The Millennial Musician Podcast

Shay Leonia
  • 5.0 (9)
  • MUSIC INTERVIEWS
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

A show for indie musicians who want to create a successful music career on their own terms. Hosted by Recording Artist and George Michael enthusiast, Shay Leonia.

  1. 05/05/2024

    38. Building Music Community: 30 Years of Support for Every NYC Musician

    In the heart of New York City lies a musical haven where veteran artists and aspiring musicians converge to hone their craft and build lasting connections. Join us as we delve into the vibrant community fostered by Funkadelic Studios, a cornerstone of NYC's music scene for over three decades. Building Community: Funkadelic Studios has cultivated a thriving community of musicians since its inception in 1993. From offering rehearsal spaces to hosting weekly jams and workshops, Funkadelic has been a hub for collaboration and creativity. Challenges in the Industry: Hear the unique challenges faced by musicians and music venues in NYC, from rising overhead costs to the impact of COVID-19 on live performances. Learn how the studio owner, Dawn Orlando navigates these obstacles while remaining dedicated to supporting local talent. Empowering Musicians: Hear firsthand accounts of empowerment and resilience from musicians who have found a home at Funkadelic Studios. From empowering female drummers to providing opportunities for emerging artists, Funkadelic continues to champion diversity and inclusivity in the music industry. In this episode, we uncover the rich history and enduring legacy of Funkadelic Studios, a beacon of creativity and community in the heart of the Big Apple. Join us as we celebrate 30 years of music-making and look ahead to the future of NYC's music scene from Dawn Orlando herself. Special shout out to the late, great Kid Lucky. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://themillennialmusicianpodcast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more information on this show. Funkadelic Studios: Book Now: (212) 696-2513 Official Website: ⁠http://funkadelicstudios.com Instagram: ⁠http://instagram.com/funkadelicstudiosnyc GenXercise: Official Website: https://genxercisenow.com/ Learn more about Shay: Official Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://shayleonia.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://instagram.com/shayleonia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://tiktok.com/@shayleonia⁠⁠⁠⁠

    41 min

  2. 04/28/2024

    37. Shawn Setaro's Approach to Integrity in Hip-Hop Journalism

    Get ready for an in-depth conversation with Shawn Setaro, a respected journalist, author, and podcast host known for his influential work in the hip-hop community. In this episode, we revisit the legacy of his podcast, 'The Cipher,' and delve into his book 'Complex Presents Dummy Boy: Tekashi 6IX9INE and the Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods.' Learn from Shawn's experience as he shares valuable insights on navigating the world of hip-hop journalism plus, some tips on how artists can break into major publications like Complex Magazine. Enjoy this special episode, the first that we've done with special guest appearances. ;) Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://themillennialmusicianpodcast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more information on this show. “Love Hurts” by Elizabeth Mendez Berry” https://elizabethmendezberry.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/LOVE-HURTS-for-site-2.pdf Shawn Setaro: Book: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/688059/complex-presents-dummy-boy-by-shawn-setaro/ Podcast on YNW Melly: https://open.spotify.com/show/1XLWIiPrPABevlKft6ImVG Complex article: "Best Hip-Hop Producers...": https://www.complex.com/music/a/shawn-setaro/best-hip-hop-producers Featuring Shout Outs From: Jay Smooth: http://instagram.com/jsmooth995 Thembisa Mshaka: http://instagram.com/officiallipgame Mr. Mecc: http://instagram.com/mrmecc A-King: http://instagram.com/itsaking Mela Machinko: http://instagram.com/melamachinko Toni Blackman: http://instagram.com/toniblackman Cali Green: http://instagram.com/findcali Mr. Len: http://instagram.com/lookatlen Manny Faces: http://instagram.com/mannyfacesofficial Learn more about Shay: Official Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://shayleonia.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://instagram.com/shayleonia⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://tiktok.com/@shayleonia⁠⁠⁠⁠

    53 min

  3. 04/21/2024

    36. What to Know Before You Audition for The Voice

    Former "The Voice" contestant and Memphis soul singer, Savannah Brister was kind enough to spend some time with me last year as we cackled (me) and cutely giggled (her) through sharing all the ins & outs of her wild experience on the hit reality TV show. And she held nothing back... What's in Store: The Audition Adventure: Savannah spills the tea on what it's really like to audition for "The Voice." From nerve-wracking auditions to heart-pounding moments, she takes us on a wild ride through the adrenaline-fueled world of reality TV stardom. Style Secrets Unlocked: Ever wondered how those contestants find their killer looks? Savannah dishes out the behind-the-scenes scoop on how the magic happens, straight from the stylists themselves. Get ready to steal some style secrets! Coach Confessions: John Legend as a coach? Savannah spills the beans on why she chose him and whether she's got any regrets. Mythbusting Madness: Think you know everything about "The Voice"? Think again! Savannah busts through the rumors and reveals the real deal about life behind the scenes. Also, discover Savannah's own musical journey, including her dreams of sharing a coffee date with Tori Kelly or how she feels about making gospel vs R&B. This episode jam packed with all you need to know before you send in that audition to "The Voice" *queue theme music*. Need more reality TV singing show info? Don't miss Episode 20, featuring reality TV singing coach, Brianna Ruelas. It's the ultimate double feature if you feel ready to take that leap in front of millions of viewers! Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠http://themillennialmusicianpodcast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more information on this show. Help Savannah release her debut album! ⁠http://kickstarter.com/projects/savannahbrister/soft-savannah-bristers-debut-album Savannah Brister: Official Website: http://savannahbrister.com Instagram: http://instagram.com/savannahbrister Learn more about Shay: Official Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠http://shayleonia.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠http://instagram.com/shayleonia⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠http://tiktok.com/@shayleonia⁠⁠⁠

    37 min

  4. 04/14/2024

    35. The Fan's Perspective: What Every Musician Needs to Know

    After wrapping up my first show at the legendary Bitter End, a visibly excited man rushed up onto the stage where I and my guitarist still stood. All he wanted was to take a picture of me wearing his sunglasses, a tradition he’d started amongst his favorite indie artists. That person was a guy named Mark McLaughlin, and unbeknownst to me, he had just become my first fan. Mark bewildered me because he was the polar opposite of what I’d been taught my “fan avatar” would be. As Mark puts it, he is an “old white guy”. That’s how I knew it was time to throw out anything we think we know about who our fans are and what they love about our music. That’s precisely why I’ve brought him on today’s episode, so you can hear from a fan directly about the questions that we only speculate on like: What draws them to our music? What makes them “a fan”? Do they prefer Spotify or Apple? …and so much more. What’s also fun about today’s episode is that in true Mark fashion, he mentions several other artists he’s a fan of, so I’ve gone ahead and created a playlist of them all called “Mark’s Mentions”. Listen here: http://tinyurl.com/marksmentions Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠http://themillennialmusicianpodcast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more information on this show. Mark McLaughlin: http://Instagram.com/whatmarkheard/ Learn more about Shay: Official Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠http://shayleonia.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠http://instagram.com/shayleonia⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠http://tiktok.com/@shayleonia⁠⁠⁠

    53 min

  5. 04/08/2024

    34. Should You Sign to an Indie Label?

    I'm guilty of it too... I've totally caught myself in a fantasy about how great it would be to sign with an indie label. In that fantasy, you're cared for, held in highest regard, and everyone at the label believes in your vision and knows how to execute it at a scale larger than you're currently capable of. But things don't always turn out that way, which is what Kelsey Warren of Blak Emoji came on to discuss. In this episode, we're joined by not just Kelsey, but his bandmate Whitney Tai to talk about some ways you can potentially dodge a bad situation. Spoiler alert? Have your contracts reviewed! On a positive note, we'll also hear about the new music their super duo, BLAKTAI has on the way. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠http://themillennialmusicianpodcast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more information on this show. BLAKTAI: https://linktr.ee/blaktai Blak Emoji: http://instagram.com/blak.emoji Whitney Tai: http://instagram.com/whitneytai Learn more about Shay: Official Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠http://shayleonia.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠http://instagram.com/shayleonia⁠⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠⁠http://tiktok.com/@shayleonia⁠⁠⁠

    56 min

  6. 04/02/2024

    33. How to Get Paid Fairly as a Musician

    Every musician (especially their parents) has heard the classic "starving artist" trope, but there's someone on a mission to fix that. Meet Ryan McCurdy, a multi-hyphenate who amidst being a stellar actor+, musician+ is also a financial educator for artists. This conversation barely scratched the surface of all there is to discuss when it comes to finance reform from the top down, but we also got to discuss things like whether or not to unionize, how to find the ROI (return on investment) in your spending as a musician, and funny enough - if you stick around until the end of the episode, you'll see that we're both highly in demand. You're bound to have some questions after listening to this episode, so be sure to contact me at https://www.themillennialmusicianpodcast.com/contact/ so we can invite Ryan back to answer! Visit ⁠⁠⁠http://themillennialmusicianpodcast.com⁠⁠⁠ for more information on this show. Ryan McCurdy: http://instagram.com/actormccurdy http://actormccurdy.com Learn more about Shay: Official Website: ⁠⁠⁠http://shayleonia.com⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠http://instagram.com/shayleonia⁠⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠⁠http://tiktok.com/@shayleonia⁠⁠

    40 min

  7. 03/10/2024

    32. What's Your Genre? ft. Bootie Brown

    No matter where my clients have found themselves on their music career journey, we've always arrived at that question... "...but what's my genre?" And no matter the answer I give, these musicians are hard pressed to let the world stop turning until they can properly classify themselves and neatly fold up the box they long to fit inside. That's why I decided that if they won't listen to me, maybe they'll listen to a music legend... Enter Bootie Brown, founding member of the iconic hip-hop group The Pharcyde and a Grammy-nominated artist in his own right. There is no bigger genre bending & flexing visionary that exists than Brown, having performed on stages with acts like Korn & Limp Bizkit or collaborating with The Gorillaz and Tame Impala - the man does it all, and he does it well. Whether you're an indie musician looking to learn from one of the greats or just a huge fan of Brown and The Pharcyde, this conversation is for you. My endless gratitude for him taking the time to share his wisdom with us, and all the ways he's supported me in my own career. Visit ⁠⁠http://themillennialmusicianpodcast.com⁠⁠ for more information on this show. Bootie Brown: ⁠⁠http://instagram.com/bootiebrownofficial⁠ ⁠http://instagram.com/thepharcyde Learn more about Shay: Official Website: ⁠⁠http://shayleonia.com⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠http://instagram.com/shayleonia⁠⁠ TikTok: ⁠⁠http://tiktok.com/@shayleonia⁠

    54 min

  8. 02/12/2024

    31. How to Make Music That Changes the World with Maya Azucena

    Thanks to our late friend, producer Black Panther, I had heard the sounds of Maya Azucena on their song, "The Half" before I even had the honor of meeting her. Once that changed and I saw her perform, I was floored. She was an absolute force, and I had never seen or heard anyone do what she did on that stage. Since that day, Maya has become my mentor, my boss, and my friend. When the pandemic began, Maya was living in Turkey and bouncing between countries as she usually did, performing on stages quite literally, far and wide. But in this time that was so dark for so many, Maya called on her ancestors to help her speak her heart. Through listening, she created "I Am Enough". In this episode, we discover her thought process behind the lyrics, the songs, and the production of her EP, and we even discuss the importance of finding a way to cherish your own gifts. So many of us battle in silence - it's time to hear Maya's story and let her wisdom transform you for the better, just as it's done for me. Visit ⁠http://themillennialmusicianpodcast.com⁠ for more information on this show. Maya Azucena: http://mayaazucena.com ⁠http://instagram.com/mayaazucena https://iamenoughworld.com/ Learn more about Shay: Official Website: ⁠http://shayleonia.com⁠ Instagram: ⁠http://instagram.com/shayleonia⁠ TikTok: ⁠http://tiktok.com/@shayleonia⁠

    52 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

A show for indie musicians who want to create a successful music career on their own terms. Hosted by Recording Artist and George Michael enthusiast, Shay Leonia.

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