How Musicians Make It

Apr 14 2024

How Musicians Make It Podcast artwork

Learn how to develop a thriving career in music. Host Adam Meckler talks with artists about how they've built their careers, and music industry professionals about strategies for navigating a music career in the digital age. Meckler draws on his extensive career as a bandleader and freelancer (Cory Wong, Dave Koz, Steve Cole, The Hornheads, Youngblood Brass Band) to bring you tips for growing your fan base, prepping for the gig, booking a tour, writing that grant, syncing that song and more.Presented by Gig Boss.

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Shane Cox Never Went to Music School

Aug 28 2023 55 mins

Funky Spud, AKA Shane Cox, went straight from high school in Boise, Idaho to living out of his car and busking across the West Coast until arriving in New Orleans. He's since gone on to become a successful Twitch streamer where he loops layers of Tuba, Trumpet, and Trombone for excited fans, and a full-time brass player doing a variety of gigs on all three of the brass instruments

Breaking Down the Numbers of my Last Show

Aug 21 2023 39 mins

Adam goes "under the hood" and does a full breakdown on the Adam Meckler Orchestra's August 4th show at Crooners Lounge in Minneapolis. Meckler goes over: How he booked the gigWhat the money deal was with the venuewhat he told his band leading up to the showhow he promoted the showthe final numbershis takeaways (spoiler, they're not all positive)Booking a large-scale group like an

What Makes a Good Song? // w Teghan Devon

Aug 13 2023 70 mins

Adam sits down with Teghan Devon, the winner of the Mid-Atlantic Song Writing contest, and they talk about Teghan's recent songwriting workshop in Norway, what makes a good song, songwriting process, sync licensing, and a bunch more.Teghan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teghandevon/?hl=enTeghan on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0wQKdeg6E2T3hggyYlDBmA?si=XVwQqSA0T

How Hippo Campus Drummer Whistler Isaiah Hears Music

Aug 07 2023 67 mins

Host Adam Meckler talks with Hippo Campus drummer and singer/songwriter Whistler Isaiah. Whistler gives a rare look into his early life in the circus. He discusses his struggles with performance anxiety, and what steps he takes to combat it. He breaks down the making of his song Baseball Cap off of his 2021 EP "Small Yard", digging deep on his writing style, the song's production,

How Adam Rapa Built a Company While Building an Artist Career

Jul 31 2023 65 mins

Host Adam Meckler met up with trumpet virtuoso and founder/owner of Lotus Trumpets to talk about how Rapa built his career as an artist while also building a company based on his trumpet designs. Lotus Trumpets is a growing brand making waves in the trumpet community, and Adam Rapa has long been making waves as a player with his virtuosic trumpet playing with orchestras and bands a

Make the Bug a Feature // Ian Allison (July 2022)

May 01 2023 60 mins

This episode is a re-run of Adam's inspiring conversation with Bassist, content creator, recording artist, MD Ian Allison. Ian discusses his approach to content creation, the things he's learned on his path of being a studio bass player, and shares insights on how to tap into the best part of you as an artist. Ian on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ianmartinallison/?hl=enScott

17 Singles in 17 Weeks: Working the Spotify Algorithm (Weeks 3 and 4)

Apr 24 2023 15 mins

The numbers are in, and host Adam's plan to take over the world via Spotify is...working? It's pretty wild how much the Lulu's Playground Spotify listenership has grown in just three weeks and a few days. Listen to hear more about the numbers, the trends, the approach, and the plans for the future. A must-listen series for artists getting ready to release new music!Lulu's Playgroun

5 Mistakes Musicians Commonly Make

Apr 17 2023 31 mins

In this episode, host Adam Meckler talks 5 mistakes musicians commonly make in 2023. Discussing release strategy, balancing social media output versus building a live show, merch, creating a scene vs waiting for the phone to ring, and repetition. This is a big one. Lots of advice on how to overcome these obstacles and make the best of 2023. ------------Download Gig Boss app: https:

17 Singles in 17 Weeks: Working the Spotify Algorithm (weeks 1&2)

Apr 14 2023 10 mins

Adam discusses his newest experiment in learning the best way to release music on Spotify: 17 singles in 17 weeks is an effort to release music the way Spotify wants. Two weeks in, and the results are already interesting. Follow the progress as the Lulu's Playground account releases 17 singles in 17 weeks.Lulu's Playground on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6iRINNxUHjQ3ZfU

Touring, Academia, and Making Connections: A Trombonist's Journey with Ryan Christianson

Apr 10 2023 62 mins

In this episode of Gig Boss, we talk to Ryan Christianson, a highly respected trombonist based in Chicago. Ryan shares his experiences of touring with Dallas Brass and performing all over the United States. He discusses how he navigates the challenges of balancing performing with graduate school and academia. Ryan also provides valuable insights on how to make connections in a new