PODCAST · music
The Big Break
by Royalty Exchange
While the limelight goes to the performers, the heart and soul of the music business is the songwriter. My Big Break explores the stories of these unsung heroes who largely operate behind the scenes, writing and producing the music we all love. How did they write their hit song? What’s the secret to a sustainable creative career in music today? And most importantly… how did they get their Big Break? Hosted by Antony Bruno, former Billboard editor and music industry consultant, now Dir. of Communications for Royalty Exchange. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
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Ant Martini - Drive and hustle
For this episode we are joined by Anthony Martini, best known for discovering massive artists like Tyga and Lil Dicky, but his experience in the music industry is vast. Ant sits down with us to talk about how he evolved from an artist, to a manager, and the importance of hustle, on this episode…
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Domingo- The importance of mentors
This week we sit down with Domingo Padilla, a music legend with over 30 years of experience under his belt as a producer for some of the biggest names in rap and hip-hop. Domingo shares with us his experiences, the importance of mentors, publishing, and more, on this episode of The Big Break.…
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Anthony Lee Norris - Believing in yourself
Anthony Lee Norris, better known as Lee on the Beats, joins us to talk about growing up in music, the people in his corner, the power of technology, and why it's important to believe in yourself, on this episode of The Big Break. Lee on the Beats Twitter Lee on the Beats Instagram Antony’s…
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Brad Rempel - Record Contracts and always being grateful
Like many artists, Brad Rempel got out of his first record contract. But unlike others, he harbors no ill will. In this episode of The Big Break, the High Valley founder explains why artists shouldn’t “crucify” the companies making early bets on your career. To keep up with Brad: High Valley...
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Adam Craig - Focusing on the work
This week we are joined by Adam Craig. Adam has experience on both sides of the coin. He has pursued a career as a recording and touring artist, and was even named by Rolling Stone as one of the top 10 country acts to know in 2016, but he's recently put the road to rest to focus on his passion…
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Matt Rogers - Understanding your Publishing deal
Matt Rogers is a songwriting dynamo. He has written for major country artists like Brett Aldridge, Luke Bryan, Dustin Lynch, Justin Moore, Chris Young, Jimmie Allen, and tons more- even branching out to other genre artists like Jordin Sparks. Matt started his music career in Nashville, like many...
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Jack Forman- Live Performances in the age of Covid-19
Show Notes Our guest this week is Jack Forman, President of BiCoastal Productions. BiCoastal is a booking agency working with acts like Colin Mochrie, Scotland’s Red Hot Chilli Pipers, The Daily Show Writers Comedy Tour, and tons more. Jack joins us to discuss the state of the industry today, and...
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Johnny Dwinell - Digital Marketing and the Music Industry
Joining us this week is podcaster, producer, marketer, and all-around music industry wiz, Johnny Dwinell. Johnny started out as a musician, performing in hair metal bands, but he pivoted to focus more on business and marketing side, developing artists through his own company. Today, he is not…
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Brent Baxter - Publishers and looking to the future
Joining us this week is Brent Baxter, a hit songwriter who has worked with artists like Alan Jackson, Lady Antebellum, Randy Travis, and many more. He is also one of the co-hosts of the songwriter podcast The C.L.I.M.B. and is extremely active in the songwriter development sphere through the...
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Ben Stennis - Patience and networking
Joining us this week is country songwriter Ben Stennis. Ben has written for numerous artists including Jason Aldean, Justin Moore, Florida Georgia Line, the list goes on. Ben’s break didn’t happen all at once. It was a series of steps that lead from one accomplishment to the next over ten years...
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Zoe Keating - Independence in the industry
Our guest this week is legendary Cellist Zoe Keating. Zoe is an independent artist who found success in fusing musical styles through technology. Her music has been used in television shows, radio shows, and has been used in over 20,000 third party videos. Beyond that, her work has hit #7 on the...
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Dr. Chaii- The importance of momentum, and being in the room
Our guest this week is Grammy nominated producer and songwriter Philip Kembo, known as “Dr. Chaii”. Dr. Chaii has co-produced and co-written for global superstars like Sean Paul, Pitbull, Chris Brown, Camila Cabello, Dua Lipa, and many others. Born and raised in Harare, Zimbabwe, Dr. Chaii found...
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Steve Daly- Traction and the small breaks
There is not always a defining moment that screams success. Sometimes, it’s a culmination of small decisions and opportunities that make up that big break, and it’s only when taking a step back that we can truly see it. Just ask our guest this week, Grammy nominated producer Steve Daly. Steve was...
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Michale Graves- Keeping Focus
Our guest this week is Michale Graves, best known for joining the revival of legendary international punk band ‘The Misfits’ as their lead singer. Michale has had an incredible career in music, with difficult ebbs and flows of good times and bad. The key to his success? Focus, doing the work and...
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Jeffery David- Glass Half-Full
Our guest this week is lifetime producer, Jeffery David. Jeff has worked in music for the entirety of his life, producing tracks independently, and also as a musical director for his church. He has collaborated with superstars like Zedd, and built his success from the ground up. Most recently, in...
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Slade Echeverria from 'Anarbor' - What does success mean for you?
Success has a different meaning for everyone, and it’s not always easy to define. Our guest this week is Slade Echeverria, one of the founding members, and current manager of the rock band Anarbor. Slade and the band saw success early, getting a Record deal when they were still in their teens…
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Carlos Battey 'Jackie's Boy' - Don't take life for granted
Carlos Battey, better known as Jackie’s Boy, lost both of his parents at a young age- a massive life hurdle that can disrupt even the best laid plans. However, Carlos took that loss and channeled it into his music, grinding, writing, and networking on the streets of LA. His hard work paid off…
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Cam Meekins - Building your own brand as an Independent Artist
These days, musical artists have tough decisions to make when thinking about their own growth. Like whether to sign a deal, or stay independent. With the growth of online resources, both options can lead to success, but having the choice is critical. Just ask our guest this week Cam Meekins, a...
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Felix Snow- Adaptability and Collaboration
Adaptability is a key component in the music industry. The ability to work with different musicians, styles, and artists of all types is important to ongoing success and growth. There are fewer better examples of adaptable musicians than our guest this week, Felix Snow. A lifelong musician, Felix...
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Bobby Messano
It’s not often that the world sees a living legend, someone who’s work changes the landscape of their field before their very eyes, but that’s exactly what we have in Bobby Messano. Bobby has been in the music industry for over 40 years as a guitarist. He has seen some of the biggest bands rise…
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Jake Broido
Jake Broido has really lived a life of music. From his highschool days he was interning with major producers, seeing superstars like Adele, and Katy Perry in action in the studio. He continued to write and produce his own music as he went through college, even opening for Kendrick Lamar among...
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Bianca Atterberry "Blush"
The major labels in the music industry are responsible for a lot of the biggest hits we all listen to, but they aren’t the only avenue for success. Just ask our guest this week, Bianca Atterberry, better known by her artist name “Blush.” Bianca was signed with a major, and has worked with tons of...
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Dario Forzato
If there is one thing that’s for certain, it’s that there are lots of ways to see success working in the Music Industry. Just ask our guest this week, Dario Forzato, a guitarist from Italy who came to the United States to pursue his dreams in music. Starting from scratch in a new country, Dario…
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Chris Jackson
Chris Jackson is best known for his work with R&B legends like Cheryl Cole, Tank and Toni Braxton. He’s a believer in chemistry in the songwriting process - the idea that two people writing together can come up with something greater than themselves, and it shows in the success he’s had as a...
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Stealing Oceans
Brian Thompson was constantly creating music his younger years, practicing rapping in dorm rooms and on school campuses. When he found his life going down the wrong path, his response was always to focus on music. Brian is better known by his artist name Stealing Oceans. He is an alternative...
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James 'Keyz' Foye
James Foye, better known as Keyz, is part of the Grammy winning production duo The Upperclassmen. In the early years of high school James was making beats and immersing himself in music. His talent did not go unnoticed either- receiving a Grammy Nomination before graduating from college. How did...
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Ashanti Floyd - The Mad Violinist
Crossing over styles and merging sounds has always been a big part of the evolution of music, and few musicians have had the same impact as Ashanti Floyd, better known as the Mad Violinist. Ashanti was born into music. Both his mother and father were accomplished musicians, and they ingrained in...
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Fly By Midnight
Justin Breit and Justin Slaven, known as Bryte and Slavo, make up the pop duo Fly By Midnight. The pair first met at a songwriting session in New York, and instantly connected. After a few sessions working together, they decided to join forces. They built a fan base by covering popular songs on...
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Eddie Grey
Some musicians have made their career being a specialist. Being the go-to for one part of the process. But, the music industry is shifting to require each music creator to wear more hats, and our guest this week does just that. Eddie Grey is a music composer and self-proclaimed…
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Kuk Harrell
If you’ve heard a pop song in the last two decades, odds are you’ve been witness to the work of our guest this week. Kuk Harrell is the vocal producer in the music business. He’s won 5 Grammy awards, and has worked with nearly every superstar making music today. Including Rihanna, Beyonce…
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Mario Lalli
Desert Rock is a sub-genre of rock known for it’s free-form, and trance-like grooves made popular by notable bands such as Queens of the Stoneage, and Kyuss. How do sub-genre’s get created? What inspires a style? We’ll learn in a minute because our guest this week is Mario Lalli, one of the...
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Brandyn Burnette - Eman8
The boom and bust of the music industry creates some incredible life lessons. One month you’re on top of the world, the next you’re scrounging for any kind of placement. This is especially true for our guest this week, Brandyn Burnette. Brandyn got his first publishing deal at just 19 years old.…
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Schmarx and Savvy
Marc Schneider and Savannah Giersch are the songwriting and producing duo Schmarx and Savvy. After being introduced by a mutual friend, the two began to write music together while living on opposite ends of the country. Some months later the pair reconnected in Nashville and became Schmarx and...
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Mr. Robotic
Marcas Harris treats his music career like a business. Music for marcas started as battle-rapping in the lunchroom in high school. After gaining recognition in the battle-rap scene under the name “Bullet”, Marcas began to book shows around his hometown of Chicago. When his performances began to...
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Beat Billionaire
Shamann Cooke grew up in Richmond, Virginia. As an escape from the drugs and violence in his neighborhood, he began rapping, and cultivating himself as an artist. When he got recognized at a rap battle in New York, Shamann was connected to industry superstars like T.I., Young Dro, Rick Ross, and...
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Ben Tankard
Things don’t always go according to plan, and that rings especially true for our guest this week, Ben Tankard. Ben had just joined the NBA when an injury ended his basketball career before it even had a chance to start. After a few years of working as a dog catcher, Ben started taking his lunch...
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Daniel Capellaro
You know the feeling when everything seems to be falling into place? Things just seem to work out in a way that seems too good to be true? That’s exactly what it was like for our guest this week, Daniel Capellaro. See, after he learned guitar and started singing, a chance encounter with a record...
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Andrew Cedar
Our guest this week is producer and songwriter Andrew Cedar. Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few years, you’ve probably heard his songs Flo Rida, Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth. That includes Grammy Nominated song, “See You Again.” Andrew grew up taking weekly piano lessons from...
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Amadeus
Antwan Thompson, better known by his producer name, Amadeus, is a heavy hitter in the music industry. He has credits with an extraordinarily long list of superstars which includes Jennifer Lopez, Trey Songz, Justin Bieber, Tyga and many more. Growing up in the Bronx in New York, Amadeus started…
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Damon Sharpe
A lifetime performer, Damon Sharpe started his career as a touring dancer when he was only 15 years old. His early success as a dancer led to multiple acting jobs, a television show, and even a record deal before it all came crashing down around him, teaching him the first and greatest lesson of...
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Andrew Kirk
Andrew Kirk started out in music as the drummer for his church’s band and before he knew it, he was 18 years old and touring around the U.S. with them. Being barely out of high school and touring the country may sound like he’d made it, but it was only the starting point for him. A few record…
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Emile Ghantous
Emile Ghantous is a grammy nominated record producer and songwriter. He has credits with artists like Pitbull, JoJo, Charlie Wilson and dozens of other household names. But, before he was producing songs for big-time artists, he was just a kid buying the latest R&B CDs in his hometown- Peoria,...
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Tami LaTrell
What happens when one of your songs is picked up by a superstar before you’re even 20? That’s exactly what happened to our guest this week. Tami Latrell-Harris is a multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated songwriter with an unbelievable resume of work under her belt. She started out singing and…
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Jahlil Beats
Orlando Tucker is our guest this week on the big break. If you’re not familiar with that name, you’ll definitely know his production tag, Jahlil Beats. Jahlil was born into music. From the age of 3 he was learning about music production from his father, and grew up developing his musical skills....
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Jane't Sewell
This week on The Big Break we are joined by Jane’t Sewell, who is responsible for the massive hit “Empire State of Mind” performed by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys. Janet started her career at a young age. A blend of business and creativity, she dedicated herself to the music industry the moment she...
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Sermstyle
Jamie Sanderson, better known as Sermstyle, grew up in Newcastle in Northern England. He started off as a hip hop producer, but as he networked and grew his following on Twitter he developed a fascination for Pop music and the global influence it has. He would spend hours and hours studying pop...
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John Chisum
John Chisum is a lifetime singer, songwriter, and Christian music producer based in Nashville, Tennessee. As a young man, John moved to Nashville to pursue his dreams of songwriting. When he connected with legendary gospel songwriter Bill Gaither, he was presented with the opportunity to not only...
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Eric Dan
Eric Dan is the man behind ID Labs, a Pittsburgh recording studio that oversaw the development of superstars Wiz Khalifa, and Mac Miller. Eric dove head-first into music at a young age, trying his hand at various instruments and stage performances, while running multiple jobs as he slowly built…
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Frankie Storm
Frankie Storm is the songwriter behind hits like “Don’t Stop the Music” by Rihanna, and “Lightweight” by Demi Lovato. Frankie started singing in her church choir and learning different instruments in her teens. Her career took off when a rapper asked her to record a hook for his album – her first...
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Bruce Waynne Part 2
Today we reunite with Bruce Waynne, part of the producing duo Midi Mafia to hear the rest of his story. Where we left off, Bruce and his partner David Swift had rented a large studio house and were diving into the R&B scene. From there, Bruce learned about loose ends, protecting yourself as an...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
While the limelight goes to the performers, the heart and soul of the music business is the songwriter. My Big Break explores the stories of these unsung heroes who largely operate behind the scenes, writing and producing the music we all love. How did they write their hit song? What’s the secret to a sustainable creative career in music today? And most importantly… how did they get their Big Break?
Hosted by Antony Bruno, former Billboard editor and music industry consultant, now Dir. of Communications for Royalty Exchange.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
HOSTED BY
Royalty Exchange
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Big Break have?
The Big Break currently has 51 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Big Break about?
While the limelight goes to the performers, the heart and soul of the music business is the songwriter. My Big Break explores the stories of these unsung heroes who largely operate behind the scenes, writing and producing the music we all love. How did they write their hit song? What’s the secret...
How often does The Big Break release new episodes?
The Big Break has 51 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to The Big Break?
You can listen to The Big Break on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Big Break?
The Big Break is created and hosted by Royalty Exchange.
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