Andy Lykens

Innovating and operating through growth

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Music Lessons Podcast #005: Listening to Your Inner Voice with Abraham Alexander

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Music Lessons is a podcast where we explore the analogous principles of music and growth by interviewing top musicians. In this episode, my guest is Tina Schlieske, the Minnesota native who’s amazing live performances are a must-see.

Abraham Alexander is a Greek-born singer-songwriter with West African roots. As a child, he moved to Ft. Worth Texas where a knee-injury sidelined a burgeoning soccer career. By happenstance, he picked up a guitar and has been touring non-stop, while his new album SEA/SONS is making waves in AAA radio. He’s recently toured with The Lumineers, Lucius, Mavis Staples, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Ani DiFranco, Shakey Graves and Gary Clark Jr.

Abraham Alexander heads out on his first headline tour across the U.S. this fall, kicking off October 13 in Austin with stops in New York City, Los Angeles, Denver and more. See here for a complete list of Abraham Alexander tour dates. You can also find him on Instagram, YouTube, and even more via his website. His new album SEA/SONS is available on Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube, and wherever you stream music.

Abraham and I had a great conversation about his path from Greece to the US, and how listening to his inner voice became instructive for him as he move through his journey to the debut of his album SEA/SONS. We talk about his approach to music and how it mirrors his experience as a soccer player, and get deep into the weeds on how he put his team together in the Dallas Fort-Worth community of songwriters.

Please enjoy my conversation with Abraham Alexander!

You can also listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast, Amazon Music, and on other podcast platforms.

If you enjoy this episode, please subscribe & rate the Music Lessons Podcast here:

Have a favorite quote? Let me know on Twitter!

See the show notes by clicking “read more” below…

Read More (Show Notes): Music Lessons Podcast #005: Listening to Your Inner Voice with Abraham Alexander

Music Lessons Podcast #004: Vulnerability & Trust with Tina Schlieske

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Music Lessons is a podcast where we explore the analogous principles of music and growth by interviewing top musicians. In this episode, my guest is Tina Schlieske, the Minnesota native who’s amazing live performances are a must-see.

Tina Schlieske has been paving her own way in music for nearly three decades. She has fronted diverse bands, from the wildly popular Minneapolis Americana-Rock band, Tina and the B-Sides to groups that range from rock, to classic R&B to punk. Tina has shared the stage with St. Vincent, Patty Griffin, Robert Ellis, Jeff Bridges, Doors Guitarist Robbie Krieger, Etta James and Double Trouble just to name a few. Tina has been called a “smart, sensitive, earthy singer-songwriter with a superb voice” and is one of my favorite live music performers – no matter what genre she’s exploring or what type of venue she’s in.

Tina Schlieske

In this conversation Tina and I discuss her early learnings about vulnerability, where her confidence comes from, and how she thinks about building trust when performing live – and so much more! You can find more out about Tina including her upcoming shows and album releases at TinaSchlieske.com.

Please enjoy my conversation with Tina Schlieske!

You can also listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast, Amazon Music, and on other podcast platforms.

Or subscribe to the podcast here

Have a favorite quote? Let me know on Twitter!

See the show notes by clicking “read more” below…

[Read more…] about Music Lessons Podcast #004: Vulnerability & Trust with Tina Schlieske

Music Lessons Podcast: #003 Community and AI with Alan Wilkis (aka Big Data)

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Music Lessons is a podcast where we explore the analogous principles of music and growth by interviewing top musicians. In this episode, my guest is Alan Wilkis, otherwise known as Big Data:

Alan Wilkis, otherwise known as “Big Data,” is an accomplished artist, producer, and composer. His hit single, “Dangerous (feat. Joywave),” reached #1 on the 2014 Billboard Alternative chart and has since been RIAA-certified platinum. His work as Big Data is beat-driven and technology-themed, featuring collaborations with the likes of Kimbra, Rivers Cuomo of Weezer, Dragonette, and Jamie Lidell, and he has performed across the globe.

As a songwriter and producer, Wilkis has worked with a broad range of artists, including Channel Tres, NomBe, Atlas Genius, MNDR (pronounce?), and Moontower. In recent years, he has pivoted his unique hybrid sound into composing for film, TV, and advertising, including his score for the 2020 breakout comedy, “Drunk Bus,” multiple campaigns for Apple, and a reworking of the theme for NCIS:LA. He is currently scoring a documentary called, “Left Behind,” about dyslexia in the NYC public school system.

Big Data (Alan Wilkis)

In this episode, Alan and I talk about AI and music, creating music for a community, and how pizza-making and music creation are similar. I had a great time asking Alan about how he thinks about his work as a composer and artist, and speculating on where AI is going.

Please enjoy!

You can also listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast, Amazon Music, and on other podcast platforms.

Or subscribe to the podcast here

Have a favorite quote? Let me know on Twitter!

See the show notes by clicking “read more” below…

[Read more…] about Music Lessons Podcast: #003 Community and AI with Alan Wilkis (aka Big Data)