Barn Banter is a podcast for kid's musicians, by a kid's musician.
Episodes
Monday Jan 27, 2020
Monday Jan 27, 2020
Dean Jones is, in my opinion, the most successful producer of pop children's music working today. You can find his name on many of the recent Grammy winner's albums, all over KPL, and even on his own Dog on Fleas songs! We chat about how he defines the roles and responsibilities of being a music producer, how he gets the most out of his clients, and even gives a shout out to some of his favorite (and not so favorite) producers!
Monday Jan 20, 2020
Monday Jan 20, 2020
PROs (ASCAP, BMI) need not be a mystery any more! Colson Gower works as an Artist Services Publishing Supervisor at CD Baby and leads us through the process of picking a PRO, registering your music, and the submitting set lists so that you can get your due from live performances. Also a deep chat about SoundExchange who pays for those internet streams! Hang out until the end to hear a fiddle solo!
Monday Jan 13, 2020
Monday Jan 13, 2020
Psst... hey you wanna get some gigs? Heh... heh.. heh... no seriously, you want more gigs? Well one path you might take is to secure a booking agent! This time we chat with Sarah MacCarthy who heads up Dandelion Artists, a booking agency that specializes in nailing high profile venues for children's musicians like Jazzy Ash and The Okee Dokee Brothers! Is a booking agent in your future? Will it help? Are you ready? Do you really really need them? What does it cost? How does it work? Are you allowed to say "Book 'em Sarah!"? (Spoiler alert, you are not).
Monday Jan 06, 2020
Monday Jan 06, 2020
Lucy Kalantari and The Jazz Cats have cut a wide swath in children's music with a Grammy win and frequent plays on KPL! It got me thinking, does an artist who digs deep into a specific music style have an advantage or disadvantage when it comes to gaining traction in the overall genre? Lucy joins me this time to talk about what it is like to focus on one specific style of music, how they got there, and how they works to expand musical options for kids and families. Also a cool track, a chat about call and response, and a continuing dialogue about how I am totally not stalking Lucy despite the creepy language I seem to use that would make it seem otherwise. (I AM NOT STALKING LUCY I JUST LISTEN TO HER MUSIC!)
Monday Dec 30, 2019
Monday Dec 30, 2019
KindieComm time! Listen to a convo with Robert Drake, producer of Kid’s Corner since 1988 with Kathy O’Connell. Everything you need to know if you plan on attending a conference specifically for kid’s music performers. We also have a really enlightening discussion on the difference between “children’s” music and “music for kids”, I get Robert to pin down who coined the term “Kindie” (spoiler, her initials are SM and she has a consulting agency), we grapple with the word “interesting” and go deep into the evolution of the kid’s music genre and where it might be headed.
Monday Dec 23, 2019
Monday Dec 23, 2019
(To the tune of Mr. Bassman) Hey Randy Kaplan, you sure do sing some songs... When is comes to mechanical licenses, you do not steer us wrong... Oh Mr. Kaplan, your distinct voice is perfect to explain, (spoken) things like derivative lyrics, Nirvana covers and public domain! (end song). That's right my lovelies, this episode the award winning songster Randy Kaplan gives a funtasic overview of what to do should you want to record a cover song. Also a brief chat about dirty rats who steal your tunes, fishing with Bob Dylan, and why to never cover a Prince song. Lots of trippin' round the virtual mitten on this one!
Sunday Dec 15, 2019
Sunday Dec 15, 2019
Radio waves! Oh the days of Wolfman Jack may be behind us but there are still class acts spinnin' stacks of wax from the back of the racks to fast track attack the... the... um... ok can't think of another one. But still! There are a few really nifty radio shows that can get your music to a whole new flock of listeners! This time we talk to the most excellent DJ from Ashville who lays out a weekly 2-hour show called Radio Active Kids. Sagan Thacker and I talk about what they like to see from artists as far as press kits, how they select music for the show, and a few choice dos and please do not do that we recording artists should heed! Stick around until the end to hear how and where you can see if anyone played your tune on the radio and also get a not so veiled threat of fiddle if you don’t like and share the podcast!
Friday Dec 06, 2019
Friday Dec 06, 2019
Behind the scenes there is a great deal that goes into being a children's musician, and managing the emotional rollercoaster of awesome shows and missed expectations can be a challenge. In this episode we chat with Heidi Gjefle, a LCPC about how to stay healthy when things aren't going your way. This sounds an awful lot like a therapist session, which it sort of is!
Wednesday Nov 27, 2019
Wednesday Nov 27, 2019
Few in the children's music genre are more prolific than Seattle-based and Grammy-nominated kindie rockers Recess Monkey, who have released 13 albums in as many years. So who better to chat with about cranking out the hits than Drew Holloway, the monkey responsible for oh so many, many, many tunes! We chat process, using technology, collaboration within the band, and knowing when to invest in a song to completion and when to dump it. Also a brief side-chat with a common issue called "chasing the demo"! GET BACK HERE WITH MY DEMO SOUND!
Monday Nov 18, 2019
Monday Nov 18, 2019
Ventriloquism is an art that requires years of practice and dedication to perfect. However, talking to someone who is a master ventriloquist simply requires a podcast! This time we welcome Val Smalkin to the Barn to chat about tips and tricks on ventriloquism, crowd control, managing a cast of characters, and some fantastic insight into being a children's entertainer in your local area. Oh also labial explosives, which I still contend sound really dangerous...