Making Money in the Music Business

Singer, songwriter, producer and artist development/vocal coach Jeremiah Abiah is our special guest in this week's podcast episode #155 which is the final episode for 2020. Jeremiah, whose artist name is simply "Abiah" shares an extremely poignant account of his diverse journey in the music industry including working with such artists as Shanice, George Michaels, Amel Larrieux and Yolanda Adams. Having a Cuban and Ghanaian lineage, Jeremiah grew up listening to music throughout the Black diaspora and took an inclination to singing at a very young age. Having attended a performing arts high school and then the New England Conservatory of Music he was well prepared to hit Carnegie's stage at the young age of 20 and was signed to a music label shortly thereafter. Still, he explains the trials and challenges of being an artist and having to truly step into his skin which led him to creating various streams of income within music education at Berklee College of Music and establishing his own company providing vocal coaching and artist development. Listeners will be inspired by Jeremiah's dedication to the craft of performing music while contributing to the arts professional community at large. Twitter & IG: @jeremiahabiah Facebook: www.facebook.com/jeremiahabiah Website: www.jeremiahabiah.com Music: Available on all digital platforms

Singer/songwriter Nialand is our next featured "Artist on the Rise" special guest in this week's podcast episode #154. Nialand is a Chicago-based artist who has an extremely diverse background in music both as an artist, background vocalist and even hype girl for legendary hip hop artist MC Lyte. Nialand shares her journey as an independent artist including releasing her first album in 2006 and then going on to provide supporting vocals for such artists as Chico Debarge, Roy Ayers, Lupe Fiasco and was featured on a Kanye West project. She further enhanced her creative career by being a part of live production teams for such artists as Sheila E., the O'Jays and Chaka Khan. While her music career has included vast connections in the music industry, Nialand shares why her priority is her own voice and artistry. Listeners, especially those who are developing artists, will be inspired by Nialand's commitment to being teachable, creative and thoughtful as she continues to establish her career in today's music industry. Twitter: @nialandmusic IG: @nialand.music Facebook: www.facebook.com/nialandmusic Website: www.nialandmusic.com Music: Available on all digital platforms

R&B/Soul singer/songwriter Sherry Amour is our featured "Artist on the Rise" special guest in this week's podcast episode #153. Sherry defines herself as an "artistpreneur" given her career is a mix of being an artist and an entrepreneur. Her entrepreneur hat is worn both while managing her music career while also running her own project management small business. Sherry shares her journey as an independent artist including how she began as a child singing and being heavily influenced by various artists, primarily Whitney Houston. She received her bachelor's degree from Columbia College in Chicago in arts, entertainment and management; still her first love has always been singing and developing her artistry. Listeners, especially those who are developing artists, will be inspired by Sherry's enthusiasm for being an artist and will learn the importance of setting boundaries to avoid being "a slave to music" as she so eloquently explains. Twitter & IG: @samourmusic Facebook: www.facebook.com/samourmusic Website: www.sherryamourmusic.com Music: Available on all digital platforms

International publicist Diane Hinds is our special guest in this week's podcast episode #151. Diane shares her dynamic journey in the music business as a public relations entrepreneur including how she began with an extreme passion for radio and evolved into a consummate music industry professional and educator. Having worked for BBC radio and then working for major labels like Arista, Diane gained a wealth of diverse experiences that allowed her to take a leap of faith and create her PR firm, The Entertainment Bureau, while also completing a Master's of Arts degree. While based in the United Kingdom, Diane has international clients and discusses the attributes artists need to consider when selecting and working with a publicist. Listeners will be inspired as well as informed about the vast opportunities a good publicist can provide to open doors within the music industry even during challenging times. IG: @dee_dee_hinds Twitter: @diande_hinds Facebook: Search "Diane Hinds" Website: http://www.theentertainmentbureau.co.uk/

Co-hosts Dr. William E. Smith & Kenya McGuire Johnson celebrate their 150th episode with a discussion about the importance of taking small steps to reach big music goals. William and Kenya each share moments where small steps lead to a pivotal moment in their music careers. Listeners will be inspired to keep taking steps forward while finding the value of being patient and celebrating each moment no matter how small it may seem. www.makingmoneyinthemusicbiz.com

R&B/Soul recording artist Tracy Cruz is our special guest in this week's podcast episode #152. Tracy shares her dynamic journey as an independent artist including how she began as a child singing for her Philipino family receiving accolades for her amazing voice. Having released her first music project in 2006, Tracy describes a variety of situations that demonstrate her passion and dedication to being a professional musician. As a result, she has won numerous music awards, began her own vocal coaching business, has toured nationwide and her music has hit numerous independent music charts. Listeners will be inspired by Tracy's tenacity and commitment to the ebb and flow of being a musician in today's music industry while also gaining strategies to successfully build an independent artist career. Twitter, IG & FB: @tracycruzmusic Website: www.tracycruzmusic.com Music: Available on all digital platforms

In this special episode #149, Kenya interviews co-host Dr. William Smith in order for the audience to get to know more about the person behind the podcast. William shares an introspective discussion about his background in music including his journey of attending New York's LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts (which the movie Fame is derived) and Howard University. Throughout his education, William explored and developed many aspects of his artistry including visual arts, playing the clarinet & saxophone, and ultimately receiving his Ph.D. in ethnomusicology studying the intertwinings of hip hop and jazz. While William is currently a music professor and the current chair of the music department at Bowie State University, he continues to develop his musical interests including production and music licensing. Listeners will be inspired by William's vast experiences and come to understand why his journey makes him the perfect fit for teaching others how to navigate the music industry. Website: www.makingmoneyinthemusicbiz.com IG: @wesmusicpro Facebook & LinkedIn: Search "William E. Smith"

In this special episode #148, Dr. William Smith interviews co-host Kenya McGuire Johnson in order for the audience to get to know more about the person behind the podcast. Kenya shares an introspective discussion about her upbringing and background in music including being raised in a household where her father was a drummer and where she was constantly surrounded by music mostly within jazz, soul, funk and classic R&B. While music was very much a part of her childhood and adolescence, Kenya left the world of music in her adulthood until her mid 30's when she realized she was missing a huge part of herself. Kenya spends a great deal of the discussion pointing out the importance of spirit and being true to your purpose in order to evolve as an artist. Listeners will be inspired by Kenya's vast experiences as a singer, songwriter, artist coach and counselor and will come to understand why her journey makes her the perfect fit for inspiring and coaching artists who are navigating the music industry. Website: www.kenyamjmusic.com IG/Twitter/FB: @kenyamjmusic LinkedIn: Search "Kenya McGuire Johnson"

Recording artist and music producer Tall Black Guy (whose formal name is Terrel Wallace) is our special guest in this week's podcast episode #147. Terrel shares a dynamic and valuable conversation about his almost 20 year journey in music including how his love for music has made way for him to establish a sustainable career in the industry. From working with many noteworthy artists to being recognized for his progressive spin on hip hop and soul music, Terrel explains the 5 top ways he has been able to consistently create income in an up and down industry even during COVID. Listeners will be inspired by Terrel's pathway as well as educated about how to turn their passion for music into a career that generates an income while remaining creative. Website: http://www.tallblackguyproductions.com IG & FB: @tallblackguyproductions

Co-hosts Dr. William E. Smith & Kenya McGuire Johnson discuss how to maximize use of the music licensing company Songtradr in this week's podcast episode 146. Dr. Smith leads the conversation by highlighting some of the major advantages of using Songtradr as an independent artist who wants to break into music licensing. Listeners will gain step-by-step strategies of how to register and use Songtradr as well as gain insight into some of the frequently asked questions artists have when creating a stream of revenue in music licensing. www.songtradr.com