daily, & Amazon Music's Breakthrough Pop & Brand New Music – fully independently.“Give Me A Reason” follows the release Rossi's hit single “Fever Dream,” which has independently become one of the most viral songs on the internet with over 13 million combined views on Tik Tok and over 10 million streams across all platforms since its release on April 28th.“Fever Dream” was quoted by Brooke Reese of “The Chart Show” (on Apple Music/Beats 1 and Lyrical Lemonade) as “one of the most successful pre-save campaigns from an independent artist of all time.” “Fever Dream” obtained 120,000 pre-saves prior to release, making it the most pre-added song on all of Apple Music during the week of April 15- April 23rd.The song also made Spotify's Viral 50 Charts (#22 in USA, #26 in Canada, #32 in Australia, #34 in the Philippines, #22 in Malaysia, #35 in South Africa,) was added to 8 editorial playlists on Spotify including “New Music Friday,” “Daily Lift,” “Fresh & Chill,” “Teen Beats,” “Songs To Scream In Your Car,” “Everyday Favorites,” “Chill Pop” “next gen singer/songwriters”, & “Tween Pop (Radio)” and became #1 On Snapchat's “Viral Songs.”Reflecting on the song, Jillian comments, “'Give Me A Reason' is a song about a broken relationship that you know is on its last leg but you're going in and out of denial about it. It's inspired by a true story about a guy who moved across the country as we were in a long-distance relationship, and I begged for him to give me a reason for me to stay. This song is definitely one of my favorites and I feel it embodies exactly what I want to do as an artist, with the hard hitting anthemic chorus with the more emotional, ballad-like verses. The love I have already gotten on this song from Tik Tok and social media is insane. I can't believe I was able to get 100k pre-saves on two songs in a row, and this one even getting recognition from famous people I've always looked up to like Skai Jackson, Paris Hilton and even Shaquille O'Neal (which SHOCKED me). I am so excited for what's to come!”Jillian is a graduate of Berklee College of Music in Boston and is originally from Long Island, NY. As a student at Berklee, Jillian performed Alicia Keys' “Girl on Fire” in front of a sold out crowd of 37,000 people at a Boston Red Sox game at Fenway Park, and also had the amazing opportunity to perform an original song live for Long Island legend Billy Joel in front of a crowd with Joel comparing her to the likes of Taylor Swift.We want to hear from you! Please email Tera@BringinitBackwards.com.www.BringinitBackwards.com#podcast #interview #bringinbackpod #TheEiffels #JillianRossi #zoom Listen & Subscribe to BiBFollow our podcast on Instagram and Twitter!