Shows
MFM SPEAKS OUTEP 52: SoSaLa and Dawoud Celebrating MFM's 10th AnniversaryIn this episode of MFMSpeaks Out, Dawoud Kringle and Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi discuss the birth, history, mission, and future of Musicians For Musicians. Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi's inspiration for founding MFM, the problems in putting the organization together, including how to define its objectives and methods, MFM's relationship with other musician organizations (such as the Musicians Union), how to attract and grow our membership, the economics of the music business and the importance of musicians getting paid fairly for their work, the state of mind many musicians are in where they do not understand how to turn their music into a profes...
2025-08-291h 36
MFM SPEAKS OUTEP 36: Ariel Hyatt on New Ways to Monetize Music"The Old Ways of Music Monetization are Gone, and We Have to Think of Other Ways of Monetization"In this episode of MFM Speaks Out, Dawoud Kringle interviews Ariel Hyatt. Ariel is a digital marketer, writer, and teacher who assists independent musicians in career development. She is the author of Music Success in 9 Weeks (2009),Cyber PR For Musicians(2013), Crowdstart(2016), and other books. Hyatt worked at New York City's WNEW-FM, and the What Are Records? record label. She moved to Boulder CO, where she managed and handled publicity for the funk band, Lord of Word. She is also the founde...
2022-03-2555 min
MFM SPEAKS OUTEP 34: MFM Salutes 2021" You inspire us to work hard to improve the service we do for the music community." Episode Summary:In this episode of MFM Speaks Out, Dawoud Kringle offers a summary of our progress as a podcast and of MFM as a whole during the year 2021, and shares music from our guests. Episode Notes:In this episode of MFM Speaks Out, Dawoud Kringle offers a summary of the work he, Adam Reifsteck, and Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi did on the podcast, our progress of the MFM Speaks Out podcast.The gues...
2022-01-011h 11
MFM SPEAKS OUTEP 27: A Professional Musician's Perspective on Drug and Alcohol Addiction"Music is service."This episode of MFM Speaks Out will be different from our usual format. Dawoud Kringle will be interviewing his guest; a professional musician and recovering drug addict and alcoholic. Out of respect to our guest and the tradition of Alcoholics Anonymous and other substance abuse recovery programs, we are protecting our guest’s anonymity and referring to him as Dave. Our discussion will center around alcoholism, drug abuse, and substance abuse recovery among musicians.Topics discussed: How did substance abuse and music enter Dave's life and how they intersected, the presence of drugs an...
2021-05-281h 02
MFM SPEAKS OUTEP 25: Royal Bayyan on Record Production and a Lifetime in the Music Business“Stay true to yourself, and stay true to the game. If you give music your all, and be honest with yourself, you will be rewarded.”In this episode of MFM Speaks Out, Dawoud Kringle interviews Royal Bayyan. Royal is a Musician, Songwriter, Producer, Music Supervisor, Personal Manager, Executive Brand Consultant. He played with and was a founding member of Kool & the Gang. He established several Production Companies such as Bayyan Internationale’, “The Forecast”, America’s Best Entertainment, Spook Productions Inc.& Urban Media Sound. He is the CEO of Raven Entertainment Group Distribution, partnered with Nile Rogers’ & Andy Uteroni, worked as...
2021-03-261h 05
MFM SPEAKS OUTEP 23: Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi on the Founding of Musicians For Musicians“Musicians With Attitude...in order to be active collectively you have to change as a person. So in order to become not only a better musician but also a better human being, you must change yourself.”In this episode of MFM Speaks Out, Dawoud Kringle interviews Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi (a.k.a. SoSaLa). Ladjevardi is a saxophonist, composer, improviser, producer, entrepreneur, activist, and the founder and president of Musicians For Musicians (MFM. He has lived in and performed in Germany, Switzerland, Japan, and the United States as well as releasing several independently produced albums. The topics discussed focused...
2021-01-221h 08
MFM SPEAKS OUTEP 21: Karl Evangelista on the Bay Area Improvised Music Scene"An Alternative (music business) infrastructure is one of the things that helps us keep this sustainable."In this episode of MFM Speaks Out, Dawoud Kringle interviews Oakland, California based guitarist Karl Evangelista is among the new wave of 21st century experimental / improvisational musicians. His work blends contemporary improvised music with popular song, 20th century composition, psychedelic rock, free jazz, and multicultural concepts. The topics discussed include his beginnings and inspiration as a professional improvisational / experimental musician, his work with Oliver Lake, Fred Frith, Eddie Gale, Trevor Watts, Hafiz Modizradeh, Muhal Richard Abrams, Roscoe Mitchell and many others, his...
2020-12-1159 min
MFM SPEAKS OUTEP 19: DeLaurentis on The New Wave of European Electronic Music"For me, there is a strong connection between music and images." - DeLaurentisIn this episode of MFM Speaks Out, Dawoud Kringle interviews Cecile DeLaurentis, commonly known as DeLaurentis. DeLaurentis is a French innovative electronic musician and producer. She studied music at the Perpignan Conservatory and at the University of Mirail in Jazz Musicology in Toulouse. Her work has been described as electro-cinematic music and stands out from most other electronic music artists as having an emotional and beautiful quality. She developed a unique style and technique for performance and voice manipulation with innovative use of Ableton softwar...
2020-11-131h 00
MFM SPEAKS OUTEP 17: Sal Cataldi on Surviving and Prospering as an Improvising Musician"To me, there isn't a middle zone between creative paths of improvisation and traditional paths... Musicians deserve to be compensated and deserve a decent environment to play their music." - Sal CataldiIn this episode of the MFM Speaks Out, Dawoud Kringle interviews Sal Cataldi. Sal is a guitarist, composer, improviser, producer, a contributor to nysmusic.com, MFM member, and founder of Cataldi Public Relations Inc," In this episode, Sal discusses his Spaghetti Eastern Music project, His recent release "One Act Sonix" with the Vapor Vespers project, his other music projects such as the Hari Karaoke Trio of...
2020-10-1655 min
MFM SPEAKS OUTEP 15: LaRonda Davis on the History and Mission of the Black Rock Coalition"If you're seeing only one side of 'Blackness,' and you think that is diversity, you're missing the point."In this episode of the MFM Speaks Out, Dawoud Kringle interviews LaRonda Davis, National President of the Black Rock Coalition (BRC), co-founder and CCO of Flaming Yoni Productions, and Group Creative Director of Publicis. The topics discussed include the history of the BRC, it's mission and accomplishments, their unique approach to music activism and their relationship with organizations such as MFM, AFM, Local 802, combating racism in the music industry, surviving the COVID-19 pandemic, and looking toward the future.
2020-09-1159 min
MFM SPEAKS OUTEP 13: Arturo O'Farrill on the Evolution of Latin JazzIn this episode of the MFM Speaks Out, Dawoud Kringle interviews master pianist, composer, producer, music educator, music activist, and MFM Advisory Committee Member Arturo O'Farrill. The podcast began with a discussion of O'Farrill's work with Chico O'Farrill, Harry Belafonte, and Dizzy Gilespie. O'Farrill talked about the evolution of Latin Jazz and the problems inherent in musical genres, and his work as a composer and as a collaborator with multi-disciplinary projects, such as his work with various dance companies. The dialogue explored his recent CD release and collaboration with Dr. Cornel West "Four Questions,"and how Dr. West inspired O...
2020-08-1459 min
MFM SPEAKS OUTEP 11 : Jackie Venson - A Rising Star Out of Austin“I very quickly realized that a music career without Internet presence in 2012 and beyond was not a music career.”In this episode of the MFM Speaks Out, Dawoud Kringle interviews Austin TX based guitarist, singer, songwriter, & producer Jackie Venson. Venson began as a classically trained pianist and student at the Berkeley School of Music. Eventually, she took up the guitar, and developed her approach to her multi-style music with blues as a foundation. In addition to several self-produced recordings and extensive experience touring and performing, Venson also has a prolific output of music videos. Her business model makes...
2020-07-1058 min
MFM SPEAKS OUTEP 9: Mark Deutsch Discusses the Artistic and Professional Aspects of Pursuing a Unique Musical VisionIn this episode of the MFM Speaks Out, Dawoud Kringle interviews California based musician, improviser, composer, and inventor of the Bazantar Mark Deutsch about his personal evolution from contrabass and sitar virtuoso to designing an unprecedented musical instrument, his artistic and spiritual philosophies on music, and the struggles of being an innovator and iconoclast. Mark started as a "go to guy" on both bass and sitar, before immersing himself in the Bazantar. He produced The Fool, his first recording of the Bazantar, and recently, The Picasso Tunings; a four CD release of music utilizing a set of tuning systems a...
2020-06-121h 05
MFM SPEAKS OUTEP 7: Stephen Johnson Discusses Issues Facing Musicians TodayIn this episode of MFM Speaks Out, Dawoud Kringle interviews guitarist Stephen Johnson; Polydor recording artist formerly of Victorian Parents, and Son of John, and presently with Future350), musical director of the Movita Dance Theater, and the co-founder and head of the MFM Hudson Valley Chapter in Kingston. Some of the topics discussed will include the changes in the music scene in Johnson's native Staffordshire UK, Cork County Ireland, and the US, the changing issues facing musicians today (especially in the pandemic), the need for community and solidarity, and the founding of MFM's first chapter outside New York City.
2020-05-0859 min
MFM SPEAKS OUTEP 5: Jeffrey James Speaks About the Future of Contemporary Classical Music.In this episode of the MFM Speaks Out podcast, co-host Dawoud Kringle interviews Jeffrey James, founder of Jeffery James Arts Consulting. The topics discussed included the founding and mission of Jeffery James Arts Consulting and 4Tay Records, James' work on the Board of Directors of the Long Island Music Hall of Fame, the California AB5 Law, composer’s issues, and the future of contemporary classical music.The three songs featured are: Kyle Gann - FaithJollee Wallach - Making Love to the MilkmanParathen Viols - Fantasia di sei Bassiby Alphonso Ferr...
2020-04-1057 min
MFM SPEAKS OUTEP 3: Singer-Songwriter Lyndol Descant Advocates Unity In The Music CommunityIn this episode of the MFM Speaks Out podcast, Dawoud Kringle interviewed pianist, singer, songwriter, composer, music educator, and music rights activist Lyndol Descant. The topics discussed included musician's rights activism, music education, the responsibilities of musicians and their function in society, and women's rights and issues in the music business.
CreditsProducer and host: Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi aka SoSaLaPublisher: Musicians For Musicians (MFM), Inc.Technical support: Adam Reifsteck (MFM Board)https://musiciansformusicians.org
2020-03-1359 min
MFM SPEAKS OUTEP 1: David Liebman on the Importance of Musician's Rights ActivismIn the debut episode of the MFM SPEAKS OUT podcast series, host Dawoud Kringle interviews saxophonist, composer, music educator, and music rights activist David Liebman. The topics discussed include jazz history, the process of music education, changes in the music profession, and the history and development of musician's rights activism. Liebman brings a perspective on the music business and music activism that focuses on the issues relevant to the modern musician.The two songs are courtesy of David Liebman Journey Around the Truth with Andy Emler, and Round Midnight with Richard Beirach.Liebman is a...
2020-02-1455 min