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When Life Hands You Lennons

Music Podcasts

Building a career in the music business is hard. When Life Hands You Lennons spotlights talent in the music business so they can share their expertise with you. Thus far into my career I’ve been able to build a strong network of connections and knowledge within the music business, including musicians, songwriters, publicists, label owners, business owners, distributors/aggregators, managers, and more.

Building a career in the music business is hard. When Life Hands You Lennons spotlights talent in the music business so they can share their expertise with you. Thus far into my career I’ve been able to build a strong network of connections and knowledge within the music business, including musicians, songwriters, publicists, label owners, business owners, distributors/aggregators, managers, and more.

Location:

United States

Description:

Building a career in the music business is hard. When Life Hands You Lennons spotlights talent in the music business so they can share their expertise with you. Thus far into my career I’ve been able to build a strong network of connections and knowledge within the music business, including musicians, songwriters, publicists, label owners, business owners, distributors/aggregators, managers, and more.

Twitter:

@LennonCihak

Language:

English

Contact:

2183295947

Episodes

Tyga & Lil Dicky's former manager explains best ways to grow an artist's career

2/16/2021
Anthony Martini got his start as the vocalist of a rap/metal band called E-Town Concrete. He started his management career at Ferret Music, where he worked with metal acts such as Lamb Of God, Behemoth, and Terror. He then became a manager at Crush Management, whose roster includes the likes of Fall Out Boy, Train, Sia and more. Anthony then launched his own management company, called The CMSN, where he discovered the then-unknown rapper Tyga. He then became a partner at Jingle Punks, which...

Duration:01:11:33

Discussing the right ways to release your music and giving people reasons to care

2/9/2021
Justin Paul is a multi-talented, multi-faceted music professional and entrepreneur. He's the business partner of David Franz, who was on the show a few weeks ago. Justin's 20 year-career consists of many roles, including music executive, producer, DJ, and college educator. Co-founding a record label and managing partnerships with top brands, Justin Paul specializes in A&R, creative direction, label management, marketing, music curation, and touring. Justin Paul was mentored by legendary...

Duration:01:13:45

'I Think I'm in Love' singer Kat Dahlia wants more women songwriters in Latin music

2/2/2021
Kat Dahlia is a Cuban-American singer-songwriter from Miami, Florida. She's now based in Los Angeles, California. Her most recent release of SeVeN is a culmination of female perspective and vulnerability. Kat and I talk about having more women be songwriters for Latin music. A lot of the music is written by men for women, and it's not entirely accurate with what women may want/feel. So Kat is at the forefront of bringing women into this creative process. We also discuss her songwriting and...

Duration:00:42:50

Ableton, Pro Tools, Logic Pro X, FL Studio: Choosing the right DAW with Pro Tools expert David Franz

1/26/2021
David Franz is the founder and producer of the Underground Sun record label. He's also an instructor at Berklee College of Music, author of Producing in the Home Studio with Pro Tools (the first book about using Pro Tools), writer, producer and audio engineer. I love this episode. David was so humble and forth giving with information. I remember watching his Pro Tools videos when I was a student at Full Sail University with a Lynda.com subscription (now LinkedIn Learning). David and I talk...

Duration:00:48:24

Crafting your true sound with Alexander Seaver of Mako

1/19/2021
Alexander Seaver is the songwriter, producer, singer, and creative genius behind the EDM project Mako. The project was initially formed in 2011 as an electronic duo with Logan Light, but Mako now operates as a one-man-band with Seaver leading the creative sonic visions. Mako blends the worlds of alternative pop, indie rock, and electronic music. Mako and I discuss what it takes to keep clients' projects separate from your own professional project. We also talk about how you can make a...

Duration:00:48:21

Xiuhtezcatl discusses cultural mistreatment in the US and his progressive music

1/12/2021
Xiuhtezcatl (pronounced shoe-tez-caht) is a world-renowned environmental activist and rapper/lyricist out of Boulder, CO. Named to TIMES Next 100 list in 2019, Xiuhtezcatl has pushed the impact of the fossil-fuel industry on indigenous communities up the political agenda, and has spoken multiple times at the UN, addressing the General Assembly and spoken on panels with the likes of Bernie Sanders, Miley Cyrus, Van Jones, Shailene Woodley, Bill Mckibbens and Pharrell Williams. The...

Duration:00:48:45

Backstreet Boys' DJ, KnowleDJ, hates fake news

12/1/2020
KnowleDJ is a DJ and producer based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He's DJ'ed for artists like Rihanna, Mariah Carey, Ariana Grande, Backstreet Boys, and many more. He's probably the most successful DJ you've never heard of. KnowleDJ and I talk about topics along the lines of "fake news," the coronavirus, DJ'ing and how to get a crowd going, and how he made $30,000 on a song with fewer than 1,000 streams. -- Connect with Lennon: Website: https://www.lennoncihak.com Patreon:...

Duration:01:17:01

Dance legends 3OH!3 are back - here's what's to expect from them

11/24/2020
3OH!3 has gotta be one of the most innovative, quirky, and fun dance/pop groups to come out the last decade. I saw them roughly ten years ago with a few good friends of mine in Fargo, North Dakota. I'll never forget that show. It was truly an experience, and I am so humbled to have them on the show. I have countless memories of my friends and I dancing to "Don't Trust Me," "Blah Blah Blah," and "My First Kiss" at high school dances and jamming in car rides. Again, I am so humbled and...

Duration:01:07:13

Janet Jackson's attorney simplifies music law and stresses importance of artists educating themselves

11/17/2020
Kamal Moo, Esq. is a graduate of the University of Southern California and Southwestern Law School. Born in Kingston, Jamaica and raised in Miami, Florida, he currently resides in Southern California with his wife and daughter. Throughout his career, he has represented musicians from various genres of music as both personal manager and attorney. He has negotiated small indie deals and multi-million dollar agreements, and everything in between. His clients include recording artists,...

Duration:01:10:39

Julian Jordan never thought he would be an artist

10/27/2020
Julian Jordan is a Dutch DJ and producer signed to Martin Garrix's STMPD RCRDS. He's worked with artists like Martin Garrix, Brooks, TITUS, and Seth Hills. In this episode, Julian Jordan and I talk about his production process, creativity during the pandemic, his appearances on children shows, his new sample packs and masterclass, as well what he wants to be known for as a musician. -- Connect with Lennon: Website: https://www.lennoncihak.com Patreon:...

Duration:00:40:17

ItaloBrothers talk touring, label deal with Virgin Records, and upcoming music

10/20/2020
I have been a huge fan of the ItaloBrothers for many years. In fact, they're one of the eurodance groups that got me into dance music entirely, next to Cascada, Darude, and Empyre One. I was so humbled to speak with Matthias (who is the face of the group as well as the vocalist) for the group. It's always inspiring speaking having the chance to talk to an idol. Matthias and I talk about music production, recording, and collaborating during the pandemic; their new label deal with Virgin...

Duration:00:49:37

TikTok strategies, Twitch, and virtual reality's future in music with Venture Music's Chris Nardone

10/13/2020
Chris Nardone is the president and co-founder of Venture Music. They are a modern music marketing company that really understands the nuances of an artist and their fans, which is certainly important for success in today's music business. In this episode, Chris and I talk about the power of TikTok, how Twitch is evolving to become a frontier in video content, and the future of virtual reality in the music business. -- Connect with Lennon: Website: https://www.lennoncihak.com Patreon:...

Duration:00:40:56

Sia, Green Day, Panic! At The Disco's Head of Streaming & Promo discusses music data and discovery

10/6/2020
William Tenney is a musician turned music business executive. He currently serves as Crush Music's head of streaming strategy and promotion. Crush Music is the management company for artists like Sia, Green Day, Panic! At The Disco, Alec Benjamin, and more. Will knew that he wanted to be in the music business since he was young. As a teenager, he signed a record deal and toured the US, Europe, and Canada. He then returned to the US and went to school to pursue a degree in music business and...

Duration:00:57:23

From sex worker to artist, STORRY shares importance of a story and staying creative

9/29/2020
STORRY is a former sex worker and JUNO-nominated artist, producer, and songwriter. Her previous relationship was incredibly toxic and controlling, but STORRY reclaimed herself and took back the control that was taken from her. Her story is incredibly inspiring and is unfortunately all too common with women. She has now transformed into a higher, stronger multi-dimensional artist with absolutely no intentions of slowing down. She is a painter, musician, songwriter, producer, director, and...

Duration:01:00:36

Mariah Carey & Luis Fonsi's producer Justin Gray talks music production, networking, diversification

9/22/2020
Justin Gray is a hugely successful music producer, songwriter, and music tech entrepreneur. He has worked with artists like Avril Lavigne, John Legend, Mariah Carey, Luis Fonsi, Amy Winehouse, and many more. His music can also be heard in commercials for Mercedes Benz, Target, Nissan, Budweiser, and more. In addition to his long list of achievements, Justin has won a Genie Award for “Best Song in a Motion Picture” and a Canadian Radio Music Award for “Songwriter of the Year.” In this...

Duration:01:08:30

Music supervisor, producer, songwriter Jody Friedman details music licensing process and best practices

9/15/2020
Jody Friedman is a music supervisor, producer, award-winning songwriter, and music publisher. After attending Florida State University and majoring in Communications & Media Production, he spent 7 years working for CNN in Atlanta, NYC & California. During this time, he wrote a theme song for the show “Nancy Grace,” which was his foray into the world of music publishing. For over a decade his company HD Music Now have been regularly licensing music and sound design to the likes of ABC, NBC,...

Duration:01:10:04

Radio promotion campaigns, social media, and live streaming during trying times

9/1/2020
Dan Pearson is an artist manager and founder of Lakeside Management Group. He's worked with artists like Gloria Gaynor, Lauv, Kevin Rudolf, Paul Loren, and more. Dan started as a DJ in New York, which led him to a job as an on-air radio DJ for Jared Broadcasting. This later led him to Columbia Records in their promotion department where he worked with John Mayer, Destiny's Child, and more. In this episode, Dan and I talk about radio promotion side of the industry, social media content...

Duration:00:52:42

Using time to your advantage for songwriting and staying organized

8/18/2020
Kate Schutt is a singer-songwriter and musician based in Manhattan, New York. Kate knows exactly what it takes to write music straight from the heart. That's the power of being a songwriter. She knows how to take an experience--happy or grim--and turn it into a beautiful, relatable piece of art that everyone can enjoy. Kate's mother was diagnosed with cancer back in 2011, and Kate put music aside for a few years to prioritize her care. She didn't even pick up her guitar for nearly a...

Duration:01:03:01

BTS producer DJ Swivel on setting yourself up for success in the music business

8/11/2020
DJ Swivel, real name Jordan Young, is a recording, mixing engineer and producer from Toronto. He’s worked with artists like Beyonce, Jay-Z, The Chainsmokers, BTS, Britney Spears, and more. In 2017, he won a Grammy for 2017’s Best Dance Recording for “Don’t Let Me Down” and “Closer” by The Chainsmokers. He also started writing, producing, and mixing songs for K-Pop super band BTS in 2017. In this episode, DJ Swivel talks about growing up with a passion for music, being 50/50 on creative and...

Duration:01:12:30

Content creation, live streaming, and making a living during COVID-19 with Sean Giovanni of The Record Shop

7/7/2020
Sean Giovanni is a sonic storyteller and owner of The Record Shop, a multimedia production company and recording studio in Nashville, Tennessee. To date, he’s worked with artists like Lil Jon, Big & Rich, Tim McGraw, Juicy J, and many others. In addition, he’s been a speaker at the NAMM show, Grammy Camp, SAE, Belmont University, MTSU, and a number of other industry organizations. Sean is a multi-talented individual with a wealth of music industry knowledge that he shares. In this episode,...

Duration:01:33:58

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