Category Archives: Tour

29 – Will Scecina: Addressing Mental Health

COVID, Guitar, Mental Health, Music, music, Music Business, Performing Arts, Studio, Tour

My guest today is Will Scecina.  This is his second appearance on the show, but this time we’re talking about more serious issues.  He told me a story of something he went through while on tour and this impacted me.  I asked him to have this conversation with me so we could bring to light things that may not often get talked about.  Mental health is important to everyone, but musicians may be more exposed to unhealthy situations, especially on tour.  Let’s dive deeper.

Will has written a song that deals with this particular subject.  It will appear on an upcoming album, but for now you can download it below, and watch the video on his YouTube channel.  Listen to the end of the episode for the world premiere of this song.

Pull Me Through
BandCamp
YouTube

WillThomasMusicFL.com
Instagram

 

Joe Bonamassa – Keeping the Blues Alive
KeepingTheBluesAlive.org

 

@musicgrindpodcast

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21 – Dan Navarro: Definition of Greatness

Bass, Music, music, Performing Arts, Tour

Dan Navarro is a virtuosic bassist in Tampa Bay. In fact, he is my personal favorite bass player around. We talk about his musical upbringing and how he had such a high pedigree from a young age. When he discovered Geddy Lee he knew he’d caught the bass guitar bug. Once he started playing in the Tampa scene, word of mouth helped to propel him to the top tier gigs and he’s cemented his reputation as a consummate professional.

@danielnavarromusic
@modernmeasureband
@anyandeveryband

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20 – Willy Colon: Living the Dream

Guitar, Music Business, Performing Arts, Studio, Tour

Willy Colon is an incredibly talented guitarist and a phenomenal entertainer. He’s well known in the local scene but he’s also played with national and international acts such as Coast City, Blanca, Yandel, and most recently, Luis Fonsi. We talk about how he’s living the dream that he’s had since he was a young musician. He also reveals how anxiety has crept into his life and how he’s learned to cope and recover from it. We also talk about how he’s looking ahead to developing new artists, starting with Casey Conroy.

@willycolon
@iamcaseyconroy
@tenintwelveofficial

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19 – Geo Ponce: Discipline, Network & Gratitude

Bass, Music, Music Business, Performing Arts, Studio, Tour

Geo Ponce is a consummate musician and producer.  His talent and skill have been bolstered by his work ethic, all of which have landed him on worldwide stages with reggeaton artist J. Balvin. We talk about his upbringing, his musical influences, and surprises he encountered on the road.  You can follow Geo on Instagram and keep up with his work in Orlando, LA, and abroad.

@geoponce

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18 – Justino: Creativity Over Everything

Music, Music Business, Performing Arts, Studio, Tour

Justino is a talented guitarist and singer, but he considers himself, primarily, as a songwriter.  It shows in his total approach to music. He’s one of the hardest working musicians in Florida so he definitely knows about the grind. His focus right now is his original band, Anthill Cinema. “Creativity Over Everything” isn’t just a catchy mantra. It’s saved him from some darkness, and now fuels his art.

@JustinoHQ
@AnthillCinema

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17 – Alfred Sheppard: Storyteller

Music, Music Business, Performing Arts, Piano, Tour,

Alfred Sheppard is an accomplished pianist, composer, arranger, and music director.  Most recently he’s been playing with Mandy Harvey. Serving as her musical director, he’s been able to tour the US, write for pops orchestras, and play her music in all kinds of venues.  Now he’s moved to Los Angeles to pursue his dream of composing and scoring for films.  Hear how he talks about him “cheating on jazz”, surprise Scientology gigs, and his rendition of our theme song.z

AlfredSheppardMusic.com
@alfredsheppardmusic

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16 – Jonathan Thomas: Yes to Everything

Drums, Music, Music Business, Performing Arts, Tour

Jonathan Thomas is an exceptional drummer in the Tampa Bay area.  From an early age, he’s been playing with most of the heavy-hitters in the Tampa music scene and he continues to do so.  He rose to a national level with the band Ascend the Hill.  Hear how he started out paying his dues, and he’s continuously working on his craft.

JonathanThomasDrums.com
@jonathanthomasdrums

 

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15 – Matt Poynter: On the Journey

Drums, music, Music, Music Business, Piano, Tour

Matt Poynter is an accomplished drummer who actually started out on piano. He discovered his gift at a young age and has been musically active for most of his life.  Now he’s part of a band called “The Hip Abduction.”  Their star has been rising and they’re playing national stages like Jannus live, and Red Rocks Amphitheater.

Here we talk about how he got started, and how he balances touring with working at home.

mattpoynter.com
@mattpoyntermusic

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10 – Nathan Brown: It’s a People Thing

Bass, Music, Music Business, Performing Arts, Tour

Self-proclaimed cappuccino addict, Nathan Brown, is currently working with renowned blues artist, Coco Montoya.  In this episode, we talk about life on tour, getting schooled in the blues, and his endorsements with Kiesel guitars and Tsunami cables.  Growing up in Detroit prepared Nathan to provide a solid foundation for any group he’s playing in.

@NathanBrownBass

CocoMontoyaBand.com

Bass Solo 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6btUu8hwMs

Bass Solo 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XbfoPLDmgs

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8 – Bobby Brennan: Born to Bass

Bass, Music, Music Business, Tour

Bobby Brennan is a phenomenal bass player who has performed on several major national tours.  He’s currently working on the Cirque du Soleil arena tour of “Corteo.”  It’s evident that Bobby loves what he does, and that joy permeates his whole life.  He’s also got a very inspirational story of drastic weight loss, and radical lifestyle change.  You can follow his health & wellness journey, as well as his musical escapades on Instagram or on Facebook.

@fat_guy_drinks_juice
@bobbybassbrennan

Here are two of the YouTube clips that I referenced.
Bobby Brennan – Bass 1
Bobby Brennan – Bass 2

Bobby is a huge fan of Bruce Springsteen, so I had to reference one of The Boss’s tunes for the title of this episode.

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