Happy Tuesday! Good morning (or good whatever time of day it is for you)! I've posted a new article for your reading pleasure. The game has changed completely In the early 2000s, if you wanted your music video seen, you had to pray MTV would pick it up. Today? You have the same tools as major labels to reach millions of people directly. I just posted a deep dive into why visual content has become absolutely essential for independent artists—and more importantly, how to make it work even on a...
16 days ago • 1 min read
The Skill That Separates Weekend Warriors from Pros What's the one skill that separates weekend warriors from working professionals? It's not speed, complexity, or expensive gear—it's the ability to play quietly. In an early episode of The Unstarving Musician podcast, former Managing Editor of Modern Drummer Magazine Mike Dawson said, "A drummer who can play quietly is hard to come by." Mike wasn't just talking about volume—he was talking about dynamic control, the secret weapon that makes...
23 days ago • 3 min read
Happy Friday! Here's another new episode for your weekend listening pleasure. Timothy Reid – Game Composition: From AAA Studios to Indie Freedom 🎙 Game composition opportunities have transformed dramatically in recent years, creating new pathways for musicians to enter the video game industry. In this episode, I reconnect with Timothy Reid, a guitarist-turned-video game composer based in Osaka, Japan, for his second appearance on the show since our 2021 conversation. Timothy shares his...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
I recently traveled to the U.S. from my current home of Querétaro Mexico, and I must admit to being a little nervous about the trip. My nervousness was based in part on my history with border crossings. For context, my full name was once referred to by a border agent as, "the trifecta of common Latin names." I've been subjected to additional screening lines and the backrooms at land borders and airports. As you might guess, the current climate of immigration and deportations added to my...
about 1 month ago • 4 min read
Happy Friday! How are you? Doing anything musical this weekend? Here's another new episode for your weekend listening pleasure. 326 Anmara - Music Funding Success: From $150,000 in Grants to Record Deal 🎙 Music funding has been transformative for Anmara, with the Virginia-based singer-songwriter securing over $150,000 through grants, crowdfunding, and her recent Chrome City Records deal. In this episode, Anmara shares her approach to financing her music career, from winning a prestigious...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read