When Life Hands You Lennons

Daniel Reifsnyder talks about how one can take criticism professionally, being too different, and the importance of being authentic. You certainly don’t want to get caught up in a lie, so be true to yourself. Join my Discord: https://discord.gg/CRTcYRDGqf Connect with Lennon: Website: https://www.lennoncihak.com Mailing List: http://eepurl.com/dlYpxT Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lennonciha...

In this episode Alexandria talks about what it’s like mixing the sound for a rocket launch, including how they record such a loud noise, making sure that the rocket launch doesn’t overpower the commentator’s statements, and even her hardships six-months prior to graduation. Alexandria is proof that you can do anything you put your mind to. Join my Discord: https://discord.gg/CRTcYRDGqf Connect wit...

Elyn Kazarian and I discuss the rebrand of Mat Zo, creating for digital art and physical albums, and how she continually stays busy as an independent graphic artist. Join my Discord: https://discord.gg/CRTcYRDGqf Connect with Lennon: Website: https://www.lennoncihak.com Mailing List: http://eepurl.com/dlYpxT Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lennoncihak/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/lennoncih...

Bob Cowan tells his story since his younger years, into college, and after college. He discusses how he beat cancer (30 years cancer free this year!) and how it set him back when he first started his career. He took a step back, realized what had to be done, and tenaciously went for it. Bob lastly talks about his journey into Antarctica with Metallica to break a Guinness World Record. Join my Disc...

Andrea and I talk about booking artists, reaching out, what they look for in artists, what makes a good performance, and how to deal with a performance/situation that may not have gone the way they planned. Join my Discord: https://discord.gg/CRTcYRDGqf Connect with Lennon: Website: https://www.lennoncihak.com Mailing List: http://eepurl.com/dlYpxT Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lennoncihak/...

Diane and I discuss the various marketing techniques she uses when promoting Hamilton or Dear Evan Hansen. She shares her favorite part of the brainstorming process and how her and her team took a “bare bones” pitch for Hamilton and turned it into something that translates and markets incredibly well. Join my Discord: https://discord.gg/CRTcYRDGqf Connect with Lennon: Website: https://www.lennonci...

Manuel Alegria is a colleague of mine and has a rough past. He talks about growing up in a tough space, being bullied, and not fitting in. He's now found his passion and wants everyone else to believe in themselves to follow their dreams, too. Join my Discord: https://discord.gg/CRTcYRDGqf Connect with Lennon: Website: https://www.lennoncihak.com Mailing List: http://eepurl.com/dlYpxT Instagram: h...

Matty and I talk about his work on Kelly Clarkson’s “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You),” why he prefers to mix and master than produce, and the most difficult parts of mixing and mastering multiple genres. Furthermore, Matty provides his insight on services like LANDR. Join my Discord: https://discord.gg/CRTcYRDGqf Connect with Lennon: Website: https://www.lennoncihak.com Mailing List: http://eepur...

Today is better than ever for artists and musicians alike to take advantage of the technology that they are presented with. Stem.is, for example, is a platform that eliminates the accounting aspect of an artist's career by splitting the royalties and payments. There are a broad range of other products, and Shanna Jade is at the forefront of it all. Join my Discord: https://discord.gg/CRTcYRDGqf Co...

Ethan Baer and I go into detail on the inner workings of a label deal, why a non-exclusive deal and assigning the copyright and publishing to a record label can be beneficial, and why the major labels (Warner Music Group, Sony Music, and Universal Music Group) still have so much power in today’s “independent” music industry. Join my Discord: https://discord.gg/CRTcYRDGqf Connect with Lennon: Websi...

Julie and I discuss the lack of diversity of women within the music industry, how the music industry isn’t a 9-5 job, and how to keep yourself educated and relevant when you’re not working on a tour or project for an extended period of time. We also talk about Julie’s typical day as a production manager when she’s on tour. Join my Discord: https://discord.gg/CRTcYRDGqf Connect with Lennon: Website...

Zac and I talk about what it takes to become a Van Bellman, making a living as a musician and the struggles about it. The music industry always catches you by surprise, and Zac Taylor knows how to catch them. Join my Discord: https://discord.gg/CRTcYRDGqf Connect with Lennon: Website: https://www.lennoncihak.com Mailing List: http://eepurl.com/dlYpxT Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lennonciha...

Judy Stakee and I dive deep into the songwriting process. Her motto of “It all starts with a song” is truly a beautiful inspiration, and Judy tells us exactly what that means. Furthermore, she tells us all about her experience in the corporate music industry and how she got started with her company. Join my Discord: https://discord.gg/CRTcYRDGqf Connect with Lennon: Website: https://www.lennonciha...

Anthony Morrissey (AJ) [Count Morris] is a freelance audio engineer. Since graduating college in August of 2017, he’s worked on more than 100 projects that range from mixing and mastering, creating instrumentals, providing sound design for producers and companies, as well as getting into video editing. His work can be found in audio books for children, video games, and even a German car part manuf...

Nikki Kaelar, aka Varien, is an American composer and producer. She grew up listening to all genres of music, which allowed her to drum up inspiration from various cultures and styles. She incorporates these styles with her industrial, metal, orchestral, and ambient music. She’s been performing music since the age of 11 and has since released music on Monstercat and composed for movies and shows l...

Maria Díane is an independent artist manager. She holds a Master of Science degree in Entertainment Business from Full Sail University. She helps artists and producers build music careers using her easy to follow four-step Musician BluePrint System along with her five simple management steps to systematize their music careers. Her artist management approach helps both artists and producers gain cl...

Cheyenne Noelle is a writer, content strategist, freelancer, and corporate trainer at Acquire, a premiere marketing firm for Fortune 100 clients such as Apple, Samsung, AT&T, Airbnb, and Uber. Prior to getting her start in the music industry (and later transitioning out), she was writing in Google Docs and kept it all to herself. People told her they liked her writing and encouraged her to share i...

Larry Katz is an accomplished second assistant director for blockbuster films such as X-Men: First Class, Captain America: The First Avenger, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, and numerous others. Mr. Katz knows exactly what it takes to become successful in this industry, and he's willing to tell you. However, you have to add the hustle. All of his opportunities came about because of his i...

Rachel Feigelson has worked with some of the biggest names in the industry. She solidified her career when she attended the Winston House, a house where musicians and industry professionals gather to network and spread good music. She currently owns Rocksam Management, where she consults with the 35th most successful artist in the world, according to Billboard, Taylor Dayne. In this episode, Rache...

Elliot Jacobson is a session and touring drummer for Ingrid Michaelson and Elle King. He is also a producer, published songwriter (Kobalt), and artist manager. Raised in Houston, Texas, Jacobson always had a passion for music. He was surrounded by a myriad of various genres growing up, but really focused on his passion for drumming in college. In this episode, Elliot shares information on getting...

Jazmine Valencia got her start in the music industry through internships at major labels running their digital media departments. She departed from the major label world back in 2011 to form JV Agency, a digital marketing agency based in New York whose focus is to connect artists and creatives. She's since worked with artists and bands like Shawn Mendes, American Authors, Avicii, The Killers, and...

Shawn Carpenter is a veteran sound designer, mix and mastering engineer, and musician. He "learned to scream" back when he became the lead singer for a metal band. An alumni of Full Sail University, Shawn discovered his passion for sound design in a few of his courses. He's since worked on Triple A video games like Madden '18 and '19. Shawn tells us what sound design in, how to go about it, and ev...

Melanie Rogoff is a music publicist at JV Agency, a digital marketing and music publicity firm headquartered in New York. Melanie has been involved in the entertainment industries for many years. Having changed her degree numerous times in college, Melanie remained involved in the college radio circuit, allowing her to gain a significant amount of knowledge. In this episode, she shares a myriad of...

Doug Cihak, my dad, has been collecting vinyl records for nearly 50 years. He’s seen just about every piece of music, record, vinyl condition, and vinyl hardware. He knows how to clean vinyl properly, store it, organize, and discover it. He shares his passion for vinyl and why he wants to share that passion with the younger generation. Join my Discord: https://discord.gg/CRTcYRDGqf Connect with Le...

Artists these days focus so heavily on their craft that they forget about the business and marketing side of the music business. Understanding the basic copyright law, marketing trends, and varying aspects of the business can provide you with a leg up. Join my Discord: https://discord.gg/CRTcYRDGqf Connect with Lennon: Website: https://www.lennoncihak.com Mailing List: http://eepurl.com/dlYpxT Ins...