The Millennial Musician Podcast

In the heart of New York City lies a musical haven where veteran artists and aspiring musicians converge to hone their craft and build lasting connections. Join us as we delve into the vibrant community fostered by Funkadelic Studios, a cornerstone of NYC's music scene for over three decades.

• Building Community: Funkadelic Studios has cultivated a thriving community of musicians since its inception in 1993. From offering rehearsal spaces to hosting weekly jams and workshops, Funkadelic has been a hub for collaboration and creativity.

• Challenges in the Industry: Hear the unique challenges faced by musicians and music venues in NYC, from rising overhead costs to the impact of COVID-19 on live performances. Learn how the studio owner, Dawn Orlando navigates these obstacles while remaining dedicated to supporting local talent.

• Empowering Musicians: Hear firsthand accounts of empowerment and resilience from musicians who have found a home at Funkadelic Studios. From empowering female drummers to providing opportunities for emerging artists, Funkadelic continues to champion diversity and inclusivity in the music industry.

In this episode, we uncover the rich history and enduring legacy of Funkadelic Studios, a beacon of creativity and community in the heart of the Big Apple. Join us as we celebrate 30 years of music-making and look ahead to the future of NYC's music scene from Dawn Orlando herself.

Special shout out to the late, great Kid Lucky.

Get ready for an in-depth conversation with Shawn Setaro, a respected journalist, author, and podcast host known for his influential work in the hip-hop community. In this episode, we revisit the legacy of his podcast, 'The Cipher,' and delve into his book 'Complex Presents Dummy Boy: Tekashi 6IX9INE and the Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods.'

Learn from Shawn's experience as he shares valuable insights on navigating the world of hip-hop journalism plus, some tips on how artists can break into major publications like Complex Magazine.

Enjoy this special episode, the first that we've done with special guest appearances. ;)

Former "The Voice" contestant and Memphis soul singer, Savannah Brister was kind enough to spend some time with me last year as we cackled (me) and cutely giggled (her) through sharing all the ins & outs of her wild experience on the hit reality TV show.

And she held nothing back...

What's in Store:

1. The Audition Adventure: Savannah spills the tea on what it's really like to audition for "The Voice." From nerve-wracking auditions to heart-pounding moments, she takes us on a wild ride through the adrenaline-fueled world of reality TV stardom.

2. Style Secrets Unlocked: Ever wondered how those contestants find their killer looks? Savannah dishes out the behind-the-scenes scoop on how the magic happens, straight from the stylists themselves. Get ready to steal some style secrets!

3. Coach Confessions: John Legend as a coach? Savannah spills the beans on why she chose him and whether she's got any regrets.

4. Mythbusting Madness: Think you know everything about "The Voice"? Think again! Savannah busts through the rumors and reveals the real deal about life behind the scenes.

Also, discover Savannah's own musical journey, including her dreams of sharing a coffee date with Tori Kelly or how she feels about making gospel vs R&B.

This episode jam packed with all you need to know before you send in that audition to "The Voice" *queue theme music*.

Need more reality TV singing show info? Don't miss Episode 20, featuring reality TV singing coach, Brianna Ruelas. It's the ultimate double feature if you feel ready to take that leap in front of millions of viewers!

After wrapping up my first show at the legendary Bitter End, a visibly excited man rushed up onto the stage where I and my guitarist still stood. All he wanted was to take a picture of me wearing his sunglasses, a tradition he’d started amongst his favorite indie artists. That person was a guy named Mark McLaughlin, and unbeknownst to me, he had just become my first fan.

Mark bewildered me because he was the polar opposite of what I’d been taught my “fan avatar” would be. As Mark puts it, he is an “old white guy”. That’s how I knew it was time to throw out anything we think we know about who our fans are and what they love about our music.

That’s precisely why I’ve brought him on today’s episode, so you can hear from a fan directly about the questions that we only speculate on like:

• What draws them to our music?

• What makes them “a fan”?

• Do they prefer Spotify or Apple?

…and so much more.

I'm guilty of it too... I've totally caught myself in a fantasy about how great it would be to sign with an indie label. In that fantasy, you're cared for, held in highest regard, and everyone at the label believes in your vision and knows how to execute it at a scale larger than you're currently capable of.

But things don't always turn out that way, which is what Kelsey Warren of Blak Emoji came on to discuss. In this episode, we're joined by not just Kelsey, but his bandmate Whitney Tai to talk about some ways you can potentially dodge a bad situation. Spoiler alert? Have your contracts reviewed!

On a positive note, we'll also hear about the new music their super duo, BLAKTAI has on the way.

Every musician (especially their parents) has heard the classic "starving artist" trope, but there's someone on a mission to fix that.

Meet Ryan McCurdy, a multi-hyphenate who amidst being a stellar actor+, musician+ is also a financial educator for artists.

This conversation barely scratched the surface of all there is to discuss when it comes to finance reform from the top down, but we also got to discuss things like whether or not to unionize, how to find the ROI (return on investment) in your spending as a musician, and funny enough - if you stick around until the end of the episode, you'll see that we're both highly in demand.

No matter where my clients have found themselves on their music career journey, we've always arrived at that question... "...but what's my genre?"

And no matter the answer I give, these musicians are hard pressed to let the world stop turning until they can properly classify themselves and neatly fold up the box they long to fit inside. That's why I decided that if they won't listen to me, maybe they'll listen to a music legend...

Enter Bootie Brown, founding member of the iconic hip-hop group The Pharcyde and a Grammy-nominated artist in his own right. There is no bigger genre bending & flexing visionary that exists than Brown, having performed on stages with acts like Korn & Limp Bizkit or collaborating with The Gorillaz and Tame Impala - the man does it all, and he does it well.

Whether you're an indie musician looking to learn from one of the greats or just a huge fan of Brown and The Pharcyde, this conversation is for you. My endless gratitude for him taking the time to share his wisdom with us, and all the ways he's supported me in my own career.

Thanks to our late friend, producer Black Panther, I had heard the sounds of Maya Azucena on their song, "The Half" before I even had the honor of meeting her. Once that changed and I saw her perform, I was floored. She was an absolute force, and I had never seen or heard anyone do what she did on that stage. Since that day, Maya has become my mentor, my boss, and my friend.

When the pandemic began, Maya was living in Turkey and bouncing between countries as she usually did, performing on stages quite literally, far and wide. But in this time that was so dark for so many, Maya called on her ancestors to help her speak her heart. Through listening, she created "I Am Enough".

In this episode, we discover her thought process behind the lyrics, the songs, and the production of her EP, and we even discuss the importance of finding a way to cherish your own gifts.

So many of us battle in silence - it's time to hear Maya's story and let her wisdom transform you for the better, just as it's done for me.

I am absolutely (proudly) dating myself with this reference, but any millennial worth their salt will know that "Cheers" was the bar where everybody knows your name.

In each and every episode, Norm was the character who got acknowledged at the entrance - not once, did he hobble down those stairs and not get noticed and greeted by all the patrons.

Well... meet my friend, Ashton, known as ASHTNMRTN.

Like clockwork, any event I attend, the moment that Ash walks into the room, everyone stops what they're doing to swarm him with aggressive daps & warm hugs. And he always gets on that stage.

But what is it about Ashton that brings about that magnetic appeal? And better yet... can it be learned?

On this episode, I talk with my friend all about what's truly going on when he enters these rooms, and he also spills a whole lotta tea that you won't want to miss.

Sometimes inexplicably, our relationships shift and a connection we once thought was solid can seemingly disintegrate overnight. Our music industry network is no exception to this rule of human experience, so what should you or even can you do to fix it?

In this episode, we discuss how to remedy a potentially broken industry connection or if it’s even worth trying to. This one is sure to stir up some feelings so reach out to me on Instagram if you have thoughts around it!

We've all been there - our dreaded day job running us ragged, any home-life responsibilities, family, friends, and then... music?  And even once you get to music, there's so much unsexy work to do like metadata, registration, emails, oh my!  That's why I'm so grateful to have Suz back on the show who was kind enough to share a bundle of ways we can start automating our lives so we can settle our minds and get back to what we do best: create.  We also go over things like how to stop being jealous of your peers and how to stop hating your day job.  Get ready, this episode may be just what you've needed to change your life!

In this episode we also go over a TON of different tantalizing resources to assist you on your journey to a more organized, work-life balanced vida loca.  So you may wanna be ready to take notes on this one.

WARNING: ADULT TOPICS

I felt it was important to share what happened to me this week when I decided to take control of my sexual narrative by way of a risque photo shoot and then subsequently sharing the photos online.  The photographer ultimately handled the situation and was extremely apologetic that my trust was violated in such a way, but it doesn't change the reality that when women try to present ourselves with a narrative we control, some men think it's an invitation.

I'd love to hear your feedback on this episode since it touches on so many nuances and grey areas.  Feel free to DM me on IG or leave a comment here.  I look forward to continuing this conversation.

As an unsaturated space, musicians are criminally overlooking the opportunity that is being a guest on podcasts.  As of December of 2022, there is an estimate of roughly 700K active podcasts in existence while *listenership is expected to exceed 160 million listeners in 2023 (buzzsprout).  To put it into perspective, compare to YouTube which has over 51 million channels in 2022.  So I decided it was time to bring in an expert, a man who's output will forever exceed countless lifetimes, my friend and the mensch behind JLJ Media, James Lott Jr.

Yes, James & I got to talking about all sorts of things, but I promise this episode will bring you joy and an education.

Queen Brené Brown is such an inspiration to us all.  She has taught us about vulnerability, how to work through our shame, and live a joy-filled life.  But when I first heard her concept around "Dress Rehearsing Tragedy" I felt like she was yelling at me!  And that's why I couldn't help but bring you this message today because you just might need someone to yell at you too.  At least you know it's coming with love, just the way Brené makes it.

If you've been trying to soften your blow it's time to take away the mattress underneath you and start fully committing to *possibility* and *ACTION*.  It's true, people may not hear your music just yet - but it doesn't mean they never will!  Especially if you give it your all so you can evaluate your strategy for the next time.

Almost reaching 100K visitors each month on their website, Ghost Cult Magazine has just celebrated their 10th year in existence.  The Editor-in-Chief, known as "Keefy" has been holding down the fort with respect, passion, integrity, and a healthy dose of anti-bullshit that any self-respecting east-coaster can appreciate.  I'm grateful to consider Keefy a friend after connecting with him during the... yes, the pandemilovato.  He's taught me so much in such a short time, and each time we get together for a chat, the gems go flying.

Just wait until you sink your teeth into this episode which we promise is just part 1 of a visit from Keefy.

There is no doubt, a right and wrong way to build your network and subsequently promote your new music.  The stakes are high AF when missteps are made because networking can so easily teeter on the verge of seeming desperate, selfish, or worse... spammy.  In this episode, learn my unfiltered opinion on people contacting you out of the blue to listen to their new song along with the crimes committed when networking.

Promoting yourself as a musician is absolutely necessary, but there is no reason to cop out and do it the wrong way.  I hope this episode inspires you to have more patience, more consideration, and to let your career flourish for the long run and not the quick win.