Made It In Music: Interviews With Artists, Songwriters, And Music Industry Pros

At her start, Missi Gallimore had little knowledge of how the music industry worked. Today, she is the reason behind some of our favorite songs. She discovered, “Blue Ain’t Your Color”, “Live Like You Were Dying” and many more hits. Listen as this music business genius shares her journey of how she made it in music.Even though she loved music, Missi had zero knowledge at all of the music industry- her start happened by chance. She began working for Billy Sherril by someone sending him her resume and he invited her over to listen to his song of Charlie Rich. She told him she didn’t like it… he hired her right away!Missi now works in A&R with clients, Tim McGraw and Keith Urban. She also owns several publishing companies, and is a co-founder of Get It Done Entertainment.How did she find great songs? Hard work, listening to a ton of songs a week, and cultivating relationships with publishers.She also describes the challenges of her job. Getting artists a record deal seem to be more difficult than ever- but w

Meredith Andrews is a worship leader and an artist from North Carolina. Growing up singing in a small church, she tells us her journey to the music industry.     She tells us about balancing her personal life with performing and what steps she was able to take in order to do that.    “Being really intentional of what I say yes to.”    Meredith talks about her connections with music and what makes her come alive. Through her experiences she has learned that music is the way people connect to things.    “Music is the vehicle.”    Overcoming your fears in the music industry is a big challenge and Meredith talks about what helped her with pushing through the noise. Meredith goes on to talk about her relationship with God and how she doesn’t want people to see her, but beyond her.    On Meredith’s journey from a performing artist to a worship leader there were lots highs and lows, but the on

Clay Hunnicutt, who ran Nashville’s WSIX, helped launch The Bull in Atlanta, and is now President of Big Loud Records, takes us through his journey of how he made it in music.Interning at a radio station in Chattanooga sparked Clay’s love for the music business. Ever since, he has been non-stop using his creativity and taking every opportunity thrown his way to get to where he is now.“It’s about taking risks… I call it stepping off the edge”He moved to Cleveland and turned a radio station 10th in the market into 1st. He then moved to Nashville to run WSIX, Nashville’s #1 for New Country hosted by iHeart Radio. Later, he went to Atlanta to help launch The Bull, another #1 for New Country.“It’s about the creation process- I get bored after 2-3 years. Once you’ve done things, you need to do something different – you need to create and have more energy”Big Loud records is only four years old and has already had major success and signed several major artists. He currently works with artists such as Morgan Wallen,

What exactly is a creative director? What do they do? What are they looking for?In this podcast, we interview two successful creative directors, Josh Wurzelbacher and Jason Jones, who share their insights on how they got to where they are now, their roles, and helpful advice. Josh Wurzelbacher worked at Capitol for three years, and is now creative director for Centricity. Jason Jones co-founded a marketing website which lead him to a creative marketing position at Capitol, and later to where he is now, director of marketing and creative services at Integrity Music.What exactly is a creative director? Jason and Josh describe it as being“The third leg on the stool… partner with A&R and marketing to make sure there is a compelling visual story that coincides with the sonic story they’re trying to create.”It’s all about songs and sound in the music industry. Creative directors have to be the “advocates for visual language”.Biggest difference in creative now:We live in a single based culture. How sho

Emily Ann Roberts is a country artist who was runner up on season 9 of The Voice. She tells about how being on Blake Shelton’s team on The Voice has taught her valuable experiences and where to go from here. She goes on to talk about what all she had to do in order to get where she is today. “Everything starts now.”From singing in churches, talent shows, a Mexican restaurant, and making a YouTube channel, Emily kept pursuing her dream and got connected with a casting director which started the change in her life. Emily Ann Roberts tells her story about the steps she took to get her music out there and facing her challenge of being a woman in country music. “Focus on my craft, and if it’s great it doesn’t matter if you are a male or a female. It should just be great.”How do YOU make it?Emily dives into:How she started playingMaking connectionsThe value of experiences“Figure out what makes you different…there is only one you.”Find the video mentioned in this episode here: Carrie Underwood –

So, what exactly is A&R? What does someone in A&R do day-to-day? Most people have a lot of misconceptions when they think about this role…Stephanie Wright tells her story about how she landed her first major label job in Nashville (Capitol Records) with zero music industry experience or degree, but it eventually led to her current role as Senior Vice President of A&R at Universal Music Group Nashville.With her start in an administration role, she found ways to use her creativity in any situation she could, which eventually led to her discovering artists Brandy Clark, Erin Enderlin, and then signing Kacey Musgraves.“I’m glad I took this [slower] path— it gave me an appreciation for the whole process of making a [music] project”Stephanie goes into detail on what the A&R role truly means, how to deal with established artists versus newer artists, how A&R uses strategy to accomplish artists’ goals, and what she thinks a “sign-able” artists looks like.“My job is just to keep [artists] authentic

How do you become a producer & songwriter? What steps does it take to move to Nashville? These are extremely hard questions to answer on your own… Blake Bollinger tells how he was able to persevere with his passion in music and how he got to where he is today. “You don’t have to be the artist performing your own songs to make a living." Blake continues to talk about the different roles in the music industry, moving to Nashville, and the skills learned for the industry. Learn how to differentiate yourself from other writers and producers, and what things will work for you. Blake talks about what it is like to be in an environment where you are with the cream of the crop in Nashville.  “I had to just go throw myself out there.” Blake dives into:What to do to get to the next bread crumbBecoming a producerSkills learned/needed for the industryWhat you need for your demosBlake has had experiences with Blake Shelton, Darius Rucker, and Scott Hendricks. Listen as he tells about his

Matt Hadley is the Owner/CEO of Wander Creative. He and his team help develop a brand by using tradtional methods, as well as digital marketing and content.What is an artist’s brand? How does an artist find their voice?Matt dives deep into what is important for an artist’s brand. The most important thing, however, is finding what is the most interesting part of the artist’s story, and unpacking that.“What is that story about me and about my music that resonance with people and how can I tell that message over and over until people start to think of me in that perspective”Matt discuss two very important branding tools that have been successful for artists trying to sign with a labelA cohesive image across all platforms (organic, yet relatable)promotions/campaigns/merchandise“You want make the brand enticing enough for the label to sign them”What are the most important things to do if you only have $800 to spend on marketing your brand?Create as much content as you can with your timeUse the money to g

This is a special bonus episode where Seth Mosley talks about the possibility of large music companies like Spotify and Apple Music becoming Record Labels. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Steve Robertson works in A&R at Atlantic Records. He has worked with Paramore, Day to Remember, Shinedown, and many more incredible artists.Steve’s career in the music industry was sparked at a young age. Since he was 8 years old, Steve knew he wanted to work in radio. As he was figuring out what to do after graduating high school, he found a school that prepared him for radio. While there, Steve discovered his love for alternative rock, and made his way to become an assistant music director at WRR in Orlando.Once Steve finally got his dream job and became an A&R for Atlantic, his only task was: “Go sign bands”.However, he had a couple learning curves:Even though he liked songs, it didn’t mean that millions others would,The risk is significantly higher than the radio side,Not everyone wants to be signed by a major label,You have to work hard- get out there and become known.“In A&R, you will definitely fail most of the time”Not everything is smooth sailing, but after the learning curves, he shares

Smithfield is an independent pop country duo who moved from Texas to Nashville to pursue their desire to start a music career.They tell us why they moved to Nashville, who they met, and what they did to be as successful as they are today.After getting to Nashville, Smithfield quickly found out that relationships are key in the music industry. They discuss how, when, and where to meet new people and what tips they received that helped them with networking.How:“The idea is to not start by asking things from people, but to approach it more by actually getting to know them.”When:Always. “Be as visible as possible. Go somewhere; make a lap; leave. You don’t have to stay for three hours, just show up and be visible. and it will pay off”Where:“The most important thing to do when you move to town is get involved in writers rounds. You meet people to write with, they introduce you to more people to write with, and it just escalates from there.”Smithfield shares who helped them along their way and all the valuable peop

John Marks is the Global Senior Editor/Music Programmer for country music. In this podcast, he discusses how his music journey started from hearing Oh Pretty Woman on a jukebox, to working for his local radio station at 16, then to Sirius XM, and finally Spotify. Marks explains his comment on how Spotify is the “new retail storefront for artists.” With so many more opportunities, now, for artists— the artist’s page on Spotify is like directing store traffic and is a primary way to activate fans’ interest (like selling merch and displaying tour dates). “You have a world wide audience at your disposable, all you need to do is be creative and find ways to tap into that”What role should social media play? The most important and basic answer from Marks is— the biggest one. He says the 3 most best practices for an artist and their audience’s are— SaveShareFollow “[Social media] is the most essential ingredient ever, and that’s all there is to it”So, where is Spotify headed? John Marks says

Lzzy Hale and her 10 year old brother were about to play a county fair. Minutes before going on, her brother decided they needed a name. Ever since, the award winning band, “Halestorm” has been creating hits and sharing their music with the world.Their story of how they made it in music was not easy.They began playing small gigs and posting flyers wherever they could. Then, they thought, “How do we get on the front page of the paper?” Which lead to a rotating upside down drum kit with Lzzy’s little brother strapped in which you can watch here.Success takes hard work! They were constantly asking, “How are we going to push this a little further”? They also did not find the right people immediately. “Not only the key for being in a band, but just for surviving the industry period- it’s just having the right people around you”How did they keep the same four people for sixteen years? They each have respect for one another, know how to fight and not throw the whole thing away and have to stay po

Season 2 is coming this Monday, May 20!madeitinmusic.comDon't miss the first episode with LZZY HALE of the band HALESTORM. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode of the Made it in Music podcast, Full Circle’s own Seth Mosley (Grammy/Dove Award Winning Producer/Songwriter) sits down with Michael Carpino (Director for Camp Electric).Camp Electric is THE Worship and Rock and Roll music camp for youth. The ultimate week long experience connecting the youth from around the world with CCM music industry’s best performers is currently in its 11th year. Co-created with the help of TobyMac, Camp Electric brings together Christian musicians and teaches them band dynamics, the art of leading worship, and performance skills that are truly invaluable. If you or someone you know is interested in attending, visit www.campelectric.com today to learn more and sign up.Michael is here to share his incredible story about how he made it in music, and he’s here to help you do the same. Quotable moments from this week’s podcast:“The best tool for new musicians is getting resources and advice from those with experience. Relationships are everything.”“Camp Electric teache

In this episode of the Made it in Music podcast, Full Circles own Seth Mosley (Grammy/Dove Award Winning Producer/Songwriter) sits down with Nick Barre and Bryan Ward of Proper Management.What you’ll learn in this conversation:Nick and Bryan both started in small roles outside the industry to now having managed some of the largest artist and tours in the Christian Music Industry.Find what it means to be artist managers and what the true end goal is in the music industry.One of our favorite moments in this interview is when Nick and Bryan breakdown exactly how to get a meeting with almost anyone in the industry, and survive the vetting process that happens with everyone. The answer may surprise you!How to go from 0 - 1.5 million monthly Spotify listeners with no record labelLastly Nick and Bryan spend a few moments remembering industry titan Bill Hearn of Capitol Christian Music GroupNick and Bryan are here to share their incredible stories of how they made it in music, and are here to help you do the same.Quo

In this episode of the Made it in Music podcast, Full Circle’s own Seth Mosley (Grammy/Dove Award Winning Producer/Songwriter) sits down with Dean Diehl.What you’ll learn in this conversation:- Dean went from being a school band director who didn’t even know the music industry existed, to now helming marketing at Provident Label Group as the Senior VP of Marketing - quite the story! - He had a stint during his career at Provident where he left to go teach college at Trevecca Nazarene University. Outside of being a professor he added Provident back to his plate in which he now serves both Trevecca University and Provident Label Group. He is always giving books to his team members and helping them to grow and stay on top of the industry trends.- He has a personal mission statement of “helping people to realize their dreams”. And he has certainly done this for many artists on a major scale.- One of our favorite moments in this interview was when he shared how a lot of young artists see Christian music as a

In this episode of the Made it in Music podcast, Full Circle’s own Seth Mosley (Grammy/Dove Award Winning Producer/Songwriter) sits down with George Ross (CTO of CCLI) and Malcom Hawker (CEO of CCLI). CCLI is an international Christian copyright licensing organization that serves over 250,000 churches, schools and other organizations in more than 30 countries.CCLI is very focused on empowering worship in the Christian community by providing affordable and legal content, media and resources and making them easily accessible. Learn more about the ways they help churches and make a living in this business and much more in this special episode.Malcolm and George are here to share their incredible story about how they made it in music, and they’re here to help you do the same.Resources:Books mentioned in this episode:David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants by Malcom GladwellGood to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...and Others Don’t by James C. CollinsFind out more ab

In this episode of the Made it in Music podcast, Full Circle’s own Seth Mosley (Grammy/Dove Award Winning Producer/Songwriter) sits down with Cale Dodds (Country Artist/Songwriter). After moving to Nashville in 2011 to pursue his music career, Cale’s success has yet to slow down. Touted by Rolling Stones for his “smooth pop-country crooning over arena ready arrangements distinguished by clever lyricism,“ the Columbus, GA native mines his own experiences in songs. Dodds has already garnered early praise as a CMT #18for2018 Listen Up artist and a Google Play Country Artist to watch. Meanwhile, his tune “Out of My System“ scored a slot on Amazon Music Unlimited’s Best Country Songs of 2017 list. Dodds has already garnered more than 30 million streams on Spotify alone.Currently working on a new record, Cale’s latest release “Where I Get It From”, paints a beautiful picture of his southern heritage and offers a fun anthem for those who grew up in the south. Be sure to check Cale’s music out via any streaming

In this episode of the Made it in Music podcast, Full Circle’s own X O’Connor (Grammy/Dove Award Winning Engineer/Producer) and Logan Crockett (VP of Marketing) sits down with Becky Chappell, Director of Music Business Studies at Anderson University in Anderson, Indiana. Through her creativity and knack for entrepreneurship, Becky found herself pursuing professorship after receiving her doctorate from Ball State University. She soon was hired on with Anderson University and would cofound and direct the university’s first record label, Orangehaus record label. Chappell is also a first call studio clarinetist for many publishers in Indianapolis, Indiana.While making an impact in others, the music you create will impact your life as well. Chappell details many different ways to utilize music to be a positive force in other’s lives and to make a difference.Becky is here to share her incredible story about how she made it in music, and she’s here to help you do the same. Quotable moments from this week’s