Artist Magic

Kendall Rock is a photographer who has worked with several West Coast-based musicians and bands, including the Wild Reeds and Courtney Marie Andrews, as well as for festivals, tours, and more.

What I loved about this conversation is that Kendall had some great advice for turning your music into visual branding, which many musicians find difficult. She gives practical tips and advice about working with photographers, including what to have prepared before your shoot, and how to treat your photographer right.

After you listen to this episode, I think you'll be inspired to pick up a pen and paper and brainstorm, or maybe surf through Pinterest and start a mood board--whatever you need to do to start thinking about how to really nail down your visual vibe as a musician, which of course contributes to your brand identity.

Show notes are available here: http://www.megan-kuhar.com/blog/kendall-rock

Jenna Fournier is an artist in so many ways: a guitarist, songwriter, painter, animator, model, dress-up-player... She’s seemingly not afraid to try anything. As a musician in the shoegaze Cleveland-based band Niights, as well as through her solo work Kid Tigrrr, Jenna’s creativity doesn’t stop with making the music. Her approach to social media marketing is just as creative as her creative expression through painting and guitar.

She’s painted herself as a Dali masterpiece, created living show fliers, animated little videos with butterflies and stars, and posed with wolves. Following her on social media is like peeking into her mind, and it’s a fantastical place to be.

Jenna and I had a conversation about being an artist and embracing social media marketing—how you don’t have to give up one for the other. We’re friends in person, so we sat down together in Jenna’s whimsical apartment, got a couple ciders, and talked it out. There’s a lot to say.

Show notes are available here: http://www.megan-kuhar.com/blog/jenna-fournier

Understanding your messaging and identity is the #1 step to building your brand, but it doesn’t stop there—you gotta have a consistent visual brand, too.

In this episode, I talk about 4 things you HAVE to do for a better visual brand. They are:

#1: PERSONALIZE templates, but don't ALTER them completely

#2: Have 1-3 fonts chosen for your brand (use http://fontsquirrel.com, http://pixelsurplus.com to find some new ones)

#3: Have 1-3 colors chosen for your brand (use the color palette on http://coolors.co)

#4: Make a name logo and save it as a transparent background image

Join my "How to Build a Brand Without Feeling Like a Phony" masterclass waitlist at http://megan-kuhar.com/masterclass

Thanks to Jessica Dutton at Music Teacher Business Launchpad Facebook group for hosting me for this topic in a live video. *

Recently, I chatted with Madeline and Lindsay, two of my clients and the musicians who make up duo The Twosdays, to talk about how their approach towards social media has changed since enrolling in my program Fan Finder.

Before taking the course, Lindsay explained that marketing and social media was just something that she “really had to try to care about.” She goes on to explain that not only was it difficult to approach, but that she was actually afraid of how to use it. “I was scared of infiltrating,” she said.

Now? Madeline and Lindsay are having fun, reaching their audience, and using social media as a means to develop a loyal fanbase.

You can listen to the episode now to hear how Lindsay and Madeline went from Fearful to Fierce on social media, and how you can learn my 3-step formula for building your brand for FREE!

Links: megan-kuhar.com/masterclass

Show notes: megan-kuhar.com/blog/madeline-and-lindsay

When improvisational chamber group/band/ensemble 9 Horses came to the Baldwin Wallace University Conservatory of Music (where I work) as a guest ensemble-in-residence, I knew I had to get them on my podcast.

Joe Brent, Sara Caswell, and Andrew Ryan are living the realities of being professional musicians—or as we continue to say in 2019, “musicians of the 21st century.” (When will that century distinction end, btw?) The members of the trio collectively have experiences under their belts like working with Regina Spektor and Esperanza Spalding, composing music across multiple genres, and oh yeah, violinist Sara Caswell’s 2018 GRAMMY nomination for Best Improvised Jazz Solo.

This conversation took place crammed in a tiny basement recording studio, streaming Live on Facebook, and it definitely touched a lot of bases. To be honest, sometimes we slid into the bases, knees in the dirt and dust kicked up everywhere. It was productive, fun, and enlightening.

Here’s some of what we talked about:

What curriculum they'd include if they built a Conservatory of Music from scratch

How they feel about social media & marketing (fair warning, it's a heated discussion...)

How music is becoming "genreless," and

Whether there actually is enough time to practice.

I want to make sure I take a moment to thank a few people who made this conversation possible at Baldwin Wallace University Conservatory of Music, especially dean Susan Van Vorst, Erika Haskell, and Bill Hartzell, as well as Scott and Julie Mawaka, whose generous support allowed for 9 Horses to visit with our students and help them create an educational, life-affirming experience. Thank you!

Show notes are available here: http://www.megan-kuhar.com/blog/the-21st-century-musician-with-9-horses