Bree Noble is one of the busiest musicians I know. She’s a singer-songwriter, radio and podcast host and founder of the brand new Female Music Academy that launches June 1. Because so many female musicians are struggling to make it in the music industry, I invited Bree Noble to join us and talk about her projects that help female musicians with the business side of music. First, I had to learn more about her new Female Entrepreneur Musician podcast: “I started the podcast in the beginning of April, and we are putting out Episode 8 this week. We talk to female musicians who have been succeeding in the music industry. They’ve succeeded in creating a sustainable income to pursue their passion and make a living doing it. We talk to female industry pros about where they’re working in the music industry and advice that they can give female musicians. It’s been going over really well. I get emails all the time where women tell me they love the show and cannot wait for the next episode. We’ve been at the top of New and Noteworthy on iTunes and on the front page, so that’s been exciting.” The brand new Female Musician Academy is where women can learn, grow and connect with other female musicians. What are the benefits of membership? According to Bree Noble: “We are going to have training every week to help with marketing, connecting with the audience, attracting listeners and special subjects on request, such as songwriting, contracts and lawyers. We want to help musicians put the pieces together to advance their music career.” In addition to the above coursework, the Female Musician Academy will have training from professional industry representatives. The first scheduled industry professional is Dave Kusek from New...
Oleg Frish ~ Duets With My American Idols...
posted by Cynthia Kahn
Growing up in Soviet Russia, it was very tough to find different types of music, simply because there wasn’t a lot of variety. Foreign music was off limits. That didn’t stop many people from listening to music from the 50’s and 60’s secretly playing in one lucky person’s home. Friends and family would gather for a listen to the exotic, forbidden overseas rarity called Rock ‘n Roll (American music). As hits such as Hello, Dolly, Volare and Sunny seeped through, I heard the sounds that I have loved ever since. It was a dream come true. I loved American music, anything that I could listen to. I loved singing along. My passion for music spans for decades and knows no language boundaries. I love singing and entertaining people; it brings a smile to my face and warms my heart. I was fortunate enough to have my own TV and radio show that provided me the opportunity to meet wonderful people, music legends and various interesting people that share my passion for the arts. Because I am an entertainer, I learned hundreds of songs in different languages. Having met so many wonderful people, artists that I looked up to, I was truly blessed to record a whole album with these legends called Oleg Frish: Duets With My American Idols. I am most excited now for the official release of my album on May 19, 2015, to see the hard work of myself and so many others involved come to fruition. Though the work put into this album was hard, it was also utmost enjoyable. I am truly blessed to have wonderful friends who lend their voices and songs to my duets album, friends such as Gary U.S. Bonds, Ben E. King, B.J. Thomas, Lainie Kazan,...
D Grant Smith ~ The Appetizer Radio Show...
posted by Cynthia Kahn
We feed our heads with a lot of different things. Our eyes are fed images and color, our mouths taste flavors and temperatures, and our ears dine on audio and music. Each of these receivers has palettes for what is enjoyable and what isn’t. When I was a college student, I had this notion that there were musical styles that are similar to the culinary arts. I didn’t eat Ramen every meal (or at least not the same flavor pack) in those college years, and neither is it healthy to eat the same thing again and again as an adult. The same is true with music. That concept developed itself into an audio feast of musical flavor called The Appetizer that is now is heard across the globe. The Appetizer Radio Show is often confused with being a program about food, and rightfully so. It’s not common for a food metaphor to be the title of a music program. But once people hear the program and taste the samples of different styles of music, the idea really comes to life for the listener and great connections happen. We started making independent music a fixture on the radio show in 2007 and, ever since, indie music has taken over the majority of our 2-hour program. When we aren’t playing indie music, we play established and well-known artists’ B-side tracks that commercial radio (or even Pandora/Spotify) don’t play at all. B-sides are those album cuts that true fans love, songs that were never put in front of radio/media programmers because the record companies wanted to push a single instead, hoping it would be picked up. Some artists only have the singles with any real value in their repertoire, but the truly remarkable artists have so much...
2014 Indie Music Awards
posted by Cynthia Kahn
Last night, I returned from Los Angeles after co-hosting the first ever Lipstick Radio Indie Music Awards show with Khymberlee Carlyle on April 17. Khymberlee broadcast this ground-breaking event live on YouTube, with recordings now available on the Lipstick Radio Amused Now YouTube channel. The show’s voting methods and prizes both encourage and help indie artists. 1. Celebrate Music Independence I made the trip to Los Angeles to host the show in person, to emphasize the importance of this celebration of music independence. Through these awards, we shine a spotlight on those talented artists willing to take a stand, follow their own rules and publish the music that they want to publish. When we asked some of the show’s guests why being an indie artist is so important, they shared: “The most powerful thing about being an independent artist is controlling your money. You want to be able to sit down and know exactly how your money is being made, where it’s coming from and, basically, control your destiny.” Smiz the Money Kid “When it comes to my independence, I try to be at the forefront of my career. No one knows me like me. No one knows the music like I know the music. I’m an artist. I love music. I love what I do. When I love what I do, I want it to be the best, to be 100% truth. When you’re assigned to a label, you’re a puppet. You have to do what they tell you to do and I’m not that type of artist.” Trell Daray “I think independent artists are great, because they’re being true to themselves. They have passion for their music and they get to do it the way they want. I’m all about being original and being creative. When you’re an independent artist, you put out what you want to put out and not what someone else is forcing you to put out.” PD Radio “Having listened to so much music, I actually enjoy it more. The message is that independent artists are their own music. When I listen to the radio or mainstream music, it’s kind of the same, a lot of the same. There’s no real message for me.” Angela Ardis, Lipstick Radio’s A&R 2. Winners Selected by Fans, not by Judges The winners were not selected by a panel of judges or a committee, but by the indie artist’s fans themselves. Fans voted online, encouraged by their favorite artists to vote. The voting process emphasized that talent alone is not enough. According to Khymberlee Carlyle, “This is about teaching indie artists how to get out there and get your grind on and get your fan base behind you. Just like with a major, if nobody bought your record, the record label would drop you. You’ve got to get your fan base involved. You’ve got to start pushing. The artists that won tonight, that’s exactly what they did.” Congratulations to this year’s winners! Best Reggae Song – “Slippery When Wet” – Nyanda Best Rap Song – “Trunk Muzik” – YK Best Pop Song – “Thank You” – Doja Best R&B Song – “Vickey See” – Saizzar Best R&B Artist Male- Saizzar Best R&B Artist Female – A.B.Y.S.S. Best Rap Artist Male – YK Best Rap Artist Female – Mz Blue Best Pop Artist – Trell Daray Producer of the Year – The Beat Still JK (Jonathan Kelly) 3. Prizes Advance Indie Artists Not only do winners receive the traditional plaque and trophy, winners also receive a list of services to advance their careers long after the camera stops rolling and social media buzz dies down. The amazing list of prizes was all donated by supporters of indie music, Amused Now included. To celebrate those who support indie artists, I’ve listed the prizes too. Thank you for your generous donations! Front cover of US1 Magazine Featured on Lipstick Radio website Video...
Khymberlee Carlyle ~ 2014 Indie Music Awards
posted by Cynthia Kahn
I connected with Khymberlee Carlyle, founder of Lipstick Radio, last summer on Twitter. We became fast friends, because we both have a lot in common: we’re both helping create a world where artists can make a living doing what they love. Last September, I interviewed Khymberlee as a featured artist broadcaster. I’m interviewing her again to talk about her launch of the 2014 Indie Music Awards in Los Angeles. In 2006, Khymberlee started Lipstick Radio as a podcast. The original podcasts were about girls talking about relationships and girl stuff. As the show became more popular, growing to over 30,000 downloads a week, they began highlighting indie musicians. Last year, they started broadcasting on Party 934 and 94.9 FM in New York. At that time, Lipstick Radio shifted entirely to the indie artist movement. Being part of the industry, Khymberlee knows how hard it is to get exposure. “We wanted to do something different and make a difference.” This year, Khymberlee decided to launch her own version of the Indie Music Awards, starting with all the artists in Lipstick Radio’s 2013 rotation as potential nominees. Categories include Best Male and Female Artist and Best Song across R&B, Rap, Pop and Reggae. There is also Producer of the Year category, and one of the nominees is Amused Now Featured Artist TheBeatStillJK, who has three artists running in rotation. Here is a link to the awards categories: http://www.lipstick-radio.com/#!categories/c1kc9 Artist nominees include: Katrell the Phenomenal, Mz, Blue, C. Carter, J. Quest, Ashley Martinez, 4Sho, Da 13th One, Trixx, Doja and Phia Lamour. On the website, you can see pictures of all the nominees, sample their music and vote for your favorites! Here is a link to the nominees: http://www.lipstick-radio.com/#!nominees/ckvv. In addition to recognition, the 2014 Indie Music Awards is giving away fabulous prizes to help winning artists boost their careers. Amused Now donated a featured artist video interview and promo package. Winners also have the opportunity to be interviewed on Lipstick Radio, The Gud Tymes Show and more! They also get to appear on the cover of US1 Magazine and on two mix tapes. Four DJs have volunteered to put the winners in their rotation. “People came together because they feel the same way we do, and they want to push the indie artist movement and help those that deserve it and need it.” Here is a link to the complete list of prizes: http://www.lipstick-radio.com/#!award-prizes/c22rz. The public gets to vote and choose the winners. Voting starts on March 6 and continues through April 5. If you want to vote, go to the Lipstick Radio website link: http://www.lipstick-radio.com/#!nominees/ckvv, see the artist, listen to a sample of their music, click the Vote button and start following them on Twitter. When you click the Vote button, you’ll see a poll that displays the current voting status for that artist against the other nominees. Khymberlee emphasizes, “We have no control over the poll. This is completely fair.” The awards show is April 17 at The Brownstone Bistro, 5047 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90019. If you are not in Los Angeles, the show will be broadcast live on YouTube. Check the Lipstick Radio website for details closer to the show date. Khymberlee is in the middle of an Indiegogo fundraising campaign to help her with the cost of the show. You can donate as little as $5. “You can help by sacrificing one day of going to Starbucks. The money goes to help pay for the awards, the tee shirts and the venue and the costs that go with putting together any kind of show.” Here is the link to the Indiegogo campaign: http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/lipstick-radio-s-2014-indie-artist-music-awards For artists interested in submitting their music for next year, you need to apply to be a part of the Lipstick Radio rotation. Go to this link: http://www.lipstick-radio.com/#!submissions/c21nl and submit your music by completing the Song Submission Form. Angela Ardis in...
Jeff Lane ~ This Paper World...
posted by Cynthia Kahn
I met acclaimed author Jeff Lane through another Amused Now Featured Artist, filmmaker Aaron Thomas. Jeff and Aaron are working on a film project based on Jeff’s best-selling book This Paper World, the story of how 18-year-old Jim Hunt confronts his destiny. When I asked how he and Aaron met, Jeff explained that Aaron reached out to him after hearing This Paper World podcast as a serialized audiobook. Aaron was listening to the book and fell in love with it. The two started communicating via email. When Jeff noticed that Aaron was a filmmaker, he checked out Aaron’s work. “It just kindda blew my mind. Here’s this very talented filmmaker who likes my art.” The two stayed in touch and, eventually, Aaron said, “I want to do something with this book” and they’ve been working on the film ever since. I’ve seen a few of the trailers and the finished film should be fabulous. Jeff studied Music and Video Business at The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale. He worked 2nd shift in a bank call center. Jeff claims he wrote This Paper World to stave off boredom while working at the bank, so I asked him, “When did you decide to become an author?” At the time, Jeff worked at night and his wife worked during the day, so one day he went into his home office, opened a blank document and started writing. Initially, Jeff didn’t really plan to write a novel. He didn’t have the entire story sketched out in his head. Jeff knew that he wanted to write a classic hero’s tale. The story grew organically as he started writing about Jim. What was Jeff’s inspiration? You’ll see Star Wars and Stephen King’s Dark Tower 1: The Gunslinger references with a...
Khymberlee Carlyle ~ Lipstick Radio...
posted by Cynthia Kahn
Khymberlee Carlyle, the founder of Lipstick Radio, and I have a lot in common. We’re both helping create a world where artists can make a living doing what they love. Like Amused Now, Lipstick Radio features, interviews and plays music from some of the best undiscovered independent talent. Lipstick Radio started as a podcast only. Later, Khymberlee added a friend. To date, they’ve recorded over 150 episodes, which are available for free on iTunes. “It was just fun. Guys would always respond that it’s kind of like being in a girl’s locker room and they don’t know you’re there.” This year, Khymberlee partnered with Party 934, a worldwide radio station based in New York which broadcasts online and on 94.9 FM. Khymberlee loves helping people, so she shifted the direction of the show to focus on independent artists. She’s been in the music industry for a long time and she loves it. “So I put something together to live my own dream, being in the music world and being able to help people. Give them a platform to shine and, hopefully, be discovered.” The Party mixes it up. Indie Given Mondays plays nothing but indie artist music, “some of the best in the game.” On Shot Caller Mondays, she lets her Twitter followers choose the playlist. Plus, Khymberlee interviews guests. The live show broadcasts every Monday 2-4pm PST / 5-7pm EST, with podcasts available after the show. Khymberlee also has a show called Sound Booth that starts immediately following the radio show. She interviews guests, sometimes even the guests on her radio show, to get the back story. The radio show is regulated by the FCC, so Sound Booth gives guests the opportunity to “let their hair down.” Lipstick Radio offers a series of YouTube shows:...
Ms. Nikki Rich ~ My Inspiration...
posted by Cynthia Kahn
No one can talk with Ms. Nikki Rich, CEO and host of the Nikki Rich Show, and not be inspired to rush out and start achieving their dreams. I know that every time I talk with her, I feel better about myself and my Amused Now project. When I’m with Nikki, I don’t just think I can, I know I can! Her positive personality, beauty, brains and work ethic combine to launch the Nikki Rich Show to the top of the internet radio charts. Ms. Nikki’s motto is “Put God first.” Well, we at Amused Now feel blessed, because she granted us a Featured Artist video interview. Nikki Rich has been a radio and TV personality for over 20 years. When I commented that the entertainment business must be in her blood, she smiled, because both her parents are radio and TV personalities too. Growing up, Nikki sang Gospel with her brothers. She didn’t realize that early experience was training for the Nikki Rich Show. When she was growing up, she wanted to be a lawyer. Nikki is a huge proponent of education. She studied Criminal Justice in college and later studied Education. She was a teacher for 7 ½ years until she was laid off. At the time, she had already started working on her PHD in Business Administration after receiving her MBA. To set goals for herself while laid off, she decided to go to hair and cosmetology school. Nikki continued to research career options. Then one day, while on lunch break from school, she announced to her girlfriend, “I’m going to try this Blog Talk Radio” and the Nikki Rich Show was born! From Day 1, the show had celebrity guests. Today, the Nikki Rich Show has over 330,000 listeners. How does...
Stay Connected
