The AMPD Studios Podcast

AMPD STUDIOS by OLD MUTUAL brings you Catherine Grenfell!

We have all heard the complaints from artists about how they don't get any radio play. But

have you done the requisite work into getting it played? Do you know your band, do you

know your brand, do you know the stations and the DJ’s?

In this episode, radio icon Catherine Grenfell explains how important it is to know your style of

music and to approach the appropriate radio station for your particular genre. She gives valuable insight

and steps to take for publishing your songs and getting them play listed.

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AMPD STUDIOS by OLD MUTUAL brings you Catherine Grenfell!

For many radio fans, the voice of Catherine Grenfell was ubiquitous with our enjoyment of

radio. Her authentic voice, telling stories with long time radio partner DJ Fresh of her normal

life, brought a connection to DJ’s that we hadn’t yet had, let alone the fact that she was a

woman in an extremely male-dominated world. She went from strength to strength as she

produced multiple shows, but as the years went on she found herself not giving 100% to the

shows and she knew she had to leave in order to rekindle her creative spirit.

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AMPD STUDIOS by OLD MUTUAL brings you DJ Shimza!

From a young age, DJ Shimza started learning how to market himself on how to build a brand. After attending the South African Music Conference, which was held at the historic venue The Bassline in Johannesburg, he started throwing birthday parties for himself which he took to extreme levels. He had a great sound system and he marketed the party with a basic black and white flyer with his famous logo which lives on till this day.

That logo means more to him than “just a logo”. It may not be the most elegant or modern, but it’s not about that. When he was starting out and no one knew who he was it didn’t matter because they knew that logo and today it lives on as a reminder of where he came from and its all part of his personal brand.

That experience in creating his birthday party, as well as his education in marketing, helped DJ Shimza in his next venture, in which he knew he needed to seek out a gap in the market, that resulted in his famous Christmas Lunch after party. All venues were usually closed on Christmas Day, so he knew he could use that as an opportunity to expand his portfolio of events.

This is a highly important lesson to take from the award-winning DJ. Always seek out ways to market yourself and create opportunities to grow your presence. All the experience that he gained in those early years hustling with black and white flyers, seeking out new ways to grow his network, enabled DJ Shimza eventually to create his own festivals, and today he is in front of us telling his story. Create your own story and hopefully, we’ll see you on the AMPD Studio stage in a few years.

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AMPD STUDIOS by OLD MUTUAL brings you DJ Shimza!

Serendipity is a word which has particular relevance for the career of megastar DJ Shimza, awards flowed from an early age, but it was a stroke of luck that led him to find out that he was a truly talented DJ.

DJ Shimza tells us about how he used to take different routes when travelling home, and one day he walked past a house that was playing something that he had never heard before, which was unusual as he was always collecting the latest mixes, he stood outside listening until one of the guys came out and asked him if he wanted to come listen inside. He found himself in a space with actual DJ’s who could guide him and mentor him. They landed up training each day, driving each other to be better and it created in him an urge to be the best. They didn’t have the best equipment, or fancy Technics turntables, but they worked with what they had and drove each other to be the best they could possibly be.

For 5 years he worked with belt-drive turntables, but you can’t wait for better turntables, those 5 years made him become better than all the guys with fancy decks.

He couldn’t ask for better equipment or vinyls from his mom because she was focussed 100% on his education. The parental focus in his mom’s life was that Shimza become something stable something like a doctor. Far from being upset by this, he could see the value in his mother’s goals for him but he never took that as a “no” he used the adversity to take control of his own path in life, he knew he’d have to be the one driving his future path in this “Dj thing” and seek out his own education. Persistence led to him asking his friends to assist him in getting a ticket to the South African Music Conference which was held at historic music venue The Bassline in Johannesburg. The event was organised by some of the most successful music industry legends; DJ Fresh, Oskido, Vinny da Vinci, Greg Maloka and DJ Christos.

That persistence (and great friends - shout out to Dominic and Small) led to him to actually doing exactly what his mother wanted him to do, get an education. He attended the conference daily, and it helped him do exactly what education does, it “unlocked his mind.” Instead of becoming a doctor, he found the “professors” that he wanted to fulfil his own dream. Each day listening to experienced people who had already been through what he was about to go through.

Keep an open mind, become a sponge for knowledge, be greedy when people give advice in the music industry, inhale their experiences and use them to make money, to make a great career.

To access all videos from this series, please check out our website: www.ampdstudios.co.za

#AMPDstudios

#OldMutual

AMPD STUDIOS by OLD MUTUAL brings you DJ Shimza! Serendipity is a word which has particular relevance for the career of megastar DJ Shimza, awards flowed from an early age, but it was a stroke of luck that led him to find out that he was a truly talented DJ. DJ Shimza tells us about how he used to take different routes when travelling home, and one day he walked past a house that was playing something that he had never heard before, which was unusual as he was always collecting the latest mixes, he stood outside listening until one of the guys came out and asked him if he wanted to come listen inside. He found himself in a space with actual DJ’s who could guide him and mentor him. They landed up training each day, driving each other to be better and it created in him an urge to be the best. They didn’t have the best equipment, or fancy Technics turntables, but they worked with what they had and drove each other to be the best they could possibly be. For 5 years he worked with belt-drive turntables, but you can’t wait for better turntables, those 5 years made him become better than all the guys with fancy decks. He couldn’t ask for better equipment or vinyls from his mom because she was focussed 100% on his education. The parental focus in his mom’s life was that Shimza become something stable something like a doctor. Far from being upset by this, he could see the value in his mother’s goals for him but he never took that as a “no” he used the adversity to take control of his own path in life, he knew he’d have to be the one driving his future path in this “Dj thing” and seek out his own education. Persistence led to him asking his friends to assist him in getting a ticket to the South African Music Conference which was held at historic music venue The Bassline in Johannesburg. The event was organised by some of the most successful music industry legends; DJ Fresh, Oskido, Vinny da Vinci, Greg Maloka and DJ Christos. That persistence (and great friends - shout out to Dominic and Small) led to him to actually doing exactly what his mother wanted him to do, get an education. He attended the conference daily, and it helped him do exactly what education does, it “unlocked his mind.” Instead of becoming a doctor, he found the “professors” that he wanted to fulfil his own dream. Each day listening to experienced people who had already been through what he was about to go through. Keep an open mind, become a sponge for knowledge, be greedy when people give advice in the music industry, inhale their experiences and use them to make money, to make a great career. To access all videos from this series, please check out our website: www.ampdstudios.co.za #AMPDstudios #OldMutual

AMPD STUDIOS by OLD MUTUAL brings you Slikour!

In part one of the AMPD Masterclass with Slikour he spoke about knowing exactly what you want to be in the industry. A musician, an agent, a manager, or booker etc. In part two he talks about knowing your own self, knowing your art and your product, and to think about yourself exactly as a brand would. He makes the analogy of a gardener with tomatoes who wants to sell his tomatoes, but there is Woolworths, PnP, Shoprite out there also selling tomatoes.

What is it about your tomatoes that will outshine Woolworth’s tomatoes, why is your music the music that the public needs/wants/supports? In so many AMPD studio Masterclasses the legends who have spoken have said that you need to think about your career, your art, your brand holistically in order to succeed. You need to know every single thing about your craft, the business of music and the business of you. How are you going to be the best version of yourself, you need to know your product, and know how to sell it. Get the right management, not just some person who says that they do it because “they just love music” You need more than that, you need a person who says “Cool, I see you have these tomatoes, lets work out expand the value of these tomatoes...” … and from there you can think about what else you have to offer. Slikour realised he needed to offer more than just his music if he was to leave a legacy, and to make a positive impact in the industry. The future music industry mogul recognised that there was no platform for the telling of the South African stories in the depth that he wanted to know them and so he applied to brain to his brand in order to expand his personal brand business portfolio, as well as leave a lasting impact on South African music from the ground up.

To access all the videos from this series, please check out our website : www.ampdstudios.co.za

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AMPD STUDIOS by OLD MUTUAL brings you Slikour! Knowing who you are and what your creative outlet is to you, is a major aspect of media mogul Slikour's AMPD Masterclass. What do you actually want to do with your creation? Is it for your own pleasure and to “feed your soul”, or are you entering the creative space to grow a business? Many who enter the market are conflicted about why they are entering it and are unprepared for the hardships that you will encounter. With a knowing smile Slikour says “the people who wanna be in the music business, are not the most talented. The ones who enter the music business work the hardest, and are the most aggressive. So you gotta ask yourself ‘where do you fit in?’ Who are you in the creative space and are you preparing yourself for that role? To access all the videos from this series, please check out our website : www.ampdstudios.co.za #ampdstudios #oldmutual

AMPD STUDIOS by OLD MUTUAL brings you Slikour!

Knowing who you are and what your creative outlet is to you, is a major aspect of media mogul Slikour's AMPD Masterclass. What do you actually want to do with your creation? Is it for your own pleasure and to “feed your soul”, or are you entering the creative space to grow a business? Many who enter the market are conflicted about why they are entering it and are unprepared for the hardships that you will encounter. With a knowing smile Slikour says “the people who wanna be in the music business, are not the most talented. The ones who enter the music business work the hardest, and are the most aggressive. So you gotta ask yourself ‘where do you fit in?’

Who are you in the creative space and are you preparing yourself for that role?

To access all the videos from this series, please check out our website : www.ampdstudios.co.za

#ampdstudios

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For more content or to become part of AMPD Studios go to www.ampdstudios.co.za

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