A Musical Mind

Rick chats with his college buddy, and the CEO of Trala, Sam Walder. Sam dishes out the inside scoop on the process of starting an online music school that has delivered high-quality music lessons to thousands of students in over 50 countries.  Today on A Musical Mind: The real purpose of music lessons  Trala’s origin story: Door to door to one million downloads  Untangling the skill to confidence...

As musician turned lawyer, Alex explains why he’s so passionate about helping musicians to capitalize on the opportunities presented for today's independent artists.  Today on A Musical Mind: Why labels no longer develop artists Honing your chops as a musician and entrepreneur The new opportunities presented to independent artists  Taking on investors as an LLC Where to find Alex: Website: mu...

Rick sits down with fellow Colorado Springs producer and engineer, Daniel Lamb aka Theodore Lion, to shoot the breeze and gain a better understanding of PROs. Today on A Musical Mind: How being a triplet influenced Daniel’s relationship with music  What is a PRO and how do they distribute royalties Validating all forms of music-making  Highlighting the benefits of actually playing an instrument Ho...

Rick explains why he set on reinvesting in musicianship and shares his promo plans for his forthcoming single. Today on A Musical Mind: Future episode ideas AI and its influence on music Rick’s promo plans for his new single, “Sunset Bluff” Where to find Rick: Instagram: @richard_raymond_ii | @yourdads_old45s | @welcometolimeforest Spotify: Richard Raymond II | Lime Forest | Old 45’s Email: richar...

Bob and Rick shoot the shit, talking about their influences, side hustles, psychedelic experiences and more.   Today on A Musical Mind: How Bob’s musical upbringing led to the making of “The Good American Songbook”  Why working at Sprouts influences Bob’s sensibility What does and doesn’t make music “psychedelic”   Where to find Bob: Instagram: @bobcumminsjr Spotify: Bob Cummins Jr. Where to find...

From singing songs to a somber glass of whiskey to consistently gigging throughout Chicagoland, Conrad Richards shares his unique story.  Today on A Musical Mind: Unpacking Conrad’s compulsion to write songs Conrad’s most memorable shows as an attendee and performer Living in Two Worlds: Contrasting artistry & family life The pros and cons of the ever-changing music industry   Where to find Co...

Adrian and Rick discover similarities in their musical upbringings and bond over their love for both music and sports.   Today on A Musical Mind: How basketball impacted Adrian’s artistry A love for character development and plot: Adrian’s “prompt first” writing process Creating space for basketball and music  Where to find Adrian: Instagram: @adrian_d_watkins   Spotify: Adrian Watkins Where to fi...

After doing time straight out of high school, Johnny tells Rick how he became the acclaimed singer and producer he is today. Today on A Musical Mind: Salsa & Soul: How being raised in NYC influenced Johnny’s taste How making beats helped Johnny find his calling as a singer  What happened after getting hacked *twice* on IG Johnny’s forthcoming record, “All I Ever Wonder” Where to find Johnny: I...

Rick chats with the man of many mallets, Jake Chapman. Jake opens up about the discipline behind his recent social media success writing, recording and filming original music to ultimately be performed by his own percussion ensemble. Today on A Musical Mind: Gaining 200,000 followers in two weeks Using pedals on the vibraphone  Jake’s renewed drive to write original music Entrepreneurial mode: fut...

Today on A Musical Mind, Rick chats with his good friend and bandmate, Andrew Stump. Andrew’s a piano player, music teacher and a member of the Chicago-based jam band, Lost Pyramids. Drew may have started playing music a lot later in life than most of his peers, but it certainly hasn’t restricted him from developing a reputation as a premier pianist and classical composer. Tune in to hear all abou...

Marcus talks about his relationship with music and why you need to build intimate relationships in order to truly tap into beautiful, cohesive music collaboration. Today on A Musical Mind: How collecting records and sampling led to learning keys What happened when Marcus saw his dad for the first time in 20 years Exploring long-distance polyamory Marcus’ upcoming releases Where to find Marcus: Ins...

Showing no signs of slowing down, Gina & Rick share how they’ve managed to stay creative amidst parenthood. Today on A Musical Mind: Performing while pregnant and Gina’s postpartum plans  Abolishing self-limiting beliefs How Gina produces music using only her voice Miss Moon EP: Inspo, creation and impact Where to find Ginamaya: Instagram: @ginamaya__ Spotify: Ginamaya Where to find Rick: Inst...

Life-long drummer, Chandler Dixon, talks about how he stumbled into the world of engineering and production as an adult.   Today on A Musical Mind: How Chandler accidentally started producing others Why his career as an ultrasound technician gave Chandler a leg up in music Chandler’s most impactful recording session Favorite mics and their applications Where to find Chandler: Instagram: @chando.di...

Rick & Minno talk about why they choose to eat red meat and Minno explains what he’s learned about Spotify’s innerworkings throughout the years.  Today on A Musical Mind: Why Minno’s exclusively eating meat Critiquing the sadboi archetype  Minno’s best Spotify strategies  Separating the creative and mixing processes Where to find Minno: Instagram: @itsminno   Spotify: Minno Where to find Rick:...

Duke and Rick talk about their lives, old and new, and what they’ve been doing to stay musical. Today on A Musical Mind: Why where you live will impact your creativity—for better or worse  Duke’s life as a music teacher and gigging musician How Duke got 40,000 plays on one song Tips for staying disciplined with your instrument Where to find Duke: Instagram: @dukehiatt Spotify: Duke Hiatt Where to...

Two appearingly calm musicians talk about the stress that lies behind the curtain.   Today on A Musical Mind: The role of stress in Drew’s creative process Recording and releasing an album on an iphone How to become a dad: Yoga, Mushrooms and Brian Eno Pot & Kavas’ influence on Drew’s music Where to find Drew: Instagram: @ejrmmusic Spotify: E J R M Where to find Rick: Instagram: @richard_raymo...

Now in his tenth year as a full-time musician, Alex Thompson’s story is proof that you can make a living in music. Today, Alex shares what he’s been up to for the past decade and opens up about his plans and aspirations for the future. Today on A Musical Mind: Why Alex started making youtube videos Discovering jazz, quitting musical theater and pursuing music How Alex has sustained himself for 10...

Mark and Rick talk about sample packs, why bands tend to drop off and the labor of love that is the music industry.   Today on A Musical Mind: Why Mark hired Rick & what to expect in a 5Pin Media sample pack The record that sparked Mark’s interest in sound design How a tax rebate tax rebate funded Mark’s first studio setup Maintaining creative relevance and the innocence of discovery  Mark’s l...

Today on AMM, Rick chats with his good friend, the self-proclaimed recordist extraordinaire, John Fitzgerald. Having learned production alongside one another throughout college and their early twenties, Rick and John reflect on the shared journey that wound up plopping them where they sit today. From late night acid trips to John’s experience interning at an acclaimed studio, this one has a little...

One of music’s most beautiful qualities is that there’s a time and place for all its types. We’ve got jazz for the ballroom, jam bands for the open road and binaural beats for the sauna. Whatever music you feel called to make, you can be damn sure someone out there will feel that it was specifically crafted just for them. In today’s episode, Chuck and Rick bond over their love for the unpredictabl...

Danny Kulasik is a Music and Podcast Producer, who moonlights selling ad space for Downbeat Magazine. Having a foot in both doors of the industry, Danny has a unique perspective that he shares with us today, giving us the dos and don’ts when it comes to pitching and planning your next release.   Today on A Musical Mind: Wrestling to Theatre—Resisting the Cultural Push towards hypermasculinity  The...

Today’s show is all about the host, Rick Sniegowski aka Richard Raymond II. We learn about how he got his start writing & recording music and how he’s become the freelancing audio engineer, and father, he is today. Today on A Musical Mind: Rick’s upbringing and college years  Life in Chicago: Bars, Spliffs & Sample Packs Rick’s current projects Why Rick is stoked for his podcast Where to f...

Musician, producer and sample pack creator, Richard Raymond II, hosts musical minds on a bi-weekly basis.  Each conversation is designed to teach you something that inspires you to go all in on your art, refine your mindset and challenge the way you think about making music.