Record Store Day was conceived in 2007 at a gathering of independent record store owners and employees as a way to celebrate and spread the word about the unique culture surrounding the nearly 1400 independently-owned record stores in the US and thousands of similar stores internationally. The first Record Store Day took place on April 19, 2008. Today, 17 years later, Record Store Day is celebrated at independently-owned brick-and-mortar record stores around the world. On this special edition episode of The Business Side of Music, frequent guest, and music industry veteran Jack Sharkey, explai ..read more

Stone Senate has been called “a heavier version of Lynyrd Skynyrd, crossed with The Allman Brothers Band”. While being mentioned in such heady company is flattering, it is important to note Stone Senate is most definitely not a retro act. They are taking what came naturally from their collective influences a step further and making a name for themselves in the world of modern country rock. The band is fronted by vocalist/ guitarist Clint Woolsey’s smoldering, soulful vocals and unmistakable stage presence. Meanwhile stage left and stage right are burning down with dual lead guitars/vocals of J ..read more

‘Watching Guns N’ Roses from the side of the stage in London, standing on the set of Saturday Night Live with Paul Simon, receiving a signed skateboard from Carrie Underwood, and mixing front-of-house sound for Kiss…’ These are just a handful of experiences in the rearview mirror of Phillip Kriz’s extraordinary journey in the music industry as a sought-after “roadie” tech, band assistant, and trusted tour confidant. Following nearly 15 years as a dependable road dog, he embarks on what might be his wildest trip yet, making his literary debut with the fictional novel, The Roadie Cartel, in 2023 ..read more

You crafted your songs. You've put your heart and soul into them, but when you're on stage, the response from the audience is lackluster at best. Is it the material you're performing. In many cases, while the songs are excellent, the presentation is not. Where in the song is the moment on stage that defines who you are? This is where Tom Jackson Productions steps in. As a trained Live Music Producer for Tom Jackson Productions, Amy Wolter offers her years of personal experience onstage, along with a multi-layered musical background, to help artists engage their audiences by creating compelling ..read more

Continuing our ongoing series of "Between The Notes" episodes with music industry veteran Jack Sharkey, We have a discussion that is often overlooked, or at the very least ignored... The loss of hearing due to years of performing live music. Jack, who himself suffers from hearing loss because of loud volumes on stage (along with a inexperienced sound engineer on occasion), had permanent damage done to his ears after decades performing live. Ironically, Sharkey also works in the audiophile business for a speaker company, and explains how hearing damage can affect your day to day living, whether ..read more

Do you sometimes feel as though you're just a T-Shirt salesperson, with a 30 minute presentation that's called a set list? Do you wonder why some acts who are at the same level as you, have a product line or sponsor helping support their career while you don't? What seperates you from those that are finding that perfect sponsorship or product branding? Enter Clay Busch and his company SiX18 Agency. On this episode, Clay shares what companies are looking for when it comes to branding, and what is the ideal partnership with a product line. Sometimes, its not all about the money, but what becomes ..read more

What started out as a project in a screenwriting class in a writers boot camp, has turned into a novel describing how Nashville, also known as “Music City” evolved into what it is today… or not. Nashville Tennessee is well known for its Country music, but did you know that the birthplace of Rhythm and Blues, or what we these days call “R&B” actually was born in this Middle Tennessee City we call Nashville. The moniker “Music City” was actually derived from the1860’s after the Civil War, when the Jubilee Singers from Nashville’s Fisk University performed in front of England’s Queen Victoria ..read more

dis·rup·tion (noun) Definition: "A radical change to an existing industry or market due to technological innovation." According to our guest Jack Sharkey, who is with KEF Audio, music and the culture at large needs disruption to keep it fresh and engaging. The digital revolution and the chokehold the “industry” has on art has made it nearly impossible for the next generation of disruptors to be heard. There is plenty of good music being made today and we shouldn't always subscribe to the philosophy that music was better back in the day so to speak. Music is music, and it will always touch thos ..read more

What makes a successful singer or songwriter? Is it perseverance? Is it working with seasoned co-songwriters or industry veterans? Could your stumbling block be the lack of networking or that first impression? There are often more questions than answers. Enter Marc-Alan Barnette to help us navigate those swampy waters. Marc-Alan Barnette, aka “THUNDER THROAT”, has always been a “square peg in an octagonal hole”. His blue eyed soul voice, has drawn comparisons to Ray Charles and Delbert McClinton, and his seemingly endless collections of songs pretty much summon up everything, covering country ..read more

Finn Hodgins, who is the Founder and CEO of Grouped, a platform where independent and label artists can create and engage their fans, and help turn them into a revenue stream for the artist. 90% of artists derive their income from their top 1% of their fan base. Grouped helps with the data entry, and the algorithms that the artist needs to achieve that goal. But there’s so much more to this platform, and Finn shares all of the angles and aspects of Grouped, which is a way that an artist can provide their own social network, with ownership belonging to that creative person. www.grouped.com Cr ..read more