Happy Friday! Here's another new episode for your weekend listening pleasure. Legal Mashups: Navigating Music Copyright and Studio Management with George Ajjan 🎙 Legal mashups and studio management are critical skills that can make or break an independent music career. In this episode, George Ajjan (the ajjancy) shares his systematic approach to creating and distributing mashup covers within legal boundaries, plus his proven strategies for efficient studio sessions and sustainable creative...
18 days ago • 1 min read
"Listening should be at least half of what your brain is doing." —Kid Andersen, Guitarist & Record Producer I want to share a single anecdote about a moment when poor listening while playing led to a musical mishap or missed opportunity, but I’ve done it more than once. Listening to the rest of the band is a skill I possess and constantly work on, and I’m far from a master at this art. I'm also good at hearing when other musicians aren’t listening to the rest of the band. I'll hear it when...
21 days ago • 5 min read
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...
28 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...
about 1 month 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 2 months ago • 1 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...
2 months ago • 1 min read