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The devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on the conventional music industry. But guitar superstar Steve Vai was not about to let lockdowns, cancelled concerts, and other dilemmas compromise his drive or productivity. In this episode, Vai shares with co-hosts Matt Gibson and Michael Molenda his buoyant outlook for maintaining—and even expanding—his creative mojo during a worldwide health crisis. There are lessons for every creator in Vai's wisdom.Support the show

On this episode of Kingdom of Rock, Matt Gibson and Yashi Brown spoke with Maroon 5 and Faith No More producer Matt Wallace.Support the show

John Lee DumasThis week on Kingdom of Rock, John Lee Dumas speaks with Matt Gibson on business strategies for musicians - how to add value and provide a product to consumers. John compares the future of "musicpreneurs" with video game streamers - playing music, talking about it, and creators watching other creators so we can learn from each other. He discusses the importance of engaging with your audience one-on-one and receiving feedback on how your music can be better for them. Optimized content - answering messages from audience, being in tune with what they want and need (and being able to create products and/or content based on that feedback). He also speaks on his Freedom Journal - a goal-focused journal he developed to keep the user on track with what they want to achieve. Goal setting is important for musicians, too! This interview can be summarized with a quote from Albert Einstein: "Try not to become a person of success, but a person of value" If your music can help people through their struggles and inspire them, you have achieved something meaningful. If you want to reach out, you can find John on his website at EOFire.com.Support the show

This week on Kingdom of Rock podcast for DIY Musicians, Amanda Bocchi and Matt Gibson spoke with Morgan Wade about her new album and tour and what she does to make her music business succeed.  Morgan tells us what it's like to quit your day job and start your first tour! DIY Musicians and music entrepreneurs - Listen in!Morgan Wade and The Stepbrothershttp://www.morganwadeandthestepbrothers.com/https://www.facebook.com/morganwadeandthestepbrothers/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVU5sBbXY_w&feature=youtu.be Support the show

 This week on Kingdom of Rock, guitarist Matt Gibson spoke with Twitter expert Madalyn Sklar about her experiences as a social media expert and the music industry! Co-Host Amanda Bocchi will return next week after she finishes her degree in Classical guitar from Hollins University! Madalyn Sklar is a serial entrepreneur, community builder and leading Twitter marketing expert. With 22 years digital marketing experience and 13 years social media marketing under her belt, it’s no surprise she’s ranked the #1 Social Media Power Influencer in Houston. Each week Madalyn hosts the #TwitterSmarter Twitter chat that brings together hundreds of people in an active one hour discussion revolving around Twitter marketing. Since launching two years ago, it has reached 4.64 billion impressions. She also hosts the weekly #SocialROI chat that’s presented by ManageFlitter. Madalyn interviews leading social media and marketing experts for her TwitterSmarter podcast and co-hosts the weekly Communities That Convert podcast with Kami Huyse. Huffington Post has named Madalyn one of 50 Women Entrepreneurs to follow.https://www.madalynsklar.com/  Support the show

This week on Kingdom of Rock podcast for DIY Musicians, co-hosts Matt Gibson and Amanda Bocchi talked about what it takes to run a successful Pledgemusic Campaign. Amanda is currently running her campaign in support of her new album Organ Donor until the end of April. You can check it out here: https://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/amandabocchiSupport the show

This week, Amanda and Matt spoke to author and radio persona Paul Porter. Paul is the author of Blackout - My 40 Years in the Music Business. He was also the programming director for BET and eventually purchaced his own radio station in Orlando, Florida. If you want to learn about how radio works or want to explore the dirty side of the music business, this episode is for you!  Paul shoots about as straight as you can get on every topic. We talk about everything from payola to a detailed breakdown of how to break a song on the radio and get it to chart! Matt and Amanda both agreed that Paul was one of the best guests ever. Enjoy! You are going to learn a lot...http://www.porteronair.comhttp://www.blackoutthebook.comhttp://www.raprehab.com Support the show

Grant Cardone is a well known author of the 10x Factor and the creator of the 10x Growth Convention. He is an entrepreneur with the creation of 6 companies under his belt. Through his real estate holdings, Grant is well on his way to becoming a billionaire.  Support the show

This week on Kingdom of Rock, Amanda Bocchi and Matt Gibson spoke to guitar shredder and YouTube star Annie Grunwald about her experiences in the music business. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKyQGcdze1chttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jGVkfbPkz0Support the show

This week, Matt Gibson spoke with Great White guitarist Mark Kendall. Mark talks about his vast experiences in the music industry in a Grammy nominated hard rock band that sold millions of records.Support the show

 This Week on Kingdom of Rock Podcast for DIY Musicians Matt Gibson and Amanda Bocchi spoke to sales and marketing expert Wes Schaeffer.  If you are looking for business and sales training, this is the episode for you!https://www.thesaleswhisperer.comSupport the show

This week on Kingdom of Rock Podcast for DIY Musicians, Amanda Bocchi and Matt Gibson spoke with guitarist and entrepreneur Nick Able. Nick is best known for touring with Ravi Shankar and his family as a guitarist.Nick shares his experiences as an entrepreneur and he tells us about the mechanics behind building and managing a guitar membership site for legendary guitarists Andy James and Frank Gambale.Topics covered Include:Elance - recruiting help for your businessBuilding a teamFour Hour Work Week - Tim FerrisPat Flynn - Smart Passive Income - Will it FlyBusiness Automation via the InternetDaniel Tomkins http://daniel-tompkins.com/Andy James https://andyjamesguitaracademy.com/Frank Gambale http://www.frankgambaleonlineguitarschool.com/http://rockstarmarketing.co.uk/ Support the show

Photograph by Neil ZlozowerThis week on Kingdom of Rock Podcast for DIY Musicians, Matt Gibson spoke with Bill Lonero about his experiences as a guitarist, entrepreneur and inventor. Bill talked about his journey from an office worker in 2003 to a full time musician and business owner.Recently Guitar Player Magazine recognized his band Lonero in the 50th Anniversary Edition. The album, Defiant Machine was selected by Guitar Player Magazine as one of the most noteworthy albums in the last 50 years.He talks about the importance of having regular band rehearsals and practice and how that has been a valuable pillar to he band's success.Many musicians have aspirations to achieve the title of Rock Star.  Matt and Bill discussed the hard work it takes to attain the status of "Rock Star" and how many musicians don't comprehend or like the idea of all the work it takes. A quote he mentioned was "Success is achieved when effort exceeds desire".We talked about the fascinating creation of his company and invention, Straptight Straplocks who are endorsed by Joe Satriani, Glenn Hughes and Andy Timmons. Websites discussed:http://billlonero.com/https://www.facebook.com/BillLoneroThe Big Shorthttp://straptight.com/ Support the show

This week on Kingdom of Rock, Matt and Amanda spoke with emerging artist and college student Ava Baker aka Ava Camille about her music career.Episode Highlights:Ava sings her amazing song For the Sake of a Stranger's TouchAva talks about her goals as an artistMatt Gibson and Amanda Bocchi talk to Ava about the importance of being known as a person to your fans. Knowing your identity as a person and artist Getting your social media profiles in order The importance of Creating Content Connecting with YOUR people Making friends in media and journalism Choosing your friends by networking Look for the people that have already done what you want to do Reverse Engineering Successful artists Pick ONE social media to master getting traffic to your website Creating a team Writing Blog posts on your website to get search engine traffic SEO How to get known as an artist and a person simultaneouslyBooks and People Mentioned in this interview: Grant Cardone - 10x Factor Tim Ferris - Four Hour Work Week Miley Cyrus Audible.com Fiona Apple Facebook Page:   https://www.facebook.com/avacamillemusic/Twitter @avacamille Support the show

This week on Kingdom of Rock, guitarists Matt Gibson and Amanda Bocchi spoke to Michael Molenda, Editor in Chief of Guitar Player Magazine. Michael shared about the challenges of running a major magazine for guitar players. We also conversed about how running a magazine has changed in the new music business and how the magazine has shifted to serve the needs of guitar players. We touched on the changes in the industry now that the power for your career is in your hands and the pros and the cons of the new DIY music industry.Other topics covered:The Guitar VirtuosoSocial media StrategiesHow to Find your PeopleClick Bait vs Quality ContentWashington Post Article About the Decline of the Guitar - George GruenGuitar Heros and MillennialsFeminism and Female guitaristsTips for DIY musicianshttp://www.guitarplayer.com  Support the show

This week, Amanda Bocchi spoke with country music and rockabilly legend, Wanda Jackson about her experiences as a musician starting in the 50's on tour with Elvis to her current pursuits as a touring musician and author.  Amanda and Wanda talk about her struggles getting her music on the radio as a female artist in a male dominated music industry.  She also touched on the importance of faith in God and what it takes to strike balance as an artist with a family. She is releasing her new autobiography on November 14th, 2017.Wanda Jackson's debut single, "You Can't Have My Love," reached the Top 10 while she was still a sixteen-year-old high school student. She hit the road after graduation, playing package shows with Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Elvis Presley, who gave Wanda his ring and asked her to be "his girl." With Presley's encouragement, the Oklahoma native began recording rock music, often releasing singles with country on one side and rock on the other during her decade-and-a-half tenure on Capitol Records.Favorite Interview Quote: " God can see around the bend in the roads and we can't. So we have to keep surrendering our will to Him so He can guide us safely through life..."What others Say About Wanda Jackson:“I love her. She’s so brilliant. I don’t think Rollin’ in the Deep would exist if it wasn’t for Wanda Jackson.” —Adele "Look around today and you can hear lots of rocking girl singers who owe an unconscious debt to the mere idea of a woman like Wanda. She was standing up on stage with a guitar in her hands and making a sound that was as wild and raw as any rocker, man or woman, while other gals were still asking, 'How much is that doggy in the window?'" —Elvis Costello“She’s influential to every modern female singer, whether they know about her or not. She broke down those walls in the beginning, when it was the hardest to do.” —Jack White“There’s an authenticity in her voice that conjures up a world and a very distinct and particular place in time.” —Bruce Springsteen"As you look up the history of your roots in music, you don’t find a lot of women. But Wanda Jackson was right there, at the beginning of it….“I learned to sing rock ’n’ roll by listening to Wanda Jackson, but I learned about country music from her, too.” —Cyndi LauperWanda's Links:http://www.wandajackson.com/https://www.facebook.com/WandaJackson/Book Preorder https://www.amazon.com/Every-Night-Saturday-Country-Journey/dp/1947026011/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1502237483&sr=1-3 https://twitter.com/wandajofficial  Support the show

This week on Kingdom of Rock, Amanda Bocchi and Matt Gibson spoke with legendary Kiss and Grand Funk Railroad guitarist Bruce Kulick about his experiences in the music industry. We talk about everything from product launches, record companies, Kiss, Gene Simmons, radio stations and Bruce offers up some gems! He has an entrepreneurial spirit and is a really great example for us to follow when we approach our music based business.Links to Bruce Kulickhttp://www.kulick.net/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lp7XzFMH-s Support the show

This week on Kingdom of Rock Podcast for DIY Musicians, Amanda Bocchi spoke with Christine Stevens. Christine Stevens is a music therapist who travels as a director of health and wellness for Remo drums around the world to do sonic healing and drum work. Christine has developed a method of sonic healing to address the spiritual, physical, mental and emotional dysfunction humans experience.  You can check out Christine at Upbeat Drum Circles http://www.ubdrumcircles.com/ Christine is also the author of Music Medicine - a book about sonic healing.https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008S28ITM/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1 Interview Highlights:Remo was on the forefront of developing women’s drums and empowering women drummers. http://remo.com/Four elements of music discussed in the interview.Rhythm - correlates to the bodyHarmony - Everyone singing together (drum circle, choir)Melody - The Heart. (the flute)Silence - element for the mindWomen’s March in Washington DC https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_Women%27s_March“Music is born in silence.”“Music is a global language.”“Music belongs in your life.”If you’re sick the shaman would ask you…when’s the last time you sang, where’s the last time you danced?Participating in music is more effective in healing than listening to music.Support the show

Ryan Roxie (L) and Alice Cooper perform in concert at ACL Live on February 12, 2015 in Austin, Texas.Ryan Roxie, Alice CooperThis was originally shared on Facebook live, and Instagram live.This week on Kingdom of Rock, guitarist Matt Gibson spoke with longtime Alice Cooper guitarist Ryan Roxie.Ryan Roxie began playing with Alice Cooper for what began as a year long tour over 20 years ago. Ryan wants you to know, rock-n-roll isn't dead. Unless it's dead in your mind. 20 year old kids are still showing up to Alice Cooper shows, singing every word. pProof that rock-n-roll is alive and well.Special guest Nita Strauss, drops in to say hello to Ryan and Matt.Ryan Roxie talks about his experience in the 1990's band Electric Angels out of LA. Lost in the Atlantic is an album recorded with Atlantic records in the early 90's that was never released, until now that is. The first album was recorded in 1987. Takeaways:Your song isn't a product, it's a promotional tool. The revenue streams have been siphoned from the traditional model. The song is no longer king. People expect to hear your art for free, and buying the art isn't necessary. The albums that Ryan has sold the most copies is because  he has built a personal relationship with his fan-base. He stands outside venues before and after shows, shaking hands, taking selfies. Relational promotion.Learn guitar through your hero. The goal is to eventually write your own music.On Playalongmusic.com (Best of Alice Cooper series) Ryan Roxie teaches the 5 most popular Alice Cooper songs. https://playalongmusic.com/videolessons?view=video&typeId=30&productId=4239#prod_li_4239Rock-n-Roll 101-Ryan Roxie explains the basics for guitar. The blueprint four guitar-the newest in the Ryan Roxie education series-learn a song in four days, and learn guitar in four months. https://www.playalongmusic.com/ryan-roxieSo many musicians are used to living in crisis. Matt Gibson asks Ryan Roxie how to position yourself as a musician for more opportunities. Lots of players spend time learning their craft, but how much energy do musicians put into learning the music business? What musicians don't realize is they need to be their own managers also. If you can find a manager once you're in the position of needing management, do it. If not, listen to this podcast. Alice cooper has had one manager in his career. Then the manager gets to create opportunities while the band gets to deliver soul punching music every night.Until we can all be like Ryan Roxie, manage yourself.If you enjoyed this episode, please share and subscribe to the Kingdom of Rock podcast on  https://www.facebook.com/korpodcast/ Show notes written by Amanda Bocchi. Jazz Americana guitarist and singer-songwriter, Amanda Bocchi, is a host on Kingdom of Rock podcast for DIY musicians. She interviews female musicians and authors to increase dialogue surrounding feminism and music entrepreneurship. Amanda is a DIY musician, recording her second album called Organ Donor. Her sophomore album is a reflection of her experience struggling through heroin addiction and her transformation into the light of recovery. http://amandabocchi.com  Support the show

What's up Kingdom of Rock! This week, Amanda Bocchi spoke with Atlanta artist Indie from Indie Killed the Pop Star. They spoke about her experiences as an Opera singer and Independent Artist. Indie tells her story of overcoming vocal nodules and re-branding her art as a singer-songwriter distinguished by her powerful opera vocal chops.  In addition, Amanda and Indee talk about the challenges of anxiety and how that affects the trajectory of a music career. She is currently working on a new album that she hopes to release in 2017.  In Indie's own words, it is heavily influenced by the band Radiohead.  She has been writing the songs since 2009 and she hopes to release the first video Youngblood with a grassroots team of her friends. Relevant Links and Topics Discussed:Baby Robot Media PR http://www.babyrobotmedia.com/Indie uses the Law of Attraction to bring in musical and business partners.She supplements her performance income with being a Music Teacher for 40 students.Being thrifty helps with making ends meetThey discuss how to convert social media likes to customers and fans that show up to shows.One of the highlights of the interview was the discussion about music scenes in major cities such as New York, LA, Nashville, Atlanta, Austin etc. It is amazing how many musical opportunities you have available in a major city.  There can be hundreds of events that you can play.  If you are a musician struggling in your small or medium size town, perhaps you should move to a large city and give that a shot. Little fish in a big pond is not always bad!Quotes:"You don't need a music degree to play at Starbucks!" - Amanda Bocchi"When you love it, go for it! This is your life. Go for your dreams". - IndieSing for Your Life BIOIndee Killed the Pop Star, an indie-folk band from the deep South, combines classical inspiration with a rock-pop mix for audiences around Atlanta. With hints of opera and jazz bursting through the vocals, strings and woodwinds provide a bright backdrop for songs about love, pain, healing and... cats. Lead singer Indee, a self-described "bad-ass rockstar bitch", made a huge impression three years ago, placing fourth runner-up in the first season of Atlanta's Sing For Your Life competition. Since then, her and her band have played venues around the city and around Georgia, creating genre-twisting, original songs and breathing fresh air into the local music scene.  Jennifer "Indee" Zuiff - Vocals, guitar, and ukuleleRicky Saucedo - Clarinet, fluteBen Rezaeinia - Viola, violinJared Lanham - PercussionAmy Dixon - Backup vocalsWebsites and Social Mediahttp://indee.info/https://www.facebook.com/indeekilledthepopstar/https://www.reverbnation.com/indeekilledthepopstarhttps://youtu.be/VKWgc78CBfUSupport the show