Now Hear This Entertainment

<p>A singer, songwriter, recording artist in the electro pop genre, she also has an extensive background in dance, and, her music videos play in fitness gyms around the country. Plus she has also gotten radio airplay. She was the Pop/Contemporary Entertainer of the Year at last year’s Josie Awards, which is the largest independent artist award show globally. She released a full album two years ago followed by three singles last year and three more earlier this year. She is also a voting member of the Recording Academy for the Grammys.</p>

<p>Record executive, producer, promoter, and manager who is currently the CEO of SRI Label Group. He has worked with artists ranging from Sammy Davis Jr. to John Lennon. And, he has licensed recordings worldwide, and works as a consultant to several major music labels. Last year he put out a hardcover book called, “Doing it on the Downbeat.”</p>

<p>Drummer touring with P!NK (currently in Australia), he has also performed over the years with the likes of Sheryl Crow, Stevie Nicks, Cher, Foreigner, Destiny’s Child, and many others. He is the recipient of numerous gold and platinum discs and has appeared on shows ranging from The Grammys to The Late Show to The Tonight Show to Conan O’Brien, Jon Stewart, American Idol, The X Factor, and more. He is also a music producer, audio engineer, and studio co-owner. He is one of the world’s most sought after drum clinicians. He also does one-on-one coaching and mentoring AND is a keynote speaker. Plus, he wrote the book, “Conquering Life’s Stage Fright: Three Steps to Top Performance.”</p>

<p>It's called the music BUSINESS, which means that if you are a singer, songwriter, recording artist, musician, entertainer of any kind, there IS an element of sales involved in what you're doing. On this episode, sales trainers Rick and Nancy Monsipapa give tips for selling your music, getting bookings, finding sponsors or endorsement deals, branding yourself -- essentially, better positioning yourself to get more opportunities. The two of them have a combined 40-plus years of sales experience, and put an emphasis on working with entrepreneurs. They co-wrote a book called "Nail The Sale" and host a weekly podcast by the same name. As sales trainers, they work with individuals one-on-one or in group settings with companies to improve sales efforts.</p>

<p>A singer/songwriter who plays guitar and ukulele, she has appeared on “America’s Got Talent,” gotten gear endorsements, and even had one of her original songs used in a TV commercial. She has performed everywhere from the Winter NAMM Show in Anaheim this past January to the prestigious 30A Songwriters Festival in the Florida panhandle, to a San Francisco 49ers game, and even in our nation’s capital. More recently she performed at Summerfest in Milwaukee. She has performed well over 800 shows since 2010. She is currently ranked number one in Miami on ReverbNation in her genre.</p>

<p>A duo act who prides themselves on playing every instrument you hear - no loops or tracks - they have a unique story about essentially living on the road in their RV. Chris plays guitar and drums and has performed with and for a list of artists that includes Lee Brice, while Kristen (bass and lead vocals) had a solo career that included performing at the Bluebird Cafe, among other venues. They've had 80 thousand-plus streams on Spotify and a video that got more than 100 thousand plays on YouTube in one week! Among other topics in this interview, they discuss new music they're working on for release next year.</p>

<p>Currently working on an EP for release before the end of 2018 with an album release likely for 2019, this singer, songwriter, guitarist has been highlighted in Guitar World Magazine ("next blues hero"), Guitar Player Magazine, and UltimateGuitar.com ("the next big thing"). His second album debuted at number 16 on the iTunes Blues music chart and received two International Independent Music Awards nominations. It produced a Number 1 single and three top ten singles on the Roots Music Radio Charts. He made a brief appearance on "The Voice" in 2016 and has a number of endorsement deals.</p>

<p>Although based in Nashville, this singer, songwriter, guitar player has become internationally known thanks to her huge success on YouTube. She has also gotten a tremendous following on Spotify while playing all around the country, including multiple House of Blues locations, The Mint (Los Angeles), Rockwood Music Hall (New York), The Fillmore (San Francisco), plus SXSW in Austin earlier this year. She has also gotten airplay on SiriusXM. She released an EP last year and is releasing singles this year.</p>

<p>Now L.A.-based singer, songwriter, piano player who was on Team Gwen Stefani in season seven of "The Voice." Originally from New Jersey, she has performed everywhere from New York to Nashville to Dallas to Las Vegas and at notable venues including The Mint (L.A.), New York's Rockwood Music Hall and The Bitter End, plus even The Apollo Theater. Her debut EP was released last year and she has new music that will come out later this year.</p>

<p>She has sung with some of the biggest names in music, from Phil Collins to Ringo Starr, Barbra Streisand, Stevie Wonder, Sting, and many, many more. She has even sung for a Super Bowl commercial that won an Emmy. She is also a writer, producer, and actor, and served as a representative on the Governor’s Board of the National Recording Academy (Grammys) and is a member of its Advocacy Board. Along the way she has also made numerous television appearances.</p>

<p>Singer, songwriter, guitar player currently out on the Warped Tour. She recently hosted the livestream for the California Roots Festival. And she has also been in the studio these days and hopes to release a new single by this Fall. She had released her first solo EP in June 2016. Her other project, Beebs and Her Money Makers, has released five albums and spent the last seven years touring.</p>

<p>Singer/songwriter currently rolling out a single that marks the debut of his solo career after having been a member of the pop trio The Scheme. He has gotten distribution for the song through Universal Music UK and worked with a very notable producer for the song. There are already remixes of the song by some notable DJs. He will be doing a national radio tour in July. (NOTE: He was on this show just over two years ago, in April of 2016 on Episode 116.)</p>

<p>A singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who last November put out a five-song EP. Also last year she was a semi-finalist in the International Songwriting Competition. Three months ago she did a soft launch via YouTube of a new single. She recently played the Montauk Music Festival and also a sold out show at Rockwood Music Hall and recently performed at iHeart Radio's Dunkin Donuts Iced Coffee Lounge. Already in her young career she has performed at famed music venue The Bitter End as well, and been featured in the Huffington Post.</p>

<p>A multiple Dove Awards nominee, just last week he released his second project in The Second City four-part series, "The Second City Part 2," with Part 1 having been released in late January. He has had a song receive national recognition from NBA on ESPN, plus another single was featured on Spotify’s “New Music Friday” and VH1’s “Black Ink Crew.” He was a featured artist on two high-profile tours last year, “2017 Winter Jam Tour” and Sadie Robertson’s “Live Original Tour.” On his YouTube channel his videos have gained a combined total of over 2.1 million views.</p>

<p>Sister duo currently working on new music that they hope to release next year. They continue performing all around Florida - including playing some very notable venues and events (performed at the House of Blues three times last year) - while also going back and forth to Nashville. The girls have been extremely successful building their following, to the tune of a combined 340 thousand on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. For the second straight week we have a sister duo that has been on NHTE before, as Diamond Dixie previously appeared on this show way back on Episode 63.</p>

<p>A sister duo who have a single being released to country radio. They have played over a thousand shows in 20 states. Already this year they have performed in Colorado, Arizona, and California, plus they will be doing an appearance in Nashville in about a week-and-a-half at CMA Fest. They also will be releasing a new EP soon. The girls each sing, play guitar, and write. They previously appeared on this show way back on Episode 25 when they were known as The Redheads.</p>

<p>The founder of the Pensacola Beach Songwriters Festival, which will celebrate its tenth such event in October. The festival is five days long and features close to 100 songwriters who over the years have come from places like Nashville, as far away as L.A., and even some from right there in Pensacola, Florida. Writers of songs that have become Number One hits have participated in the annual event, which also features community outreach aspects that are talked about in this interview. She also speaks to individuals who think they want to put on a songwriters festival, songwriters who wonder how to get to perform at such an event, and fans who think they know what a songwriters festival might be.</p>

<p>She has sold over a million records worldwide and won various awards, including Billboard and Juno, and has been called “one of the pioneers of female fronted rock." A singer/songwriter, she has toured and/or worked with an impressive list that ranges from Aerosmith to Alice Cooper to Cheap Trick to Van Halen, Carlos Santana, and Joe Cocker. She was also a feature actor in the episodic TV show “Sisters” and from 2003-2008 starred as one of the four judges on the hugely popular television series, “Canadian Idol.”</p>

<p>A saxophonist/guitarist for the likes of Supertramp, Pink Floyd, and Toto, among others, he actually plays several other instruments and sings too. He is also the CEO, President, and Co-Founder of Ignited Network - his fourth startup company - and is an invited guest lecturer (having taught at USC) and panelist at numerous new media conferences and university symposium, and was named one of “The Top 100 Multimedia Producers” by Multimedia Magazine. Scott also produced the world's first interactive cartoon. He also talks about having performed in the last year in places like the Canary Islands, Italy, Lebanon, and China.</p>

<p>An award-winning singer, composer, trumpeter, and producer who won Best EDM Song at the 2016 Hollywood Music in Media Awards, although he performs what he considers a sub-genre called TDM – Trumpet Dance Music. He has a multi-decade résumé of work with artists from different eras and has created a movement called “We Are One.” He once played with Dizzy Gillespie and has performed at venues and events ranging from LA Fashion Week to Carnegie Hall to the White House to the Hollywood Palladium and even in Las Vegas. He had a song that became the first recording on the Billboard Dance Music chart by a trumpeter since Herb Alpert more than three decades earlier. He has even played for legendary pop and rock artists including Foreigner, James Brown, and Marvin Gaye.</p>

<p>A singer/songwriter with 1.5 million YouTube subscribers, she released a 14-song album last year and then five months later put out the first in a four-part EP series. She talks about how headlining a tour was different – a learning experience – from being an opening act, and why she doesn’t have immediate plans to get back on the road. Originally from Colorado, she also discusses why she left L.A. to move to Nashville as well as why she could be considered an advocate.</p>

<p>A return appearance to the show for this California-based country singer, songwriter, guitar player, who this time was joined by his producer (and lead guitar player), who were on-location at the 2018 Winter NAMM Show in Anaheim. At the time of the interview they were working toward the release of a single, expected to be followed by another, and targeting a likely full album release by the end of 2018, and the conversation continued to talk of a mini-tour to support the single(s). Miller also talks about working with publishing companies, plus his diverse influences, and, doing all this while planning for a wedding this November.</p>

<p>The bass player from Love and a .38, who had a video for one of their songs featured by Universal Studios on a 40-foot screen at City Walk. The band has gone throughout the southwest and up and down the west coast of the U.S., plus they've performed at SXSW too. Working with the band towards a new EP at the time of this interview, Justin also talks about advocacy work that he has done through the NAMM Foundation both in Sacramento as well as at the federal level in Washington, D.C. He also talks about their being entirely indie/DIY, including landing an impressive list of sponsors.</p>

<p>A fingerstyle guitarist known for a two-handed playing style and compositional approach that integrates the percussive potential of the guitar body. One of the greatest and most influential guitarists in the world, he has been captivating audiences globally for almost three decades. To-date, he has recorded seventeen albums and is working on his next, which he hopes to release later this year or in early 2019. In 2000 he moved to Scotland, where he puts on his own week-long workshops, which have been attended by many over the years, including Ed Sheeran.</p>

<p>With a seven-song EP on target for release this summer, award-winning singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist Chandler Juliet is on a path being paved by success stories. Her debut EP in 2015 was featured through a sold out CD release party at Boardner’s in Hollywood. She has also performed at noted Hollywood venues such as The Troubador, The Viper Room, and Whisky-A-Go-Go. More recently, working with producer/songwriter Dean Dinning (Toad the Wet Sprocket) and Mikal Blue (Colbie Caillat, OneRepublic, Five for Fighting), the first single from the upcoming EP was nominated for three 2017 Indie Music Channel Awards and took home the award for Best Indie Pop Recording.</p>

<p>A singer, songwriter, guitar player who lives in Oklahoma but has also performed in places like Texas, California, and Nashville, she became a featured artist on Radio Disney. She recorded an EP under the direction of producer Ken Caillat, best known for his work with Fleetwood Mac. Emily was named the Oklahoma and North American Country Music Association's Vocalist and Entertainer of the Year for five consecutive years. She opened shows for Marty Stuart, Sawyer Brown, and Bryan White, and even performed for President George W. Bush. One of her music videos gained almost 300 thousand views on YouTube in just ten months.</p>

<p>A duo, both originally from California but reconnected in Nashville, they are working on a new EP hoped to be released in the Spring. They have written hundreds of songs together and toured across the nation and have opened for the likes of Thompson Square, Love and Theft, and Daryle Singeltary as well as performed at the Bluebird Cafe in Nashville and (twice) at the Key West Songwriters Festival. They talk about the successful (overfunded) Kickstarter that they'd done for their debut EP and the unique approach they took to recording it (at Warner Studios, to boot).</p>

<p>Recognized by Nashville Songwriters Association International as "One to Watch" (for being a songwriter on the rise), already in her young career she has performed at the likes of Downtown Disney (Orlando, FL), The Bluebird Cafe (Nashville, TN), Eddie's Attic (Atlanta, GA), and The Coca Cola 600 Speed Street Festival (Charlotte, NC). She has recorded two EPs working with Nashville producer, songwriter, recording artist Greg Bates, whose Music City debut landed him in the Billboard Top 5 with his Big Machine Label Group release "Did It For The Girl." An ASCAP songwriter and already a CMA member, Dare is sponsored by MAC Cosmetics and she is involved with many charitable events.</p>

<p>She plays eleven different instruments and is a seasoned performer and headliner of over 4000 festivals and concerts. She tells an amazing tale about being in a car accident such that she hit the windshield and the visor hit her throat and one of her vocal chords was paralyzed and they weren't sure it was ever going to move again. ("I'm a walking miracle," she says.) She is going to Europe later this year to tour, having just released her latest album, "Blazing." She produces music for herself and other artists, produces shows and videos, and is co-writing a novel trilogy about the music world. A true nomad, she talks during this interview about being born in Alabama and moving to Minnesota and California (now lives in Nashville).</p>

<p>The first woman to have won the National Fingerstyle Guitar Championship, she is a guitarist and harp guitarist who has performed with the likes of Les Paul, Chet Atkins, Earl Klugh, and more. She has released more than a dozen solo albums, instructional CDs, and DVDs. Her music can be heard in Woody Allen's film, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona." Her album "Heartstrings" accompanied astronauts on the space shuttle Discovery and her CD "Nightlight Daylight" was chosen as one of the top 10 CDs of the decade by Guitar Player Magazine.</p>

<p>2018 Grammy nominee for Best Jazz Instrumental Album (his fourth Grammy nomination). He has recorded and/or toured with Ray Charles, Better Midler, Diana Krall, George Benson, David Sanborn, and many others. He played 200-plus nights a year throughout the course of his career. He was inducted in the inaugural class of the Hammond Organ Hall of Fame and two years later was put on the Philadelphia Music Walk of Fame. He got his first record deal at age 16 with Columbia Records and at 17 became one of the two youngest players ever recruited for a Miles Davis ensemble.</p>

<p>Songwriter, producer, and performer based in Wales (UK) who has been referred to by BBC Radio 1 as “Warped Genius.” He is also the owner of Konic Records and is in the band Kyshera. He has written and produced three Kyshera albums and three solo albums. He has performed hundreds of shows in many different countries. His latest solo album was a Top 50 Best Seller on Amazon.</p>

<p>A recording artist, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer who has drawn accolades from The New York Times, Billboard Magazine, the Washington Post, and more. His current run at New York City’s Rockwood Music Hall has now sold out for two and a half years, performing alongside Grammy-nominated and Grammy-winning special guests. He has also headlined around the globe, doing 100 concerts across 50,000 miles of touring on both sides of the Atlantic this past year alone. He is also the founder and owner of the global company ECR Music Group and he started the iRespectMusic movement. He also talks about a recent article that went viral about a closed-door artists-only meeting he was in at Spotify.</p>

<p>A Washington, DC-based pianist, composer, and vocalist who last August signed a multi-album contract with SRI Jazz. He has worked with Grammy and Oscar-winning composer/performers Marvin Hamlisch and Randy Newman. He has released more than a dozen CDs and his music has been featured in movies and TV shows. Plus, his songs have been performed by stars of “Orange is the New Black” and “My Big Fat Greek Wedding.” He has appeared at thousands of venues, including the Kennedy Center.</p>

<p>Working towards a new album, this L.A.-based recording artist's dance track debuted at the start of this month at Number 47 on the Billboard dance chart and the following week climbed to Number 40. She has released a video for it that has gotten almost 83 thousand views in just over a month on YouTube. She has another song that is the theme song for a new, but yet-to-be-released movie. She has been featured in a PBS TV special and has performed and directed musicals, recitals, professional concerts and television shows, plus she is a vocal coach. She also talks on this interview about a reality series that she does once a year.</p>

<p>The son of a rock and roll legend, Roy Jr. is a musician, producer, music publisher, and author. Plus, he also hosts a podcast. He talks extensively about his father's storied career and how he and others are working to preserve and carry on his legacy through a number of projects, including recordings, a museum, two plays, two movies, and a musical.</p>

<p>A singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist whose latest release, a six-song EP entitled “Now and Then,” came out a few months ago and followed two full album releases and another EP. His original music has even aired on the SyFy network. And, he has worked with many notable artists, including having performed backup vocals for Adele at Radio City Music Hall in New York in November 2015, a performance that was later televised by NBC. He also played piano in a recent Five For Fighting Christmas special. Plus, as a musical director and producer he performed with and directed Scarborough, a band featuring front man Joe Scarborough from MSNBC, including performing with that band on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” and ABC’s “The View.” During this interview he gives great insights regarding Spotify as well as performing via live streaming services.</p>

<p>As the last episode of 2017 being released and having just passed the milestone 200th episode a couple weeks ago, we pause to look back on some of the highlights from the second hundred episodes of “Now Hear This Entertainment.” This episode includes clips from some of the episodes released between the last “Best Of” episode (number 101) and now and is great for someone who might have just recently discovered our show as well as the regular listeners who might have missed an episode or simply want to enjoy a refresher.</p>

<p>A finalist in this year’s Canadian Songwriting Competition, this singer, songwriter, guitar player twice was the only Canadian picked to be an emerging artist inside the CMA Fan Fair in Nashville. She has had several of her songs cut by artists all over North America, including Grand Ole Opry performer Sherry Lynn. Anderson has recorded three albums in Nashville and performed at the famed Bluebird Café there. She has recently released a Christmas album that features a Grammy-winning team of musicians.</p>

<p>The Irish Rovers founder, lead vocalist, guitar player, and songwriter. Fifty years ago the band had a breakout hit with their second album The Unicorn, and returned to the charts 15 more times with other songs. They recently were named one of Ireland’s greatest exports, being so honored at The Irish Emigration Museum. Their latest release, The Unicorn: The Continuing Story, pays appropriate tribute on its golden anniversary, with new recordings, plus the sequel to the The Unicorn song. They’ve traveled the world, as far as the Arctic Circle, Japan, and Germany, and regular tours to Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the U.S., and two years ago their “50 Years” triple CD broke tour sales records.</p>

<p>He appears regularly on stages around the country doing standup comedy, having even opened for Slayer, Megadeath, and Anthrax. He has appeared on shows ranging from Jimmy Kimmel to Howard Stern. He has released CDs and DVDs and has a book due out in February called “Everybody is Awful (Except You).” He hosts a podcast called “Comedy Metal Midgets” and was a host on “That Metal Show” on VH1.</p>

<p>A singer and concert pianist who was born in Azerbaijan and has performed in countries from North America to Asia to Europe, having even done a solo recital performance at Carnegie Hall in New York. She has earned a long list of honors and distinctions over the years, including an Excellence Prize from the President of the Russian Federation in back-to-back years. She released a single in late June, releasing another new single in a couple weeks. She is currently working as a professor of piano at West Virginia State University, where a video of her that went viral was shot, with her spontaneously singing Justin Bieber during one of her classes.</p>

<p>California-based singer/songwriter with an amazing story of being born and growing up in Russia before moving to New York as a teenager and then Los Angeles. She had studied classical piano and theory, harp, ballet and voice. She even overcame less than desirable sleeping arrangements in the Big Apple when she first came to the U.S. Currently working toward a new EP to start off 2018, her debut EP had been called, “Walk A Mile.” Her success includes a lyric video that in one year has totaled approximately 130 thousand views on her official YouTube channel.</p>

<p>Hawaii-based singer, songwriter, guitar player who has been releasing new music for 22 years, including 17 albums, and has a new release that he's hoping to have out by the start of 2018. He performs throughout the Hawaiian Islands, the U.S., and around the world. He both opened for and appeared on stage with Willie Nelson, and in recording studios he has worked with the likes of Michael McDonald and Kris Kristofferson, among many, many others. He has even earned four Hoku Award nominations, which is Hawaii’s version of the Grammys. Plus, he was also honored with the Ghandi and Martin Luther King Peace Hero Award. During this interview he also tells of how he got a Number One song in Tahiti.</p>

<p>Drummer on the current Joe Walsh tour. His career has included similar work with the likes of Neil Young and Mark Knopfler. Plus he has played with the likes of Bonnie Raitt, Jackson Browne, Peter Frampton, Lady Antebellum, and many, many more. He has even been nominated for the Academy of Country Music Award for Drummer of the Year. He also does work as a producer.</p>

<p>A singer, songwriter, and entertainer, who is releasing a new single this month and working towards an EP. She is a regular performer at Mango’s Tropical Cafe (2500 capacity) in Orlando, entertaining audiences in two shows each night. But, she has also performed extensively away from there, including not only outside Florida but even televised performances as well, notably in Mexico for “Va Por Ti” on Univision. And it should be noted that she also is a bi-lingual singer as well.</p>

<p>Texas-based singer, songwriter, guitar player who has spent time in Nashville as well as in the U.S. Army – including performing! He has gotten radio airplay and has had at least five different singles land on various music charts, while performing at everything from live music venues to fairs & festivals, professional sporting events, and private events. He has an upcoming tour/radio tour, going from Alabama to Virginia, and another next month going from Austin, Texas to New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado.</p>

<p>A singer, songwriter, vocal character actor, author, illustrator, and public speaker. She is also the Chief Operating Officer of What’s Hot In Hip Hop. She performed at South By Southwest this and last year. In August 2015 she released her first full-length album and is currently working on a new EP, having released singles in between. She is a voting member of the Grammys and also talks during this interview about three different crowdfunding campaigns she has undertaken.</p>

<p>A former MTV VJ based in England, he is a singer, songwriter, guitar player who recently released his fourth studio album, which landed on the iTunes Best Selling Pre-Orders list. An MTV Europe Music Awards nominee, Rolling Stone magazine said, “It’s like The Eagles have hired Jack Johnson for some lessons on lightening up.” One year ago VH1 released one of his music videos and the BBC have already picked up one of his songs for rotation. He is touring in England and will soon be performing in the Americas. He is a filmmaker too, making - for himself and others - music videos that have been featured on MTV and VH1. Plus, he is a voting member of the Grammy Awards and also has a weekly podcast with significant distribution.</p>

<p>The founder and host of The Rock N Roll Archaeology Project, which consists of six different podcasts, all surrounding the rock genre. He also has an exciting announcement about a new podcast project in addition to all of those. He himself is a musician, handling lead vocals and guitar in a classic rock band called Tinman, and talks about their upcoming CD release. In his early years his band headlined in the big music venues on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood.</p>