Now Hear This Entertainment

Sisters Gabriela & Bianca LeDuc – singers, songwriters, and multi-instrumentalists – talk about recording, writing, and performing in Nashville, trying out for “America’s Got Talent,” working up to an eventual EP, their new single and its music video, a show later this year in conjunction with a Brad Paisley concert, their experience attending NAMM, their numerous live shows throughout Florida, and working with a live show producer that has worked with, among others, Taylor Swift and The Band Perry.

The Music City-based singer-songwriter is working on a new EP and talks about her successful crowdfunding campaign for it – including the months she spent planning it and two fraudulent donors she encountered along the way. A multi-instrumentalist, she also discusses promoting a CD release party in Nashville, Skype-ing with fans, and more.

A blues singer/songwriter, she talks about her third album, her European and U.S. touring, her record deal, spending time with Johnny Winter, performing her own shows versus at festivals, opening for B.B. King, a brush with the law while filming a music video, and what she feels is “the toughest part about the business.”

A voice-over artist, professional singer, jingle writer, and copywriter, she talks about how Robin Williams inspired her to get into voice-over as well as recognizing this as and the challenge of running a small business on your own. She also tells of being headed for her very first album. Hear about her move to Los Angeles as well as why she is such a proponent of learning improv. Unlike other episodes of NHTE that feature two original songs by the guest, an e-learning song and a gaming demo are the bookends around this interview.

A singer/songwriter who sang on-stage with Keith Urban during one of his concerts, she has won titles as Female Vocalist New Country, Traditional Country and Gospel as well as Female Entertainer of the Year. Based in Boston, she has performed throughout the New England area and hopes to be recording her first EP in a couple months in New York. She also talks about her experiences auditioning for various reality shows.

A singer/songwriter working toward the release of her debut album, she lives and plays in Nashville but has also already done shows in a handful of other states. Plus, the days after this episode launched she was to play an unofficial SXSW showcase in Austin, Texas. This episode launched on the day her crowdfunding campaign started, which she talks about, in addition to her weekly online show that she hosts. As always, there are two songs played by this episode’s guest, who talks about them both.

Trumpeter, music educator, author, and now funny-man Ron Modell talks about his good friend Quincy Jones as well as working with the likes of Phil Collins and countless other big names, plus his book, his advocacy for music education, doing stand-up comedy, plus advice for aspiring musicians.

Engineer, producer, mentor, songwriter, performer Dominick Pages makes a return to the show to talk about a new show his studio is launching – an online concert series that’s a cross between house concerts and the show “Daryl’s House.” Plus he talks about a big show upcoming for his band and gives tips for up-and-coming musicians as well as insights on which guitars he’s playing and hardware & software he’s using in the studio.

An Emmy Award-winning sound designer, recording engineer, and producer with extensive credits on IMDB, he talks about working on numerous Woody Allen films, as well as his experiences with the likes of Julia Roberts, Goldie Hawn, and Christopher Plummer, among others. He will be a speaker at next month’s “VO Atlanta” event and gives advice to those pursuing voice-over work. Since he is also a SAG-AFTRA approved audio book producer, he touches a bit on that media as well.

Having moved to Nashville twice but lived in India for one year between those moves, this singer/songwriter talks about the musical instrument he learned in the Asian country, his new single, his successful crowdfunding campaign, plus his hiring of a booking agent resulting in shows coming up in Nashville, North Carolina, Georgia, and Oklahoma, and other aspects of his rejuvenated career.

Singer/songwriter who has had a song placed on a national TV show and also appeared – singing – in a movie that starred Vivica A. Fox. She talks about the album she’s working on, filming her music video at the home of the Florida Gators, co-writing a song with the world-renowned cartoon artist for the nationally syndicated comic “Nancy,” plus her goals for 2015.

Fresh off her 31-show, 24-city tour last Fall in support of her “Destined” album, singer/songwriter Alyssa Jacey is interviewed one day after making a huge announcement. She talks about her big news plus the new song she’s recording, co-hosting “Balcony TV,” last year’s shows and release (which included players from Taylor Swift, The Band Perry, and LeAnn Rimes), and much more.

He plays over 250 shows a year, produces, writes, has released two CDs, and does music full-time between Tampa and Nashville. As he was leaving college he played guitar for Nick Carter from the Backstreet Boys. Daniel started playing in clubs when he was 16 and talks about a moment he shared with Celine Dion, taking care of your body and voice too, and his opinion of social media and approach to Twitter.

A 2014 participant on “The Voice” who also got to sing with Keith Urban during one of his concerts, this singer/songwriter just released an EP last month and splits her time between the San Francisco area and Nashville. She also talks about being interviewed by MLB.com and plans she’s laying out for 2015, plus, of course, working with both Shakira and Miranda Lambert, and more.

He served in Iraq doing counter-IED missions (Improvised Explosive Device), losing three team members in six months and an entire EOD team (Explosive Ordinance Disposal). Now Mark Goujon is a songwriter who released two songs last year, both of which had unique stories around them. He also talks about media coverage he has gotten, adapting poetry into songs, how he got connected to Nashville, and more.

Founder of the global event, Universal Music Day, and author of “ABZs of Musical Instruments.” She also discusses how she claimed her singing voice (after thinking she was tone deaf) and how people can get involved with Universal Music Day, plus she talks about an Oprah Winfrey event she was invited to and a podcast of her own that she hopes to start.

Gasparilla Music Festival Executive Director Ty Rodriguez talks about the two-day annual event, including how bands are chosen for it (plus dos and don’ts), lessons learned, being a fan, and a number of artists he has seen in concert more than 50 times each, including one who was his escape from New York following the 9/11 attacks.

The “Most Promising Female Songwriter 2013” as awarded by Tennessee Songwriters Association International talks about performing online, using crowdfunding, embracing marketing and social media, giving away songs for free, her two songs played during this episode, leaving Pennsylvania for Nashville, and more.

A 21-year old Canadian singer/songwriter who had a song placed on the TV show "Army Wives." Another of her songs won at the 8th annual International Acoustic Music Awards in the Country category, and she was the youngest ever artist/songwriter to win the overall grand prize at the IAMA. She has a new EP coming out in February.

Opening for Miranda Lambert in 2015 on select dates during the Certified Platinum Tour, Sunny Sweeney released her third album in August. One of the songs has already had major success on SiriusXM. A singer/songwriter from Austin, Texas, she was nominated for Best New Female Vocalist at last year’s Academy of Country Music Awards and has performed at the Grand Ole Opry more than 40 times. Two videos on her YouTube channel have combined for almost four million views. Among other topics, she talks about the music scene not only in Austin, but in Europe, where she has played multiple times.