Shows
Spare Bedroom StudiosHow to Stay Consistent: Mitch MacDonald’s Insights | Solo Spotlight Ep. 41In this episode of Solo Spotlight, Ryan MacDougall sits down with rising musician Mitch MacDonald for an honest, grounded conversation about staying consistent when no one’s watching, pushing through self-doubt, and building something meaningful without chasing algorithms.Mitch opens up about his journey from early inspiration to the internal battles of being a working artist — and why he continues to create without industry hype or validation. They talk creative identity, burnout, pressure, and what success really looks like when you’re playing the long game.📱 Subscribe to the channel: @SpareBedroomStudios🎧 Al...2025-06-271h 02
Intentional MusicianshipGoldilocks and the Three Musicians: A Fable for PerformersOnce upon a time, a listener named Goldilocks went out looking for the perfect concert. She didn’t know exactly what she wanted—but she knew she’d feel it when it happened. First, she found a group that was technically perfect, but emotionally cold. Then, a performer who was all charm and chaos. Finally, a group that got it just right—not flawless, but real, warm, and unforgettable. In this story-meets-real-life episode of Intentional Musicianship, Jeff Price shares a whimsical fable followed by three very real performances. He dives into what separates a one-time invitation from a repeat gi...2025-05-0714 minIntentional MusicianshipDon’t Just Rehearse the Notes—Rehearse the MomentWatch out, I am doing the edits in this short episode to learn a little bit. In this 5-minute episode of Intentional Musicianship, Jeff Price invites you to think differently about how you prepare for performance. It's not just about the music—it's about how you show up in the moment. You’ll learn: Why mindset matters more than muscle memory How to rehearse the moment, not just the material The power of micro-adjustments in shaping musical presence What your body language communicates before your first note Qu...2025-04-2305 minIntentional MusicianshipDitch the Dirty Rotten No-Good Bad PerfectionismThis is an unproduced no edit "shorty." Are you treating your performance like brain surgery? Like one wrong note could end it all? Let’s stop the madness—and ditch the dirty rotten no-good bad perfectionism. In this episode of Intentional Musicianship, Jeff Price calls out one of the biggest traps that can steal our joy as performers: the false equivalency between musical performance and life-or-death professions like surgery, racecar driving, or tightrope walking. #IntentionalMusicianship #DitchPerfectionism #PerfectionismTrap #MusicianMindset #MasteryOverPerfection #PerformWithPurpose #LivePerformanceTruth #CommunicationNotPerfection #ProgressNotPerfection #MusicIsConnection #MusicianLife #PracticeToPerform #PerformancePractice #ShowtimeMindset #MusicianMotivation #MusicianGrowth #GiveYourselfGrace #CreativeGrowth #DoneNotPerfect #OwnTheMoment #KeepPerforming #MakeMi...2025-04-0907 minIntentional MusicianshipThe Art of the Pause – Owning Your Time and SpaceThis is an unproduced no edit "shorty." Why do audiences feel certain performances more deeply than others? It’s not always about playing louder, faster, or with more notes. Sometimes, the most powerful moments happen in the silence. In this episode of Intentional Musicianship, Jeff Price explores The Art of the Pause—the subtle yet transformative technique that can elevate your music from accurate to unforgettable. Whether it’s lingering on a phrase, building anticipation with silence, or keeping the energy alive between movements, learning to own your time and space is one o...2025-03-2608 minIntentional MusicianshipFearless Performances: Pre-Mortem Analysis for MusiciansHello there fellow musicians! 🎵 Ever feel like you’re walking around with a cloud over your head, worried about all the things that could go wrong during a performance? Today, we’re borrowing a tool from the business world called a pre-mortem analysis. It’s all about brainstorming and storyboarding through your shows to identify potential issues before they happen. This way, you can plan better, reduce stage anxiety, boost your confidence, and connect more deeply with your audience. This episode is extra special because it was a live podcast experiment with my producer, Eric, co-owner...2024-05-2221 min
Musician MindsetDylan Caligiuri - Lean Into the PainDylan Caligiuri talks about discipline, music education, emotional intelligence, human motivational systems, and many more essential concepts for musicians at every stage of their career.
2023-09-0450 minMusician MindsetMichael Seaman - Finding BalanceMichael Seaman is an LA-based pianist, composer, and music director attracting the attention of audiences and musicians alike for his passionate and fresh take on the jazz and pop traditions. His work has been featured in Netflix’s new animated movie The Monkey King, The South Dakota Symphony’s 2023 concert series, HBO’s Perry Mason, Engelbert Humperdinck’s 2021 Reflections international tour, and in his own 12-piece jazz big band The Fresh Rhythm with Luke Carlsen.
2023-08-2843 minMusician MindsetFestina LenteJason and Dave discuss principles for achieving longevity in your career.
2023-08-1348 minMusician MindsetWhat’s YOUR Musician Mindset?Dave and Jason are back after a hiatus to discuss the qualities of professionalism, attitude, and mindset.
2023-08-0741 minMusician MindsetAdam Gust - Finding Your Flow
Adam Gust was raised in the cold of Minnesota, studied music in the heat of the University of North Texas, and has served a diverse full-time freelance music career of world touring and session work in just right Los Angeles since 2000. After a humbling decade of recovery from a career-threatening injury, Adam acquired a unique expertise, empathy, and voice toward evolving learning environments in drum education and in life.
Adam's journey of re-learning how to practice has helped him to stumble upon effective student based progressing learning strategies. Adam is excited to share his story of trauma from 'black to b...2020-07-241h 10Musician MindsetQuarantine Special - Win Tomorrow by Winning TodayIn this 6 feet apart episode, Dave and Jason discuss their handling of the Covid-19 lifestyle adjustments, and ways musicians can ensure they are setting themselves up for the career recovery period coming up soon.
2020-04-2648 min
Musician MindsetVanessa Bryan - Giving your all on every gigOur guest today is Vanessa Bryan, a singer, songwriter, producer and entrepreneur.
Vanessa has been a featured BG singer for acts such as Idina Menzel, Gwen Stefani and most recently The Killers.
She is the office gal vocal coach and arranger for Kidz Bop and owns Music Lessons LA, a music school, recording studio and vocal lessons.
2019-11-2043 minMusician MindsetCasey Baer: Experiences of an Up-and-Coming Singer/SongwriterOriginating from Los Angeles, Casey Baer is a nineteen-year-old pop recording artist charting her own course with honest lyrics and powerful vocals. A year in the making, Casey’s first single, “Greatest Mistake,” was a first look of what’s to come in the young artist’s career. Produced and co-written by Grammy-nominated producer, Dru Decaro, ‘Greatest Mistake’ serves as her first in many unapologetic takes on her formative years. Her latest single, “Hold On,” brings a summertime feel to her growing portfolio of teenage pop anthems. The song caught the music industry’s attention and earned her an official remix by th...2019-11-0831 minMusician MindsetMichael Ward - The value of finding common interests with musicians besides musicOur guest today is Michael Ward.
Michale is an accomplished recording artist, guitarist and professional musician who has toured the world with groups such as Ben Harper and the innocent criminals, The Wall Flowers and was co-founder of the group, School of Fish. Michael’s guitar work can be heard on records by John Hiatt and the Grammy award winning single, One Headlight by the Wallflowers.
In this episode you will learn:
How to overcome not getting a great gig
How to be social with your band and why it's import...2019-10-3053 minMusician Mindset25th Episode SpecialWe can rent a car!
Our 25th show, thanks so much for the support! In this episode Jason and Dave discuss the common lessons the guests have shared over the course of 25 episodes. Some really great content here, enjoy!
www.musicianmindsetpodcast.com
https://possiblechops.com/davejohnstone
2019-10-2127 minMusician MindsetNick Petrillo - Music Directing with IntegrityIn this episode, return guest Nick Petrillo takes us through his approach to music directing.
Nick Petrillo is a keyboardist, music director, arranger, and orchestrator based in Los Angeles. Originally from Bound Brook, New Jersey, Nick is a 2010 graduate of Berklee College of Music in Boston, with a dual Bachelor's Degree in Film Scoring and Contemporary Writing/Production.
As a music director and keyboardist, Nick has performed, recorded, and toured internationally with Frenchie Davis (from "The Voice”) and David Hernandez (from "American Idol”) and has worked with the likes of Michael McDonald, Katharine McPhee, David Foster and Simon Fuller’s Now United. He...2019-10-051h 06Musician MindsetJosh Moreau - I'm not in Coldplay!https://possiblechops.com/musicianmindset/
In 1999 Josh was asked by Paul Shaffer (Band leader of SNL and David Letterman Show CBS Orchestra) to join the Nickelodeon House Band which was his first professional gig. Shortly thereafter, Sheila-E (producer, solo artist, Prince, Ringo Starr) hired him to perform with Nelly Furtado and Juanes. He has played with Tony Royster Jr. (Jay-Z, Joe Jonas, T.I.) for numerous clinics including a guest performance at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Curt Bisquera (Elton John, Beach Boys, Mick Jagger, Bonny Raitt, Josh Groban, John Legend) session work and as...2019-09-2459 minMusician MindsetEric Kalver - The Art of Yes And
https://possiblechops.com/musicianmindset/
Raised by a family of magicians, Eric already had stage, TV, and radio experience by age 5. At age 11, the discovery of The Beatles and the movie "That Thing You Do" inspired him to become a drummer. Eric wears multiple hats in the industry. He's the music supervisor at Activision Blizzard, working on games such as Call of Duty, Overwatch, and Guitar Hero. He was previously an Associate Producer at Music and Strategy where he music supervised for brands such as Netflix, Coach, Miller Lite, Ford, and Nest. He is a published arranger through Alfred Music Publishing, h...2019-09-161h 15Musician MindsetOur Current Musical GoalsIn this episode of MM both Dave and Jason discuss what their currently working on to improve their playing, musicianship and mindset. A really great convo here!
Enjoy!
https://possiblechops.com/musicianmindset/
2019-09-0451 minMusician MindsetElliott Yamin - Sing Like You Mean ItElliott launched his recording career following his appearance on American Idol Season 5 as the top 3 finalist with his highly anticipated debut album Elliott Yamin, which debuted at Number Three on the Billboard album chart and was the highest-debuting album by an independent artist in SoundScan history. The self-titled disc achieved gold status in the U.S. and Japan (where he continues to maintain a large audience), and yielded the platinum hit ‘Wait for You.’ In the wake of the first album's release, Yamin received considerable media exposure on countless television shows, while gaining extensive performing experience by touring around the wor...2019-08-2948 minMusician MindsetMusic That Moves Us - Dave and Jason's most influential albums and songsFun format here! Dave and Jason discuss the songs and albums that laid the foundation for their musical journeys.
Dave
Led Zeppelin
Rush
Herbie Hancock: Thrust
Wayne Krantz: 2 Drink Minimum
Miles Davis: Four & More
Miles Davis: Nefertiti
Jonatha Brooke: 10 Cent Wings
Michael Landau: Live 2000
James Taylor Live
Esperanza Spalding: Emily's D+ Evolution
Jason
No Quarter from The Song Remains The Same: Led Zeppelin
Mon...2019-08-2255 minMusician MindsetCortes Alexander - How to get more from your rehearsals and more out of your bandLast seen on Broadway in the Tony award winning special event "Liza's at the Palace", Cortés Alexander's critically acclaimed debut CD "Swell", is available on itunes & all online retail outlets. His club act, "The Swell Show" continues to sell out & was recently voted "Best Night Out" by LA Nightlife magazine. A veteran of over 100 TV commercials, this award -winning singer/songwriter is also a 5-time men's 4.0 singles champion at The Toluca Lake Tennis Club.
2019-07-2955 minMusician MindsetJordan Michael - Embrace the little wins for a happier youJordan Michael:
Jordan Michael is a Dallas, TX native that has quickly made a name for himself in the vocal community in Los Angeles.
Jordan Attended AMDA (American Musical & Dramatic Academy) while simultaneously serving in the US army reserves; earning a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Musical Theater, with an emphasis on vocal performance
He’s supported musical acts such as Dancing with the Stars champion, Jordan Fisher; Jazz-Pop prodigy, Aubrey Logan, as well as several contestants on American Idol. He has also contributed supporting vocals on songs for artists including Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler, Yolanda Adams, Childish Gambino...2019-07-2253 minMusician MindsetTom Strahle - The authentic you is the sucessful youTom Strahle is a multi-instrumental session musician, composer, songwriter and YouTuber. His music and playing can be heard in films (Transformers: The Last Knight, Skyscraper), on TV (The Ellen Degeneres Show, The Mentalist), on the Radio (Justin Bieber, Marco Antonio Solis) and in games (Apex Legends, Absolver).
Search for him on Youtube!
2019-07-081h 24Musician MindsetSteve Hollis - Breathing for the perfect auditionWith more than 40 years of professional international performing experience and
25 years as a K-12 certified music specialist, Steve Hollis is delighted to be a full-
time elementary music teacher in the Burbank Unified School District and an avid
supporter of Burbank Arts For All. From his BA music education degree, through
his masters focusing on curriculum and instruction, to his school days teaching in
Burbank followed by his private music practice in his home studio, Steve is thrilled
to share the gift of music with students of all ages. A 2014 recipient of the...2019-07-0246 minMusician MindsetDave Hooper - Overpreperation is Preperation
Dave started as the voice of “The Little Green Sprout” from the Jolly Green Giant Commercials.
Dave attended North Texas State University. He also studied with Peter Erskine, Gregg Bissonette, Steve Houghton, Joe Porcaro, David Garibaldi, Tom Brechtlein, and spent many hours jamming in his garage with roommate, Gary Novak.
At the age of 17, Dave began his studio drumming career, playing on nearly 1000 tv jingles.
Dave most recently played on the soundtrack for the Netflix series Jessica Jones and Showtime’s Homeland.
Some of his career’s highlights have been working with Sheila E, Toni Braxton, Larry Graham, Herbie Hancock, Sheryl Crow...2019-06-1955 minMusician MindsetKatie Hampton - How to be a vocalist, not a singer
Katie Hampton is a Los Angeles-based session singer and performer. Born and raised in LA, Katie grew up around a wide variety of music, her dad being a film and TV composer. She studied at McGill University in Montreal, where she earned a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Performance degree. Since 2007 Katie has been one of the lead singers for Sergio Mendes, touring and performing in venues including the Hollywood Bowl, Carnegie Hall, and the Sydney Opera House. She also sings backgrounds for the wonderful Aubrey Logan, and sings and plays synths for indie-rock band Opus Orange.
In the studio Ka...2019-06-1557 minMusician MindsetDave Johnstone: Playing the long game to create the career you wantA special treat for MM listeners, today we interview Dave!
You're in for a treat with sage advise from the Jedi drummer and his story of crafting a career as a full-time musician.
You can find Dave online at www.davejohnstone.com and on social media @johnstonedrums. Sign up for your free Possible Chops account at https://possiblechops.com/ref/8/ and use the coupon code “podcast” for a month of free premium membership!
2019-06-0241 minMusician MindsetKate O'Sullivan - The Ultimate Musican Mindset and How You Can Get ThereKate O’Sullivan, MA, LMFT, SEP
Kate is a licensed psychotherapist in the State of California
and a Somatic Experiencing™ practitioner
and has a private practice in Burbank, California.
Kate grew up taking piano lessons and was involved in
theatre in high school. Kate now sings in her church choir
and is one of the members of the Worship Team.
You can find her on the Psychology Today’s website under
‘Find a Therapist’. To reach her directly you can call her at
818.429.4407
Dave and Jason can b...2018-12-3159 minMusician MindsetTina Aldana - A singers guide to thriving in the music industryTina Aldana is a 24 year old singer who has been performing for audiences since the tender age of 6. At age 19, Tina set her mind on succeeding in entertainment, and made the move from Texas to Los Angeles. Through hard work and dedication, Tina has performed in many established and well-known venues across the U.S., such as The Kodac Theater, The Belasco Theater, The House of Blues, The Galaxy Theater, and many casinos in Las Vegas. Tina has performed in many musicals, and has shared the stage alongside many theater legends such as Tony Award winning actor Obba Babatunde...2018-12-241h 03Musician MindsetSteve Billman - Everyting you need to know about becoming a professional muscianIf you are an aspiring pro musician this is the episode to listen to. Steve is the zen master and provides nuggets of wisdom to level up your game.
As a bassist, Steve Billman has been playing for over 40 years. Working with some of the finest musicians in the world, he has played with such greats as Frank Gambale, Tak Matsumoto, Mike Stern, Billy Cobham, Daniel Ho, Chester Thompson and Brian Bromberg.
Steve has been involved with education for over 30 years. For 23 of those 30 years he has been connected with Los Angeles College o...2018-12-1753 minMusician MindsetFemke - The triple threat musician and how to take control of your own musical destinyFemke Weidema is a Grammy winning producer and songwriter. After one year at Berklee College of Music in Boston, the Dutch native decided to try her luck in the Los Angeles Film and TV music scene after she graduated from her Masters in Commercial Music at CSULA.
She won the ASCAP Harold Adamson award, studied with Lin Manual Miranda for a short summer at Chicago's North Western University with the Johnny Mercer Foundation, worked for Richard Gibbs, Don Grusin while also working at Hans Zimmer's Prestigious Remote Control studios in Los Angeles.
She has written wi...2018-12-1053 minMusician MindsetDale Turner - How to expand your musical horizons
A rock singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist/producing engineer/film composer, Dale Turner is also an instructor at Hollywood's Musicians Institute, and author of 50+ instructional books/transcription folios (his latest being "Power Plucking - A Rocker's Guide to Acoustic Fingerstyle Guitar"). He writes a monthly acoustic guitar column for Guitar World magazine, and is featured in their "Lick of the Day" app for iPhone/iPad. A Los Angeles resident, Turner owns/uses an assortment of old, weird, rare, and/or exotic instruments—unique stringed, percussion, and synthesizer "scoring tools" (some are featured in WEEDS, an animated short he recently scored for...2018-12-0350 minMusician MindsetRyan Brown - How great players should inspire your progressRyan Brown is a professional drummer and percussionist in Los Angeles, California. In addition to his gig as the drummer for Dweezil Zappa, he plays with Los Angeles-based bands The Young Royals, Black Belt Karate, SexTapes, AM/FM, The Fuxedos and Madras, and in the bands of artists Arrica Rose, Karem Malicki-Sanchez, Colin Armstrong, Josh Canova, Space Oddity and rapper J Naugh-T.
He has toured with Taiwanese pop star Chyi-Chin and L.A. bands OWL and Ultraviolet, performed on “Last Call with Carson Daly” with Ingrid Michaelson and played the Bern Jazz Festival in Switzerland with R&B ar...2018-11-261h 09Musician MindsetDavid Arana - How musicians can land a great gigDavid Arana is a professional musician living and working in the Los Angeles area. He has played for many groups whose interests and beliefs are wide-ranging and colorful, and in general speak to the better part of the human experience. For this reason, he attributes his long-standing position as the "go to accompanist for the unusual" to his ability to fit in with the many faith-based and social-service-oriented organizations for whom he has worked.
He has shared the stage with such notable artists as Mel Tormé, Liza Minnelli, and The Supremes and is currently serving as pianist/mu...2018-11-191h 04Musician MindsetNick Petrillo - Principles for a lasting career in the music industry.Nick Petrillo is a keyboardist, music director, arranger, and orchestrator based in Los Angeles. Originally from Bound Brook, New Jersey, Nick is a 2010 graduate of Berklee College of Music in Boston, with a dual Bachelor's Degree in Film Scoring and Contemporary Writing/Production.
As a music director and keyboardist, Nick has performed, recorded, and toured internationally with Frenchie Davis (from "The Voice”) and David Hernandez (from "American Idol”) and has worked with the likes of Michael McDonald, Katharine McPhee, David Foster and Simon Fuller’s Now United. He is the resident music director for McPhee International Vocal Studios, arranging and producing for a...2018-11-1253 minMusician MindsetNOMAD - The Career MusicianNOMAD’s musical style much like his Cuban/
Italian heritage is a hybrid of genres - Pop,
Rock, Latin, Soul, Classical, Funk and Jazz.
Although the guitar being his primary
instrument, NOMAD is fluent in over 2 dozen
stringed and fretted instruments.
NOMAD's compositions are in circulation in
over 300 TV shows, commercials, films, as well
as chart topping albums. In his career he’s
been fortunate enough to work with iconic
composers such as, Danny Elfman (Men in
Black 3), John Powell (Ferdinand, Happy Feet
1 & 2, Mr. & Mrs. Smith), and A.R...2018-11-0545 minMusician MindsetAubrey Logan - The Queen of Sass
The media refer to #1 selling artist, Aubrey Logan as “The Queen of Sass.” And it’s easy to see why. Her concerts are a mix of excellent musicality, jaw-dropping vocals, expert trombone-playing, a breathtaking array of originals and original takes on cover songs and, well…fun! Her heart wrenching musical stories has audiences in tears just before her comedic relief has them in stitches.
Aubrey Logan loves music, loves performing and loves her fans. And it shows. “My relationship with the audience is the most fun I can legally have!” she says. Very few artists can concentrate so fully on the music and yet...2018-10-261h 02