The Music Makers

Kurt Howell has been a keyboardist, lead vocalist, songwriter, recording artist, and producer. As you're about to hear, I first met Kurt back in the mid '70's when we played in our high school stage band together. I played trumpet and he played piano and he really influenced me in terms of improvising and playing with emotion and feel. I also hired his amazing teenage cover band to perform for a couple events I was involved with. I later learned that he went on to perform with Southern Pacific, the country rock group that put out five albums and had a series of hits. They were even named New Country Group of the Year at the CMA's. Kurt then put out a solo pop album produced by the well-known Michael Omartian and then formed the group, Burnin' Daylight with Marc Beeson and Sony LeMaire releasing one album that had three singles on the Billboard Country Music Charts including a top 40 hit. We recently reconnected and I got the whole story! I found Kurt to be extremely inspiring being a musician and artist who has truly enjoyed the ride.      

This is the 3rd part in a series of interviews, done every couple of years, with Brent Birckhead, an award-winning artist who writes, composes, and performs on a variety of woodwinds, mostly alto saxophone. Educated at Howard University, Brent was named best blues/pop/rock soloist and outstanding instrumental jazz soloist by Downbeat Magazine as part of the annual Student Music Awards. Since then, he's received various other awards. He's also had the honor of performing and touring with legendary artists including Lauryn Hill, Wale, Eric Benet, Larry Graham, George Duke and many more. Brent was also the professor of saxophone at Morgan State University. If you haven't checked it out, listen to his debut album, Birckhead, and be on the lookout for his followup release.  And be sure to listen to parts 1 and 2, episodes 5 and 6, on The Music Makers. Mentioned: Toni Menage  Nathan East  Steve Ferrone  Episode 5 Brent Birckhead/Saxophonist: A Musician's Journey Part 1 Episode 6 Brent Birckhead/Saxophonist: A Musician's Journey Part 2 Follow The Music Makers:  The Music Makers on Instagram The Music Makers podcast theme song was written and produced by Andy Kushner with help from the rhythm section and horn players of the band, SoundConnection: Elliot Jefferson, Lamonte Silver, Keith Hammond, Roy Lambert, Joe Herrera, and Craig Alston. Sponsor: Kushner Entertainment Check out Andy's Other Podcast: The Wedding Biz

I first interviewed Ina Forsman in September of 2020, the year after she had released an absolutely stellar album, Been Meaning To Tell You. We were five and a half months into the pandemic and public performances had temporarily come to a halt. We went through her journey including her process as a singer, songwriter, and performer as well as some of the songs on her last album. I highly recommend listening to that episode, which was #25. In today's episode, we talk about what Ina's been doing since then and get into the recording process and the behind-the-scenes of some of the songs of her upcoming new album release, All There Is.  LINKS & RESOURCES Ina Forsman: Ina's Website: https://www.inaforsman.com/  Ina on Facebook Ina on Instagram Ina on YouTube   Mentioned: Episode 19 Scottie Baldwin: Award-Winning FOH Sound Engineer for Prince And Other Superstars   Songs discussed during the interview: Be My Home:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5y1gXGsnJzQ Get Mine:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BpP-Rzud8o  Hanging Loose:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yRtxc3G3O8        Follow The Music Makers:  The Music Makers on Instagram The Music Makers podcast theme song was written and produced by Andy Kushner with help from the rhythm section and horn players of the band, SoundConnection: Elliot Jefferson, Lamonte Silver, Keith Hammond, Roy Lambert, Joe Herrera, and Craig Alston. Sponsor: Kushner Entertainment Check out Andy's Other Podcast: The Wedding Biz

Bruce Watson is a lead guitarist best known for playing in the band Foreigner which had multiple hits in the 70's and 80's including Hot Blooded, Feels Like The First Time, Urgent, and I Want To Know What Love Is. He also sings, plays mandolin, bass guitar, and slide guitar. Bruce has toured and/or recorded with the likes of Elton John, Rod Stewart, Patti Smyth, B.B. King, and more. LINKS: WEBSITE          foreigneronline.com INSTA                brewswotsin FACEBOOK       https://www.facebook.com/bruce.watson.14

Sean Miles, also known as "Smiles," is one of my favorite musicians who I've personally worked with for many years. He is a keyboardist, composer, producer, arranger, and music director. Hailing from the Washington, DC Metropolitan area, Smiles has landed on stages with amazing artists including David Foster, Kenny G, Ginuwine, Estelle, Mya, Angie Stone, Rachelle Ferrell, Biz Markie, Phil Lassiter, and many more.  Music link: https://koji.to/smileslife   Social Media handle: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CV27TZeMq92/?utm_medium=copy_link

Benny Pough, CEO of D. Verse Media, is one of today's successful and innovative business leaders and has helped shape the sound and culture of music worldwide, having been instrumental in delivering radio hits for superstar artists such as Jay-Z, Rihanna, Kanye West, Travis Scott, DJ Khaled, Future, and 21 Savage. He held executive positions at powerhouse labels from Motown Records and Def Jam to Epic Records and Roc Nation Music. He has since formed D. Verse Media, a full service global music distribution and publishing company. Some of the awards, he's received, are In 2019, he was awarded Record Executive of the Year by Power of Influence Awards. In 2018, he was awarded Record Exec of the Year by Urban One Honors. And the title Hitmaker, in 2017, by Variety Magazine. We go deep in this conversation and be sure to look out for his Book, On Impact, which will be published in the middle of 2022.     Links: Instagram: @bennypough (https://www.instagram.com/bennypough/)  Website: www.bennypough.com Website: www.dversemedia.com

As a grammy-award winning trumpet player, flugelhorn, french hornist, arranger, and keyboard player, CJ Camerieri has become an indispensable collaborator for numerous indie rock groups as a performer, arranger, improviser, and soloist and is a co-founder of the contemporary classical ensemble yMusic. He has toured and/or recorded with numerous major artists including Bon Iver, Paul Simon, Rufus Wainwright, Sean Lennon, Sufjan Stevens, The Plastic Ono Band, David Byrne, Indgrid Michaelson, Joan Osborne, and more. Links: https://www.cjtrumpet.com  https://merch.ambientinks.com/products/preorder-carm-lp Instagram - Carm_band  Website - Carm.band

Ryan Lerman has toured the world as a bassist for Ben Folds, guitarist for Michael Buble, and guitarist/string arranger/musical director for John Legend. He's also toured with Vanessa Carlton, Joshua Radin, Tallest Man On Earth, and more as guitarist, bassist, singer, music director and arranger. As a songwriter, his compositions have been recorded by Vulfpeck, Buble, and others. He's also one half of the creative team behind YouTube sensations Scary Pockets, with over 230 million views!  He has released three solo records under his own name with Pinstripes, The Sky (2012), Friends (2017), and Noisy Feelings (2019). We talk about all that and also the struggle that all or most artists go through in terms of feeling and retaining a comfortable sense of well-being and self-confidence. It's a great conversation! 

Today's special guest is guitarist Andy Timmons. As guitarist for pop-metal band Danger Danger, he toured the world opening for Kiss and Alice Cooper, sold over a million records worldwide, and had two #1 videos on MTV, plus amassing a discography that includes 7 solo releases. As a session player, he's been featured on recordings by drumming legend Simon Phillips, two internationally acclaimed CDs by Kip Winger, recording sessions for Paula Abdul, Paul Stanley, and countless radio and television jingles. Andy has also been Olivia Newton-John's music director and guitarist for several U.S. tours. He's also played alongside many of his heroes such as Steve Vai and Joe Satriani, Eric Johnson, Steve Morse, Mike Stern, Ace Frehley, Ted Nugent, the Beach Boys, and Lesley Gore. Andy has been consistently voted a "Top 20 Favorite Guitarist" in most of Japan's rock music magazine's reader polls, as well as being voted "Musician of the Year" four years in a row in the acclaimed Dallas Observer Music Awards. LINKS: Andy Timmons Guitar X Perience - Andy Timmons Guitar X Perience Instagram: Andytimmonsoffcial You Tube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCakeANwiMEjNlbdAzcpk9QA MENTIONED - Jeff Babco #37 Shep Gordon #41

Today's episode is sponsored by the Academy of Country Music at www.acmcountry.com  Brad Hill is a producer, engineer, composer, and musician based out of Nashville. He has a Grammy nomination for Country Album of the Year as well as CMA and Academy of Country Music nominations for Album of the Year, all for co-producing Maren Morris's debut album, Hero. Brad has produced songs for numerous artists including Maren Morris, Kameron Marlowe, Brothers Osborne, Brett Young, Josh Gracin, and more. We first met when he brilliantly produced an original of mine, I Will Be Your Memory, which was featured on an award-winning podcast produced by Transmitter FM for NBC.     Brad's IG: @bradhillmusic Mentioned: Beth Laird (episode #16) Lori McKenna (#20) Barry Dean (#51) I Will Be Your Memory, written by Andy Kushner featuring Sammy Arriaga and produced by Brad Hill - found on all streaming platforms and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MT7QGOz1VUg  Dear Hate, Maren Morris - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUPR5-igTVY Giving You Up, Kameron Marlowe - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84AyrbjCu9Q

Trumpeter Brad Clements has recorded and/or performed with numerous major artists including Prince, Chuck Brown, Bootsy Collins, Aretha Franklin, Larry Graham, Kenny G, and Thievery Corporation. He also owns and runs B&B Music Lessons, which creates systems music teachers can use so they can focus on their craft and further hone their skills as well as help students find the best teachers available.   https://www.bnbmusiclessons.com/ https://www.facebook.com/brad.clements.77/ https://www.instagram.com/bradclementstrumpet/ Mentioned: Greg Boyer (Episode #15) SoundConnection   The Music Makers podcast theme song was written and produced by Andy Kushner with help from the rhythm section and horn players of the band, SoundConnection: Elliot Jefferson, Lamonte Silver, Keith Hammond, Roy Lambert, Joe Herrera, and Craig Alston. Sponsor: Kushner Entertainment    Check out Andy's Other Podcast: The Wedding Biz

Barry Dean is a hit country and pop songwriter with four #1 singles and various other cuts and/or hits recorded by Little Big Town, Michael Ray, Jon Pardi, Ingrid Michaelson, Tim McGraw & Faith Hill, George Strait, Blake Shelton, Carrie Underwood, Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith, and many more. In addition to various songwriting awards, Barry earned a Grammy nomination for Tim McGraw's "Diamond Rings and Old Barstools." Links instagram is: @thebarrydean Mentioned Lori McKenna (#20) Beth Laird (#16)

Rob Wells is a multi-platinum, award-winning producer/songwriter based in Canada, and is the other half of the writing/production team The Fourth Floor with singer, songwriter & recording artist Shobha. Rob has worked with Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, Adam Lambert, Katharine McPhee, the Backstreet Boys, Nelly Furtado, Desmond Child, Cyndi Lauper, Corey Hart, & many others. His work has been featured in numerous films, television shows, commercials and video games worldwide. Rob has appeared as a music producer on "Canadian Idol", "The House Of Carters" & "The Next Star". His awards include first place in numerous songwriting competitions, and SOCAN #1 awards with gold, platinum & multi-platinum certifications. He also has his own label and teaches hundreds of students. WEBSITE: www.sharp9music.com IG: @robwmusic    Follow The Music Makers:  The Music Makers on Instagram   The Music Makers podcast theme song was written and produced by Andy Kushner with help from the rhythm section and horn players of the band, SoundConnection.   Sponsor: Kushner Entertainment  Check out Andy's Other Podcast: The Wedding Biz

Khaliq Glover, also known as Khaliq-O-Vision, is a grammy award winning recording engineer, mixing engineer, producer, and songwriter based in LA. Khaliq was 1st engineer on records by Jermaine Jackson, Donna Summer, Kenny Rogers, Jeffrey Osborne, and many more. He was also one of the engineers to work on the We Are The World project produced by Quincy Jones with an all star cast including Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Diana Ross, and many others. More recent projects include working with Prince and Justin Timberlake. He also worked with Herbie Hancock for his collaboration CD, Possibilities, with artists including John Mayer, Christina Aguilera, Stevie Wonder, Santana, Sting, and others.  www.khaliq-o-vision.com 

Sylver Logan Sharp was the former lead singer of the legendary group CHIC, w/Nile Rodgers & the late, Bernard Edwards for 20 years! She also recorded and/or performed with Kid Rock, Slash, Elton John, and numerous others. She also had a #1 hit with Jonathan Peters. Andy has seen Sylver perform numerous times and says she's one of his favorite singers and performers…she's a true dynamo! Sylver also has her own Jewelry line called Sylverwear with many celebrity clients. sylverlogansharp.com http://sylverwear.com Virtual performances: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5UmrKmidoU4fErUYUwRh1w 

Martin Sutton is a multi-platinum British songwriter, record producer, mixer, multi-instrumentalist, programmer, and songwriting coach and mentor living and working in the United Kingdom. He has worked with many major artists worldwide including LeAnn Rimes, Céline Dion, Backstreet Boys, Olivia Newton-John, Gary Barlow, Mike + The Mechanics, K-pop superstars Super Junior, The X Factor and American Idol winners, and more! He is also the founder of The Songwriting Academy with an incredible faculty of industry professionals all under one roof! The Songwriting Academy provides students with courses that provide the skills, guidance, contacts, and advice to further anyone's career in the music industry. Even though Martin grew up in Norfolk in England, which he notes as not being much of a musical hotspot, he still had music and a love and passion for it in his blood. He talks about that and how he got into music and songwriting, and also discusses the Songwriting Academy and how it is unique in what it offers, his Clubhouse rooms and what they have to offer, what a successful collaboration is to him, what kind of music he grew up on and who influenced him, what the very first record was that he ever purchased, how success doesn't mean the same thing to everyone, the importance of finding the appropriate balance between lyrics and melody, how he tries to do everything that he does as a songwriter and as a creator with authenticity, and so much more! This conversation with Martin is a great one for anyone who wants to take their career in music and songwriting to the next level. Andy had such a great time chatting with Martin and hopes that listeners will enjoy listening in! He would be very appreciative if you would help build the community by sharing this podcast with friends and fellow musicians and lovers of music! A great review would also be very helpful and appreciated!   Show Highlights: [0:10] – Andy gives us some information about today's guest, Martin Sutton. [1:23] – Martin describes his Clubhouse rooms and what they offer. [4:01] – Andy and Martin chat about what Nathan East said about the influence of the hang and collaborating. [6:44] – Martin describes where he grew up and how he got into songwriting. [8:05] – We discover who some of Martin's musical influences are and how Martin has always loved melancholy songs. [10:17] – Martin discusses his growing years as a songwriter, citing Donovan, Simon & Garfunkel, James Taylor, and Joni Mitchell as some of his biggest influences. [11:49] – Martin talks about his prior publishing deal with Universal Music. [13:51] – Martin stresses the importance of relationships and who you work with. [16:07] – Martin reveals how and why he established The Songwriting Academy. [19:00] – Martin describes the planning process behind the Songwriting Academy. [21:59] – Martin describes the Songwriting Academy as a unique experience and explains what makes it unique. [25:02] – We learn about some of the most common mistakes that songwriters make according to Martin. [27:16] – Martin asserts that songs need to have contrast between sections rather than be too linear. [29:09] – Martin emphasizes the importance of sequential repetition in music. [31:30] – Martin argues that there are certain actions that songwriters can take to strengthen a song. [34:44] – Martin comments on how to deal with insecurity as a songwriter. [37:50] – Martin reveals three questions that he asks himself in order to help curb his tendency to compare himself to other songwriters. [40:20] – Whenever Martin creates music, he says, he does so for the right reasons, and he delineates what those reasons are. [41:18] – Andy and Martin enthuse over the cathartic element of writing songs and the joy that can be found in it.   LINKS & RESOURCES The Songwriting Academy - Website Clubhouse Group: @martinsutton Clubhouse Group: @thesongwritingacademy Martin's Instagram Page Mentioned in this Episode: The Music Makers - Episode 46 Nathan East: Premier Bass Player with Over 2000 Recordings! Olivia Newton-John – "Pass It On"   Follow The Music Makers: The Music Makers on Instagram   The Music Makers podcast theme song was written and produced by Andy Kushner with help from the rhythm section and horn players of the band, SoundConnection.   Sponsor: Kushner Entertainment Check out Andy's Other Podcast: The Wedding Biz

With over 2,000 recordings, Nathan East is considered one of the most recorded bass players in history! He is a founding member of the GRAMMY-nominated contemporary jazz band Fourplay and has recorded, performed, and/or co-written songs with a huge number of major artists including Michael Jackson, Beyoncé, Stevie Wonder, Eric Clapton, Peter Gabriel, Whitney Houston, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Phil Collins, Toto, Daft Punk, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, The Bee Gees, Steve Winwood, Elton John, Quincy Jones, Earth Wind & Fire, Savage Garden, Sting, Michael McDonald, The Isley Brothers, Joe Satriani, and that's just some of them! The list goes on and on! You should also be aware that Nathan has released two incredible solo albums, with the most recent being Reverence in 2017 which hit the #1 spot on both the Jazz albums and the Contemporary Jazz albums Billboards charts. Nathan discusses his earliest memory of music moving him emotionally and also describes his innate musical ability as a gift and one of the first miracles of his life. He reflects on his first major break having worked with Barry White and where he went from there. He enthusiastically describes his experiences having worked with artists like Quincy Jones, Chick Corea, Whitney Houston, Phil Collins, Michael Jackson, Michael McDonald, and others, and he talks about topics such as the differences between touring and recording, whether or not his mindset changes between recording different genres of music, whether or not he struggles with any difficulties in his profession, and how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted him. He closes by briefly touching upon his work as a teacher via the Nathan East Online School of Bass out of ArtistWorks, humbly asserting that he still learns plenty by teaching. Andy describes his chat with Nathan East as an incredible conversation and really appreciated this opportunity to talk to Nathan. He would be very appreciative if you would help build the community by sharing this podcast with friends and fellow musicians and lovers of music! A great review would also be very helpful and appreciated! Show Highlights: [0:10] – Andy gives us some background information on Nathan East. [2:38] – Nathan shares his earliest memory of being emotionally moved by music. [3:14] – We learn that Nathan was only sixteen when he got his first big break playing with Barry White. [4:28] – Nathan discusses his stint with Quincy Jones playing on Michael Jackson's Off The Wall album. [6:02] – Nathan shares where he believes musical ability at such a young age comes from. [7:45] – Nathan justifies why he lists Paul McCartney as an influence on him as a bassist. [9:16] – We discover how Nathan went about finding his signature sound as a bass player. [11:04] – Nathan reflects on his general approach and mindset when he is playing in a more supportive role and shares what his experience working with Whitney Houston was like. [13:45] – Andy and Nathan discuss a quote that is on Nathan's website about how Nathan loves the element of surprise when it comes to the recording process. [15:20] – Nathan expounds upon the touring process and how it differs from recording and talks about having worked with Chick Corea. [18:05] – Andy and Nathan enthuse over Nathan's work with Phil Collins. [19:38] – Nathan details the process of having co-written "Easy Lover," recorded by Phil Collins. [22:09] – We hear about Nathan's collaboration with Michael Jackson. [24:27] – Nathan tells Andy about his experience having worked with Stevie Wonder. [26:00] – We learn about Nathan's collaboration with Peter Gabriel. [26:41] – Nathan recounts his work on a Beyoncé song and working with David Foster. [27:51] – Nathan praises Michael McDonald's artistry and personality. [28:54] – Nathan describes his process of writing instrumental pieces. [30:16] – We hear Nathan discuss some of his favorite drummers and what elements make a drummer especially good. [32:56] – Nathan offers advice to young people who might want to become musicians like he is, asserting that every single note you play should be important. [34:40] – Andy and Nathan have a conversation about the COVID-19 pandemic and how it affected Nathan. [37:40] – We learn who Nathan will likely be touring with in 2022. [39:35] – Nathan discusses and describes what kind of gear he is currently using to play bass. [40:52] – Nathan enthusiastically states that there is still plenty for him to learn and gives his students at ArtistWorks a nod. LINKS & RESOURCES Nathan's Website Nathan's Facebook Page ArtistWorks - Website Mentioned in this Episode: The Music Makers – Episode 45 Steve Ferrone: Celebrity Session and Touring Drummer Smokey Robinson & the Miracles - "More Love" The Beatles - "Nowhere Man" Whitney Houston - "Saving All My Love for You" Whitney Houston - "The Greatest Love of All" Hubert Laws - "Ravel's Bolero" Phil Collins - "Easy Lover" Michael Jackson - "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" Stevie Wonder - "Overjoyed" Beyoncé - "Listen" Lee Ritenour - "Mr. Briefcase" Nathan East & Michael McDonald - "Moondance"   Follow The Music Makers: The Music Makers on Instagram   The Music Makers podcast theme song was written and produced by Andy Kushner with help from the rhythm section and horn players of the band, SoundConnection.   Sponsor: Kushner Entertainment   Check out Andy's Other Podcast: The Wedding Biz  

Steve Ferrone has recorded and/or toured as a drummer with numerous high profile acts, including Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers from 1994 until now, Average White Band for eight years, George Harrison, Duran Duran, Stevie Nicks, Slash, Chaka Khan, Eric Clapton, The Bee Gees, Johnny Cash, Bryan Ferry, Peter Frampton, Whitney Houston, Pat Metheny, Marcus Miller, Steve Winwood, Paul Simon, and Jaco Pastorius – and that's just some of the acts he's been with! This was a blast of a conversation because Steve has so many great stories. He talks about his work with The Average White Band, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Chaka Khan, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, and Michael Jackson. He also talks about some of his favorite bass players and more! Steve was actually a tap dancer at a young age. He was only twelve years old, and he shares how that inadvertently led to his first drumming gig. He explains how he found his sound, as a drummer, and the journey that led him to where he is today. Despite the fact that Steve has played drums on a lot of classic hits from artists such as Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (with whom he has worked for more than twenty-five years!), Chaka Khan, Michael Jackson, and so many others, he definitely maintains a certain level of modesty, presenting the possibility that a hit with which he was involved "was already a hit and I got to play on it." He also discusses the advent of the drum machine and electronic drums and how they initially made some drummers panic thinking that their work would become obsolete. He shares his own feelings on electronic drums and gives examples of times when he maintained the value of organic drums over electronic ones, such as when he worked on "Earth Song" by Michael Jackson. Andy and Steve also talk a little about the COVID-19 pandemic and how it affected musicians, with Steve detailing what his life and profession have been like ever since the breakout of the pandemic. He remains optimistic and hopeful that an end to the pandemic is in sight but also clarifies that he is grateful for that which he has been able to hold onto in his life. Having worked with so many high profile musicians, Steve definitely has a lot of great stories to share and makes for a very fascinating guest on the podcast!   Show Highlights: [00:10] Andy gives some background information on Steve Ferrone and his career so far as a high profile drummer. [2:06] – Steve reveals where his passion for drumming comes from and shares what some of his hobbies were as a child. [5:00] – Steve reveals how he scored his first drumming gig. [7:14] – We learn how Steve found his sound as a musician. [10:19] – Steve talks about what his process is like preparing for recording in the studio. [12:27] – Steve shares the story of having worked with Duran Duran on their "Ordinary World" song. [15:18] – Steve reflects on how he feels about many musicians today playing their parts separately and sending them in rather than all being in the same room playing together. [18:55] – Steve hones in on an important lesson that he learned from Arif Mardin. [22:03] – Steve looks back on his time with The Average White Band. [22:38] – Steve and Andy discuss Tom Petty and what it was like for Steve to work with him. [24:34] – Steve talks about his time with Chaka Khan. [27:40] – Steve explains how his collaboration with Eric Clapton came about. [30:45] – We learn how Steve led a very busy life while touring with Eric Clapton because he was touring with him and with Duran Duran. [32:45] – Andy and Steve enthuse over Phil Collins' phenomenal drumming work. [35:38] – Steve talks about electronic drums and how they were incorporated into "I Feel for You" by Chaka Khan. [36:42] – Steve narrates how he came to work with George Harrison. [38:47] – Steve explains how George Harrison might hold the record for most expensive recording session ever. [41:56] – Steve describes his experiences working with different bass players. [44:00] – We learn that the business side of things is Steve's least favorite aspect of his job. [44:57] – Steve describes his experience working on "Earth Song" by Michael Jackson. [48:35] – Andy and Steve talk about what Steve is looking forward to now that we're reaching the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. [50:25] – Steve describes an experience that he had recording a project during the pandemic. [52:05] – Steve looks forward to the day when the pandemic is over but remains grateful for what he has in his life now even in a pandemic. [54:22] – Steve talks a little bit about his jazz group, The Coffee Shop Trio, and how they play.   LINKS & RESOURCES Steve Ferrone - Website Mentioned in this Episode: The Music Makers - Episode 37: Jeff Babko: Keyboardist Extraordinaire & Keeping the Channels Wide Open Duran Duran - "Ordinary World" Chaka Khan - "I'm Every Woman" Chaka Khan - "I Feel for You" Phil Collins - "Easy Lover" Michael Jackson - "Earth Song"   Follow The Music Makers: The Music Makers on Instagram   The Music Makers podcast theme song was written and produced by Andy Kushner with help from the rhythm section and horn players of the band, SoundConnection.   Sponsor: Kushner Entertainment   Check out Andy's Other Podcast: The Wedding Biz  

Joe Galante has held several executive roles at various companies including being the youngest person to run a major country record label, RCA's Nashville division. He later became the chairman of BMG Music Group and later of Sony Music Group. He is noted for his role in developing the careers of Dolly Parton, Waylon Jennings, Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, Alabama, Martina McBride, Vince Gill, Clint Black, Miranda Lambert, the Judds and many, many more. He has spent a lifetime impacting the world of country music and has so many stories to tell. From his earliest memories of listening to the Beatles to starting his own band, he's always been influenced by music. He never thought he'd be working in the industry though. After leaving college with degrees in marketing and finance, he connected with his first record company and has been making moves and waves in the industry ever since. One of his very first experiences with acts was with Waylon Jennings. Despite having a fantastic tour following, Waylon hadn't had a great deal of radio play. Joe stepped in and helped build Waylon into a country music star. Listen as we chat about his work with Dolly Parton, Clint Black, Alabama, The Judds, Vince Gil, Ronnie Milsap, The Dave Matthews Band, and more. Even better, Joe digs into how the industry has grown, changed, and evolved over the years. Has it been for the better or worse? It's hard to tell, but it has definitely changed and both Andy and Joe miss the time of creating true music classics. This was a fantastic interview filled with amazing insights into the past, present, and future of the music industry. Listen in to hear it all.   Show Highlights: [00:10] Andy shares a bit about Joe's background and experience in the industry.  [01:24] Which project was his favorite to work on with producer, Mark Wright?  [01:53] What is Joe's earliest memory of being moved by music?  [02:47] How did he find out about all of the artists that moved him at an early age?  [05:11] Was he always interested in getting into the industry or did he happen into the business?  [06:33] How does he look back on his rapid rise through the ranks?  [08:39] What were some of his big epiphanies that changed the industry?  [11:39] Joe's thoughts on building and managing a successful team.  [13:02] How did his turnover rate affect his reputation?  [14:33] What was his approach to developing and nurturing artists?  [16:50] Learn about his time working with Waylon Jennings.  [20:00] Additional thoughts on Waylon Jennings and artist relationships.  [21:01] How he approached building and promoting Alabama.  [22:03] Joe talks about helping Ronnie Milsap crossover into various music genres.  [23:22] Listen as Joe dives into his experiences with Dolly Parton and her career.  [25:11] What did he see in The Judds that other representatives didn't?  [27:07] How did he help Vince Gill promote as country music shifted and changed?  [29:29] From country to ZZ Top, The Dave Matthews Band, and Wu Tang Clan. [34:00] What was his relationship like with producers?  [35:23] His thoughts on how songwriting has evolved.  [39:30] What has changed over the years with the number of writers on songs?  [43:52] How does he look at the business as a whole today?  [50:59] Joe shares how he's spending his time now.   LINKS & RESOURCES Joe Galante: Wikipedia   Mentioned in this Episode: Episode 39 Mark Wright: Hit Producer & Songwriter   Follow The Music Makers:  The Music Makers on Instagram The Music Makers podcast theme song was written and produced by Andy Kushner with help from the rhythm section and horn players of the band, SoundConnection. Sponsor: Kushner Entertainment Check out Andy's Other Podcast: The Wedding Biz

Kevin Antunes has served as musical director, designer, and keyboardist to some of the biggest artists and musical events in history, including Madonna, Michael Jackson, Justin Timberlake, Rhianna, Brittney Spears, Shakira, Janet Jackson and N'Sync. He's also performed at the Grammy Awards, Academy Awards, and Super Bowl Half-Time Shows. Listen as he shares about his journey, inspiration, and experiences.   Kevin grew up in a musically-minded family. In fact, both his father and brother were and are also in the industry. Kevin always knew that he wanted music to be a part of his life for the long haul. Little did he know his career would start off with a bang.   Another thing he always knew would be a part of his life was college. He went to a prestigious music school, but while studying was presented with the opportunity to tour with New Kids on the Block. He took it and later resumed his studies.    Kevin has had some amazing experiences working with huge names in the industry. He's sharing what it was like working with several superstars including Justin Timberlake, Rihanna, why he believes Madonna is one of the hardest working people in the industry, and the difference between a music director and designer.    His stories are fantastic and the humble and kind air with which he approaches his life and career are inspiring. Listen in to learn more about the industry from one of the greats!   Show Highlights:   [00:10] Kevin Antunes has served as musical director, designer, and keyboardist to some of the biggest artists in history. Learn more! [01:20] Learn more about how Andy and Kevin met on Clubhouse and why they both like it so much.  [02:44] What was the first moment that he remembers being moved by music?  [04:45] Did he go to college for music?  [05:46] How he started working with the New Kids on the Block.  [08:39] Arena shows were challenging but fun.  [10:04] What did he do after New Kids on the Block?  [11:52] Did he turn down opportunities to go back to school?  [13:10] Kevin talks about his post-school experiences.  [16:57] Why he enjoyed the early years in the record industry side. [20:01] How he started working with N'Sync.  [21:59] What has it been like working with Madonna?  [25:49] More about working with Justin Timberlake.  [28:29] The difference between a Music Designer and Music Director and his experience with the Michael Jackson estate.  [33:43] Sound is so important to music and working on the Cirque du Soleil show, ONE in Vegas, was a whole other experience. Listen to learn more! [35:19] What it was like getting to perform with Stevie Wonder. [39:18] Andy shares his desire to know what's in the vault for Stevie Wonder, but Kevin has a different perspective on the vault concept.  [41:06] Why it was fun performing with Snoop Dogg.  [44:07] What was his experience like when working with John Mayer and Rhianna?  [47:20] How he's integrated the music with the business aspect of the industry.  [49:07] Work ethic and discipline are important but so is honesty.  [50:22] Why he still struggles with imposter syndrome despite his experience.  [51:42] Kevin shares his first tip for those who are looking to break into the business.  [54:24] What's he excited about and looking forward to?   LINKS & RESOURCES   Kevin Antunes: Kevin on Instagram Kevin on Twitter Kevin on IMDB   Follow The Music Makers:  The Music Makers on Instagram   The Music Makers podcast theme song was written and produced by Andy Kushner with help from the rhythm section and horn players of the band, SoundConnection.   Sponsor: Kushner Entertainment    Check out Andy's Other Podcast: The Wedding Biz