Turning Passion into Profit in the Music Industry: A Conversation with Carl Bahner - Part 1 Audio Branding

“It was when I started figuring out, without knowing what it was called, because I also didn’t have any marketers in my life growing up. But when I was finding gigs for myself when I was the freelancer, mercenary, playing with a bunch of different people, I had to learn what these people are looking for. How do I figure out how to let them know that I can be the good fit for them? How do I find the people that I think I’m going to be a good fit for? And how do I convince them that I’m a good fit for them? Which is ultimately what the personal branding is.” -- Carl Bahner
This episode’s guest is a mix engineer, educator, and a brand strategy super-nerd on a mission to help artists and producers make great songs and help other studio pros attract ideal clients.  Hailing from rural Pennsylvania, he’s made a name for himself internationally as a team-builder and sonic wizard, focusing his boundless enthusiasm on playful, memorable, vibrant music. Working with artists like The Wombats and Hippo Campus, he’s proven highly adept at producing earworms tailored to fit like a favorite T-shirt.  But don’t be fooled by his youthful energy – he’s a seasoned pro who’s toured extensively and opened for major acts like Walk The Moon and Charli XCX.
In addition to mixing and production, he hosts the podcast Thanks For Thinking and is a passionate educator when it comes to sharing industry knowledge through content creation: he recently released an online course called “Communicating The Care” that’s aimed at helping studio pros clarify their perspectives and connect with ideal clients seeking meaningful collaborations.
His name is Carl Bahner. and this discussion will challenge the myth of the starving artist and give creatives some comprehensive steps to make sure they get paid what they’re worth.
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(0:00:00) – Early Musical Memories and Instrument Exploration
We start things off with a look back at Carl’s early memories of sound, or, in this case, the new memories he’s creating with his six-month-old daughter.  “That’s way better than my early memories,” he jokes, “which is probably just listening to Sandi Patty cassette tapes in my mom’s car or something.” Carl shares his journey through music, from the piano to the clarinet, and how he discovered the guitar. “What drew it to me is,” he explains, “or drew me to it, was the fact that there was so much more variation in what you could do with it – and, I think, a lot more exciting possibilities.”
 
(0:12:55) – From Trumpet to Percussion
Carl shares with us his...