Mid-Riff

Latest Episodes:

062 / Colleen Fazio (Fazio Electric) on a Work Bench of One’s Own Mar 22, 2023

Show notes

The perils and promises of repairing amplifiers and posting on YouTube, tips for getting into repair, and diagnosing your dying amp are all part of Hilary’s conversation with Colleen Fazio.

Huge thanks to this episode’s sponsors!

EarthQuaker Devices- extra special effects pedals made by hand in Akron, OH!

Stompbox Sonic- personalized pedal curation and sales in Somerville, MA!

Holcomb Guitars- custom guitars and mobile guitar repair in RI/MA!

COLLEEN’s BIO

Colleen Fazio started building guitar amps for fun shortly after high school. She then landed a repair job at Deltronics, an audio repair shop in Illinois, where her love for guitar amps flourished. Colleen attributes much of her progress to the patient teachings of the shop owner, Mike Delvalle.

After moving to Los Angeles in 2019, Colleen began working as a repair technician at Revamp with Andy Arahood, who became another pillar in her tube amp journey. Now, she is repairing and building amps out of her own workshop in Eagle Rock, Los Angeles.

COLLEEN’s MENTIONS

Fender / Gibson / Peavey / Hartke / Ampeg / Tube Amp Handbook / Mojotone / Marshall

COLLEEN’s LINKS

YouTube

Instagram

MID-RIFF LINKS

NEW MID-RIFF MERCH!

Women in Music Industries Seminar at USC

Gender and Music Gear Experiences Report

Thanks for rating/reviewing on Apple Podcasts!

Support Mid-Riff by shopping on Reverb!

Check out more from Ruinous Media!

Theme Music: "Hedonism" by Towanda

Artwork by Julia Gualtieri

061 / Anticipatory Armor in Music Retail Mar 08, 2023

Show notes

Many marginalized musicians have a shared experience of dread anticipating negative treatment when entering a music store— as though they are preparing for battle.

In this episode, Hilary talks about this experience of “anticipatory armor,” how it works, and how retailers can prevent it.

Huge thanks to this episode’s sponsors!

EarthQuaker Devices- extra special effects pedals made by hand in Akron, OH!

Stompbox Sonic- personalized pedal curation and sales in Somerville, MA!

Holcomb Guitars- custom guitars and mobile guitar repair in RI/MA!

MID-RIFF LINKS

Anticipatory Armor in Music Retail with citations!

Gender and Music Gear Experiences Report

Thanks for rating/reviewing on Apple Podcasts!

Support Mid-Riff by shopping on Reverb!

Check out more from Ruinous Media!

Theme Music: "Hedonism" by Towanda

Artwork by Julia Gualtieri

060 / Taylor Ngiri Seaberg (Black Velvet Punks) on Identities and Spaces Between Feb 22, 2023

Show notes

Emily the Strange guitars, being musically typecast, mental health, and the Art of the Revolution are part of Hilary’s discussion with Taylor Ngiri Seaberg.

Huge thanks to this episode’s sponsors!

EarthQuaker Devices- extra special effects pedals made by hand in Akron, OH!

Stompbox Sonic- personalized pedal curation and sales in Somerville, MA!

Holcomb Guitars- custom guitars and mobile guitar repair in RI/MA!

Demonic Machines- LGBTQ+ owned, small-batch, handmade pedals in San Diego, CA!

TAYLOR’s BIO

Taylor Ngiri Seaberg (they/them) is a Kenyan-American, gender non-binary community organizer and multi-instrumentalist based in Chicago, Illinois, originally from South Minneapolis, MN. They play in the Twin Cities, MN alt jazz, hip hop, and punk band, Black Velvet Punks.

Ngiri was a lead director on a compilation community album called, “The Art of the Revolution,” which included works of resilience from 10 different Black arts organizers and activists. They are currently a Metro Regional Arts Council (MRAC) finalist for the 2021 $5,000 Next Step Fund grant for a live streaming concert incorporating Kiswahili and English for a live production showcase.

TAYLOR’s MENTIONS

Electric Arts / Washburn / Epiphone / Fender / Vig Guitar Shop / Electro-Harmonix / Boss / Line 6 / Roland / South Side Desire / Ike Riley Assassination / Traiveon Dunlap / Rodrick Glasper / BLK FM / Erik Novak / Art of the Revolution / Minnesota Youth Collective / Gully Boys / The Smokes / Kashimana / Rebecca Nichloson / Queen Drea / Nathaniel Nelson / Honey Dick / Minnesota Public Radio / Kendrick Lamar / Keston Wright

TAYLOR’s LINKS

Black Velvet Punks Facebook

MID-RIFF LINKS

Gender and Music Gear Experiences Report

Thanks for rating/reviewing on Apple Podcasts!

Support Mid-Riff by shopping on Reverb!

Check out more from Ruinous Media!

Bumper Music: “Lonely Mona” by Austen Nobles, Monica Rose, Dissonant Dessert, and Taylor Ngiri Seaberg

Theme Music: "Hedonism" by Towanda

Artwork by Julia Gualtieri

059 / Mid-Riff Live with SYM1, Nat Harvie, and Pamela Laizure Jan 26, 2023

Show notes

Mid-Riff takes the show on the road to the Minneapolis / St. Paul area! Hilary talks gender and gear with SYM1, Nat Harvie, and Pamela Laizure in front of a live audience at Caydence Records and Coffee.

The night featured live performances, a lutherie demo, gear rundowns, a panel discussion, and audience Q+A!

Episode Breakdown:

0:00 | Episode introduction

2:50 | Welcome to event

5:10 | SYM1

15:47 | Nat Harvie

33:25 | Pamela Laizure

52:34 | Panel discussion

1:15:35 | Audience Q+A

1:33:00 | Event closing

1:36:22 | Episode outro

Huge thanks to this episode’s sponsor!

Chase Bliss- effects pedals made in Minneapolis with a digital brain and analog heart!

ARTIST BIOs

SYM1

Unsubscribed from reality as we know it, SYM(1) is a Minneapolis based pop artist, producer, and vocalist where dance music, alternative genres, and hyperpop aesthetics meet.

Nat Harvie

Nat Harvie is a musician and audio engineer living and working in Minneapolis.

Pamela Laizure

Pamela Laizure is a luthier and musician residing in Minneapolis, MN. She plays bass for the surf-punk trio Black Widows and loves working on guitars out of her home under the supervision of her dog, Sofi, and cat, Penny.

MENTIONS

Ableton / Serum / Max for Live / TC Helicon / Reverend / TC Electronic / Resonant Electronic Design / MXR / Kinotone / 1010Music / Peterson Strobe Tuners / Danelectro / Electro-Harmonix / Boss US / Fender / Hartke / Telefunken / Klon / Sennheiser / PJ Harvey / Chokecherry / Holly Hansen / Zoo Animal / David Bowie / Sarina Paris / Britney Spears / Backstreet Boys / Shaun Paul / Kim Petras / Haley / Low / Joe Rainey / Moor Mother / Phil Elverum / Songs: Ohia / Alice Coltrane / Bikini Kill / Dead Kennedys / Crass / B-52s / ESG

ARTIST LINKS

SYM1 website

Nat Harvie Bandcamp

Pamela Laizure Instagram

MID-RIFF LINKS

Gender and Music Gear Experiences Report

Thanks for rating/reviewing on Apple Podcasts!

Support Mid-Riff by shopping on Reverb!

Theme Music: "Hedonism" by Towanda

Artwork by Julia Gualtieri

058 / Kim Chin-Gibbons (Sunset Mission) on Yurts, Weirdos, and Cheap Gear Dec 19, 2022

Show notes

Taylor Swift karaoke machines, She Shred’s 1 Riff a Day, luthier apprenticeship, and the exact location of women in prog are part of Hilary’s discussion with Kim Chin-Gibbons. Plus, music, rights, representation, and AI.

Huge thanks to this episode’s sponsors!

EarthQuaker Devices- extra special effects pedals made by hand in Akron, OH!

Stompbox Sonic- personalized pedal curation and sales in Somerville, MA!

Holcomb Guitars- custom guitars and mobile guitar repair in RI/MA!

Demonic Machines- LGBTQ+ owned, small-batch, handmade pedals in San Diego, CA!

KIM’s BIO

Kim is a Cambodian born, American raised musician and photographer spending her time making art in Western Massachusetts, Boston, MA, and Woonsocket, RI. Leaving high school at age fourteen led her to find her love of music, photography, and marketing for the arts and nonprofits. Kim is an alum of North Star: Self-Directed Learning for Teens, and the Institute for the Musical Arts’ summer programs (performance and recording).

Throughout the beginnings of the pandemic, Kim attended Marlboro College in Marlboro, VT, who merged with Emerson College in Boston, MA. She was amongst the last class in the history of the institution’s Vermont campus.

After attending Marlboro and the Marlboro Institute at Emerson College, she left school to pursue Music with the progressive rock band Sunset Mission. The band has grown into an 8-piece lineup and plans to tour across the country and beyond, as soon COVID circumstances permit.

KIM’s MENTIONS

Fractal Audio / Rivera / Marshall / Canal Side Guitar Works / Healy Guitars / Strymon / Ibanez / D’Angelico / Neural DSP / Orange / Opeth / Yvette Young / Tosin Abasi / Anneke van Giersbergen / The Gathering / Animals as Leaders / Pain of Salvation / Ritual / Gojira / Ann Hackler / June Millington / Fanny / IMA- Institute for the Musical Arts / Downtown Sounds / She Shreds Media

KIM’s LINKS

Kim’s Website

Kim’s Instagram

Sunset Mission’s Website

Sunset Mission Instagram

MID-RIFF LINKS

Gender and Music Gear Experiences Report

Thanks for rating/reviewing on Apple Podcasts!

Support Mid-Riff by shopping on Reverb!

Bumper Music: “Kaleidoscope” by Sunset Mission

Theme Music: "Hedonism" by Towanda

Artwork by Julia Gualtieri

057 / Jennifer Turpin + Adam Brilla (Stompbox Sonic) on Pedal Curation Across the Nation Nov 21, 2022

Show notes

Heavy retail armor, being treated as a musician, not a liability, and choosing not to work with gatekeepers are part of Hilary’s conversation with Jennifer Turpin and Adam Brilla from Stompbox Sonic. Plus, preventing tokenism in hiring.

Huge thanks to this episode’s sponsors!

EarthQuaker Devices- extra special effects pedals made by hand in Akron, OH!

Holcomb Guitars- custom guitars and mobile guitar repair in RI/MA!

Demonic Machines- LGBTQ+ owned, small-batch, handmade pedals in San Diego, CA!

STOMPBOX SONIC’s BIO

STOMPBOX SONIC provides musicians with an extensive tonal palette for auditory exploration.

Specializing in effects pedals (aka “stompboxes”) built by companies large and small, some locally crafted, some collected from around the world.

Our goal is to ignite the creative spark and help you navigate all those switches and blinking lights to bring your music to life.

Since 2009 guitarist, songwriter, and noise maker Adam Brilla (he/him) and artist, musician, facilitator Jennifer Turpin (she/her) have been working with sound-based artists and musicians helping them discover their sound.

Jen has been an active member of the GRCB community since 2013, leading effects pedals workshops, teaching guitar and bass, and coaching bands. Most recently she has been drumming in a feminist punk band Pitstain as well as Babes of Mutilation.

Adam began his musical journey in 1988. This expedition brought him opportunities to perform, record and tour with a variety of New England area bands including Lockgroove, Broken River Prophet, Animal Hospital Ensemble, Seana Carmody, Tiny Amps, Bicker, Argo Arkestra, Me Jane, Charlene, Fury Things, and Kansas City based Your Reflection.

Together they have provided Boston area musicians the opportunity to explore new sounds and create new music through 1:1 soundtastings as well as interactive effects exhibits, at the Museum of Science and Microsoft for the New England Synth Fest.

Both Adam and Jen have new, as of yet, unnamed musical projects in the works, each debuting in 2023.

STOMPBOX SONIC’s MENTIONS

Seana Carmody / The Swirlies / Syrup USA / Black Sabbath / Iron Maiden / Low / Pixies / Girls Rock Campaign Boston / NAMM / Barnstorm / TT the Bear’s / Middle East Club / Empire Guitars / Mike Samos / Boston Synth Fest / New England Synth Fest / Beats by Girlz / Hagstrom / Epiphone / EarthQuaker Devices / Hovercraft / C&C Drums / Paiste Cymbals / Dream Cymbals / Montoya / Hondo

STOMPBOX SONIC’s LINKS

Animal Hospital Ensemble

MID-RIFF LINKS

Gender and Music Gear Experiences Report

Thanks for rating/reviewing on Apple Podcasts!

Support Mid-Riff by shopping on Reverb!

Bumper Music: “No Excuses” by Pitstain

Theme Music: "Hedonism" by Towanda

Artwork by Julia Gualtieri

056 / Gender and Music Gear Experiences Report + NAMM! Sep 07, 2022

Show notes

Hilary interviews 15 awesome industry folks about NAMM 2022 and their thoughts about the Gender and Music Gear Experiences Report!

What’s the Gender and Music Gear Experiences Report? (LINK HERE!)

I’m glad you asked!

It is a document sharing the results from a survey of 996 musicians from around the world about their experiences related to gender and music gear.

Listen to the episode to hear the results or download the report below!

Thanks to the awesome survey participants and this episode’s interviewees!

INTERVIEWEES:

Philipe (Caroline Guitar Company)

Joel (Chase Bliss Audio)

Julie and Anna (EarthQuaker Devices)

Mitch (Empress Effects)

Tim (Ernie Ball Music Man)

Christian (Eventide Audio)

Emily (Get Offset)

Heather (Heather Brown Electronicals)

Ellis (LEH Guitars)

Aisha (Loe Sounds)

Marissa (Neunaber Audio)

Sylvie (Red Panda)

Carlos (Third Man Hardware)

Jason (Working Class Music)

GENDER and MUSIC GEAR EXPERIENCES REPORT

Learn more or read it here

CREATING INCLUSIVE MUSIC RETAIL SPACES FOR MANAGERS COURSE

Learn more or sign up here

TIMESTAMPS

[0:09] Introduction to Episode and Report

[11:02] NAMM Intro

[13:36] Companies’ New Gear

[24:28] “Were you surprised by this data?”

[40:54] “What barriers might companies have to making change?”

[55:23] “How might companies overcome those barriers?”

[1:27:04] “Why is this data important?”

[1:32:23] What You Can Do Now

MID-RIFF LINKS

Diversity in Music Gear Resource List

Thanks for rating/reviewing on Apple Podcasts!

Support Mid-Riff by shopping on Reverb!

Theme Music: "Hedonism" by Towanda

Artwork by Julia Gualtieri

055 / Laura B. Whitmore (WiMN, Positive Grid) on Being Passionate AND Proactive May 31, 2022

Show notes

Robot backing bands, managing retail baggage, talking class A amps at parties, making extra efforts for diversity, and dreaming of open mics are part of Hilary’s conversation with Laura B. Whitmore. Plus, music’s role in preventing mass shootings.

Huge thanks to this episode’s sponsors!

EarthQuaker Devices- extra special effects pedals made by hand in Akron, OH!

Stompbox Sonic- personalized pedal curation and sales in Somerville, MA!

Holcomb Guitars- custom guitars and mobile guitar repair in RI/MA!

LAURA’s BIO

Laura B. Whitmore is a music marketer, singer/songwriter, event producer, journalist, and founder of the Women's International Music Network and the She Rocks Awards.

After graduating from Hofstra, Whitmore worked for CBS Records and Korg USA where she handled marketing, PR and artist relations for Korg, Marshall, and VOX. Twenty years after working with Korg, Whitmore founded Mad Sun Marketing, handling marketing, PR, artist relations and additional services for numerous industry leaders.

In 2012 Whitmore founded The Women's International Music Network, an organization dedicated to providing support, information, and community to women in all walks of life within the industry. The WiMN produces the She Rocks Awards, a ceremony that honors trailblazing women from all areas of the industry.

Since 2020 Whitmore has served as the Senior Vice President of Marketing for Positive Grid, a revolutionary music technology software and hardware company that is changing the way people approach music making.

LAURA’s MENTIONS

Positive Grid / Martin / Ovation / Breedlove / Fender / Fishman / Shure / Zoom / Japanese Breakfast- Michelle Zauner / Dionne Warwick / Yvette Young / Carmen Vandenberg / Lzzy Hale / Katie Daryl / Tenille Arts / NAMM

LAURA’s LINKS

She Rocks Awards

Women’s International Music Network

MID-RIFF LINKS

Diversity in Music Gear Resource List

Podcast episode mentioned

Thanks for rating/reviewing on Apple Podcasts!

Support Mid-Riff by shopping on Reverb!

Theme Music: "Hedonism" by Towanda

Artwork by Julia Gualtieri

054 / Sky Deep (Peaches) on Vampires, Spreadsheets, and Laser Harps May 10, 2022

Show notes

Midi Musical Directing, creating a portable musical lifestyle in Berlin, guitar, grooveboxes, and stepping outside the queer bubble are part of Hilary’s conversation with Sky Deep. Plus, music gear’s connection to reproductive rights.

Huge thanks to this episode’s sponsors!

EarthQuaker Devices- extra special effects pedals made by hand in Akron, OH!

Stompbox Sonic- personalized pedal curation and sales in Somerville, MA!

Holcomb Guitars- custom guitars and mobile guitar repair in RI/MA!

SKY’s BIO

Sky Deep is a sound engineer, multi-instrumentalist, filmmaker and label owner. She has toured Europe and the US successfully as a guitarist and vocalist and was midi musical director and multi-instrumentalist for Peaches' touring band. Sky is currently a live performer of electronic music mixed with guitar, vocals, and percussion, a DJ, a designer for indie films, TV, and theater, and a lecturer at BMM Institute Berlin. In addition to her performing career, she has curated festivals and club parties, runs her own clothing line, Sky Deep Threadz, and her award-winning debut film, Enactone, has screened at film festivals worldwide.

SKY’s MENTIONS

Ableton / Akai / Casio / Novation / Elektron / Mesa Boogie / Yamaha / Zoom / Line 6 / Gibson / Tanglewood / Peavey

SKY’s LINKS

MID-RIFF LINKS

Diversity in Music Gear Resource List

Thanks for rating/reviewing on Apple Podcasts!

Support Mid-Riff by shopping on Reverb!

ADDITIONAL LINKS

Bumper Music: “Up in Here” by Sky Deep

Theme Music: "Hedonism" by Towanda

Artwork by Julia Gualtieri

053 / Rosie Varela (EEP, RVP) on Gaining and Surrendering Control Apr 18, 2022

Show notes

Keyboard beatdowns, accessibility guitar inventions, shoegaze vs. avant pop, and a literally smoking recording are part of Hilary’s conversation with Rosie Varela (EEP, The Rosie Varela Project, Hogar Records, Brainville Studio). Plus, The Pedal Lady Problem.

Huge thanks to this episode’s sponsors!

EarthQuaker Devices- extra special effects pedals made by hand in Akron, OH!

Stompbox Sonic- personalized pedal curation and sales in Somerville, MA!

Holcomb Guitars- custom guitars and mobile guitar repair in RI/MA!

ROSIE’s BIO

Rosie Varela is a 54-year-old singer/songwriter/guitarist for EEP, an eclectic shoegaze band in El Paso, Texas. She began writing songs in the late 1990s, but did not record any of them until 2019, when she and her bandmates formed EEP. The band has released two critically acclaimed albums - “Death of a Very Good Machine” (2020) and “Winter Skin” (2021).

Rosie created The Rosie Varela Project, an Avant-Pop/Indie Rock band for songs that bend genre and may not always fit into EEP's shoegaze style. The solo project will release its debut album “What Remains,” co-produced by Rosie Varela and Ross Ingram, on June 3, 2022.

Rosie is a co-owner with her husband, Justin Oser, and her collaborator and bandmate, Ross Ingram, of Brainville, a recording studio in Sunland Park, New Mexico, and Hogar Records, an independent music label in El Paso, Texas. The label’s plans for 2022 include releasing The Rosie Varela Project’s debut album, Ross Ingram’s second solo album, and EEP’s third album.

MENTIONS

Roland / Electro-Harmonix / Old Blood Noise Endeavors / Fender / Melodyne / Pro Tools / Danelectro / Boss / Garageband / Focusrite / Sarah Rebecca / My Bloody Valentine / Slowdive / Lush / The Verve / Tori Amos / Laurie Anderson / Fiona Apple / Joni Mitchell / David Bowie / Peter Gabriel / Kate Bush / Javier Martinez / Amphibian Dance / Johnny Greenwood / Jethro Tull / Ian Anderson / The Meters / George Porter, Jr. / James Jamerson / Carole Kaye / Dire Straits / Pull of Autumn

ROSIE's LINKS

“Fault Line” by RVP video

EEP Bandcamp

Rosie’s Star Trek and empathy article

MID-RIFF LINKS

Website