An Interview With Ming Zhao

I think the industry is already changing. It’s been interesting to see over the past few years. Equity and representation are certainly the biggest changes- but I feel there’s still a way to go. Especially in terms of how women are portrayed on screen. And especially if the characters aren’t white. Not to mention how there are still so few women sitting in the director’s chair or running production. The numbers are still so low. I was sitting in a meeting fairly recently where I was the only woman, and I was giving my opinion on a script, and one of the guys in the room interrupted me to compliment my shoes-I mean, they were fabulous but still..what a wild moment and a reality check.

As a part of our series about Inspirational Women In Hollywood, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Julie Cavaliere.

Julie Cavaliere is an award-winning writer, director, producer, and actor based in New York. She began her career working for the legendary Scott Rudin and quickly accelerated her experience in the industry as a producer. She worked with top executive producer Morris S. Levy’s M.E.G.A. Films on such hits as Affluenza with Nicola Peltz, Grant Gustin, Gregg Sulkin, and the award-winning Cop Show starring Colin Quinn, Jerry Seinfeld, and Amy Schumer. She recently launched her production banner — Very Cavaliere Productions, which strives to tell stories centered around the human experience from unique, often overlooked points of view. She was featured in Inc. Magazine — ‘3 Tips for How to Be Your Own Best Boss.’ Her next collaboration is with Simon TaufiQue (Ricky-World Premiering at Sundance 2023) on a narrative podcast series about economic mobility and a dark comedy about postpartum that she will write and direct. In partnership with Meta, Julie has co-created an anthology series titled Reimagined In VR, which premiered at the prestigious Venice Film Festival in 2022. [Read Guardian Article]. She is the writer and director of the premiere Volume Nyssa, which tells a story about fear conditioning, and is set to be released on Meta Quest in early 2023. She is currently in production on Volume II, and in pre-production on Volume III with a vision of continuing the series in order to explore lesser-known fables, myths, and folktales from around the world through a gender-inclusive lens. As a filmmaker, she wrote, produced, and starred in the short film Puppet Me. Austin Film Festival named Julie as one of their Screenwriters to Watch in 2022, and the film was nominated for Best Short at several festivals. The production company came about as a way for Julie to bring all of her experience and artistic sensibilities under one umbrella and to tell stories about complex, funny, out-of-the-box female-identifying characters who don’t conform to exhausting archetypes. Her goal is to be the change either by helming the creative directly or supporting other emerging creatives trying to tell their stories who have been previously overlooked. Her acting credits include Person of Interest, starring Taraji P. Henson; Blindspot starring Jaimie Alexander; Lost Girls: Angie’s Story directed by Julia Verdin. Most recently, she appeared in FBI: Most Wanted series on CBS, and she wrote and performed a sketch featured on Elizabeth Banks’ WhoHaha’s, hitting over 56,000 views on YouTube!

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?

I grew up in an apartment in Queens, NY. It was a mix of urban and suburban, so it was fairly quiet, but we went outside to play with other kids in my neighborhood while the adults sat outside and played cards vs. having any kind of organized playdates. Do people still do that? I hope so. It was one of my favorite memories growing up. That and the food in Queens cannot be beaten.

My father was a profoundly creative and funny person who was always joking and making us laugh, and my mother was a lover of the arts and creativity but also had a very pragmatic side to her. She wouldn’t spend $100 on a doll house because 1) we couldn’t afford it and 2) she couldn’t imagine spending that money on plastic and cardboard. But what she did do was help me make my own. For two months, we would sew and paint and glue boxes together until we built a custom house that was better than I could’ve imagined. Those kinds of experiences got me thinking outside the box (or dollhouse) and I started seeing the potential of something vs. what it was at face value.

Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?

My dad died suddenly when I was 15, and my mom passed away, also suddenly, about 6 years ago. When my dad died, I think I developed a sense of mortality that most of my peers didn’t have. I understood how temporary everything is, and I didn’t want to spend my life doing something I didn’t love. When my mom died, though, I idled a bit. I was tired of fighting and felt like I had nothing to say- I was exhausted. It took time, but one day I woke up and wrote for 8 hours straight. I went from having nothing to say to wanting to say everything all at once. I had let go of so much fear and weight just by sitting idle for a bit. That’s when I began to pivot and combine all of the aspects of what I do. Grief is a lifelong process and they say that it is unexpressed love so although it will always be with me, I’m grateful that I found a way to channel it.

It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

I don’t know if it’s the funniest, but when I was a brand new intern for a famous producer. I was somehow allowed to attend a mixing session for a very high-profile project. I was tasked with getting a variety of different coffee drinks for everyone, including the A-list director whose work I adored. I tried my best, but I was so afraid of messing it up, and there are a lot of different possibilities when it comes to frappuccinos! The director came by and asked if I had a certain variety that I hadn’t accounted for. I wanted to die. I started sweating, and the producer shot me a look. The director must’ve seen my face drop because he VERY quickly pivoted, picked up a random drink, and said that it was exactly what he was looking for and how much he hated any other kind of drink besides the one he was holding. He later came up to me quietly and told me I was doing a great job. Besides making me laugh (and also sweat a little), when I look back on this story, I mostly remember this director’s kindness. He could’ve easily made a fuss and had me run back out, but he realized what the cost would be for me and decided instead to drink some vanilla whip cream coffee. When I work with people who are new to the business, I always try to create an environment of support and respect- you just learn better that way.

You have been blessed with great success in a career path that can be challenging. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path, but seem daunted by the prospect of failure?

I think it’s a matter of reframing failure. Don’t get me wrong, it still feels awful when something I’ve invested energy in doesn’t work out, but I’ve gotten a lot better about focusing more on the process vs. the outcome. Improv and performing in the theater was a great way for me to learn this lesson. When you’re on stage, everything is part of the performance. There is no such thing as a mistake. In life, I think it’s about collecting lessons and about the process of what you’re doing versus the end result. When I studied with Ron Leibman, he would always say to work on the process when you are preparing as an actor, not the end result. I think you can wind up in a lot of surprising places if you let go of an end result. In my case, it’s how I wound up working on a project in VR!

Every industry iterates and seeks improvement. What changes would you like to see in the industry going forward?

I think the industry is already changing. It’s been interesting to see over the past few years. Equity and representation are certainly the biggest changes- but I feel there’s still a way to go. Especially in terms of how women are portrayed on screen. And especially if the characters aren’t white. Not to mention how there are still so few women sitting in the director’s chair or running production. The numbers are still so low. I was sitting in a meeting fairly recently where I was the only woman, and I was giving my opinion on a script, and one of the guys in the room interrupted me to compliment my shoes-I mean, they were fabulous but still..what a wild moment and a reality check.

You have such impressive work. What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? Where do you see yourself heading from here?

I’m currently collaborating with Michaela Ternasky-Holland on a VR anthology series for Meta that we co-created. I wrote and directed the first episode, which just had its world premiere in competition at the Venice Film Festival and will be released in early 2023. I’m also excited to collaborate with Simon TaufiQue (Ricky-World Premiering at Sundance 2023) on a narrative podcast series about economic mobility and a dark comedy about postpartum that I’m writing and directing.

We are very interested in looking at diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in film and television? How can that potentially affect our culture and our youth growing up today?

Very simply, it makes stories better. The more different kinds of people, backgrounds, and experiences we have in the writer’s room, in the director’s chair, and on screen, the better the stories will be. The more children see it, the more accepting they become of others and, ultimately themselves.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.

The main thing I wish someone had told me is that my understanding of so many different aspects of the industry would be an asset and that I should lean into it. People originally told me to hide that I was an actor when I had my producer or writer’s hat on and vice versa. It was such bad advice. I understand so much about character and dialogue when I write because of my acting background, and when I produce, I always come from a story-first mindset. When I’m on set or on stage as an actor, I understand that I am only one element of a huge production, so not only am I prepared, but I come to the set as a collaborator. It took me a while, but I figured out how to combine everything that I do in a way that has become creatively satisfying.

Can you share with our readers any self-care routines, practices or treatments that you do to help your body, mind or heart to thrive? Please share a story for each one if you can.

I’m a big face mask person, and a short meditation in the morning has been beneficial for me. But honestly, sometimes (last night), you just have to throw on comfy clothes (spiderman sweatpants), eat junk food (mochi donuts), and watch a classic movie (Clueless- Paul Rudd is a gift).

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

My husband is French, and I overheard a conversation he had once with his great-aunt who he was very close with. He asked how she was doing, and her response was, “ je suis le courant,“ I follow the current. I thought it was one of the most profound things I have ever heard. And in her voice, there was genuine joy and peace. I try to live my life with that in mind- moving forward while seizing opportunities, shaking off failures, and staying open.

You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?

I think my role as a creative is more to look at the world through my lens, make observations, ask questions, and amplify other voices doing the same. I hope that people can come to their own conclusions from there. We’re often spoon-fed with many thoughts and ideas, and I don’t want us to lose sight of nuance and complexity when forming our own opinions. It’s essential to have that in storytelling, and it is vital to have it in how we view the world.

This was so informative, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!

Inspirational Women In Hollywood: How Julie Cavaliere of Very Cavaliere Productions Is Helping To… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

An Interview With Ming Zhao

Take the work doing theatre with kids in schools, or something that interests you in the industry, and don’t worry about being available for auditions or that next big gig. Those jobs are filled with theatre professionals who are coming and going. I look back at the temp jobs I took that actually were soul sucking and wish I had done more with the youth in schools instead of waiting for that job or call.

As a part of our series about Inspirational Women In Hollywood, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Kavi Ramachandran Ladnier.

Kavi Ramachandran Ladnier is a seasoned actor, writer, producer who has over 27 years of experience working in theatre, film & television. Born in India and raised in the US since she was a baby, Kavi was inspired to act at 5, by the little Indian girl at the end of THE JUNGLE BOOK, and inspired to produce because she saw so few people that looked like her on the screen. Expanding the narrative about women in all of their womanity, is part of her mission.

Kavi is currently recurring on her second season of CBS’ top rated franchise NCIS: LA as Reserve Agent Shyla Dahr. She was also last seen as Reena on THE SEX LIVES OF COLLEGE GIRLS for HBO Max. Kavi stars in the Award Winning one woman movie NOW AND NEVER which she produced with her company Art Heart Love Productions. Kavi produced and stars in the feature film EAST BAY which also stars Constance Wu. Both films are currently having a vibrant festival run. Kavi also received rave reviews for her Off-Broadway, sexy, smart performance opposite Sendhill Ramamurthy in HATEF*CK.

Kavi is about to produce the feature THE 8th YEAR, a revenge thriller to be shot in Vancouver Q1 of 2023, is a creative producer/actor on a feature film in development with PoC Studios (People of Culture), and writing a short film with TV legend and her NCIS: LA co-star Gerald McCraney which she will also co-produce and co-direct. She co-produced & starred in the feature Boris and the Bomb, currently on Tubi/Prime/IMDB TV and in addition to film has produced children’s theatre, a PSA for the US Census and a campaign video for Thevi Cosmetics.

www.kaviladnier.com www.nowandneverfilm.com

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?

Thank you so much for inviting me! I was born in Kerala, India and when I was 8 months old my mom and I came to the U.S., to Kalamazoo, MI to join my dad who was getting his Masters. That was the first time I met my father because he left for school when my mom was 6 months pregnant, but she says the moment I saw him I leapt into his arms. We lived in MI, OH (where my sisters were born), NYS, and FL before I moved to NYC at 18 to attend NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. No, he wasn’t military but just kept getting promoted to places that has bases, and I got to experience a lot of really different places and people.

Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?

I have wanted to be an actor since I was 5 years old when I saw the little girl at the end of The Jungle Book. I had never seen someone who looked like me on such a huge screen, but I saw myself in her and told my mom that is what I want to do. There was close to no South Asian representation in American film and tv back then, but that animated character who looked like me showed me my path and I’ve never looked back. Representation truly matters.

Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

Gosh I’ve been at this professionally for almost 28 years and I’ve had so many incredible experiences, but ok I know which one to share. This profession can be really tough on the soul if one isn’t able to be your own hype person. It’s full of rejection and uncertainty and you really need to be able to stay focused and positive and work on your craft and love it even if you’re not making money or being recognized for the work. I really truly believe that if a role is yours no thing can stop it from being yours and the same is true if it isn’t. I’ve not booked some of the best auditions of my life and booked ones where maybe I flubbed a line or was really unclear of how it went. I am thankful that I have always believed this and that as I got older this way of thinking lives so deep in me because after allowing myself to feel the disappointment I then am able to let it go. I taught my daughter the same from the beginning so she is able to manage her disappointments too. So all that said, here’s the story:

Back in 2006 I was called into audition for the role of Mira on the first season of a brand new show called Heroes. I was so prepared and excited for my first audition on the Universal lot. We only had one car, and so the day of the audition, my then husband and 3 year old and I drove together and he needed to make a deposit at the bank. He insisted on going to a branch nearby BEFORE my audition and I was late. I was fuming and late. I ran into the casting office, and they had already seen everyone. The casting associate told me to hurry and showed me into the room. I barely took a breath to say hello to the CD, Jason La Padura and started the scene. When I was done he looked at me and said, “What was that?” I kid not. I was mortified. I got up, thanked them for their time and started to leave when he said, “Do it again.” This time I centered myself and did the scene again. And he said something acknowledging it was better. Anyway.. that wasn’t a pleasant car ride home. Ha! But I got called for a Producers Session, and nailed it in a room of 20 execs and writers. It’s a much longer story, but from my first audition, being late and pretty much sucking to booking a fantastic role on what would become a huge hit show is a great example of if it’s yours it’s yours.

It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

I’m not sure its’s funny, and it definitely wasn’t funny when it happened but I did learn from it. I am pretty short and always looked younger than I was which meant at 21 I looked like a young teenager. I was at NYU and I got an appointment to meet with Kirsten Dunst’s manager. I had short hair at the time and with my then round face and a pair of overalls I looked like I would fit right in with her young roster. I walked in for the meeting and shortly after we started talking she said, “You look young but when you speak I can tell you are older.” Oof! I was so focused on how I looked that I didn’t consider how energetically I really was no longer a teenager. I went on to play younger roles on tv and on the stage but I never forgot to walk in the room embodying the character. I also learned that when I am meant to be myself, that I don’t want to pretend to be someone I am not.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

My parents are Indian immigrants and no one in my family was an actor, heck my dad was a seriously brilliant scientist, and while they didn’t and don’t understand what I do or the unstable life of an artist, they supported me going to NYU and choosing this path anyway. It’s hard enough to choose any career, but when that career has no proof of succeeding, no representation to show that others like you have been super successful, its doubly difficult.. especially for immigrant parents. But I chose this path from the very beginning and they never forced me to have a plan B or to pause and get a “real” job. It’s not been easy and I cannot say I’ve always felt supported, but I cannot thank them enough for believing in me and my dreams. Unless you have strict immigrant parents I’m not sure if you can really appreciate how rare that is especially back in the 90’s. When I got into my dream school NYU, they sat me down and said, “By God’s grace you got in and so it’s our duty to support you.” I didn’t appreciate how rare that really was and I am so grateful to them for making it possible.

You have been blessed with great success in a career path that can be challenging. Do you have any words of advice for others who may want to embark on this career path, but seem daunted by the prospect of failure?

Dream Big and Always Be Working. Sometimes we water down our dreams to protect ourselves from disappointment, but dream big AND don’t just live in your dreams. Be active in creating them, and also allow your dreams to evolve. We call actors who earn a living from acting, “working actors”, but I’ve been a working actor for my whole career even when I wasn’t making money. Do the thing. Create. Learn. Scene study and acting classes are practice for self tapes and auditions. And auditions are your job even if you’re not being paid. Think of every audition as an opportunity to act and it becomes easy to see the blessings. No part of this process is wasted.

I would also emphasize that unless you are part of the less than 1% who never needs a day job.. it’s a part of this path to have a day job, so find work you really like doing. You are NOT copping out having a job you like or even love because finding fulfillment in places other than acting means you are not waiting around for that acting job and that allows you to call those experiences in.

Know who are you and find joy in the moments you are not on stage or on set so that when you are, you are truly present to the experience instead of already worrying about when the next opportunity will come.

Every industry iterates and seeks improvement. What changes would you like to see in the industry going forward?

Oh boy! A lot. It’s an ongoing journey, but I can appreciate that there have been positive changes too. That being said, something that really bothered me early on was how non-white characters were often relegated to the supporting role and while that wasn’t always the case it was rare that a leading role led to a flourishing career. Case in point .. Bend It Like Beckham that made Kiera Knightly famous and didn’t really elevate the film’s lead Parmindra Nagra. It’s exhausting to see most projects with white leads, as a default. There has definitely been some positive movement, but not enough. I am thinking about books whose main characters ethnicity aren’t specified, but when the movie is made the leads are white by default. It is a false narrative that audiences won’t watch films or shows w leads of color. When we see ourselves reflected in art it empowers us and so making sure more people have the opportunity to feel empowered and inspired means we have a responsibility to make casting even more diverse and reflective of our society.

You have such impressive work. What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? Where do you see yourself heading from here?

Thank you. I feel incredibly grateful to be doing what I love. I can’t wait to see where things go w NCIS LA and I hope to be acting in varied projects in film, tv and on the stage for years to come. My short film Now And Never (www.nowandneverfilm.com) and the feature I star in with Constance Wu, East Bay are getting great audience responses at festivals and I will continue to promote both films.

I am producing a feature film called The 8th Year in Vancouver, Canada in 2023. The 8th Year is a revenge thriller, but from the point of view of a strong woman. I truly believe that we as humans need to be willing to look at our shadows, our darkest parts in order to learn and shine light on them. So even though “revenge thriller” is not a genre I am normally attracted to, when I read the script by Edward King III, Cheyenne Buchanan, and Trace De La Torre… my producers mind started working, and I felt compelled to consider it more deeply. Also this was just days before Roe was overturned and when it was frankly I needed someplace to put my own rage and upset and to feel empowered. Our story focuses on young woman’s need and desire to champion justice for her childhood best friend and what lengths she will go to to secure that justice.

I’m developing a feature with one of my producing partners Anu Hodges. It’s an ensemble family comedy about a blended family of Desi(South Asian)/Black entertainers who, while caught up in their lives of being woke performers, take in a family of Afghan refugees to live in their basement duplex and learn to put their problems into unexpected perspective/the refugee family deals with issues such as PTSD and belonging. Ultimately it’s a story of family love and romantic love set against a backdrop of our very Western societal need to be politically correct and our individual need to tend to our deep ancestral, mental health.

In 2023 am going to co-write, co-produce and co-direct a short film with a couple of folks that are so fab I want to scream it from the rooftops but I am gonna wait a little bit before I do:) I am looking at biographies tp produce and I have a dream project based on a short story by Jhumpa Lahiri that I would love to get the rights to and make one day. And I am also in the process of writing my first children’s book.

So you know, not much going on. Hahahaha.

We are very interested in looking at diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in film and television? How can that potentially affect our culture and our youth growing up today?

I’m gonna mash both these questions together as I feel each of these points well lived can positively affect our culture and youth deeply.

I started my production company Art Heart Love Productions because producing content that will amplify the unity in our diversity is of the utmost importance to me. And to that point and to your question… here is why.

#1. We all feel deeply, we struggle and love, and while our circumstances may be different, we are all human, and if we can embrace that fact about each other we can have a better shared experience. Art reveals this in honest and heartbreaking and hilarious ways.

#2. When we see others who look like us represented on screen we gain a broader vision of what is possible. My seeing the little girl in The Jungle Book changed my life and while I imagine I would have still found my way to this path, who knows for sure, but I know seeing her made me see myself at a very young age.

#3 And also seeing people who are not like us opens our hearts. Film,Theatre, Television, Books, Fine Art… all can open us up to people who we may never cross paths with or experiences we have never even imagined. What we need most as a human family is empathy and empathy isn’t just being able to understand because you have gone through something similar. True empathy is being able to understand what another person’s point of view is even if you completely disagree. We can feel empathy for even the worst of people and this doesn’t absolve them of their behavior, but it does free us to live with less judgement so we also are empowered to truly be of service and fight for others.

If young people can keep perspective and learn to see the unity in our diversity, which they already do better than most, I believe we will be ok:)

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.

1. Take the work doing theatre with kids in schools, or something that interests you in the industry, and don’t worry about being available for auditions or that next big gig. Those jobs are filled with theatre professionals who are coming and going. I look back at the temp jobs I took that actually were soul sucking and wish I had done more with the youth in schools instead of waiting for that job or call.

2. If it’s yours its yours and if it’s not it’s not. (See the story about Heroes:) I live by that now but man those early years I just felt horrible when something didn’t go my way.

3. Don’t compare yourself to anyone else. This was a hard one to learn, but when I did I realized that even if I was standing next to 5 others people who looked just like me .. that who I am and the experiences I have had and lessons I have learned are what me me and so how is this a competition? Cause… SEE #2

4. Embrace the things you do not love or like about yourself. Physically or otherwise. For me one of these things was my height .. I am very short. But what I have learned is that the things we resist not only persist, but are often the key to uncovering our truth. The things we say no to over and over or because we are scared will often reveal who we are to ourselves if we are willing to look at them. So if you are adamant about saying no then just take a moment to reflect on the yes before deciding. Doesn’t mean you gotta go w the yes, but It’s a more holistic way of looking at things that allows us to be more self-aware and conscious.

5. Have fun. Find the fun. Be serious about your craft, but not so serious that you put pressure on yourself. Not just in the acting, but in whatever job or task life has you doing. I was always looking 3 steps ahead early on and when I learned to be where I was I found more joy and frankly more work.

Can you share with our readers any self-care routines, practices or treatments that you do to help your body, mind or heart to thrive? Please share a story for each one if you can.

I talk with myself. Ha! I do. Letting my brain lead isn’t always the right way to go so I take the reins and talk things through. I reflect on all angles of a problem and find a way to take responsibility for myself. It doesn’t mean taking the blame but it does provide a way to not get lost in blaming others. Staying HERE NOW is a priority for me. Sometimes NOW is a good place and sometimes it’s not, but being grounded in the present means gaining valuable perspective. I do not judge myself for feeling anything; the good, bad and the ugly of human emotions, and giving myself this grace has really allowed me to stop being as judgmental of others. This isn’t just pie in the sky thinking. I would rather own that I hate something or even someone then waste my time or energy judging them. Being honest with how I feel is freeing and empowering. This way of being is the best self-care I have every given myself.

I drink a lot of water and always wear sunscreen. I take really good care of my skin and never sleep with my makeup on. And the most important is I try to be kind and help when and where I can. I yearn to live a dharmic life and be of service day to day and through my art and this fills me and makes my heart thrive.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

I was raised Hindu, but claim no religion as mine. I believe God is Love and Love is God and live with that faith. The mantra I live by in ALL aspects of my life whether it be career, motherhood, friendships, love… is this. “Lord open the doors you want me to walk through and close the doors that You don’t”. It’s paraphrased from a prayer by St Francis and has become such a deep rooted part of who I am that I need only say OPEN DOORS to remind myself of the whole thing. It allows me to surrender while also being active. We are human and meant to make effort and I do… I work with all my heart to create. As an actor often the work is auditioning and as my belief is that what is meant for me is mine because the the right door will open, this helps me to stay focused on the work for the works sake. I remind myself of this constantly. It is my practice to stay present to this. And it wasn’t always this way, but now I can allow myself the disappointment… it just doesn’t last because if it’s mine nothing could have kept it from me or me from it. There is a freedom I have in my life that honestly I didn’t even have a year ago and that reminder that my highest Self is guiding me always brings me a lot of peace.

You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?

To not judge ourselves. To be willing to face our shadow and love all of who we are. We can change things about ourselves without hating on ourselves. So much of the hate and ugliness that people are insisting on living from is fear. So a movement to accept and love ourselves and face our fears I think would change the way people see one another. Change starts with us and when we really see ourselves, we can truly see that we are all more alike than we are different.

Is there a person in the world whom you would love to have lunch with, and why? Maybe we can tag them and see what happens!

There are so many, but I will say Viola Davis. I am listening to her autobiography and moved beyond words. She is a pretty tremendous human who has done the work of becoming herSelf. There are things that resonate so deeply with me even though we have had different life experiences. I was standing next to her in Whole Foods once and I went completely blank as to where my cart was and imagined telling her that story on day on set, but I’d love to at lunch:)

Are you on social media? How can our readers follow you online?

I am:)

kaviladnier1111 on Instagram.

KaviRamachandranLadnier on FB.

I’m KaviLadnier on Twitter, but am rarely on that platform.

This was so informative, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!

Thank you for this opportunity to share and the well wishes.

Inspirational Women In Hollywood: How Kavi Ramachandran Ladnier Is Helping To Shake Up The… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Honestly, I just wish I could inspire less hatred because there is an overwhelming amount and it’s absurd. The current world we live in is clearly very hostile to minority groups, hence the countless movements already in existence and I obviously don’t know what the solution is, but in terms of supporting a movement I can’t think of something more important than the human lives that are actively being threatened due to hatred in all it’s forms.

As a part of our interview series with leaders, stars, and rising stars in the music industry, we had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Ally Hills.

Launching her viral YouTube channel in 2012, Ally quickly captured the hearts of tens of thousands of fans from around the world. Delivering a quirky mix of comedy, music and stories about her experience in the LGBTQ+ community, Ally’s loveable content quickly positioned her as one of YouTube’s most popular creative influencers. Frequently playing shows at LA and NY’s most notable music venues (Peppermint Club, Harvard & Stone, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang), Ally’s success eventually led her to a Shorty Award Nomination in 2016 for Best YouTube Musician. Her musical influences range from pop icons such as Paramore, modern indie pop, as well as beloved new wave bands from the 80’s like Tears for Fears and New Order. Comedically, Ally’s brand of ‘observational humor’ allows her to find comedy in ordinary, everyday things, making them relatable yet wildly entertaining to her viewers.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit about your “origin story”. Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?

I grew up in Hermosa Beach with my mom, dad, and sister. Growing up I spent a lot of my time playing basketball and music, among other activities (I had some weird hobbies when I was younger. I had a phase where I just dug holes because of the movie Holes). I would say that I had a pretty normal upbringing for a California beach town. The place where I grew up was a little over 1 square mile and because of that it didn’t have a high school. Having to go to high school in a different area introduced me to a ton of new people with similar interests, specifically music. I was in the theater/band kid crowd and surrounded myself with other artists and creative people, but I was also “straightedge” so I didn’t go to many parties or high school events, but I did spend a lot of my time making music and doing other things that I was passionate about. I would like, spend an entire night mass messaging people on PureVolume and MySpace to get them to listen to my music for fun.

Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?

One instance that has stayed with me was when I was 14 in the basement of my friend’s house. It was probably the first time we had ever hung out and he put the music video for “crushcrushcrush” by Paramore on the tv and I just remember being like “This is the coolest girl I’ve ever seen. This is the best thing I’ve ever heard. This is what I want to do.” That really felt like the moment where I set the goal for myself to pursue music. I’ve done more than just music throughout my journey to get here, but music has always been the end goal and that was a particularly impactful instance for me.

Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

About ten years ago, I was hanging out in a Denny’s with my friend at around 2 a.m (obviously the most appropriate time to eat Denny’s). A random dude came up to our table and started a conversation with us. We found out he played music which sparked up a conversation that was so good that we all ended up exchanging phone numbers to keep in touch. We didn’t keep in touch haha. But fast forward to my first session with the producers for my 2022 EP and the guy that opens the door is the same guy from the Denny’s. We both still had each other’s numbers and it was a cool full circle moment. I’m not sure if it’s the MOST interesting story, but I do find synchronicities to be an interesting thing.

What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?

I’m going to be working on a lot of new music in this upcoming year and hopefully playing a lot more shows. In 2022 I released my first EP and played my first live shows so 2023 is all about gaining and maintaining momentum for the next stages of my career.

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?

In my opinion, the main reason for “burnout” comes from a lack of creativity due to the growing frequentness in which people are expected to consistently create content. Realistically, the most common advice for success is consistency and frequency which I think sometimes almost guarantees an eventual burnout after a certain amount of time, but I find that taking note of the moments of creativity that naturally occur in your life as opposed to setting a strict time to be creative tends to help the process feel less forced. I think the most helpful tip that I could offer would be to save every idea that comes to you, even if it’s just something random, like a phrase, or you think it’d never really be worth expanding on. Anytime you have the slightest idea for music, content, or anything creative at all; make a note of it (not a mental note, like actual documentation) so when you do find yourself feeling stuck or in dire need of having to create for the sake of consistency, there’s a slew of bits and pieces to work with and take inspiration from. And if your memory is anything like mine, you will probably have forgotten taking note of most of them so the ideas might feel new again or spark the same excitement you had when they initially came to you. I think finding ways to make the creative process still feel creative is vital to staying inspired and avoiding less burn out.

You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

Honestly, I just wish I could inspire less hatred because there is an overwhelming amount and it’s absurd. The current world we live in is clearly very hostile to minority groups, hence the countless movements already in existence and I obviously don’t know what the solution is, but in terms of supporting a movement I can’t think of something more important than the human lives that are actively being threatened due to hatred in all it’s forms.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

I’m really grateful for both of my managers and their immense amount of encouragement, support, and work towards helping me thrive. Their confidence in me has helped me grow as both a person and an artist and their dedication is something that means the world to me. At the same time, I don’t think I would be where I’m at today if it weren’t for my parents allowing me to pursue everything I’ve ever wanted to do. I showed an interest in music from an early age which they picked up on and continuously allowed me to explore during my adolescence. I got my first drum kit when I was 8 years old and from there found an interest in guitar, then keys, then writing, then recording. I made music in my bedroom throughout high school and when I finally showed my parents the songs I had been making they were enthusiastic about helping me find a producer to make an EP. I eventually dropped out of college to focus on turning my creative endeavors into a career, which I’m sure they weren’t super stoked about, but regardless they still supported my decisions. Having been given the ability to pursue my interests from such a young age and the freedom to focus my energy on my passions is something that I’m extremely grateful for getting me to where I am now, and for that I have my parents to thank.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

One quote that I always try to keep in mind is to “Choose your thoughts carefully.” I think that manifestation is a powerful thing and I also think that your thoughts and outlook have an impact on the direction things can go. Whether it’s telling yourself that you are capable of bigger things or simply just not trying to be your own worst critic, the way that you think can influence your own limits and what you’re able to do. It basically sounds like trying to say “believe in yourself” haha, but also I think that surrounding yourself with good thoughts generates good energy and from there, good things will come. I think for anyone in the music and entertainment industry, doubt can seem like a very real thing and choosing which thoughts you carry with you is important to growing and accomplishing what you want.

Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)

I think if I could choose anyone it might have to be Susan Sarandon so I can fulfill my dream of taking her on a date since she never saw my DM when I asked her on Instagram (and my girlfriend said she’d be cool with it so it’s fine).

How can our readers follow you online?

My music is available on all streaming platforms and you can find me at @allyhills on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Twitter.

This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!

Music Star & YouTube Star Ally Hills On The Five Things You Need To Shine In The Music Industry was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Being healthy, exercising, and having a routine. This industry definitely isn’t for everyone and sometimes it consumes them and changes them to who they weren’t before. Regular life is just as important and being the best version of yourself can take you a long way.

As a part of our interview series with leaders, stars, and rising stars in the music industry, we had the distinct pleasure of interviewing DJ Ashton.

Ashton is an emerging house artist from Chicago bringing a unique style to the electronic music scene. The music he produces ranges from bass, tech, and experimental house. Ashton also switches up the game by showcasing live musicians in his sets, whether it’s a saxophone player or a vocalist. He recently released his debut EP, For The People, a 4-track project that features a diverse range of house sounds. Read our interview to learn more about the talented rising DJ and producer.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?

I grew up in Erie, Pennsylvania. I had a great childhood and still am close to those friends today. My family has been a big support in my life. They have given me the loving and kind personality that I have today. Eventually, I moved to Chicago where I really fell in love with music. I constantly went to shows and eventually fell in love with house music, from there the story began.

Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?

I’ve always wanted to play an instrument throughout my life and nothing really stuck. I’ve played the violin, xylophone, and other instruments growing up but I never really fell in love with any of them. The Christmas before Covid my sister bought me a starter deck and I fell in love with it, something finally clicked. That coming weekend I went to a big gathering with a ton of my friends and that was the first time I ever DJ’d in front of anyone. The weekend after that I went to open decks at a local venue in Chicago and I knew this is what I wanted to do.

Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

It would have to be playing at North Coast Music Festival this year. The reason why it is so wild to me is that the year before I put myself into the voting contest to play the silent disco. Asking people daily to vote for me was something I’d never done before. I ended up coming in fifth place so I didn’t get the chance to play, but it gave me the exposure I needed when I started so I’m thankful for that contest overall. Then this year’s festival happened and I was booked to play the Fire Pit stage. To have that full-circle moment really hit me hard. That experience will be a memory I will never forget.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

During one of my sets my elbow kept hitting the mixer and I couldn’t figure out why my music kept cutting out. I’m not gonna lie, I jump around and have fun during my sets and sometimes my arms flail a little bit. I eventually looked down and realized why this was happening.

What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?

Definitely my most recent EP called “For The People”. I’ve been working hard on my craft and really wanted to display what I’ve been working on since my last release “My Mind”. This EP covers a wide variety of house music. When I perform, I want to be diverse in the style and my performance. In this EP I display my taste in bass, tech and experimental house. Also, one song includes my two good friends Saxogene and Qualowkey. Saxogene is a very talented saxophone player and Qualowkey is a vocalist who has more talent than I can even explain. Together on our song “Lose Control”, we combined all of our skills into this one song.

We are very interested in diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in music, film and television? How can that potentially affect our culture?

Being unique and different is something that every artist should strive to do. The first is because, within the music industry, a lot of music sounds the same to the listeners. Having a distinct style and range of production allows certain fans to fall in love with your creativity. The second would be true to yourself. Having doubt in yourself can always hold you back from your true potential and no matter what stick to your instincts will always allow you to create the best art you could ever create. The last reason would have to be different because it shows that you really love what you’re doing and people respect that. Having a diverse style can help our culture by pushing the boundaries of music to where it has never been before.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.

1. Being healthy, exercising, and having a routine. This industry definitely isn’t for everyone and sometimes it consumes them and changes them to who they weren’t before. Regular life is just as important and being the best version of yourself can take you a long way.
2. Staying true to yourself no matter what. A lot of people will try to influence you and make you do things that you truly don’t want to do. Trust your gut, be respectful to everyone you meet and just be a good person overall.
3. Having a good group of people around you is the best thing you can do. I’ve surrounded myself with friends that I call family because they are the most important people to me who support the decisions that I want to make but will always give me the guidance I need.
4. You don’t have to spend tons of money on lessons, school or even classes to learn production and other things that any artist needs to do. We are blessed with the internet and there are endless tools online to teach you anything.
5. The last I would have to say is be you, have fun and enjoy the ride. Also this is what you want to do, express your art how you want to and stay true to yourself, never change for anything.

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?

The best tip I would have to say is to never be too hard on yourself and have fun with what you’re creating. If the song that you’re stuck on for hours because it just doesn’t sound right, move on and make another. That mix that you’re setting up for a show that you just can’t get right, start another. That next song or set you put together could be your best, never stay stuck on something for too long.

You are a person of growing influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

Believing in others is something that means a lot to me, I love supporting other artists. Someone once believed in me, I took that opportunity and never turned back. Seeing my friends or artists rising in the scene really makes me happy because everyone once played their first show, released their first song and watching them grow is a beautiful thing.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

For me, there are a few that I’d like to name. The first would be Marco (Castellanos), he is the first person that allowed me to play my first show. He also started a venue called Bass Station which definitely controls the bass scene out in this area. Him and his team started throwing shows with just people showing up to a venue where all that they had was a deck on a table and no promotion. Now they can book the biggest artists in the scene. The vibe they’ve created there is something unique and a place that many call home.

The next would be my manager and best friend Danil (Arefiev). He’s been there from the beginning of all of this. Every show, every situation and every moment since the start he has been there for me. He’s one of the hardest-working people I know and it inspires me to be a better person overall. The way he treats others, the respect he shows to what I want to do and how he presents himself throughout the music scene is something I appreciate beyond comprehension.

The last would be everyone of my friends that I have around me. Yes, it might sound cliche to say that but honestly I couldn’t be blessed with a better circle around me. They all believe in me and I couldn’t ask for a better group to be around. I love you all.

Can you please give us your favorite”Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

Be kind, be honest, be loving, be true and all of these things will come back to you. I truly believe in karma and doing good in the world. Being that way is something I strive to do in my daily life. Having this mentality will take you a long way in this world.

Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)

I cannot wait to meet Dr. Fresch, he is the reason I wanted to start being an artist. The energy he has and how happy he looks during his shows really inspires me. He just has fun and that’s what I do as well. We get to express our art for everyone to hear and you might as well have the best time doing it.

How can our readers follow you online?

All of my socials are @ashtonthatsme.

This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!

Rising Music Star DJ Ashton On The Five Things You Need To Shine In The Music Industry was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Respect those who have paved the way before , honor and study the greats who dealt with much greater challenges in the early days of the industry.

As a part of our interview series with leaders, stars, and rising stars in the music industry, we had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Michael B Sutton.

Michael B. Sutton has over two decades of seasoned experience in the music industry, including seven years as a staff producer and writer for Motown Records. A Stevie Wonder discovery, Mr. Sutton drew the attention of many talented artists at Motown for his genius as a musician, lyricist and composer. Over the years, Mr. Sutton has composed and produced music with or for Jay Z- Kanye West, Michael Jackson, Smokey Robinson, Diana Ross, Dionne Warwick, Anita Pointer and Pat Boone to name a few. Mr. Sutton’s contribution to the Disco era was substantial. Michael’s songs, performed by the duo Michael and Brenda Sutton, proved to be some of Disco’s most successful and timeless hits. The hot dance singles “Down to love Town”, “Grip My Hips” and Cheryl Lynn’s “Shake It Up Tonight” could be heard from every club coast to coast.

To his credit Mr. Sutton has written, produced and scored over 300 songs for major artists as well as for film and television. Some of these accomplishments include the following: The album, Any Way You Like It for Thelma Houston which went gold, the album Switch which went platinum, the movie score for “One False Move”, the title song, “We’ll make It” for the Channel 4 documentary Oasis Of Hope, Co-Executive producer of the popular documentary.

“” Becoming Barack -Evolution of a Leader”, the title song for the cable TV series Passion And Romance, and Machine Gun Blues, ESPN’s Body Shaping and Co-Ed Training, the theme songs for the HBO movies Black Belt, Dance with Death, Guilty As Charged, Watchers 2, Cues’ for the TV show Viper, Showtime’s Black Scorpion and the production and performance for the HBO/Cinemax TV series Emmanuelle In Space. Michael is well known in the industry for his personable nature, his honesty, integrity, professionalism and attention to detail. His tenure as a member of ASCAP for over thirty years has earned him the reputation of being a premier artist, composer and producer.

An Oakland product .Michael has spent most of his life in music starting out in Gospel writing songs for the great James Cleveland and playing organ for gospel choirs around Los Angeles.

His debut CD “ Hopeless Romantic” garnered him a top 50 Billboard charting album.

He is now returning with a new single in a decade titled “ Those Words”, a song about the challenges of love and life and the hesitancy to say “ I love you” when falling in love.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit about your “origin story”. Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?

I grew up in Oakland, California and raised by strictly religious grandparents, where secular music was forbidden. My best friend Ernie Jackson was organist at his church and after school we would go into his basement and learn chords and gospel riffs on the piano. On Sundays I would go to Ephesians COGIC where we would normally see Edwin Hawkins and Walter Hawkins and other gospel greats.

Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?

There was a minister at a Church in LA who was aware of my talent and told me that I could make a living with music . He said “there is a difference between your occupation and your salvation”

So long story short I moved my family from South LA to Hollywood and got a job as a janitor at a recording studio. And that’s the beginning. I was playing the piano at lunch time and caught the attention of the legendary Alan O Day, who actually paid for my first demo session and gave me a scholarship to UCLA extension for Songwriting.

Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

My former wife and I were giggin around time being booked by a couple of managers. One was taking lessons from vocal coach Seth Riggs, vocal coach to the stars. He told us Stevie Wonder was looking for background singers for his group “ Wonderlove. We went and auditioned but Stevie decided that he would introduce us to the peeps at Motown. We auditioned and the rest is history.

It has been said that sometimes our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

I was in the studio with a mentor the legendary Frank Wilson. We were co-producing the group The Originals. The song was called Down To Love Town. Frank was hearing the groove one way and I was hearing it another. When Frank went to use the phone, I told all the musicians to change the groove and they did. When he came back into the studio and saw that it was changed, he said “ Get Outta Here” So I had to leave and go back in the booth. But eventually Frank left the company and I was asked to go back in to finish the album and I changed it back to what became the # 1 Disco hit in 1976.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

Whew that’s a hard one! I can’t name just one person because there are so many. Stevie Wonder, My therapist Dr Kenyon, Alan Oday, Berry Gordy, who helped me know more about the value of my talent and my wife Anissa who helped me see more of my potential. But I am grateful to all that helped me along the way to where I am today.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

“Nothing is at it seems nor is it otherwise” It has and still teaching me to live each day without judgement regardless of the circumstances or outcome, But stay the course with

What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?

Actually My album, A French song called Merci by my wife and partner, a new single by the legendary Freda Payne and finalizing production of an album on Funk bassist Mitchell Coleman Jr.

We are very interested in diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in music, film, and television? How can that potentially affect our culture?

1. It makes our culture more unified and strengthens the industry by the blending of our natural multicultural abilities.
2. By sharing our differences we can also clear the culture of bias and potential racism.
3. The triad of the industry, Music, film and TV must be geared toward the betterment of each individual and provide equal opportunity to all in the industry. One cannot exist without the other.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.

1. Save your money
2. It’s not “ too good to be true”, but its too true not to be good”.
3. It’s the music “BUSINESS”
4. Respect those who have paved the way before , honor and study the greats who dealt with much greater challenges in the early days of the industry
5. Lyrics are meant to be sung, Poetry is meant to be read. Lyrics is a 3 minute movie.

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?

1. Have some spiritual foundation and grounding
2. Eat healthy,
3. Be passionate about what you are striving for and I’s not always about the money but the love of your passion.

You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

The Better Man and Woman project. How can we become a better version of ourselves considering how the world is today. Have everyone reach out to someone who they feel has a quality that they could benefit in nurturing. If that catches on I think it could benefit the world.

Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)

Another tough one.. there is more than one. But I would say.

Stevie Wonder ..It’s been a while and we both just lost a mutual friend a few months ago. His name was John Harris who was there when I auditioned for Motown.

How can our readers follow you online?

http://www.Michaelbsutton.com

http://www.instagram.com/suttymichael

https://www.youtube.com/@MichaelBSutton

This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!

Michael B Sutton of The Sound of LA On The Five Things You Need To Shine In The Music Industry was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

If you want to be the best musician you can possibly be, you must put in the hard work of practicing and rehearsing as much as your schedule will allow. My band rehearses several days a week, and I practice almost every day. This really makes a big difference when you go out to perform live. Playing the songs becomes second nature and develops muscle memory which greatly reduces/eliminates mistakes during performances.

As a part of our interview series with leaders, stars, and rising stars in the music industry, we had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Steve Leads.

Steve Leads is an American guitarist/vocalist/songwriter that originates from the foothills of the Blue Ridge mountains in northwestern North Carolina. Starting at a very young age, Steve was exposed to many genres of music that later molded the style he developed as an artist and the path he took with his original music. In 2019 Steve formed his existing band, Off the Grid, to perform his original tunes as well as cover tunes. Steve Leads & The Off the Grid band is a very tight, high-energy band that primarily performs at festivals and summer concert series’ throughout the DC/Maryland/Virginia region. His goal is to attract audiences globally with diverse tastes in music because that’s exactly what he delivers!

www.TheOfftheGridBand.com

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit about your “origin story”. Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?

I grew up in a small rural town in the foothills of the Blue Ridge mountains in northwestern North Carolina. Like most if not all the residents there, we were probably considered to be lower to middle class (from a financial perspective only). No one in my family was musically inclined. Like most of my boyhood friends, I loved fishing, hunting, riding bicycles and sports. However, I was also able to include music in the mix.

Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?

When I was around 4 years old (pre-school), I heard a song on my mother’s little brown box radio that had a profound effect on me. While listening to that song, I started to get tears in my eyes and a feeling I would describe today as exuberance, but the tears were not from sadness. The song made me feel something that, at that time, I had never felt before. Even today, certain songs can have that same effect on me. I’ve never forgotten that day. So, when I was 10 or 11 years old, I begged my parents to get me an electric guitar for Christmas and they did. That’s when my interest in making music started.

Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

There have been quite a few interesting moments in my career, but most interesting was making my first album titled, Off the Grid. I had recorded all the songs in my basement on a portable studio recorder in which I played all the instruments except drums. So, for drums I used a drum beat from an electronic keyboard. I wanted to go into the studio and record them for higher sound quality. The only problem was I didn’t have the musicians. So, I worked with the studio engineer to help me find a keyboard player and a drummer. They were both from different local area country bands. I played all the guitars and did all the lead and background vocals. It was a challenge being that I had never met either of these guys and I could tell that my style of music was very different from what they were used to. Regardless, I produced it all and feel that it came out pretty good. I later formed the band “Off the Grid” to go out and perform songs from my album. Since then, I have released three new singles in the last year. I have another new single that will be released in early 2023.

It has been said that sometimes our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

I am a self-taught guitarist/musician. However, when I first started, I did not know how to tune my guitar. I used to pay a local bass player in my hometown $.50 to come and tune my guitar for me. That started to get a little costly for me being that I was only 11 or 12 years old at the time and didn’t have a job. I soon found a little record at the local jewelry store that also sold musical instruments. And that’s how I learned to tune my guitar. From there, things started to happen much faster in terms of my musical growth. The lesson learned is, if you want to play a guitar, learn how to tune it from the very start.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

My mother was always my greatest supporter. She always supported me both emotionally and financially in every endeavor I ever wanted to pursue. Music was one of them. She bought my first quality (name brand) guitar from the same jewelry store I bought the “How to tune a guitar” 45 record.

At the time, I knew it was much nicer than any guitar I had previously owned. The two precious guitars I had cost less than $50 each. Buying that guitar for me was a financial risk for my mother being that money was very tight. The more I learned about quality guitars made me appreciate the risk my mother took in buying that Fender Telecaster for me. Soon after getting that guitar, I auditioned for my high school’s Stage Band that played after the home basketball and football games. I was accepted in the Stage Band. With that came my first real musical performance at my high school. Going back to my mother, I will always love and appreciate her for having faith in me and helping me follow my dreams.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
Never judge a book by its cover.” The first time my current band, Steve Leads & Off the Grid, performed for an all-white audience, I assumed they would not quite get us or like our style of music. I turned out to be wrong. The audience loved us, and I received more streams and downloads of my album the following week than I had after any prior performances.

What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?

I’m finishing up a new single titled “I Wanna See You” that will be released in early 2023. I’m also working on my band’s 2023 Live Performance Schedule. If you’re interested in booking my band, contact me at OTG@TheOfftheGridBand.com

We are very interested in diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in music, film, and television? How can that potentially affect our culture?

Having diversity in the music, film, and television industry provides the viewers and listeners with different perspectives of how people from different cultures interpret, deliver, and perform their music and artistry in ways that are not consistent with their own. I believe this could have a positive effect on our culture and the world in general in that it would help people from one culture better understand people from cultures other than their own. I feel this could help drive them to want to learn more about each other possibly and start to erode some of the stereotypes some cultures may have about others. The result could be more peace, harmony, and understanding amongst people of all walks of life.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.

1. If you want to be the best musician you can possibly be, you must put in the hard work of practicing and rehearsing as much as your schedule will allow. My band rehearses several days a week, and I practice almost every day. This really makes a big difference when you go out to perform live. Playing the songs becomes second nature and develops muscle memory which greatly reduces/eliminates mistakes during performances.
2. Audiences can quickly tell the differences between your typical “bar bands” vs. a professional well-rehearsed band. Professional acts tend to have very tight and defined intros and outtros as well as modulations and volume changes throughout any song. Steve’s band plays a lot of festivals and summer concerts, and they are constantly being complimented on how tight they are as a band. This comes from hard work.
3. Another thing I’ve learned is that you must have the best professional equipment (guitars, amplifiers, microphones etc.) you can afford to buy. It makes a huge difference in how you sound in live performances.
4. Remember as I stated earlier, “don’t judge a book by its cover”. Never assume that an audience must look like you to respect and admire your music.
5. Finally, stay true to yourself musically and don’t try to mimic or copy someone else. Be original and deliver your music the best you possibly can and know that there’s someone out there that will respect and enjoy it.

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?

I’m not sure how much of an authority I am on this topic because I’m still trying to reach my goals musically. The truth of the matter is there’s a bit of luck involved in how successful you may become. A lot of the times it’s all about who you know. There’s so many great bands and artists out here that just haven’t gotten a break. And there’s a lot of bands that tend to shoot to the top, not because they are better than other bands, but because they knew or were introduced to the right people at the right time that could help make things happen for them. The key is you must be ready when, or if the opportunity presents itself. Hard work and rehearsing can keep you ready!

You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?

You never know what your idea can trigger.

Go out of your way to learn more from and about other people that are culturally and even socially different from you. This could generate more interactions and hopefully friendships that can last a lifetime.

Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)

Jimi Hendrix is at the top of my list because he “really” stepped out of the box from playing with R&B bands to playing Jimi. Also, he really seemed to be very deep and intelligent. But being that he is no longer with us, I would love to have a sit-down with Lenny Kravitz. One reason is that I’ve been told on many occasions that our styles are somewhat similar. Lenny also stepped out of the typical R&B style and created his own thing. I respect that Lenny Kravitz has stayed true to himself. Plus, based on some of the interviews he’s done, I gather that Lenny Kravitz is a deeply spiritual guy and appears to be humble. I would love to meet him and possibly open for his band one day somewhere in the world!

How can our readers follow you online?

Facebook: www.facebook.com/theoffthegridband

ReverbNation: www.reverbnation.com/theoffthegridband

Official Website: www.theoffthegridband.com

This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!

Rising Music Star Steve Leads On The Five Things You Need To Shine In The Music Industry was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Change is good. Evolution in your art is one of the things that makes it so exciting. While being yourself, still be open to ideas of musical growth and change. You never know what might show up.

As a part of our interview series with leaders, stars, and rising stars in the music industry, we had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Jared Stout.

The Jared Stout Band is a Virginia-based alt-country powerhouse. The 6 piece project delivers beloved Appalachian rhythms combined with original, soulful melodies to the southwestern stages of the state and soon, the entire nation. Set to play Virginia’s nationally-renowned Floyd Fest in 2023, The Jared Stout Band is well-positioned for the festival circuit. Delivering a dynamically unforgettable LIVE performance, their show has been coined as something that you definitely don’t want to miss. Having previously opened for notable artists like Blues Traveler, Phil Vassar, 38 Special, Cassadee Pope and Eric Paslay, their talents are praised by some of the biggest artists in Country music. We sat down with Jared Stout himself to learn more about his history before the band and what the band is up to now!

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit about your “origin story”. Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?

I grew up in Blacksburg, VA but outside the town limits. I lived on a street called Keisters Branch off a road called McCoy that went down to the river. Raised by my mom, dad wasn’t in the picture much but both of them were musical people. So I was raised in a musical space on all sides. It was just my mom and I for the first 8 years of my life, then my brother came along and it was the three of us till today. We didn’t have neighbors, so when you hear about kids hanging out in the neighborhood, we didn’t do that exactly. Instead, if you wanted to go to your friend’s house you had to ride your bike a couple miles through the hills and mountains we lived in to get there. I had 3 or 4 friends within riding distance so we hung out when we could. Otherwise I spent my time enjoying and exploring my imagination. I was always outside, i didn’t wanna do much inside unless i was playing the drums or it was dark. I didn’t grow up with luxuries but I grew up with what I needed. My mom always took care of us and made sure we always had everything we needed and honestly, to me, she got me everything I wanted. That comes with plenty of no’s for toys and video games but she worked really hard to give my brother and I what she could and did great. Over time we sold the old frame house I grew up in, I went off to military school for two years and we moved into town. I wasn’t around much for that, I lived at boarding school. That’s an entire adventure on its own to basically go to a college type situation but in high school. After two years of that we moved one county over and I went back to public school in Giles county. I got the opportunity to play football, was lucky to be on a state championship team and it even led me to play a year in college at Concord University.

The most important takeaway from those years was the friends I made musically. While we listened to angsty rock or hot metal at the time (which is not what I play now) those guys really brought me into an interest in the live music scene and enjoyment of playing music with friends. Not much of an extravagant growing up for me but it was a total adventure of my own that I got to create and I’m incredibly lucky to have grown up in a way where I got to build my own path.

Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?

In college I really started to play music for friends and hangout spaces. For some reason, it was the seniors who liked me when I got there. so i kinda missed the young crowd. Anyways, that led to me meeting a great group of guys in a band named “Old School Abbey” at the time. One night they picked me up and told me we’re going to their show. Now, in West Virginia, I can’t get into a bar unless I’m 21…I was not. So they snuck me and my guitar into the show. They let me sing a few covers to start, then I got to hangout and really enjoyed my first non metal thrashing in the basement show haha. I loved it. At the end of their night they brought me on stage to play ‘Last dance with maryjane’ of which I had no clue how to play. The two lead guys, Nick Durm and Matt Mullins took me aside and said “hey, it’s easy, there are three chords then switch here on the chorus, you got this’’ and that was the moment I played a stage, with a band, for a crowd, the first time. I was HOOKED and from that moment on I wanted to play more music and knew I’d be doing something with it one day.

Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

So in 2018, my best friend and I got in an RV and decided we were gonna go see the nation and busk the streets. document the whole thing, Make it a serious adventure. We load up all our gear into this RV and hit the road. It takes us down to Asheville, NC, over to Nashville with our car we planned to put in tow then we head south east to Greenville, SC to pick up the trailer to tow the car the rest of the trip. Well, we didn’t make it. out of nowhere, the RV just dies on the side of the highway, almost on a bridge. Both of us are under the RV trying to fix it, cars speeding by, no clue what’s going on. Eventually, it’s a fuel pump, so we go get a new one, replace it, on the side of the highway and she starts up again.That takes us about 9 miles to an exit, where it starts to act weird. We pull into a burger king with a huge back lot and begin trying to figure out what’s up. The fuel pump is again clogged. We get another one, notice the gas is putting out some particles. Needless to say, it has been a long day already, the ice cream machine was broken at BK and we were tired. So after spending hours under the RV we get it running enough to move down to the wally world nearby. Shack up for the night and rest. The next day we hit the same issues. We decided to take it back home after figuring out the tank was eroding. So we fashion a hose into the top of the tank that goes straight into the fuel line. Patch the bottom and roll home with an external fuel line duct taped to the side of the RV. It took us about 8 hours to get home that day, we were only 4 away. We shoved all our gear that was essential into a Subaru hatchback and started touring the nation the next morning. The entire endeavor is actually documented on our youtube channel.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

The most comical mistake was my first sound mishap. I had just gotten a more complex sound system than my original and the band was playing a local bar. We had everything set up ready to rock, go to play the show and everything was silent. All things had power, they were working at the source but no sound. My stomach was on my toes at that moment with the crowd just waiting. I scanned all over and couldn’t figure anything out in panic. Eventually my buddy pulls me aside, shows me my new mixing app and says “hey man, you gotta unmute the mains’ ‘. Boy did i feel dumb, but was thrilled for the easy fix. I was so frazzled that I ignored the basics. The next day I spent a few hours really learning that system more than on and off. The moment taught me first to relax, it doesn’t help to be terrified of the issue, and second to take the value in learning the gear. So you’re never blind in those moments.

What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?

I think hands down the most exciting thing we’re cooking up currently is a new music video. We’re all very artistic and visual people. So these songs paint a picture for us when we play them. We’re working on really diving into the story of one of the more intimate songs on the new album and providing that visual for others. Most of us grew up with the original MTV and VH1 so it’s a goal from way back when to make a real in depth video for the music we create and our listeners. I think when it’s done it’s going to be a very enjoyable visual to accompany our most recent video we did for “luck” but with more of a story.

We are very interested in diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in film and television? How can that potentially affect our culture?

1. First reason would be that everyone deserves a role model, or a hero. Diversity gives us the ability to provide that for everyone and its importance helps keep those heroes obtainable for all the viewers.
2. Inclusion to live the dream. Everyone has a dream, for those who want to be in film and television holding diversity to a high level of importance helps everyone achieve those dreams no matter where they come from.
3. Reality. Movies and television aim to capture the viewer and provide something they can relate to along with the entertainment. To relate it has to be real, and life is diverse. Without including all those parts of what is real in the creation, you can’t capture the majority of viewers. So diversity is important for the success and objective for these films/shows we watch to truly capture and include the viewer.

Without diversity in our viewing space the culture of film and television becomes stuck in one space. No room to grow for imagination and expansion. At its core those things are art and art needs room to breathe. The best art is the kind that touches everyone, somehow. We do it with words in our songs to make you feel something no matter where you’re coming from. Those same connections can be made for some many folks when diversity is always included.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.

1. Be yourself.It can be hard to stay the course you write as an artist sometimes. People aren’t always looking for something new. Don’t let the fact you dont fit a mold in the modern space hold you back. It takes time for people to like new things, settle in for the long haul.
2. This is your business, treat it like one. It’s easy to be fun and whimsical when playing music, that’s what it’s about, the love of it. You also have to love your foundation. Take the time to set up all your odds, ends, ins and outs. Because…
3. People love numbers. Tickets, attendees, sales, songs. Keep firm track of those from the start so you can not only see the growth in your life but also on paper for those who aren’t by your side. It will help sooner than later.
4. Appreciate your journey. You don’t always have to look at what could be or what you want it to be, sometimes the space you need to be is in the moment. Enjoy what each new show, venue, instrument and influence brings you on your journey.
5. Change is good. Evolution in your art is one of the things that makes it so exciting. While being yourself, still be open to ideas of musical growth and change. You never know what might show up.

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?

STAY YOUNG! Why did you start doing this? Likely because it’s fun, you love it and it’s your dream to do it every day. Don’t let that inner child-like excitement of living the dream be silenced by the stress and constant push. No matter what level, these days are just one of many where you ARE living that dream. Smile, dance and sing like you mean it, let the kid out and stay young.

You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

If I could create a movement that would impact the most people for good, it would be to lift up the homeless population. I think there are so many good folks who have fallen on hard times that want to be back to the world of everyday living. Unfortunately that’s not always doable once you’re down and out to a certain point. So if I could convince everyday folks to band together as communities and help those people rise to their feet it would be awesome. There’s great mission programs out there and people who all winter long give night time housing to the homeless population. Where I live we have something called “to our house” where local churches provide shelter for homeless individuals in the winter. I go every year and play music in at least one of those locations. Listen to the stories of the folks there and where they have been and where they wanna go. Bless those who help regularly, but if I had the financial ability or influence, I’d start the movement for a program to help those folks year round. Get what they need, to get moving and get back to living the life they wanna live.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

At the core there are two people who really fueled this fire. First, it’s my mom Mary. She has always been a rock for me, a shining light on days that are dim. She encourages me every step of the way, loves me through the ups and downs and makes sure that I’m always continuing toi chase this dream. She believes in me and has been there for every moment I needed to be lifted up on this journey. I wouldn’t be where I am without my mom. The second person is my best friend Nathan Jones. This started as the two of us busking on the weekends for fun, which eventually led to me busking as an income source for awhile, getting shows and performing. The big part where he really lit the fire for me came in a moment when I needed a new sound system. Something more serious. So Nathan and I went to the store one day. He had just gotten a nice new job with a sign on bonus and was about to move to ohio. We get to the systems and I’ve only got enough for some simple odds and ends to make what I’ve got better. Nathan sees this fender passport and asks the salesman about it. Things $1000, at the time not something I even remotely could afford. I’ll never forget him telling me “Man, I’m gonna get this for you. I wanna see you do this thing, I have the means to help, let’s do it”. I was blown away. To this day, I still use that same system for small solo events. He really put me on a path to grow in that moment with his investment in me. I am forever grateful to him for that.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

“Tough times don’t last, Tough people do”

My family and I have been through some roller coasters in our days. We’ve seen the ups and downs and this quote has always been with me. When things get bad, when the next day just doesn’t seem like it’s gonna be better. I always remember, these tough times don’t last, but I will. Not to say i can’t be sensitive and vulnerable but at my core i know, im tough. Throw what you will but those moments of challenge wont outlast me. I’ve seen my mom do this her whole life, my uncles, my grandparents. They are all tough people who wear it with a smile.

Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)

Breakfast is my favorite meal so it’s gotta be breakfast and the person would be Jason Mraz. I’ve been pretty heavily influenced by him in music. Not always the lyrical space but the feel of things, the big band, his showmanship. Those are all parts that I’ve listened to, watched and studied to do better. His album Tonight not again, live in chicago is one of my absolute favorites. The banter, the flow, crowd interaction. It’s killer. On the other side of things, He’s had great success and hasn’t lived in the top 40. I love that. He’s also big on giving back to his community and involving them on his journey, being another VA boy I love that. That’s always been in my hopeful space,to succeed so I can give back. I’d love the chance to have a solid conversation with him and spend some time learning more of what he could teach me.

How can our readers follow you online?

Check out our website! www.thejaredstoutband.com for merch, live recordings, social media links, videos. All the good stuff. or just shoot over to one of our socials @thejaredstoutband and check out what we are up to. Anywhere you are listening,watching and enjoying, there’s some JSB.

This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!

Rising Music Star Jared Stout On The Five Things You Need To Shine In The Music Industry was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

-“Enjoy it.” You’ll have ups and downs. But you’re making art every single day. That’s a privilege. Do your best to enjoy the process as much as the result. Our second record was so difficult to make. We had been dropped by our label, and we weren’t enjoying each others company after spending 2 years on the road in each other’s pockets. But halfway through the process of recording it, we stopped caring about how it would do commercially and instead say in the message we were trying to convey. It’s one of my fondest memories making that record.

As a part of our interview series with leaders, stars, and rising stars in the music industry, we had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Joe Keogh, front man of the band Amber Run.

British indie three-piece Amber Run is: Joe Keogh (Vocal/Guitar), Tomas Sperring (Bass) and Henry Wyeth, who have amassed a dedicated fanbase with over 800million streams, a US platinum single and over 50,000 headline show tickets sold worldwide. The band met at the University of Nottingham and within their first year together self-released their debut ‘Noah’ EP, performing at Reading & Leeds Festival. Their first album ‘5AM’, produced by Mike Crossey (Arctic Monkeys, The 1975, Foals, Two Door Cinema Club) via RCA built lasting relationships with a fanbase who had found relatability in their deeply moving songwriting, and spawning the fan-championed ‘I Found’. Signing to indie label Easy Life Records in 2017 for their second & third LP ‘For A Moment, I Was Lost’ and ‘Philophobia’, the band continued building their fanbase organically, inviting open dialogues with songs that often cut to the quick of life’s more difficult moments as well as soundtracking Meghan Markle’s final appearance in the US drama ‘Suits’ with their track ‘Fickle Game’. Throughout all of this, their early 2014 single ‘I Found,’ has taken on a life of its own; currently sitting at a gargantuan 300 million Spotify plays, it’s been adopted by a new generation of fans on TikTok where more than half a million people have created videos inspired by the track. Offline, the band recently sold out their first Europe and North American tour dates, culminating in their biggest shows to date including London’s Roundhouse before signing to TRIPEL ahead of their forthcoming album, ‘How To Be Human’, out Spring 2023.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit about your “origin story”. Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?

I’m not sure why but at primary school I found it hard at school to make friends. So I’d spend all my lunchtimes in the music rooms. I had a very supportive teacher at the time who let me use it when we had any free time. I felt safe there and enjoyed practicing. I won a singing competition in that time and that school and it was the first time I think I’d felt that I had something that was deserving of merit.

Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

There are plenty of stories! And when you’re living them, many stories don’t feel so interesting because they’re not on the big screen. They unfold quietly in front of you. Saying that, I still remember vividly, our label at the time telling us that our song I found, was not worthy of an a or b side release. We released it anyway and it’s now a platinum selling song. What I found the most interesting part of that was that, we are all making it up. Those at the top and at the bottom are just amalgamations of past experience, and that to create new narratives, you have to take action in things that you believe in.

It has been said that sometimes our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

As stated above, I, and we, have made plenty of mistakes. But one that sticks with me is my own attitude to my band mates in the early years. Henry and I in particular did our best to put each other down as we were moving through our first and second records. We didn’t celebrate each other, but rather created an environment where creativity was incentivized by competition. I still remember the day when our friend, Ben, told us how toxic we were being to each other, and it was the first time in a long time I stopped and looked at my friend as collaborator and a person rather than a hurdle to be jumped. I regret that time hugely, but it’s taught me to listen, more than I speak and to trust the chemistry of collaborating with talented people.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

Our long term collaborator Ben Allen. As a mentor and a friend, I have learnt so much. To unassumingly go about my work. To know and enjoy the good moments as they come, and see moments for graft and hard work as opportunities rather than hurdles. Ben had never mixed front of house before meeting us, he’d been in unbelievably successful projects, but we needed a hand in a position he was unsure of but lent in and helped us out. We haven’t let him go yet! He mixes our shows like he mixes records even though the two spheres are manically different. There’s never a show where people don’t comment on the richness of the sound.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

“Live. Laugh. Love.” No I’m kidding.

I heard a Robin Williams quote recently that resonated with me. “I used to think the worst thing in life is to end up alone. It’s not. The worst thing in life is to end up with people that make you feel alone.”

As a chronic co-dependent I found it enlightening the moment I heard it.

What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?

Working with rock royalty Royal Blood on their last record was unbelievably interesting for me personally. To work with dear friends and to see how their process differed from my own so much was very freeing. I still remember Mike saying “the songs have to be funny. You’ve got laugh at how good it is, or how true it is.”

I’m particularly excited to be working with a new artist called Myles smith this December. Such a powerful and truthful voice demands good songwriting, and I’m excited for that challenge.

We are very interested in diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in music, film, and television? How can that potentially affect our culture?

Any industry needs diversity to thrive in my opinion. But in the entertainment business — we are just story tellers. We just push air. And I for one don’t think that hearing the same story, recycled through the same lenses offer as much value as a story subverted and reunderstood through the interpretation of differing perspectives. But I mean look, I am, and identify as such, as a white, male, heterosexual person. Perhaps I am part of the problem. There is always more we can do to raise those around us up. For different stories to be told. I’d like to help with that where I can.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.

-“Enjoy it.” You’ll have ups and downs. But you’re making art every single day. That’s a privilege. Do your best to enjoy the process as much as the result. Our second record was so difficult to make. We had been dropped by our label, and we weren’t enjoying each others company after spending 2 years on the road in each other’s pockets. But halfway through the process of recording it, we stopped caring about how it would do commercially and instead say in the message we were trying to convey. It’s one of my fondest memories making that record.

- “Do it for yourself.” On the most part — art perceived for others is not the art they or you need. The only tracks that have ever connected for us are ones with a motive that we wholly understand. They make sense to us and then because of that people put their own stories on top.

- “Stick around.” The entertainment industry is a transient melting pot of people. People come in and get spat out. Then turn up again. Try to see your place within it over a lifetime of work rather than a flashy 5 years. I’ve seen some of the most talented people I’ve ever seen call it a day too soon. (All for the right reasons. But still a shame)

- “Be kind.” To yourself and to others around you. Cynically, everyone’s on their way up and their way down all the time. Be one of the nice guys.

- “Have something that isn’t your work.” Music is a passion. It’s easy to entirely immerse yourself in it. To rate yourself: your personality and your relationships on the success of your artistic career. It’s not worth it. It’s not healthy. And it won’t help you.

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?

Find other things you love doing and dedicate time and energy to that as well. I love sport. It gives me perspective to step away from the industry a few hours a week. Its built relationships for me where I’m not understood as the musician but rather just myself. On top of that, we’re all self employed. Do your best to work normal hours when you can. Don’t fall into the grit and graft culture too much. There are moments for it but there are equally as important times to stop, reflect and recharge. 50% of yourself all the time is half as powerful as 100% of yourself when you have the space to give it.

You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

I’d like to help create a space for more music in schools. For people to see art as a valuable social and cultural tool in the world. For it to be as understood and respected as a career choice as accountancy or whatever. Kids have enough to worry about without people rolling their eyes at the possibility of them chasing a dream.

Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them.

AOC! Her passion and dedication to the folk of New York. Find it so inspiring when others stand up for people that need it and dedicate themselves to the values of community.

How can our readers follow you online?

We are on all the online social media’s. The nature of the beast. Our website is amber-run.com for any shows / record news.

This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!

Rising Music Star Joe Keogh of Amber Run On The Five Things You Need To Shine In The Music Industry was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

An Interview With Ming Zhao

“Industry Standard” is nonsense. If it works for you great, but if it doesn’t, you have every right to tell them no thanks. I made some really bad business decisions in the beginning because everyone was telling me it was industry standard. It was the industry standard, but the industry is fucked. We need more people pushing back on their exploitative practices.

As a part of our interview series with leaders, stars, and rising stars in the music industry, we had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Sarah McTaggart.

Sarah McTaggart is the Lead Singer and Songwriter of Indie Pop band, Transviolet. Their debut single, Girls Your Age, went viral after being tweeted by Katy Perry and Harry Styles, opening many doors for the band, including tours with Twenty One Pilots, LANY, and Joywave. After touring with Mother Mother last fall, the band is releasing their 3rd album, BODY, and headlining the US in spring 2023.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit about your “origin story”. Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?

Thanks for having me! My parents were evangelical pastors, so I had a pretty extreme Christian upbringing including homeschooling, private schools and Christian summer camps. I was very sheltered- I wasn’t allowed to listen to most pop music as a kid, but I’d eat up whatever I could get my hands on. For whatever reason my parents made exceptions for random songs like California Girls by the Beach Boys and Achy Breaky Heart by Billy Ray Cyrus and I’d play them over and over again haha.

I loved singing and songwriting. Everytime people asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I’d say “an artist.” My mother claims I started writing songs when I was 3. The first time I ever performed in public was in church. I was 8, and I sang this song called “People Get Ready Jesus is Coming”, because it was the early 90s and evangelicals were thoroughly obsessed with the rapture. As a teen, I deconstructed and found my own version of spirituality, but for better or worse, Christianity had a big impact on me.

People always ask me where I’m from and it’s complicated- we moved around a lot- a few suburbs in Arizona and all over Central California. I was never in one place for more than a few years. I became a social chameleon, able to blend in wherever I landed. One thing I learned from moving around so much is that you could become whoever you pretended to be. I’d try on a new personality in each new town.

Just before my freshman year of highschool, my dad had a debilitating stroke, which brought us to live in the Cayman Islands with family. In a case of very unfortunate timing, about 10 months later, a category 5 hurricane hit the island, destroying my school and my parents’ business. Our lives were in upheaval, and in the chaos I was able to convince my parents to let me live with a friend back in California. Looking back, it’s pretty crazy that they let me move out at 16, but they did. I got into all kinds of trouble and I’m lucky I made it out alive.

Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?

Since we moved around so much, I felt extremely isolated and lonely. Everytime I’d settle in and make friends, we’d leave. Music was my only constant. I started writing poems (very sad, cringey ones lol) when I was 15. While we were displaced in Florida after the hurricane, my parents bought me a $180 used Yamaha acoustic guitar. I was obsessed with it. I started learning covers, and writing my own songs on it. At 17, I started playing open mics. I was going to college for media arts and animation, but after encouragement from friends, I dropped out to pursue music seriously.

Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

Releasing Girls Your Age was such a whirlwind. It was such a struggle to get everyone at our label on board because the song was so unconventional for pop at the time, but once it was released, all this crazy shit started happening. Katy Perry tweeted it as her song on the day, then Harry Styles tweeted the lyrics. It shot up to number one at Hype Machine and landed on the Spotify Viral 50 playlist. All of our socials were flooded with Katy Perry and Harry Styles fans, and all the sudden we had all these opportunities we couldn’t have ever imagined. We were performing on late night shows and going on tour with these massive artists. I was getting put in the studio with legendary producers and found myself at parties shaking hands with celebrities and social media moguls. It was pretty wild.

It has been said that sometimes our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

We signed a really gnarly contract with people that didn’t know wtf they were doing. It was a nightmare. It’s funny now because of how absurd it all was. Like I remember these old dudes trying to tell me I should dress up like a sexy army girl and never wear pants because I had nice legs hahahaha. The relationship ended so poorly, that that’s all I’m legally allowed to say about it now. The lesson I learned was to trust my gut. I saw the red flags in the beginning, but I was so desperate for it to be the real thing, I ignored the warning signs.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

My older cousins, Brett McTaggart and William Verhoeven taught me how to play guitar and record myself. Without their help, none of this would have happened, because I never would have put those recordings online, and Mikepan, my bandmate, never would have found me. We never would have started making music together, and that music we made wouldn’t have ever caught the attention of labels and gotten us signed.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

“Appreciate the journey.” I think in this industry especially, it’s easy to get caught up in what’s next, and you can miss all the amazing things along the way. There’s always something bigger- bigger streaming numbers, bigger shows, bigger collaborations, awards and accolades. I’ve had so many amazing experiences, but what’s sad is I can’t remember a lot of the ones in the beginning because I was so anxious about what was around the corner. Now, I try really hard to just soak in all the good stuff, to really be in the moment and appreciate all it has to offer.

What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?

I’m really excited to share this newest album, BODY. I’ve been really into somatic healing, which inspired my creative process on it. Each song was inspired by a feeling in my body, and like a body, each song is connected and flows into the next. Instead of being cerebral about it, and intellectualizing how I felt and what I wanted to say, I’d get into the studio and really let my body lead the way. For instance, Destroy Destroy Destroy started as a fiery feeling in my solar plexus- a twisted hurt that transformed into rage, then into this beautiful release- a calm, centered power that no one could take away from me.

The second to last song on the album is called Supernatural and it’s coming out Dec 16th. It started as this light, floaty feeling in my third eye, like when you feel that bubbly, dizzy, in love feeling when you really connect with someone. I can’t wait for everyone to hear it!

We are very interested in diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why you think it’s important to have diversity represented in music, film, and television? How can that potentially affect our culture?

1. Life imitates art. Music and art inspire us to imagine ourselves in a new way. This is how we shape the world around us. We need lots of different kinds of people sharing their art so the world we shape works for everyone.
2. Representation Matters. When we see ourselves in art, music and media, we feel less alone, and it gives us hope. It inspires us to keep going, even when it feels impossible, because someone just like us got through it.
3. Art and music is how we share our stories. When we share our stories, we bridge the gap of our differences and build compassion. Music has a special way of cutting through people’s biases, and helping us see that we are more alike than different.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.

1. Learn how to be a beginner. It’s okay to suck- the learning process is messy! I was so scared of being a “bad singer” or “bad pianist” that I didn’t ask for help or find mentors for a long time. I wish I would have earlier. It’s made me so much more confident as a musician.
2. “Industry Standard” is nonsense. If it works for you great, but if it doesn’t, you have every right to tell them no thanks. I made some really bad business decisions in the beginning because everyone was telling me it was industry standard. It was the industry standard, but the industry is fucked. We need more people pushing back on their exploitative practices.
3. Go into every room believing everyone will love you; it’s a self fulfilling prophecy. In the beginning I’d get really intimidated when meeting people I perceived as more important than me. I felt like I had something to prove, and I would shrink myself or avoid the interaction all together, and I missed out on opportunities to build relationships and make friends with people I probably had a lot in common with. Now, I’m just fully myself and people can take it or leave it. It doesn’t do me any favors to believe people won’t love me. It’s a much more useful thought to believe everyone will love me (why wouldn’t they?! lol)
4. Learn when to say no. You have to create your own boundaries. When I started out I would I got so burnt so often out because I was saying yes to everything. It’s true, you should definitely take every opportunity you can in the beginning, but you need to understand the last part of that sentence- “every opportunity YOU CAN”. Only you can determine where your head is at, and when you need to take a break. In this industry, no one is ever going to ask you if you are taking on too much, they’ll wring you out until there is nothing left if you let them.
5. You are human. Even the most prolific writers and seasoned performers have off days- you will too. It doesn’t mean you “lost it” or that you aren’t great at what you do. I still really struggle with this one. I’m a perfectionist, so I want every performance, every writing session, to be successful. But, I’m in the process of healing, and reframing what success means to me. Nowadays, it means I tried my best and I had fun. It means I am compassionate with myself when I make mistakes or feel off my game. That’s success to me. Ironically, I feel like my performance in every area has gotten so much better after taking that pressure off. I let it be whatever it’s going to be that day and it’s freed me up. I’m less in my head and more open to what’s around me, and I think other people can feel that energy. Whether I’m in the studio or on a stage, my main objective is to get free, and in doing so I permit others to get free too.

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?

Take care of yourself first. Make sure you are eating and sleeping and being a human. Schedule time to play and be with friends. Go outside. Take walks. Meditate. Swim in the ocean. Find a hobby outside of music. Make friends outside of the industry.

You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

So much good can come from sitting with yourself in silence and breathing. Slowing down and facing what you’re running from, facing your discomforts and fears, understanding where they come from- if we each did that we could avoid a lot of unnecessary suffering. If I could flip a switch and make therapy available to everyone, I would. We are all traumatized in one way or another, and we need help. Being a human is hard. If we each took responsibility for healing our own trauma, the world would be a much better place.

Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)

I’d have brunch with Doja Cat. I think we’d be bffs. She seems fun af.

How can our readers follow you online?

@transviolet on instagram

@transvioletband on twitter

@transvioletofficial on tiktok

transviolet.com

Transviolet on Patreon

join our mailinglist for updates and early listen

This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!

Rising Music Star Sarah McTaggart of Transviolet On The Five Things You Need To Shine In The Music… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

“Don’t forget to live the experience.” All too often, we rush from one show to the next and we’re just trying to keep our eyes open and our heads above water. The past couple years, we’ve really tried hard to make shows all over the country and experience something while we’re there. From floating rivers to hiking mountains to fishing or hitting theme parks… the band and I are trying to carve out “memories” and not just shows when we’re out on the road.

As a part of our interview series with leaders, stars, and rising stars in the music industry, we had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Chance McKinney.

Before Chance McKinney was a CMT Award Winner, before he was a million vote getter in Music City Madness, before he was on tour dates with Blake Shelton, Luke Bryan, Dierks Bentley, Darius Rucker, Kenny Rogers, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Dwight Yoakam & Trace Adkins… Chance McKinney was your run-of-the-mill All-American javelin thrower, Motown Revue singer, college track coach and high school math teacher. The all-too-common tale of “teacher goes singer” is something we’ve all heard before. Everybody knows if you release an album, two weeks later you’ll find yourself opening for Kenny Chesney in your first country show. Everybody knows if you enter a contest for the #1 “unsigned” singer/songwriter in the Nation that you’ll win with more that one million votes for your self-penned tune “Be Real.” And then there’s the obvious, release consecutive albums that debut at #62 (Think About That — 2013) and #41 (Down To Get Up — 2016) on the iTunes Country Album Charts Worldwide. High on ambition, his steely determination thickening in his voice, McKinney always goes big — and never goes home. His latest, “Kill A Man” is a testament to McKinney’s dedication to the craft and talent behind a microphone.

Thank you so much for joining us in this series! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us a bit of the ‘backstory’ of how you grew up?

Montana. It’s a little different. We’re about 12 years behind the national “whatever” and I was good with that. We rode bikes to school for 6 miles along 2 lane roads… we got our own firewood with our dad in the woods… and sports were everything. Football to basketball to track to summer and do it again.

Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?

I’d just graduated college and moved to Seattle for a job with the Seahawks when I got picked up at a karaoke bar singing one night by an all-black motown revue group. They asked if I’d ever sang in a group before. I replied “no” but they auditioned me 2 weeks later. It was cool. We toured up and down the West Coast… all throughout Canada and into Australia and the Virgin Islands.

Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

Getting an invite to the ACM’s in Vegas. What an experience. Got to do both media backrooms where you spend about 3 hours visiting radio stations from all across the country. I remember sitting in an interview and being asked to go do a show with Brett Eldredge in CA the following week. We literally flew out from Vegas a couple days later and had the bus, trailer and band meet me in Northern, CA so we could load in and do the show.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

Possibly the most uncomfortable mistake I made was landing an appointment with one of the largest radio stations in the country after recording 9 of the first 13 songs I wrote. The Program Director listened to maybe 20–30 seconds of each song and then threw the CD back across the desk and told me to “come back when you’re better.” Being a former All-American athlete, I just took it as constructive criticism. Two weeks later she called me and asked me to open for Kenny Chesney… so I kinda took that as a sign I was on the right track.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

I have several people I can think of that helped me along the way… “Lonesome” Steve Mitchell (who taught me how to write songs), Darren Wayne (who produced my first album and played every instrument on it), Lisa (my wife who let me do what I do) and then there’s Kevin Ray Lawson (my current producer, friend and mentor) who took me from “just some guy in the Pacific Northwest” to “that guy who won the CMT Award and made his way doing things a little different from everyone else.”

What exciting projects are you working on now?

Everything KILL A MAN right now. Interviews, playlists, tour dates for 2023… you name it, it’s all KILL A MAN right now. We’ve got a couple songs that will be in National Commercial Ad Campaigns come 2023, but those will land when they actually happen. Right now, KILL A MAN is everything on our plate.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why.

I’ve answered 5 different things in the past, but ONE, in particular, has really been a priority as of the past couple years: “Don’t forget to live the experience.” All too often, we rush from one show to the next and we’re just trying to keep our eyes open and our heads above water. The past couple years, we’ve really tried hard to make shows all over the country and experience something while we’re there. From floating rivers to hiking mountains to fishing or hitting theme parks… the band and I are trying to carve out “memories” and not just shows when we’re out on the road.

In addition to this, I wish someone had told me the following:

• BE YOU
• FIND YOUR CORNER
• SURROUND YOURSELF WITH PEOPLE WHO “CAN.”

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?

I’d actually refer back to the “don’t forget to live the experience” answer.

If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be?

I actually work with a couple different movements that are near and dear to me… 5 FOR THE FIGHT and THE RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE CHARITIES are two foundations that have made a difference in my family’s life and we’re trying hard to return the favor. 5FTF directly funds doctors that research different cancers and potential cures, whereas RMHC funds on-site (or nearly on-site) rooms for families that have to travel to out-of-state hospitals for their childrens’ treatments. Both play important roles in our lives’ and thousands (maybe millions) of other families’ lives.

What is your favorite “life lesson” or quote? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

“God never subtracts time from your life when you’re doing something you love.” I remember this from a book of quotes growing up (pre-Instagram daily inspirational quotes… ha). Whether it was basketball, track or music, I always figured God would stop the countdown for the time spent pursuing what I wanted to be good at.

If you could have lunch with anyone in the world, who would it be and why?

My dad. He’s been gone 5 years now. I’d love to just sit n’ talk with him for a couple hours. Maybe find out what heaven is like AND catch him up on what we’ve been doing while he’s been gone.

How can our readers follow you online?

IG — @chancemckinney

T — @chancemckinney

FB — www.facebook.com/chancemckinneymusic

YouTube — https://www.youtube.com/c/ChanceMcKinneyMusic

Website — www.ChanceMcKinney.com

This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!

Country Star Chance McKinney On The Five Things You Need To Shine In The Music Industry was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.