The Soundtrack to Success Podcast

This weeks guest is bass player, entrepreneur and social media specialist Damian Keyes. Damian has worked in the music industry his whole life. he was signed at 18 co-founded music universities across Europe (BIMM) and has now built a very successful online community of over 200 thousand artists and musicians who of which he helps, get their music heard. Find Damian Here: @DamianKeyes https://www.instagram.com/damiankeyes1/

This weeks guest is guitarist, artist and full-time engineer Erika Horn. Since she started posting in 2020 Erika has grown exponentially on platforms Tik Tok and instagram, interestingly, as she shares herself in this episode... music is NOT what she currently does full-time! Such a pleasure getting to talk to you Erika!! Find her here: https://www.tiktok.com/@erikahorn.art https://www.instagram.com/erikahornsenz2012/

This week's guest is the incredibly respected bass player, educator, and founder – Daric Bennett. As he explains himself in the episode Daric’s journey began in church as he started playing bass not by choice but to essentially just fill a space in the band. Fast forward years later he launches his now incredibly successful youtube channel and the popular education platform - Bass Nation.

This weeks guest is fellow Bass Players United member Stephen Lewis of the Big Band of fun. Stephen is incredibly open about his journey in this episode and shares some amazing stories. Going back to the beginning of his career and leading up to the acheivements in his most recent years playing for festivals such as Glastuboury,, Mountain Jam and Burning ManFind Stephen Here: @bigbandofone https://www.instagram.com/stephen_lew...

This weeks guest is the incredibly talented guitarist, producer, and instructor Kerry “2 Smooth” Marshall. After first realising a music career was for him during his time in the military. Kerry went on to work with a number of well known artists and has managed to build a very successful YouTube channel. All of which has ultimately leading him to the creation of his most popular program Kerry’s Kamp. Find Kerry Here: @Kerry2smooth https://www.instagram.com/kerry2smooth/

This weeks guest is bassist composer and instructor John Ferrara. John is an exceptional bassist known for his distinctive playing style and fusion of genres. In the episode he shares that he was encouraged into bass playing by his musical family but explains that years later he stopped playing to explore other options. That was until his contributions to the band ‘Consider the Source’ changed the trajectory of his playing career.

This week's guest is 22 year old bassist Daisy Pepper. Having gained over 50 thousand followers since the lockdown in 2020. Daisy has been able to use her platform to find some incredible work opportunities. In this episode we not only dive into who Daisy is, both a musician and person we also talk about some incredibly important topics. We talk very openly and vulnerably about what it's really like being a woman online and acknowledge that the constant need for interaction and follower growth is actually incredibly toxic. I’ve really loved having this conversation with Daisy and think that there is a lot that your guys can take from it. Chapters:0:00 - Intro 0:33 - How did Daisy get into music? - Guitar, trumpet, piano AND bass?? 6:25 - Bass Club at school - being a 'natural' 10:42 - I didn't really know what a bass guitar was.... 12:13 - Does music run in Daisy's family? 14:30 - First songs learnt on guitar 15:29 - Our boy band phases 17:39 - Being hesitant to post covers of songs you like because they're not the genre your audience expect21:40 - Daisy's qualifications 25:37 - Going into a full-time job and then posting onto social media during covid lockdown 27:44 - Why not going to university was the best decision for daisy 31:23 - My follower count not growing can get really frustrating 33:05 - The algorithm is out of your control 34:04 - Social media is toxic - constantly chasing numbers and interaction is TIRING 35:57 - Paying to boost your content 40:12 - When a video does bad its a massive ego hit 40:54 - Hate comments and being a woman online 49:13 - Men get hate comments but the female experience is different 56:12 - Its ALWAYS the private accounts that have the most to say 58:08 - Balancing time when self-employed 1:04:48 - Keeping motivated 1:09:51 - Imposter syndrome / Fake it till you make it 1:16:30 - What is Daisy working on right now - MERCH RELEASE 1:19:11 - Daisy's soundtrack to success - Broken finger?! has a pretty incredible back story 1:24:44 - Leyla was scared to send Daisy a message about the podcast... 1:26:35 - Ads

This week's guest is American bassist David Pastorius, known for his unique sound and playing style David comes from a very well known and musical family (of course given the last name). However, David’s journey to finding the bass was completely unrelated and he has now built a very successful career of his own, working as an instructor and booking gigs with his band Local 518. There is a lot to learn and be inspired by in this episode so I really hope you all enjoy it! Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 0:25 - WHY and HOW David got into playing bass 3:27 - ‘How many hours do you play a day?’ 4:50 - Is disciplined and intentional practice important? 8:57 - Imposter syndrome - only playing for 3 years. 10:10 - Negative comments / doing and saying things on purpose for engagement 11:47 - David’s ‘I’m not good enough’ moment 13:10 - Has David ever been bothered by the assumptions caused by the Pastorius name? 14:19 - Has Jaco’s legacy had any influence on David? 15:42 - Any other career in mind? 17:10 - Teaching lessons online - why online students are often more serious about learning. 18:56 - ‘I don’t feel like I deserve to be teaching people lessons sometimes’ 24:06 - David’s signature technique ‘Bass Scratching’ - DEMO 25:23 - Inspirations - John Ferrara and Cody Wright / inspiring and accepting musicians 27:43- Toxic musicians 30:36 - David’s kids and their musical ability 32:25 - Being a father and working in the industry 34:21 - David’s creative process 36:20 - Making mistakes (ON STAGE and OFF) 38:53 - Why we don’t worry about practicing everyday 41:00 - David’s first time meeting Victor Wooten was kinda embarrassing 43:00 - ‘Taking criticism is hard but i’ll do it if they go about it nicely’ 45:11 - Advice for someone wanting to start playing bass 45:59 - David’s current goals 46:36 - David's Soundtrack to Success 47:39 - AdsFind David Here: https://www.youtube.com/@UCAW3gzrlauR3Xp3wI259v2g https://www.instagram.com/davidpastorius/

Jamahl Augustine is a 24-year-old bass and guitar player from Birmingham who has been working full-time within the industry for a year and a half. Not only is he an incredible player he is also someone who places a huge focus on mental health, self-help, and motivation in the content he posts on his Instagram. Jamahl's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jam_augustine/ Chapters: 0:00 - intro 0:25 - The instruments Jamahl plays + how he got into playing them. 3:13 - 'I don't like traditional Jazz' 5:46 - from A-levels to working in the industry. 7:21 - Learning to produce in lockdown - putting music production at the centre of your approach to music/gigs. 12:52 - the difficulty of playing bass and doing literally anything else at the same time. 16:00 - What it's like committing to working in the industry full-time. 22:26 - The process of preparing for gigs and tackling set lists. 27:55 - Being chatty + Leyla's insecurities in her emotions. 31:38 - Does Jamahl feel vulnerable posting his self-help / motivational content? 42:47 - The fear of judgement. 48:22 - 5 year plan? Jamahl talks about why he'd rather a 2 year plan. 55:54 - the worst of UK's accents. 58:40 - Jamahl's Soundtrack to Success.

This week's guest is Giacomo Turra an Italian guitarist who began posting videos onto Instagram during the lockdown in 2020. Focusing on r&b, funk and jazz genres Giacomo has developed a unique and incredibly impressive playing style which led him to gain over 300 thousand followers and is soon to go on a tour around the US with his band. 0:00 - intro 0:28 - Posting in lockdown -a way to be creative and find community. 4:39 - Being self-taught with no desire to learn theory. 8:02 - Giacomo's and Leyla's experience with lessons + why theory can put you in boxes. 11:15 - What your creative process might look like having gone to a conservatoire. 13:50 - Instagram and its downsides - pressure to be consistent 16:58 - Building contacts on Instagram and feeling connected to people you don't know. 19:18 - Transitioning into showing more of your personality on a music-focused account. 21:36 - Social media personality or musician? 23:57 - Giacomo's process when it comes to making his covers. 27:45 - Working with multiple musicians on content. 29:24 - Getting frustrated and the aesthetics of recording. 32:26 - Why Leyla doesn't make her appearance the focus of her videos. 36:30 - Image is important (to an extent) 39:04 - Advice for people who want to start posting videos. 46:03 - What Giacomo feels he needs to work on. 47:58 - Giacomo talks US tour with his band + hopeful future tours 54:27 - Giacomo's Soundtrack to Success.

In the first episode of podcast, Host Leyla meets Ian - an enthusiastic, versatile electric bass player who has worked as a session and touring musician with a diverse group of artists including Eric Hutchinson, Gavin Degraw, John Legend, Cory Wong, Dessa, Jeremy Messersmith, Soul Asylum, Ondara, and Haley. He has also managed to make a name for himself in the online space and is well-known for making and sharing videos online as a content creator and the CXO of ScottsBassLessons.com. Chapters: 0:00 Introduction 1:00 - Why did Leyla want to start a podcast? / Introversion and the ability to present 4:30 - The story behind Ian’s first email address - bassesaretotallyawesome! 7:25 - Why bass? - how Ian’s questionable basketball career led him to learn bass. 10:59 - Leyla tells her why bass story 12:50 - Ian’s kids’ interest in music 14:48 - How both Ian, and his wife Emily, choose to parent. - normalising the haters. 18:39 - A more in-depth conversation about hate. Bitter old men and turning the tables. 26:20 - Why Leyla is okay with being vulnerable and showing her outtakes on social media. 31:10 - Being paid to play on other people's songs - why Ian puts experiences and his love for music before the need to get paid. 39:30 - Pedals and Ian's love for sound. 43:05 - How Ian overcame his embarrassment in his interests - how his vulnerability became his voice. 47:43 - Encouraging his audience to challenge rules / Why Leyla thinks Ian’s message perfectly aligns with the soundtrack to success podcast. 51:00 - Ian’s approach to his Instagram comments - Scott’s ‘the digital city.’ 54:02 - Does Ian experience Imposter syndrome? 58:08 -Your love for music is more important than vocabulary. 59:20 Imposter syndrome is completely normal and necessary / narcissism 1:03:00 - What does Leyla do to alleviate imposter syndrome & anxiety? 1:04:29 - Why its totally OK to fail / Ian gets fired from a session at 26 1:10:09 - What is Ian’s Soundtrack to Success?

Meet Leyla, the podcast host. A bassist from the UK who is passionate about sharing current and future success stories within the music industry. Leyla aims to showcase the stories and talents of musicians at all stages of their careers. Whether you're just starting out or a seasoned pro, The Soundtrack to Success Podcast is a place for all musicians to share their stories and inspire others on their very own path to success.