Bridge The Atlantic

Joining us this week out of Brighton, England is music industry entrepreneur, speaker and all round music business champion Damian Keyes. After founding The British Institute of Modern Music aka BIMM, which is now valued at over £50M, Damian went on to build and invest in several other businesses including DK Music Management, DK Music Academy & Warble Entertainment. As a musician, he’s also played some impressive shows - including performing at London’s Hyde Park to 150,000 people alongside Eric Clapton, Alanis Morissette, The Who, & Bob Dylan.Damian sold his shares in BIMM in 2010 and started DK Music Management, a commercial band management company to help musicians find work after leaving music education. DKMM is now the largest commercial band management company in the Europe with over 200 musicians performing weekly. Now, Damian is educating and inspiring musicians via his Facebook and YouTube videos, with actionable and motivational advice. In this interview, Damian shares some great advice on using social media effectively as artists, building a team, his thoughts on music education and more.Highlights:Damian shares how he believes music education has changed over time“When it comes to music education, we are in the noisiest time we’ve ever been” - Damian Keyes“Music education is all about inspiration and being around people who can guide you” - Damian KeyesDamian shares how going into music education with a clear goal in mind can be a beneficial experienceDamian tells us about the most common questions and misconceptions artists have around the music industry“The biggest myth is that people need the industry to find and discover them to have success” - Damian Keyes“Whoever has the audience, has control” - Damian KeyesWe talk about balancing multiple projects and delegating tasks to other members of the team“I surround myself with people who can help me do the things I want to achieve” - Damian KeyesWe hear how important trust is to Damian when building a team“Only spend your time on the most important things - anything you can delegate, delegate” - Damian KeyesDamian shares the 1% rule - make what you’re doing just 1% better every day - it all adds upWe talk about how artists should share each other’s content more oftenAdvice:Pick 1 or 2 social media platforms and learn how people consume the content, rather than spreading yourself too thinThink about your skillset and choose a platform which lets you use thatWhen using social media, the key point is to think about the end userGuest Links:Website: http://damiankeyes.comTwitter: @damiankeyesFacebook: /damokeyesInstagram: @damiankeyes1YouTube: /damiankeyesSponsors:- Chris Keaton @ Chris Keaton Presents- Christine Infanger @ Thirty Roses- Music Entrepreneur HQ- Social Surge--For more episodes, visit http://bridge-the-atlantic.comFollow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/bridge_atlanticSubscribe on iTunes: http://bridge-the-atlantic.com/itunesSupport us on Patreon: http://patreon.com/bridgetheatlantic Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joining us this week out of Austin, Texas is singer/songwriter and photographer Shawnee Kilgore. Shawnee has a crowdfunding story that most artists can only dream of. Hollywood director Joss Whedon loved Shawnee's music and voice, and backed her Kickstarter.After the campaign ended and she was working on a personalized song for him, he emailed to ask if she would be interested in working on a co-write with him. Their single “Big Giant Me" came as the result and they went on to create Back to Eden, their new EP.The EP release sold out The Alamo in Austin where they daybued the video starring Oscar nominee Richard Jenkins and Ashley Johnson. It was shot by Jay Hunter on two Alexa 65's that until then had only been used on the highest end of big budgeted feature films, such as "The Revenant" and "Rogue One."In this interview, we hear more about Shawnee's approach to crowdfunding, what it was like collaborating with Joss Whedon, and the advice she'd offer to her fellow musicians. Enjoy!Highlights:- Shawnee tells us how she became ok with asking for help- “Asking for help in the places where you need enables you to focus on what you do well” - Shawnee Kilgore- “Knowing what you suck at can be really valuable!” - Shawnee Kilgore- We talk about the positive reasons for artists to run a crowdfunding campaign- Shawnee tells us about her experience of collaborating with Joss Whedon- “Collaborating with Joss was so surreal in that it wasn’t weird!” - Shawnee Kilgore- Shawnee shares how she had unrealistic expectations of the success of her EP collaboration with Joss Whedon- We hear how having Joss Whedon’s name attached to Shawnee’s project opened some doors- We appreciate Shawnee’s honesty in talking about her career- “If something falls into your lap, you’ve already done the work to get out there enough for it to happen” - Shawnee Kilgore- Shawnee shares what her favourite Kickstarter reward to make wasAdvice:- When crowdfunding, have goals in mind and know what you’re asking for money for- On crowdfunding - “You’re asking for a purpose and for specific things” - Shawnee KilgoreGuest Links:- Website: http://shawneekilgore.com- Instagram: @shawneekilgore- Patreon: /shawneekilgore- Facebook: /shawneekilgoremusic- Twitter: @shawneekilgoreSponsors:- Chris Keaton @ Chris Keaton Presents- Christine Infanger @ Thirty Roses- Music Entrepreneur HQ---For more episodes, visit http://bridge-the-atlantic.comFollow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/bridge_atlanticSubscribe on iTunes: http://bridge-the-atlantic.com/itunesSupport us on Patreon: http://patreon.com/bridgetheatlantic Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joining us this week out of Orange County, California is Summer Swee-Singh. Summer is a professional pianist, keyboard player, music director, composer, film scorer, music arranger, and piano consultant. As a professional solo pianist, Summer has performed for audiences as large as 10,000 people and has performed for two TED-sanctioned TEDx events. In addition to performing, Summer has also dabbled in film scoring, having composed the music for two short documentaries and one tech commercial thus far.Summer also runs a YouTube channel where she posts many of her musical arrangements; her channel has over 6,000 subscribers and she has amassed over 2 million total video views. Multi-Grammy-winning artost Skrillex and Campa of The Cataracs have reposted her cover medley arrangements on social media. In this interview we hear how Summer approaches the different roles she plays as a musician, her advice on getting endorsements from music companies, and more.Highlights:- Summer shares that she wasn’t planning on pursuing music - she was actually going to be a lawyer!- We hear how Skrillex shared one of Summer’s medleys on social media and it took her by surprise- “Skrillex posting my music online was one of my big breaks, and I didn’t even know it!” - Summer Swee-Singh- “I choose to cover what I like to listen to, or what people request me to cover” - Summer Swee-Singh- We hear how Summer approaches different “roles” as a musician and the mindset shift required- Summer tells us how she values the experience vs the education of music- We hear how Summer writes by ear, and how she needs to feel inspired to create compositions- We hear that music arrangement comes naturally to Summer, and she hears music in solfege- We learn why Summer is known as the piano DJ - she loves to weave songs together when performing- We talk about how intense musical training can sometimes be detrimental to the creative process- We talk about the elitism that exists particularly in classical and jazz music- “Steve Carell acknowledging my existence would be IT for me!” - Summer Swee-Singh- “Networking doesn’t need to be a dirty word!” - Marcio NovelliAdvice:- Network! The music industry is all about hustle.- The industry is so saturated - to be the person they call for sessions, you have to make your name known- If you want to be endorsed by a brand, reach out to Artist Relations and find out the requirements- When thinking about endorsements, make sure you have a pitch and you can provide benefitGuest Links:- Website: http://summersweesingh.com- Instagram: @summersweesingh- Facebook: /ssweesinghSponsors:- Chris Keaton @ Chris Keaton Presents- Christine Infanger @ Thirty Roses- Music Entrepreneur HQ- Music Launch Hub- Buck Naked Soap Company--More:For more episodes, visit http://bridge-the-atlantic.comFollow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/bridge_atlanticSubscribe on iTunes: http://bridge-the-atlantic.com/itunesSupport us on Patreon: http://patreon.com/bridgetheatlantic Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joining us this week out of Brooklyn, New York is Michael Grubbs of Wakey Wakey. Michael is also known as “Grubbs” from One Tree Hill, where Wakey Wakey’s music was featured. The band’s 2010 album Almost Everything I Wish I Said The Last Time I Saw You hit #1 on the Billboard Heatseeker’s Chart, and they’ve released 2 more successful albums since then.The band has a dedicated fanbase - and this is shown through their “Salvation” album exceeding their crowdfunding goal by 141% and the numerous tattoos fans have of Wakey Wakey lyrics. Their latest album, “Overreactivist” is out now, and in this interview we hear more about Michael's career, music placements, collaboration and the importance of community within Wakey Wakey's fanbase.Highlights:- Michael shares how he was ready to quit his career right before his music got placed in One Tree Hill- We hear how Wakey Wakey got placed in One Tree Hill - and it’s all about being in the right place at the right time!- “It’s a matter of persistence and putting yourself in public situations where things could happen” - Michael Grubbs- Michael shares how he has mixed feelings about crowdfunding, despite running a successful campaign- “Wakey Wakey has always been the kind of band that means a lot to a small group of people” - Michael Grubbs- We hear how Michael thinks it’s important to cultivate a strong sense of community as a band- Michael shares why he’s releasing a series of cover collaborations with other artists- “Music is a weird career - we all love each other, but there’s a competitive side” - Michael Grubbs- “I know too many talented people that I want to hang out with - why not make something beautiful while doing that?” - Michael Grubbs- Ross includes a duplicate question in 20 Questions and it throws things into chaos- “Being a musician is about creating something in the world that doesn’t already exist” - Michael Grubbs- “I was discovered after being at a bar for 10 years, after playing piano for 20 years” - Michael Grubbs- “When I try to write music for film or TV, it’s bad - but when I write one that is honest, it gets placed” - Michael GrubbsAdvice:- If you’re stagnant in your career, ask yourself if you love the art you are making- If you love the music you’re making, you have to keep making it- Music gets placed in film or TV because it’s specific and encapsulates a feeling- Your music career is a marathon, not a sprint- You see the same people on the way down that you see on the way up, so treat people well- Be present in the momentGuest Links:- Website: http://www.wakeywakeymusic.com/- Facebook: /wakeywakeyband- Twitter: @wakeywakey- Instagram: @wakeywakeymusicSponsors:- Chris Keaton @ Chris Keaton Presents- Christine Infanger @ Thirty Roses- Music Entrepreneur HQ- Music Launch Hub- Buck Naked Soap Company---For more episodes, visit http://bridge-the-atlantic.comFollow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/bridge_atlanticSubscribe on iTunes: http://bridge-the-atlantic.com/itunesSupport us on Patreon: http://patreon.com/bridgetheatlantic Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In our fourth B-SIDES episode we talk about time management and building a team, and we share a bonus segment from Stephen Christian’s interview. We talk about balancing multiple projects, finding work/life balance, and the importance of delegation.Highlights:- We talk about the importance of managing your time efficiently, especially when balancing multiple projects- Marcio shares how his day planner has changed his life- Ross and Marcio talk about the different lists they use to keep on top of their daily, weekly, and long-term tasks- We talk about monotasking (shout out to @RockStarAdvo!) and why it's good to take breaks from social media- "We’ve spent the last 2 1/2 years constantly re-evaluating how we manage our time. It’s all about trial & error and seeing what's most effective." - Ross- We talk about finding balance between personal and professional life- We share some additional advice from our interview with Stephen Christian, about managing multiple projects- "When you can't keep up with everything, or you’re not able to focus on the creative part of your work, then it’s time to start expanding your team." - Marcio- We discuss how to decide what tasks you can delegate to other team members- "Once you know which tasks you want to delegate to others, it’s then time to start finding people who can help you" - Marcio- We talk about how a virtual assistant (like Christine @ Thirty Roses) can help free up your time- "You want to be able to focus on the creative side of things, while delegating tasks to others. You’re still the leader, but not doing it completely by yourself." - RossSponsors:- Chris Keaton @ Chris Keaton Presents- Christine Infanger @ Thirty Roses- Music Entrepreneur HQ- Music Launch Hub- Buck Naked Soap Company--More:For more episodes, visit http://bridge-the-atlantic.comFollow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/bridge_atlanticSubscribe on iTunes: http://bridge-the-atlantic.com/itunesSupport us on Patreon: http://patreon.com/bridgetheatlantic Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our guest today is Alexis Kimbrough out of Atlanta, Georgia. Alexis is the founder of Growth Group - an accounting firm focusing on musicians and creative businesses. With Growth Group, Alexis helps musicians manage their taxes, plan for recording and touring, and more.Alexis has dedicated her accounting career to helping music creators make a prosperous living by loving their craft, and in this interview we hear the most common problems musicians have around money, when musicians should start working with an accountant, and more.Highlights:- “Growth Group is my giveback to a music community that gave to me” - Alexis Kimbrough- Alexis shares one of the biggest fears artists have around making money- “In addition to the creation, you have to be willing to market yourself” - Alexis Kimbrough- Alexis shares that too many musicians devalue their work because they’re worried about being seen as a sellout- “As musicians you change people’s hearts - and that is valuable” - Alexis Kimbrough- Alexis shares that musicians bring a valuable service to the world and they should be compensated- “What you offer to the world is valuable and there should be no shame in making money from it” - Alexis Kimbrough- “Selling out is not making money - it’s doing something that isn’t true to you” - Marcio Novelli- Alexis shares some of the most common problems musicians have around money- We hear from Alexis how artists can start saving and managing their money successfully- Alexis shares that small changes in habits can make a big difference over time to saving money- “Once you’ve monetized your music, you should start working with an accountant” - Alexis Kimbrough- An accountant can also help you to audit your time to make sure you’re making the best use of your timeAdvice:- When it comes to recording or touring - start with the resources you already have- An accountant should ask you about your goals, so you know whether they can help you achieve them- Make sure any accountant you are working with is certified and can legally work with you- Check if an accountant has worked with musicians before, so they have the right experienceGuest Links:- Website: http://growthgroup.com- Facebook: /growthgroup- Twitter: @growthgroup- Instagram: @growthgroupSponsors:- Chris Keaton @ Chris Keaton Presents- Christine Infanger @ Thirty Roses- Music Entrepreneur HQ- Music Launch Hub- Buck Naked Soap Company---For more episodes, visit http://bridge-the-atlantic.comFollow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/bridge_atlanticSubscribe on iTunes: http://bridge-the-atlantic.com/itunesSupport us on Patreon: http://patreon.com/bridgetheatlantic Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joining us this week out of Vancouver is Said The Whale’s Tyler Bancroft. Said The Whale are a JUNO award winning band, with 5 full length albums, and numerous EPs to their name since 2007. They also achieved a #1 hit Canadian Rock/Alternative chart in 2013 with “I Love You”The band have recently released their new record “As Long As Your Eyes Are Wide” which has taken Said The Whale back to its freeform roots while simultaneously venturing forward into uncharted art-pop territory. In this interview, we hear more about the new record, how the band promoted it, and the advice Tyler would offer to his fellow musicians.Highlights:- Marcio has invented a new theme park - Welcome to “DadLand”- Tyler tells us about Said The Whale’s return to their earlier sound on the new record- We hear how Said The Whale’s drummer and bassist left, which helped steer the change in musical direction- Tyler shares how with fewer members, the band has more creative freedom- Marcio calls Ross out on an error in the notes, and Tyler says it’s because Ross is “gangsta” (so true)- Tyler tells us about the listening parties their fans hosted for the release of the new Said The Whale record- We get a little nostalgic about how we used to listen to music vs how we listen now- Tyler shares how he tries to consume music the same way younger people are, to try and get his head around it- “There’s a different way of experiencing music now, but we have to try and embrace that” - Tyler Bancroft- Tyler tells us how Said The Whale have had to adapt to social media to communicate with fans- We hear that the band’s approach to fan connection is the same, but the methods have changed due to social media- Tyler talks about the importance of engaging with your audience and making fans one person at a timeAdvice:- Make your social media more of a discussion, rather than just telling people to listen to your music- Be engaging and inspire discussion- Be nice to everyone - you don’t know where people are going to end up- Be respectful of those who are supportive of your music- The experience of everyone matters - regardless of the size of the audience- Ross’ favourite advice - “Don’t be a douche”- “Don’t buy a tour van! They’’ll just eat your money.“ - Tyler BancroftGuest Links:- Website: saidthewhale.com- Facebook: /saidthewhale- Twitter: @saidthewhale- Instagram: @saidthewhaleSponsors:- Chris Keaton @ Chris Keaton Presents- Christine Infanger @ Thirty Roses- Joe Settineri- Music Entrepreneur HQ- Music Launch Hub- Buck Naked Soap Company Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joining us this week out of Toronto is broadcaster, writer and all round music geek Alan Cross. Alan is is best known as host of the syndicated radio series The Ongoing History of New Music, The Secret History of Rock, and ExploreMusic. In addition to his broadcasting career, Alan is also the author of many books on music, including The Alternative Music Almanac and The History of Alternative Rock. In this interview we hear Alan's thoughts on how the music industry has changed, how broadcasting has changed, and the advice he'd offer to aspiring music industry professionals. Highlights: - We hear how Alan never liked the title of his program “The Ongoing History of Modern Rock” - Alan shares how he initially wanted to be a news anchor or journalist, but actually hated it when it came down to it - Alan tells us how he sees the introduction of streaming has changed the economic balance of the music industry - We hear how the way the music business operates has changed compared to how it worked in the 90s - “You cannot fight technological disruption” - Alan Cross - Alan shares how he thinks technology has changed the way we experience music - We hear how the technological advances in the music industry have changed the way Alan works as a broadcaster and writer - “I no longer need to possess music - I’m ok with just accessing it” - Alan Cross - “Digital downloads and streaming cannot be compared as they are not the same thing” - Alan Cross - We hear how radio is having to change its approach, as people can listen to whatever they want on demand now - Alan shares his thoughts on podcasting, and the role that has within the overall broadcasting landscape - We hear the advice Alan learned from William Shatner Advice: - On getting starting in broadcasting - go to school so you can gain the proper practical skills - Get inside the current media establishment and see where that takes you - Say yes to everything - you don’t know where opportunities will lead to Guest Links: - Website: http://ajournalofmusicalthings.com/ - Facebook: /Alan-Cross-Official - Twitter: @alancross Sponsors: - Chris Keaton @ Chris Keaton Presents - Christine Infanger @ Thirty Roses - Music Entrepreneur HQ - Music Launch Hub - Buck Naked Soap Company Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In our third B-SIDES episode, we talk about podcast interviews; how to approach podcasts, how to prepare for an interview, and what you should expect. We also talk about what hosts would expect from their guests, and why it's important to do your research!Highlights:- We talk about how to approach podcasts for potential interviews and features- If you’re approaching podcasts, make sure that you are familiar with the show and that you are a good fit- Your message needs to be relevant to a podcast's audience, and you both need to bring benefit - otherwise, it’s not a fair balance- Once you’ve established that you think you’d be a good fit for a podcast, check their website for submission details- Don’t be afraid to follow up a week or so later if you don't hear back - but don’t take it personally if you get a "no"- "Success is built on a multitude of failures"- We talk about how to prepare for a podcast interview- If you're invited onto a podcast, check out some of their episodes before the interview so you get a feel for the vibe of the show- Research a podcast's hosts and audience - it makes a difference!- We talk about what you should expect from the hosts, and what hosts expect from their guestsSponsors:- Chris Keaton @ Chris Keaton Presents- Christine Infanger @ Thirty Roses- Music Entrepreneur HQ- Music Launch Hub- Buck Naked Soap Company Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joining us this week out of California is Bree Noble. Bree is a musician, entrepreneur and speaker, and she is the host of the Female Entrepreneur Musician Podcast, founder and CEO of Women of Substance Music Radio & Podcast, as well as being a music business trainer & mentor.Bree draws on her experience running her own music business to train and mentor other female musicians, with her goal being to to de-mystify and simplify the business side of music for her clients. In this interview, we hear the advice she'd offer to musicians, why she thinks the music industry has become a better place for women, and how musicians and creative entrepreneurs can become more organized.Highlights:- Bree describes our show as “not boring” and that makes us very happy!- We hear that Bree loves 80s music and Marcio challenges her knowledge!- Bree shares the benefits of musicians appearing on podcasts- “Interview podcasts let people get to know you as a person, and not just a voice or musician” - Bree Noble- “People are really interested in the stories behind artists” - Bree Noble- Bree shares some tips for finding podcasts to be featured on, and how to approach them- We hear how Bree has improved as a podcaster over the course of 500 episodes- Bree shares how she believes the music industry has become a better place for women in recent years- “The power of the indie right now has really empowered women” - Bree Noble- We hear why Bree decided to focus on showcasing women in music - as she felt they were underrepresented in the industry- Bree tells us how she manages to balance so many different commitments and projects- We talk about the importance of being organised as a creative entrepreneurAdvice:- “Set up 90 day goals, and figure out the action steps needed to achieve them, and calendarize them” - Bree Noble- Block off time to do specific things on your to-do list; make sure you create enough space to complete these tasks- Find a mentor in the industry who can teach you and answer your questions- “If you really have the talent or drive to succeed, you have to keep doing it!”- You have to push through the periods of self doubt about your musicGuest Links:- Female Entrepreneur Musician: http://femusician.com/- Women of Substance Radio: http://www.wosradio.com/- Facebook: /breenoblemusic- Twitter: @breenobleSponsors:- Chris Keaton @ Chris Keaton Presents- Christine Infanger @ Thirty Roses- Joe Settineri- Music Entrepreneur HQ- Music Launch Hub- Buck Naked Soap Company Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.