Musician Mindset – Details, episodes & analysis

Dylan Caligiuri talks about discipline, music education, emotional intelligence, human motivational systems, and many more essential concepts for musicians at every stage of their career.

Michael 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.

In 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 is the resident music director for McPhee International Vocal Studios, arranging and producing for artists in development, as well as the event entertainment contractor for Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank and Bright Horizons Family Solutions in Boston.  Nick also records and tours extensively with Aubrey Logan of Post-Modern Jukebox.   Since moving to Los Angeles in 2011, Nick has worked as an orchestrator on TV (ABC’s Revenge, Nashville, Modern Family, and Ten Days In The Valley, Showtime’s Shameless, CBS's Seal Team and Under The Dome, and NBC's Aquarius and Reverie), feature films ("Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters" and Mattel's BARBIE animated features), video games ("Halo 4"), and music albums (Seal's "Soul II" and Rod Stewart's "Merry Christmas, Baby," both under acclaimed producer, David Foster).

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 a guest clinician and performer at the Musician's Institute.  He’s also worked with Rob Hoffman (producer for Christina Aguilera),  Kevin Max (D.C. Talk), Something Like Silas, Under the Influence of Giants (Awolnation),  Hoobastank, Tim Myers (One Republic, solo artist) all by the time he was 24.  He’s been busy non-stop touring ever since.  During his down time he’s done sessions for and/or performed live with the Knux, the Symetrics, Timmy Curran, 3OH!3, Debbie Lurie (composer for Danny Elfman, and Katy's film), recently played on Hailee Steinfeld's upcoming single (academy award nominated actress from True Grit), Lissie, Adam Lambert, Aaron Embry, Patagonia films, and on the new unreleased Puscifer single "Dear Brother" (Maynard Keenan singer/band leader of A Perfect Circle, Tool) which was on the front page of Spin.com last week and still on the website to listen to now.

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, having done percussion ensemble arrangements of Star Wars medleys. He has written music for CBS’s The Talk and the podcast “Daddy Issues” as well as orchestrated on movies such as Fast Five with Brian Tyler and Skyline with Matthew Margeson. The movie he recently scored (“The Ballad of Whistler’s Creek”) for the 2019 48 Hour Film Project is currently nominated in the “Best Of” Los Angeles screenings which will be screened at the TCL Chinese Theater. He is a regularly gigging drummer playing for multiple groups, shows, and artists that perform all around the Los Angeles area such as Todd Glass, Wayne Brady, Roger Bart, Barrett Foa, Carlie Craig, Lea Thompson, and many more. You can regularly see Eric playing drums for Baby Wants Candy at Upright Citizens Brigade, weddings and corporate events with Business Time Entertainment, live band karaoke with The Moon Units, indie rock with the artist Speelburg, and on the Netflix comedy special, Todd Glass: Act Happy.

In 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/

Elliott 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 world with his live band.  He released the Christmas-themed “Sounds of the Season: The Elliott Yamin Holiday Collection’, later that same year which would be reissued in expanded form the following year as ‘My Kind of Holiday’.  Yamin's second official album, Fight for Love, followed, spawning the successful singles ‘Fight for Love’ and ‘Can't Keep on Loving You (From a Distance)’. His third album, ‘Let’s Get to What’s Real’, found Yamin stretching as an artist as a writer and co-producer.

 

Yamin continues to tour domestically and internationally which have also included three trips to Africa as a spokesman to the ‘Malaria no More Foundation’ as well as a variety of charities, relief groups and peace organizations. 

Fun 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

Money For Nothing: Dire Straights

In The Air Tonight: Phil Collins

Beast of Burden: The Rolling Stones

Even Better Than The Real Thing: U2

Lemon Parade: Tonic 

Gin And Juice: Snoop Dog

Crosstown Traffic: Jimi Hendrix 

Last 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.

Jordan 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, Pentatonix, Andrea Boccelli, Fantasia Barrino, Ariana Grande, and more.