307 Joe Patterson – Navigating Music Career Transitions And The Changing Music Industry
Release Date: 09/13/2024
334 Musician Podcaster Bree Noble – From Kitchen Recordings to Industry Authority
The Unstarving Musician
As a musician podcaster who has built multiple successful shows over the past decade, Bree Noble represents what's possible when artists embrace podcasting as both a creative outlet and business tool. In this conversation, she shares her evolution from recording in her kitchen to becoming a recognized industry authority featured in Forbes. Bree reveals the technical and logistical challenges she faced transitioning from Women of Substance streaming radio to becoming the speaking host of a podcast. She discusses why she wishes she'd front-loaded more episodes before launching and shares...
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333 How to Build, Name, and Nurture Your Creative Community
The Unstarving Musician
Most independent artists focus on building an audience, but the real power lies in developing a creative community. In this episode, I delve into the psychology behind transforming casual followers into passionate community members who view themselves as part of something larger. Drawing insights from my recent interview with singer-songwriter Eli Lev and his "Levitators" community, I break down the key differences between audience building and creative community development. You'll discover why community names matter more than you think, how to move beyond social media performance theater,...
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332 Eli Lev – Spiritual Growth: From 250 Shows to Finding Sacred Space in Music
The Unstarving Musician
Spiritual growth takes many forms for independent musicians. Folk artist Eli Lev has woven together influences from Jewish upbringing, Buddhism, and Navajo teachings into a unique artistic journey that took him through 250 shows last year alone. In this third appearance on the podcast, Eli opens up about the realities of intensive touring, the "entry and exit friction" that comes with constant travel, and how he maintains spiritual and personal well-being while building his Levatators community. We discuss this and his upcoming "Past Lives" EP, as well as his live video for "Where We...
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331 Musical Listening: The Art of Playing While Truly Hearing Your Band
The Unstarving Musician
Musical listening is the secret that separates professional-sounding bands from technically correct but disconnected performances. This episode explores blues guitarist Kid Andersen's "50% rule" and why listening should consume at least half of your mental bandwidth while playing. You'll discover the technical mastery paradox that traps countless musicians, practical strategies for developing dual awareness between your performance and your bandmates, and advanced applications, including how rhythm sections use listening skills to lead without taking over. We'll also delve into...
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330 Skulk the Hulking – Merging AI Visual Production, Music, and Performance Art
The Unstarving Musician
AI visual production is revolutionizing how independent artists create and present their work, and Steve Pasieka (Skulk the Hulking) is creating visual art at the forefront of this transformation. In this episode, Steve shares how he evolved from live performance art and noise rock to creating a multimedia project that seamlessly blends music, AI-generated visuals, and storytelling. We explore Steve's unique background in hardcore music and comedy improv, and how these seemingly different worlds inform his creative process. Steve discusses his pivot during the pandemic from live shows to...
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329 Legal Mashups: Navigating Music Copyright and Studio Management with George Ajjan
The Unstarving Musician
Legal mashups and studio management are critical skills that can make or break an independent music career. In this episode, George Ajjan (The ajjancy) shares his systematic approach to creating and distributing mashup covers within legal boundaries, plus his proven strategies for efficient studio sessions and sustainable creative scheduling. George explains the complex world of music copyright, explaining the legal differences between covers, remixes, and mashups. He reveals how YouTube's Content ID system creates a "safe harbor" for mashup covers and shares his real-world experience...
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328 Christian DeWild – Multi-Art Creativity: Balancing Music, Books, and Painting While Building an Authentic Artistic Career
The Unstarving Musician
Multi-art creativity takes center stage in this conversation with Christian DeWild, a Folsom, California-based artist who seamlessly juggles music, literature, and visual art while working for an electrical contractor. Christian has just released his first single of 2025, "By Your Side," recorded on his analog Tascam system and he's the author of two published books including "Dead Flowers: Let's Get Married On Halloween" and "Some Days Are Ashes: Poems, Limericks, and Illustrations." In this episode, we explore Christian's unique approach to balancing multiple creative disciplines, his...
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327 Timothy Reid – Game Composition: From AAA Studios to Indie Freedom
The Unstarving Musician
Game composition opportunities have transformed dramatically in recent years, creating new pathways for musicians to enter the video game industry. In this episode, I reconnect with Timothy Reid, a guitarist-turned-video game composer based in Osaka, Japan, for his second appearance on the show since our 2021 conversation. Timothy shares his journey from session guitarist to working at a major AAA game studio, and how recent industry layoffs led to what he calls "the best thing that could have happened" – discovering the world of indie game development. We explore the creative differences...
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326 Anmara - Music Funding Success: From $75,000 in Grants to Record Deal
The Unstarving Musician
Music funding changed everything for . The Virginia-based singer-songwriter has secured over $75,000 through grants, crowdfunding, and her recent Chrome City Records deal. Her Funding Journey In this episode, Anmara shares her approach to financing her music career. She won a prestigious $75,000 House Artist Grant in 2014. Later, she successfully built albums through Patreon pre-orders. Pop Evolution and DIY Strategies We explore her evolution from dreamy ambient folk toward pop. Chrome City Records now invests in exploring her pop star potential. Plus, she shares DIY strategies for creating...
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325 Music Collaboration: Tracee Perrin on Creative Partnerships, Life in Nashville, and Staying Healthy on Tour
The Unstarving Musician
This music collaboration episode features the return of Tracee Perrin discussing her creative partnerships in Nashville and the release of her 2024 EP "The Clearing." Tracee shares insights about her upcoming single "Seasons Change" with Lauren Anderson and how their collaborative mini-tour succeeded through effective merchandise strategies. We explore the parallels between marriage and musical partnerships, techniques for maintaining vocal health while touring, and the creative process behind their joint content creation. Tracee reflects on embracing artistic challenges and her fear of not...
info_outlineIn this episode, host Robonzo engages in a rich conversation with friend and musician Joe Patterson, diving deep into the intricacies of music careers, passion projects, sync licensing, and more.
Key highlights:
1. Career Transitions: Explore Joe's journey of returning to music after a successful career in another field. He candidly discusses the challenges and rewards of returning to his musical passions.
2. Passion Projects and Band Dynamics: Joe shares valuable insights on finding the right players for passion projects, discussing his secret for successful musical collaboration.
3. Sync Libraries: Joe shares his recent experiences and challenges entering the world of sync licensing.
4. The Solo Artist's Journey: Joe and Robonzo discuss the challenges of managing all aspects of music production and promotion as a solo artist and the changes we've seen over the past 20 years.
5. Changing Roster in One of Robonzo's Bands: Robonzo soundboards a recent experience involving roster changes in a band he works with in Querétaro.
This episode offers practical advice and inspiring stories for musicians at all stages of their careers. Whether you're considering a return to music, exploring sync opportunities, or navigating the challenges of solo artistry, Joe's experiences provide valuable lessons and encouragement.
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Links to Mentions and Related Episodes
Liner Notes, the email newsletter from Robonzo and The Unstarving Musician
New Gods Part 2 (Instrumental Mix), by Robonzo & Peter Rand
Fiddle Joe Patterson – FiddleJoe.com
Circus Swing and the Transformation of Dean Johanesen
Being A Successful Gigging Musician – Jared Judge (Ep 225)
Watch Panama (Joe's cycling videos)
John “Kiko” Carney on Going Full Time, Working with Joe Cocker, and His Quest for Orchestration
Resources
The Unstarving Musician’s Guide to Getting Paid Gigs, by Robonzo
Music Marketing Method – The program that helps musicians find fans, grow an audience and make consistent income
Bandzoogle – The all-in-one platform that makes it easy to build a beautiful website for your music
Dreamhost – See the latest deals from Dreamhost, save money and support the UM in the process.
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