The Big Break

Latest Episodes:

Andrew Kirk Jul 30, 2019

Show notes

Andrew Kirk started out in music as the drummer for his church’s band and before he knew it, he was 18 years old and touring around the U.S. with them.

Being barely out of high school and touring the country may sound like he’d made it, but it was only the starting point for him. A few record deals and contracts later, Andrew used Youtube to help relaunch his career as an electronic musician under the name RUNAGROUND.

That found him a lot of success and even provided him the opportunity to write and perform a song for Dalai Lama.

Here’s Andrew to tell his story on this episode of the Big Break.

Follow Andrew on Instagram and Twitter

Runaground Music

Show Notes

2:36 First falling in love with music

3:45 Learning other instruments

5:00 Playing drums in a church band

6:45 Getting his first publishing deal

8:45 Did you consciously make the decision to be a touring artist?

11:23What did your parents think about you touring so young?

12:20“I’m the collection of 1000 second chances”

12:44RUNAGROUND and YouTube

14:40Putting higher-quality content on YouTube

16:00Was getting started on YouTube discouraging?

17:40The importance of collaborating with other artists

22:19The Anti-Gravity EP, and moving to L.A.

25:12Why did you decide to move to L.A.?

27:30Setting sights on a successful radio record

29:25It seems like you always new that music was how you wanted to make a living

32:10Do you remember any of the serious challenges that you faced?

33:29Tell us about the time you performed with the Dalai Lama

35:50We Are One

36:54What motivated your decision to sign with a label?

38:02Getting a #1 Radio Single with Chase You Down

40:25What were some of the challenges with getting that song released?

43:00What do you have planned for the future?

43:07Better Anyway

44:50Creative Freedom

45:57Would you say you had a definitive “break” where your career took off?

48:10What kind of an impact do you think luck had on your progress as an artist?

For more information

More episodes

Know Your Worth

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emile Ghantous Jul 23, 2019

Show notes

Emile Ghantous is a grammy nominated record producer and songwriter. He has credits with artists like Pitbull, JoJo, Charlie Wilson and dozens of other household names.

But, before he was producing songs for big-time artists, he was just a kid buying the latest R&B CDs in his hometown- Peoria, Illinois. Listening to groups like Boyz II Men and New Edition had him hooked on music and he began experimenting with creating beats and making songs with his friends in high school.

Flash forward a few years and Emile is hustling artists back and forth to his friend’s recording studio, spending sleepless nights producing music, and meeting with some of the most influential managers in the industry. All of that dedication eventually paid off when he landed a huge deal to produce an album for an aspiring artist.

He has a great story with a lot of ups and downs, a lot of hustle and some funny memories. Listen to it now on this episode of The Big Break.

Follow Emile on Instagram and Twitter

Show Notes

1:31Where did you grow up?

3:08Who fostered your interest in music when you were young?

4:25When did you start writing music?

6:35Emile’s first time using a drum machine

8:05Buying his own drum machine

10:43Recording people for the first time and selling the first records

12:10Selling old demos to collectors

14:28Starting to record in a real recording studio

16:06Dealing with doubt and discouragement from people

17:02Moving to Chicago

18:19Columbia College and learning Music

18:56Tomboy and getting connected to R. Kelly

22:00Being told to drop out of school, and just go get involved in the music business

23:37“He wanted me to learn that I can make money doing something I believe in.”

24:45After Emile dropped out of school

25:45Partnering with Erik Nelson, and making “Set You Free”

27:35The birth of The Insomniax

28:53Getting ripped off and learning lessons

30:08Emailing A&R’s and Managers

32:34When did all the pressure and work start to pay off?

32:453LW

36:55Jared Rosenberg

38:50Getting in touch with JoJo

40:20Getting connected to Vincent Herbert, and recording in New York

44:05When did you guys start charging people to record?

46:54Meeting Courtney Stewart and recording with Bobby Valentino

49:482009, and how working hard and doing work can turn your life around

55:00Working with Nasri

56:20Starting “The Cartoons”

57:50The importance of being organized, and sampling yourself

60:03“You never know when you’re going to meet that person you’re supposed to make magic with.”

62:00Closing thoughts

For more information

More episodes

Know Your Worth

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tami LaTrell Jul 16, 2019

Show notes

What happens when one of your songs is picked up by a superstar before you’re even 20?

That’s exactly what happened to our guest this week. Tami Latrell-Harris is a multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated songwriter with an unbelievable resume of work under her belt. She started out singing and performing with girl-groups in her teens, and when she was just 18 years old, one of her songs was picked up by Whitney Houston. That propelled her through college to an entrepreneurial life as a digital marketer, music industry educator, and songwriter.

She has since worked with R&B superstars Monica and Keyshia Cole, as well as artists like Love and Theft and Chamillionaire. She has a youtube channel with hundreds of thousands of followers, and is currently an executive at “The Labz” - a platform that helps artists manage their rights and protections of their work.

She’s our guest this week on The Big Break- Tami LaTrell.

Follow Tami on Instagram and Twitter

Tami’s Website

The Labz

Show Notes

1:55When did you start getting into music?

2:44Drawing inspiration from Whitney Houston and others

5:28High school and singing in girl groups

7:00Being a solo-artist and signing with Indie Labels

10:00What made you pick the Indie Label that you signed with?

13:19Intuition

14:45Getting a scholarship

16:45Whitney Houston sings one of Tami’s songs

21:08Getting in touch with Arista

24:41How long did it take for you guys to come to a deal?

26:40Was there a temptation to abandon school and go all-in on music?

28:08Working with E. Poppi and Shawn Holiday and getting a publishing deal

31:55“Sometimes you have to make a sacrifice to get to where you want to go.”

34:00Moving to Atlanta and Keshia Cole

36:45Having her daughter and returning to Houston

39:15Adjusting to being a parent and a songwriter

43:15Working at RadioOne

45:15Returning to Atlanta

45:50Working with the Rickey Smiley Morning Show

48:35Diving back into an industry that has changed

53:30Youtube videos and educating the music world

56:16Women in Music - Atlanta Chapter

57:03Becoming a full-time Entrepreneur

65:50Meeting The Labz

72:55What advice would you have given to your younger self with the knowledge you have now?

For more information

More episodes

Know Your Worth

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jahlil Beats Jul 09, 2019

Show notes

Orlando Tucker is our guest this week on the big break. If you’re not familiar with that name, you’ll definitely know his production tag, Jahlil Beats.

Jahlil was born into music. From the age of 3 he was learning about music production from his father, and grew up developing his musical skills. After college, Jahlil took advantage of the blossoming world of social media, and online mix tapes to build a network in his local hip hop community. This led him to work with the likes of Meek Mill, Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, and many other rap icons- ultimately netting him a Grammy in 2019.

On this episode of The Big Break we sit down with Jahlil to learn about how he got to this point in his career, and how he continues to impact his hometown.

Follow Jahlil on Instagram and Twitter

Tandem Recording Studios

Jahlil’s Grammy winning song - “Bubblin” by Anderson Paak

Show Notes

2:01Where did you grow up?

4:40How did you find out about the rappers you looked up to?

6:22Getting serious about producing music with Fruity Loops

8:48Getting a mixer and microphone

10:50College and going to Atlanta

13:05Myspace, DatPiff and flooding Philadelphia with music

15:10Growing the online brand presence

17:18Sending beats to Meek Mill

19:49Make em Say goes on the radio

21:08How does your life shift after that?

22:19Getting placements with Lil Wayne, Soulja Boy, and Chris Brown and Tyga

23:45Starting to work with Rick Ross, and making Ima Boss

27:23Hearing from Roc Nation and meeting with Jay-Z

32:50If you had to tell a young songwriter what to do when they get signed, what would you say?

35:05Why and how did you make the shift from making samples to original works?

38:15What lessons have you learned about the business that surprised you?

42:19How did you get involved in Real Estate?

46:36Aviom Mixers, business ventures, and upcoming works

48:01Summing up Jahlil

49:40Wisdom from Jahlil about taking care of yourself financially

For more information

More episodes

Know Your Worth

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jane't Sewell Jul 02, 2019

Show notes

This week on The Big Break we are joined by Jane’t Sewell, who is responsible for the massive hit “Empire State of Mind” performed by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys.

Janet started her career at a young age. A blend of business and creativity, she dedicated herself to the music industry the moment she realized that she could make money while making music. She took internships with industry heavy-hitters, taught herself how to be an engineer, and spent her nights making music all while maintaining her day job. After a sudden epiphany, Janet quit her day job to follow her dreams in music and never looked back. Today, she and her husband run an international record label and are continuing to write hits, and change the game.

Janet’s Instagram

Bassivity Digital

Show Notes

1:55When did you first start doing music?

2:53Working and learning in New York

3:38The Salute to Excellence

5:15What was the first big lesson you learned working at 16?

6:45Lou George and Full Force

7:53Mixing the business and the creative sides of music

9:49Interning at Sugar Hill with Leland Robinson

13:30What did you do different from other engineers or producers that were coming up with you?

15:22Working with Bruce Waynne in Brooklyn, New York

19:03Following your gut

21:10Quitting the day-job to pursue music full time

24:00What did you learn from writing for a signed artist?

29:53Sam Watters and the Art of a record

34:15Deciding to create a home studio

35:02Big John and learning about the business of Publishing

38:00What would you tell an up and coming writer about the art of turning music into money?

39:15Why PR is so important

41:10Writing and pitching “Empire State of Mind”

43:42Fighting for Alicia Keys

47:37How to get someone to sit up and pay attention

52:46Janet’s take on what it takes to ensure your record’s success

61:00How did “Empire State of Mind” change your working life?

61:32Bassivity Digital

68:50Janet’s parting advice for songwriters

For more information

More episodes

Know Your Worth

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sermstyle Jun 25, 2019

Show notes

Jamie Sanderson, better known as Sermstyle, grew up in Newcastle in Northern England. He started off as a hip hop producer, but as he networked and grew his following on Twitter he developed a fascination for Pop music and the global influence it has. He would spend hours and hours studying pop songs until eventually his dedication paid off, and he got connected with the Artist Partner Group. This ultimately lead to the creation of his first smash hit “Timber” by Pitbull featuring Kesha. He’s gone on to put his name on many more world-sweeping songs.

Jamie joins us today on The Big Break to talk about his evolution as the music producer “Sermstyle.”

Serm’s Instagram

Serm’s Twitter

Sermstyle

Show Notes

2:24When did you realize you wanted to make a living making music?

4:10What were you doing in music to get started?

5:00Newcastle, UK

5:55Did you ever entertain the idea of becoming a recording artist yourself?

7:05Graduating from Newcastle University and what’s next

8:01Using Twitter

9:39Do you remember the first big person you connected with on Twitter?

11:50Networking through the internet

12:45Making mixtapes

13:13“Still Blazin” with Wiz Khalifa, and the snowball of placements

15:09What advice do you have for music creators trying to cut through the noise?

16:55“Don’t be too precious”

18:10Independent placement middlemen

20:18PMP Worldwide

20:52Mike Caren

21:50Katy Perry’s “I Kissed a Girl” and getting interested in Pop music

22:40Dr. Luke

23:11Studying Pop

24:24Who was your “Dr. Dre” of Pop?

25:30The Detroit of England

26:38Working at a studio in London

27:45Struggling while focusing on Pop

29:07Aton from Warner and Ben Maddahi

31:53Returning to Newcastle, and working for Ben and Mike

32:20Receiving a deal with APG

32:42What was the first big thing you did with APG?

34:10Meeting everyone in LA and making “Timber”

37:12How did your professional life change after your publishing deal?

37:55Deciding to move to LA

38:48What advice would you give to an artist who is talking to a publisher who seems interested?

41:06So what happens after “Timber”?

47:02How do you keep the momentum going?

48:59If you had to give advice to yourself ten years ago, what advice would you give?

50:40What would you say the fundamentals should be for an aspiring songwriter?

51:41Are you working with any of the younger writers at APG?

53:02 Summing it all up

For more information

More episodes

Know Your Worth

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

John Chisum Jun 18, 2019

Show notes

John Chisum is a lifetime singer, songwriter, and Christian music producer based in Nashville, Tennessee.

As a young man, John moved to Nashville to pursue his dreams of songwriting. When he connected with legendary gospel songwriter Bill Gaither, he was presented with the opportunity to not only grow as a writer, but to intimately learn the in’s-and-out’s of music publishing and beyond. A strong believer in mentor’s and learning from the people you surround yourself with, John flourished as a producer and to this day helps develop and coach songwriters through his company Nashville Christian Songwriters.

His journey resulted in deep friendships all over the world, and celebrity status he never would have guessed he'd achieve.

John’s Twitter

Nashville Christian Songwriters

The Song Revolution

Show Notes

2:15When did you know you were going to make a career out of music?

4:45John moves to Nashville

5:19Meeting Bill Gaither

6:45Getting signed to a publishing deal

11:20Can he, Could he, Would he and The Cathedrals

11:55Mentoring and learning from skilled people

14:23Recognizing opportunity

15:36Chicken Soup for the Soul

17:33The transition from songwriter to working in publishing

21:10What advice would you give to a songwriter who wants to pitch their own work?

23:09How do you think songwriters should manage their publishers to get the most out of them?

27:55“They say there’s no better way to learn than to teach.”

32:04MAYA

33:50What is worship music?

34:48When churches began writing their own music

37:55John leaves the Gaithers, and moves to Integrity

40:35How did the transition from the creative side to the business side happen?

44:00Moving to the digital age

46:30Leaving Integrity

49:10Moving back to Mobile and traveling the world

51:24Lagos, Nigeria

51:51Soca Music

56:15Learning about being an international celebrity

60:23John’s return to Nashville

63:50The birth of Nashville Christian Songwriters

66:05The Song Revolution

66:41What is the split between coaching and creativity for you?

67:47What is the most common piece of advice that people you coach ignore?

69:50What have you learned from the young and aspiring songwriters?

72:12John’s closing words

For more information

More episodes

Know Your Worth

John Chisum photo credited to Christian Springer

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eric Dan Jun 12, 2019

Show notes

Eric Dan is the man behind ID Labs, a Pittsburgh recording studio that oversaw the development of superstars Wiz Khalifa, and Mac Miller.

Eric dove head-first into music at a young age, trying his hand at various instruments and stage performances, while running multiple jobs as he slowly built his own recording studio. He began specializing in hip-hop, and when a young Wiz Khalifa walked in the door of his studio, he saw the opportunity for a partnership. That relationship propelled his career to several gold and platinum hits, and ID labs to being the premiere recording studio in Pittsburg.

He joins us today on the The Big Break to talk about how it all happened.

Eric’s Instagram

Eric’s Twitter

ID Labs

Show Notes

1:50How did you know you wanted to make music for a living?

3:16Growing up and early music influences

5:05Early producing and getting into Hip-Hop

7:40Starting to make beats and getting connected to the local music scene

8:20Getting a taste for live performances and the stage

9:08“Strict Flow” and the difficulties of making music in Pittsburgh

9:53The birth of the basement studio

12:45Working in music full-time, and creating ID Labs

17:22The value of working with what you have, and setting achievable goals

19:53One day, Wiz walks in the door

22:10The decision to collaborate and develop together

27:15Diving in with Wiz

29:34“I wanted it to be more of a musical relationship”

32:34Unstoppable persistence and determination

33:52The business of making music vs. the business of making money

37:15The first release featuring Wiz Khalifa

39:20Signing with Warner Brothers

41:25Meeting Will Dzombak

43:10“Deal or No Deal” and being an Independent Artist

44:20Atlantic Records, Stargate, and how Rolling Papers came to existence

47:50The strength of Eric and Wiz’s relationship

50:10What have you learned from working with Wiz?

52:28How did everything change after Rolling Papers came out?

53:45Meeting Big Jerm

56:43Meeting Mac Miller

59:57Are there any of those musical moments with Mac that stand out in your mind?

62:50Finding inspiration in old records

Tal Wilkenfeld

65:00With Wiz and Mac, was it ever difficult to balance between the two?

66:09If you could go back in time 20 years, what would you tell your younger self?

70:30What other advice would you give someone trying to make money doing what they love?

74:57What’s the most common non-musical advice you give to producers?

77:48Three big takeaways from Eric

For more information

More episodes

Know Your Worth

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Frankie Storm Jun 05, 2019

Show notes

Frankie Storm is the songwriter behind hits like “Don’t Stop the Music” by Rihanna, and “Lightweight” by Demi Lovato.

Frankie started singing in her church choir and learning different instruments in her teens. Her career took off when a rapper asked her to record a hook for his album – her first time ever being recorded. That was her golden ticket into producers and publishers offices in Philadelphia and New York. As she pumped out hit after hit, she found a unique balance between success and stardom.

Today, she continues to write music, and helps developing artists achieve their dreams of success.

Frankie’s Instagram

Frankie’s Twitter

Show Notes

1:23 Frankie in Church

4:00 Frankie the wild-child

4:36 Growing up

6:37 Frankie puts her voice to a song

7:42 Hearing her voice recorded for the first time

9:00 Frankie’s sister takes the CD and word starts to spread

9:35 Philadelphia producers Dre and Vidal call Frankie

10:50Frankie starts going to New York and meeting with Producers

13:14Frankie signs a deal

13:41Working with Stargate

15:10Making “Don’t Stop the Music”

20:00The first year making music

22:56Dealing with the fame of the name

27:00Frankie on Spirituality

28:40Frankie’s solo projects

30:10What advice do you give to artists you are developing?

32:30How do you work to stay relevant?

35:50What do you do to “live in the future” when you’re making music?

37:05Frankie's Angels

38:10We can give to people and stay down to Earth, it’s important to love everybody

40:00Summarizing Frankie’s philosophy

For more information

More episodes

Know Your Worth

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bruce Waynne Part 2 May 29, 2019

Show notes

Today we reunite with Bruce Waynne, part of the producing duo Midi Mafia to hear the rest of his story. Where we left off, Bruce and his partner David Swift had rented a large studio house and were diving into the R&B scene. From there, Bruce learned about loose ends, protecting yourself as an entrepreneur, and as a person. He learned about the world of Youtube and brand recognition, and how to expand the breadth of his work to service more than just listeners. He started making waves in film and television space and now owns one of the largest hip-hop music libraries in the world. Today, Bruce is the Vice President of Transparence Entertainment Group, which is a company that services neighboring rights for performers and copyright owners.

Take a listen, we hope you enjoy the second and final installment of Bruce Waynne’s story.

Follow The Midi Mafia on Instagram

Follow Bruce Waynne on Instagram and Twitter

Check out Transparence Entertainment Group

Show Notes

2:30Recap where we left off

3:40Swift breaks his back

6:30The investor from his past returns

11:40Errors and Omissions insurance, commonly referred to as Professional Liability Insurance

13:20What were the lessons from the lawsuit?

15:42What were some examples of thinking outside of the box when you guys were handicapped?

16:05Youtube and Monetization