Episode 564 - Musician, Book And Magazine Publisher Mike Lawson

My guest today is musician, book and magazine publisher, and artist Mike Lawson, who also happens to be my book publishing champion.Mike was the person who took a chance on me to publish my first book, and then most of my subsequent 20+ books after that. He’s since gone on to become the owner and publisher of notable publications like School Band and Orchestra and Musical Merchandise Review magazines.If those credits were Mike’s only claim to fame it would be pretty substantial, but he’s also continued to be a working musician having recorded and/or performed with musical luminaries like Merl Saunders, Vince Welnick, Vassar Clements, Pete Sears, John McEuen, Bob Welch, Phil Keaggy, Jack Casady, Rob Wasserman, Michael Cleveland, and a host of others. He has released eight albums as “Mike Lawson and Friends,” continues to front his tribute band Hooterall?, and even has his own Pearl River signature guitar.During the interview we spoke about his journey to getting a signature guitar, transitioning from musician to publisher, staying on the bleeding edge of technology, his stints at Gibson, and much more.Timecodes:00:00:00 - Introduction: Mike Lawson's Journey00:00:22 - Meet Mike Lawson: Musician and Publisher00:01:33 - The Story Behind Mike's Signature Guitar00:06:22 - The Importance of Quality and Affordability in Instruments00:07:42 - Transitioning from Musician to Publisher00:08:15 - The Start of Mike's Publishing Career00:10:02 - The Birth of the Entertainment Source Library00:12:00 - Innovating with CompuServe and Music Industry Forums00:13:41 - Working with Gibson and Building Gibson.com00:15:40 - The Shift to Mixed Books and Publishing00:19:07 - The Evolution of Mike's Publishing Career00:22:29 - Returning to Gibson and New Opportunities00:24:15 - The Move to Alfred Publishing00:25:03 - Current Publishing Ventures: MMR and SBO00:27:49 - Balancing Music and Publishing00:28:19 - The Impact of COVID on Music Production00:30:37 - Embracing Technology in Music Creation00:33:36 - Imposter Syndrome: A Common Struggle00:37:21 - Lessons Learned from Merle Saunders and Vince Welnick00:40:41 - Conclusion and Closing RemarksAdditional Resources:Learn more about Mike's music at https://www.mikelawson.com, and his book and magazine publishing at https://artistpro.com–Get fantastic mixing tips from the best selling Mixing Engineer’s Handbook: https://bobbyowsinski.com/mixhandbookAccess my FREE music mixing crash course training: https://www.mixingcrashcourse.comCheck out my best-selling books: https://bobbyowsinski.com/best-selling-books/ Discover more mixing courses: https://www.bobbyowsinskicourses.com/ Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BobbyOwsinskiBiz/Follow me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobbyo/Follow me on IG: https://www.instagram.com/bobbyowsinski/Follow me on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/bobbyowsinski.bsky.socialAd link: Explore The Mixing Engineer’s Handbook (6th Edition), the go-to guide for modern mixing.Thank you for tuning in to Bobby Owsinski’s Inner Circle, the podcast that takes you deep inside the music industry. Each week, Bobby shares insights, news, analysis, and conversations with the movers and shakers shaping today’s music world.📌 Explore Bobby’s best-selling books🎙️ Nail that pro vocal sound: clear, upfront, and mix-ready. Learn how in Bobby’s Vocal Mixing Mini-Course🎧 Discover more mixing and production courses📲 Follow Bobby for more tips, insights, and updates:FacebookLinkedInInstagramBluesky🎙️ New episodes release every Tuesday at 9AM Pacific on YouTube and your favorite podcast app.Music. Business. Creativity. Straight from the Inner Circle.Produced by APodcastGeekhttps://apodcastgeek.com/