Welcome to The Music Makers! THE ultimate podcast, created and hosted by Andy Kushner, sharing behind-the-scenes stories of some of the most influential music industry pros around. Gain insight, education, and inspiration from going deep into the psyches of artists, record producers, songwriters, recording engineers, managers, record industry executives, and more. Crank up the volume and get the inside scoop as you enter the world of...The Music Makers!
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Episode 62 Kurt Howell: Life Story of a Keyboardist, Lead Vocalist, Songwriter, Recording Artist, and Producer
Season 62
Friday, July 1, 2022 • Duration 55:04
Kurt Howell has been a keyboardist, lead vocalist, songwriter, recording artist, and producer. As you're about to hear, I first met Kurt back in the mid '70's when we played in our high school stage band together. I played trumpet and he played piano and he really influenced me in terms of improvising and playing with emotion and feel. I also hired his amazing teenage cover band to perform for a couple events I was involved with. I later learned that he went on to perform with Southern Pacific, the country rock group that put out five albums and had a series of hits. They were even named New Country Group of the Year at the CMA's. Kurt then put out a solo pop album produced by the well-known Michael Omartian and then formed the group, Burnin' Daylight with Marc Beeson and Sony LeMaire releasing one album that had three singles on the Billboard Country Music Charts including a top 40 hit. We recently reconnected and I got the whole story! I found Kurt to be extremely inspiring being a musician and artist who has truly enjoyed the ride.
Episode 61 Brent Birckhead/Saxophonist: A Musician's Journey Part 3
Episode 61
Friday, June 3, 2022 • Duration 33:22
This is the 3rd part in a series of interviews, done every couple of years, with Brent Birckhead, an award-winning artist who writes, composes, and performs on a variety of woodwinds, mostly alto saxophone. Educated at Howard University, Brent was named best blues/pop/rock soloist and outstanding instrumental jazz soloist by Downbeat Magazine as part of the annual Student Music Awards. Since then, he's received various other awards. He's also had the honor of performing and touring with legendary artists including Lauryn Hill, Wale, Eric Benet, Larry Graham, George Duke and many more. Brent was also the professor of saxophone at Morgan State University. If you haven't checked it out, listen to his debut album, Birckhead, and be on the lookout for his followup release. And be sure to listen to parts 1 and 2, episodes 5 and 6, on The Music Makers.
The Music Makers podcast theme song was written and produced by Andy Kushner with help from the rhythm section and horn players of the band, SoundConnection: Elliot Jefferson, Lamonte Silver, Keith Hammond, Roy Lambert, Joe Herrera, and Craig Alston.
Episode 52 Brad Clements: Trumpet Player Extraordinaire
Episode 52
Friday, September 10, 2021 • Duration 43:17
Trumpeter Brad Clements has recorded and/or performed with numerous major artists including Prince, Chuck Brown, Bootsy Collins, Aretha Franklin, Larry Graham, Kenny G, and Thievery Corporation. He also owns and runs B&B Music Lessons, which creates systems music teachers can use so they can focus on their craft and further hone their skills as well as help students find the best teachers available.
The Music Makers podcast theme song was written and produced by Andy Kushner with help from the rhythm section and horn players of the band, SoundConnection: Elliot Jefferson, Lamonte Silver, Keith Hammond, Roy Lambert, Joe Herrera, and Craig Alston.
Episode 51 Barry Dean: Conquering Fear to Become a Hit Songwriter
Episode 51
Friday, August 27, 2021 • Duration 52:52
Barry Dean is a hit country and pop songwriter with four #1 singles and various other cuts and/or hits recorded by Little Big Town, Michael Ray, Jon Pardi, Ingrid Michaelson, Tim McGraw & Faith Hill, George Strait, Blake Shelton, Carrie Underwood, Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith, and many more. In addition to various songwriting awards, Barry earned a Grammy nomination for Tim McGraw's "Diamond Rings and Old Barstools."
Links instagram is: @thebarrydean
Mentioned Lori McKenna (#20) Beth Laird (#16)
Episode 50 Rob Wells: Multi-Platinum Award-Winning Producer/Songwriter
Episode 50
Friday, August 13, 2021 • Duration 41:12
Rob Wells is a multi-platinum, award-winning producer/songwriter based in Canada, and is the other half of the writing/production team The Fourth Floor with singer, songwriter & recording artist Shobha. Rob has worked with Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, Adam Lambert, Katharine McPhee, the Backstreet Boys, Nelly Furtado, Desmond Child, Cyndi Lauper, Corey Hart, & many others. His work has been featured in numerous films, television shows, commercials and video games worldwide. Rob has appeared as a music producer on "Canadian Idol", "The House Of Carters" & "The Next Star". His awards include first place in numerous songwriting competitions, and SOCAN #1 awards with gold, platinum & multi-platinum certifications. He also has his own label and teaches hundreds of students.
Episode 49 Khaliq Glover: Grammy Award-Winning Recording Engineer, Mixing Engineer, Producer, and Songwriter
Episode 49
Friday, July 30, 2021 • Duration 39:41
Khaliq Glover, also known as Khaliq-O-Vision, is a grammy award winning recording engineer, mixing engineer, producer, and songwriter based in LA. Khaliq was 1st engineer on records by Jermaine Jackson, Donna Summer, Kenny Rogers, Jeffrey Osborne, and many more. He was also one of the engineers to work on the We Are The World project produced by Quincy Jones with an all star cast including Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Diana Ross, and many others. More recent projects include working with Prince and Justin Timberlake. He also worked with Herbie Hancock for his collaboration CD, Possibilities, with artists including John Mayer, Christina Aguilera, Stevie Wonder, Santana, Sting, and others.
www.khaliq-o-vision.com
Episode 48 Sylver Logan Sharp: Former Lead Singer of Chic and More!
Episode 48
Friday, July 16, 2021 • Duration 47:59
Sylver Logan Sharp was the former lead singer of the legendary group CHIC, w/Nile Rodgers & the late, Bernard Edwards for 20 years! She also recorded and/or performed with Kid Rock, Slash, Elton John, and numerous others. She also had a #1 hit with Jonathan Peters. Andy has seen Sylver perform numerous times and says she's one of his favorite singers and performers…she's a true dynamo! Sylver also has her own Jewelry line called Sylverwear with many celebrity clients.
Episode 47 Martin Sutton: Hit Songwriter, Producer and The Songwriting Academy
Episode 47
Friday, June 25, 2021 • Duration 45:13
Martin Sutton is a multi-platinum British songwriter, record producer, mixer, multi-instrumentalist, programmer, and songwriting coach and mentor living and working in the United Kingdom. He has worked with many major artists worldwide including LeAnn Rimes, Céline Dion, Backstreet Boys, Olivia Newton-John, Gary Barlow, Mike + The Mechanics, K-pop superstars Super Junior, The X Factor and American Idol winners, and more! He is also the founder of The Songwriting Academy with an incredible faculty of industry professionals all under one roof! The Songwriting Academy provides students with courses that provide the skills, guidance, contacts, and advice to further anyone's career in the music industry.
Even though Martin grew up in Norfolk in England, which he notes as not being much of a musical hotspot, he still had music and a love and passion for it in his blood. He talks about that and how he got into music and songwriting, and also discusses the Songwriting Academy and how it is unique in what it offers, his Clubhouse rooms and what they have to offer, what a successful collaboration is to him, what kind of music he grew up on and who influenced him, what the very first record was that he ever purchased, how success doesn't mean the same thing to everyone, the importance of finding the appropriate balance between lyrics and melody, how he tries to do everything that he does as a songwriter and as a creator with authenticity, and so much more!
This conversation with Martin is a great one for anyone who wants to take their career in music and songwriting to the next level. Andy had such a great time chatting with Martin and hopes that listeners will enjoy listening in! He would be very appreciative if you would help build the community by sharing this podcast with friends and fellow musicians and lovers of music! A great review would also be very helpful and appreciated!
Show Highlights:
[0:10] – Andy gives us some information about today's guest, Martin Sutton.
Episode 46 Nathan East: Premier Bass Player with Over 2000 Recordings!
Episode 46
Friday, June 11, 2021 • Duration 43:07
With over 2,000 recordings, Nathan East is considered one of the most recorded bass players in history! He is a founding member of the GRAMMY-nominated contemporary jazz band Fourplay and has recorded, performed, and/or co-written songs with a huge number of major artists including Michael Jackson, Beyoncé, Stevie Wonder, Eric Clapton, Peter Gabriel, Whitney Houston, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Phil Collins, Toto, Daft Punk, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, The Bee Gees, Steve Winwood, Elton John, Quincy Jones, Earth Wind & Fire, Savage Garden, Sting, Michael McDonald, The Isley Brothers, Joe Satriani, and that's just some of them! The list goes on and on! You should also be aware that Nathan has released two incredible solo albums, with the most recent being Reverence in 2017 which hit the #1 spot on both the Jazz albums and the Contemporary Jazz albums Billboards charts.
Nathan discusses his earliest memory of music moving him emotionally and also describes his innate musical ability as a gift and one of the first miracles of his life. He reflects on his first major break having worked with Barry White and where he went from there. He enthusiastically describes his experiences having worked with artists like Quincy Jones, Chick Corea, Whitney Houston, Phil Collins, Michael Jackson, Michael McDonald, and others, and he talks about topics such as the differences between touring and recording, whether or not his mindset changes between recording different genres of music, whether or not he struggles with any difficulties in his profession, and how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted him. He closes by briefly touching upon his work as a teacher via the Nathan East Online School of Bass out of ArtistWorks, humbly asserting that he still learns plenty by teaching.
Andy describes his chat with Nathan East as an incredible conversation and really appreciated this opportunity to talk to Nathan. He would be very appreciative if you would help build the community by sharing this podcast with friends and fellow musicians and lovers of music! A great review would also be very helpful and appreciated!
Episode 45 Steve Ferrone: Celebrity Session and Touring Drummer
Episode 45
Friday, May 28, 2021 • Duration 57:09
Steve Ferrone has recorded and/or toured as a drummer with numerous high profile acts, including Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers from 1994 until now, Average White Band for eight years, George Harrison, Duran Duran, Stevie Nicks, Slash, Chaka Khan, Eric Clapton, The Bee Gees, Johnny Cash, Bryan Ferry, Peter Frampton, Whitney Houston, Pat Metheny, Marcus Miller, Steve Winwood, Paul Simon, and Jaco Pastorius – and that's just some of the acts he's been with!
This was a blast of a conversation because Steve has so many great stories. He talks about his work with The Average White Band, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Chaka Khan, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, and Michael Jackson. He also talks about some of his favorite bass players and more!
Steve was actually a tap dancer at a young age. He was only twelve years old, and he shares how that inadvertently led to his first drumming gig. He explains how he found his sound, as a drummer, and the journey that led him to where he is today.
Despite the fact that Steve has played drums on a lot of classic hits from artists such as Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (with whom he has worked for more than twenty-five years!), Chaka Khan, Michael Jackson, and so many others, he definitely maintains a certain level of modesty, presenting the possibility that a hit with which he was involved "was already a hit and I got to play on it." He also discusses the advent of the drum machine and electronic drums and how they initially made some drummers panic thinking that their work would become obsolete. He shares his own feelings on electronic drums and gives examples of times when he maintained the value of organic drums over electronic ones, such as when he worked on "Earth Song" by Michael Jackson.
Andy and Steve also talk a little about the COVID-19 pandemic and how it affected musicians, with Steve detailing what his life and profession have been like ever since the breakout of the pandemic. He remains optimistic and hopeful that an end to the pandemic is in sight but also clarifies that he is grateful for that which he has been able to hold onto in his life. Having worked with so many high profile musicians, Steve definitely has of great stories to share and makes for a very fascinating guest on the podcast!
Apple Podcasts
🇬🇧 Great Britain - musicInterviews
11/08/2026
#69
🇨🇦 Canada - musicInterviews
20/05/2026
#98
🇨🇦 Canada - musicInterviews
19/05/2026
#78
🇨🇦 Canada - musicInterviews
18/05/2026
#70
[1:23] – Martin describes his Clubhouse rooms and what they offer.
[4:01] – Andy and Martin chat about what Nathan East said about the influence of the hang and collaborating.
[6:44] – Martin describes where he grew up and how he got into songwriting.
[8:05] – We discover who some of Martin's musical influences are and how Martin has always loved melancholy songs.
[10:17] – Martin discusses his growing years as a songwriter, citing Donovan, Simon & Garfunkel, James Taylor, and Joni Mitchell as some of his biggest influences.
[11:49] – Martin talks about his prior publishing deal with Universal Music.
[13:51] – Martin stresses the importance of relationships and who you work with.
The Music Makers podcast theme song was written and produced by Andy Kushner with help from the rhythm section and horn players of the band, SoundConnection.
[0:10] – Andy gives us some background information on Nathan East.
[2:38] – Nathan shares his earliest memory of being emotionally moved by music.
[3:14] – We learn that Nathan was only sixteen when he got his first big break playing with Barry White.
[4:28] – Nathan discusses his stint with Quincy Jones playing on Michael Jackson's Off The Wall album.
[6:02] – Nathan shares where he believes musical ability at such a young age comes from.
[7:45] – Nathan justifies why he lists Paul McCartney as an influence on him as a bassist.
[9:16] – We discover how Nathan went about finding his signature sound as a bass player.
[11:04] – Nathan reflects on his general approach and mindset when he is playing in a more supportive role and shares what his experience working with Whitney Houston was like.
[13:45] – Andy and Nathan discuss a quote that is on Nathan's website about how Nathan loves the element of surprise when it comes to the recording process.
[15:20] – Nathan expounds upon the touring process and how it differs from recording and talks about having worked with Chick Corea.
[18:05] – Andy and Nathan enthuse over Nathan's work with Phil Collins.
[19:38] – Nathan details the process of having co-written "Easy Lover," recorded by Phil Collins.
[22:09] – We hear about Nathan's collaboration with Michael Jackson.
[24:27] – Nathan tells Andy about his experience having worked with Stevie Wonder.
[26:00] – We learn about Nathan's collaboration with Peter Gabriel.
[26:41] – Nathan recounts his work on a Beyoncé song and working with David Foster.
[27:51] – Nathan praises Michael McDonald's artistry and personality.
[28:54] – Nathan describes his process of writing instrumental pieces.
[30:16] – We hear Nathan discuss some of his favorite drummers and what elements make a drummer especially good.
[32:56] – Nathan offers advice to young people who might want to become musicians like he is, asserting that every single note you play should be important.
[34:40] – Andy and Nathan have a conversation about the COVID-19 pandemic and how it affected Nathan.
[37:40] – We learn who Nathan will likely be touring with in 2022.
[39:35] – Nathan discusses and describes what kind of gear he is currently using to play bass.
[40:52] – Nathan enthusiastically states that there is still plenty for him to learn and gives his students at ArtistWorks a nod.
The Music Makers podcast theme song was written and produced by Andy Kushner with help from the rhythm section and horn players of the band, SoundConnection.
[00:10] Andy gives some background information on Steve Ferrone and his career so far as a high profile drummer.
[2:06] – Steve reveals where his passion for drumming comes from and shares what some of his hobbies were as a child.
[5:00] – Steve reveals how he scored his first drumming gig.
[7:14] – We learn how Steve found his sound as a musician.
[10:19] – Steve talks about what his process is like preparing for recording in the studio.
[12:27] – Steve shares the story of having worked with Duran Duran on their "Ordinary World" song.
[15:18] – Steve reflects on how he feels about many musicians today playing their parts separately and sending them in rather than all being in the same room playing together.
[18:55] – Steve hones in on an important lesson that he learned from Arif Mardin.
[22:03] – Steve looks back on his time with The Average White Band.
[22:38] – Steve and Andy discuss Tom Petty and what it was like for Steve to work with him.
[24:34] – Steve talks about his time with Chaka Khan.
[27:40] – Steve explains how his collaboration with Eric Clapton came about.
[30:45] – We learn how Steve led a very busy life while touring with Eric Clapton because he was touring with him and with Duran Duran.
[32:45] – Andy and Steve enthuse over Phil Collins' phenomenal drumming work.
[35:38] – Steve talks about electronic drums and how they were incorporated into "I Feel for You" by Chaka Khan.
[36:42] – Steve narrates how he came to work with George Harrison.
[38:47] – Steve explains how George Harrison might hold the record for most expensive recording session ever.
[41:56] – Steve describes his experiences working with different bass players.
[44:00] – We learn that the business side of things is Steve's least favorite aspect of his job.
[44:57] – Steve describes his experience working on "Earth Song" by Michael Jackson.
[48:35] – Andy and Steve talk about what Steve is looking forward to now that we're reaching the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.
[50:25] – Steve describes an experience that he had recording a project during the pandemic.
[52:05] – Steve looks forward to the day when the pandemic is over but remains grateful for what he has in his life now even in a pandemic.
[54:22] – Steve talks a little bit about his jazz group, The Coffee Shop Trio, and how they play.
The Music Makers podcast theme song was written and produced by Andy Kushner with help from the rhythm section and horn players of the band, SoundConnection.
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