Progressions: Success in the Music Industry

After you reach 10,000 hours of practice do you magically become the greatest music producer in the world or the most successful songwriter that ever lived? Most likely not. Travis explores the idea that mastering your craft is just the beginning of your music career. Inspired by Jason Jaggard's book "Beyond High Performance" and the "10,000 Hours" concept made famous by Malcom Gladwell. 🗣 Mention...

Today’s guest is two time Grammy winning producer, engineer, and mixer Daniel “Vago” Galindo. Born in Mexico, but now based out of Los Angeles Vago has worked on a long list of amazing projects including artists such as Juanes and Elvis Costello, as well as TV and film projects such as La La Land, Beauty and The Beast, and Ni Tu Ni Yo. We have a great chat about finding mentorship in the music ind...

Today’s guest Melbourne, Australia based mastering engineer, entrepreneur, YouTube creator, and general all round mad scientist Nicholas Di Lorenzo. This his second time on the show, he was last on the show back in episode 64, if you want to learn more about Nick check that one out. We have a great chat about where AI tools can come in to your audio workflow, when to use clippers vs when to use li...

Today’s guest is mixing engineer, music producer, and brand strategist Carl Bahner. Carl has helped countless audio pros and artists from not only the mixing chair, but also as a mentor helping them shape their brands and careers. For Carl’s second appearance on the podcast he shares his wealth of knowledge and experience in attracting ideal clients and elevating your brand communication skills. U...

Today’s guest is recording engineer and mixer Wil “Greazy” Anspach. Wil is a veteran in the Los Angeles recording scene with credits including Killer Mike, Vic Mensa, Imagine Dragons, Frank Ocean, X-Ambassadors, The Greatest Showman, and Ariana Grande. He’s also become the defacto “TikTok Engineer” by amassing a following of over 50k people by sharing real world experiences and calling out some of...

Today’s guest is artist manager, educator, and entreprenuer Evan Price. He and his team at Artist Collective are on a mission to transform artists into what he calls “artistpreneurs” and help them build a profitable business around their passions. Prior to founding Artist Collective, Evan wore countless hats in the music industry from musician, to promoter, to manager so we’ve got insights for eve...

Today’s guest is audio engineer, mixer, producer and front of house engineer Rob Seifert Gage. Rob is the owner and operator of Audio Evidence Mobile, a former police van turned mobile recording studio. He started his career in the Los Angeles scene working at renowned studios such as Paramount, A&M, and Shangri La where he notched credits with artists like Porno for Pyros, Skinny Puppy and Mi...

Today's guest is music sync licensing veteran Ben Morris. Ben is co-owner of the Hauler Music Group and a past employee of EMI and Domino Records. We chat about the art and business of sync, building your brand on your own values, the dos and don'ts of sync licensing, how best to pitch your music, and why artists should be open to doing custom music for brands and agencies. 🗒 In this episode we'll...

Trying to build the music career you want? Try this mindset... stop asking for permission and start giving it. 🎥 Check out the YouTube! 👇 https://www.youtube.com/@progressionspod 📢 Our Sponsors 📢 Listen to Secret Sonics ! Sign Up for Complete Producer Network ! ⬇️ FREE 2025 PLANNING WORKSHOP ⬇️ https://www.travisference.com/2025plan 📺 WATCH THE SHOW ON YOUTUBE 📺 https://www.youtube.com/@prog...

Today’s guest is music producer, songwriter, and mix engineer John Velasquez. John has gone being signed to Cherrytree Records as a member of the band Max and the Moon to working behind the glass as a producer and songwriter for artist such as Zella Day, Lindsey Black, Ella Vos, and Vacations. We have a great chat about what skills make a producer irreplaceable in the room, why creating your own s...

Feeling stuck in your music career? Stop setting goals that won't work and start setting goals that are trackable, actionable, and achievable. In this video we talk about the dos and don'ts of setting goals, how to build momentum, and ultimately how to have a career in music. 📢 Our Sponsors 📢 Listen to Secret Sonics ! Sign Up for Complete Producer Network ! ⬇️ FREE 2025 PLANNING WORKSHOP ⬇️ http...

Today’s guest is session and touring guitarist and songwriter Adam Tressler. Adam has performed or recorded with a long list of artists including Aimee Mann, Selena Gomez, Lil Nas X, Camila Cabello, Lord Huron, and many more. He’s also played on scores for TV shows such as Modern Family, A Million Little Things, Central Park, and films like Birds of Prey, and This is the Year. We cover everything...

Today’s guest is award winning film and television composer Roger Neill. Roger is best know for his scores for the films “20th Century Women,” “Don’t Think Twice,” “Beginners” and for his work on television series such as Amazon’s “Mozart in the Jungle,” CBS’s “Mom” and the long-running Fox series “King of the Hill.” He’s also worked extensively in the video game world on blockbuster titles such a...

Today’s guest is music producer, recording engineer, and songwriter Ebonie Smith. Ebonie has been a house engineer for Atlantic Records for 10 years, working on projects for artists like Cardi B, Janelle Monae, Jason Mraz, Charlie Puth, and Misterwives. She is also the founder and President of Gender Amplfied, Inc, a non-profit focused on celebrating women in music production. She holds a Masters...

Today’s guest is Madison, Wisconsin based mastering engineer Justin Perkins. Justin currently works out of his studio Mystery Room Mastering where he has worked on projects for artists such as The Replacements, Jason Mraz, Busta Rhymes, and North Mississippi Allstars, as well as countless independent artists from around the world. He’s also worked at Butch Vig’s Smart Studios, actively played in n...

Today’s guest is music entrepreneur and manager Sam Saideman. Sam is co-founder and CEO of Innovo Management where he and his team specialize and work across, artist management, project management, influencer management, and brand marketing. Currently Innovo manages a roster of creators who have a reach of over 43 million followers on TikTok alone. His forward thinking approach and innovative spir...

Today’s guest is New York based composer and musician Pat Irwin. Pat has spent over four decades pushing the boundaries of popular music with his soundtracks for television shows such as Dexter: New Blood, Nurse Jackie, Bored to Death and scores for animations including Rocko’s Modern Life and Sponge Bob Square Pants. He also performed with the B-52s for twenty years, was a founding member of two...

Todays guest is Nashville based mix engineer Matt Huber. Matt has become known for his highly competitive pop and indie mixes, racking up credits for artists such as Valley, Betty Who, Nightly, Joan, ELIO, and CRUISR over the last few years. He’s also passionate about education and building community within the mix engineer world. We have a great chat about mixing workflows, Dolby Atmos, home stud...

Today’s guest 10 time Grammy nominated music producer, mixing engineer, and songwriter Damian Taylor. Damian has worked with artists such as Bjork, The Killers, Bomba Estéreo, Odette, The Prodigy, and UNKLE. He’s also the founder of The Complete Producer Network, an online hub for people all over the world who are dedicated to improving their ability to create and share extraordinary music. We hav...

2023 is upon us! Season 3 officially begins next week, but I wanted to share a few thoughts about setting out into the New Year and announce the first official Progressions YouTube video! 📢 Our Sponsors 📢 Listen to Secret Sonics ! Sign Up for Complete Producer Network ! ⬇️ FREE 2025 PLANNING WORKSHOP ⬇️ https://www.travisference.com/2025plan 📺 WATCH THE SHOW ON YOUTUBE 📺 https://www.youtube.co...

This week's guest is Los Angeles based recording artist Dresage. A blend of genres ranging from dreamy synth wave to indie art pop, Dresage is the artist project of producer, songwriter, and composer Keeley Bumford. In addition to releasing her own music she also co-wrote and was the featured vocalist on Jai Wolf's single "Better Apart". Co-scored as well as wrote and performed all the original so...

This week's guest is engineer, mixer, producer, and professor Dr. Susan Rogers. Susan is a professor at Berklee College of Music in Boston where she is also the acting Director of the Berklee Music Perception and Cognition Laboratory. Prior to her academic career she worked for 22 years as an in demand engineer and producer with artists such as David Byrne, Barenaked Ladies, Rusted Root, Toad the...

Today’s guest is music producer, recording engineer, and mixer Tim O’Sullivan. Tim’s credits include artists such as Chicano Batman, Rayland Baxter, The Head and the Heart, Grace Potter, and Leonard Cohen. His career has involved bouncing around freelancing and working on staff for various producers and at studios such as Capitol and Barefoot Recording. We have a great chat about building studios,...

Today we’re joined by Emmy nominated film and TV composer Christopher Willis and vocal contractor and session singer Elyse Willis. Chris is best known for his work on HBO’s hit comedy Veep, as well as his score for Armando Iannucci’s film “The Death of Stalin.” One of his most recent projects is “Schmigdoon!” which just started streaming on Apple TV+. Elyse has sung on dozen’s of projects as a ses...

Today’s guest is hit songwriter turned entrepreneur and music executive Jason Davis. Jason wrote his first #1 song at age 23, which led him to work with artists such as Boyz II Men, Sugar Ray, P. Diddy, Alabama, Lonestar, and Dolly Parton. As an entrepreneur and executive he’s worked as Senior VP of A&R, president of an independent record label, written two books, and executive produced for te...