Lil' Drummer Girl

Today’s guest is Joe Dickens, drummer of the band Iration.   For those of you who aren’t familiar with Iration, they are an alternative Reggae group consisting of musicians formed in Isla Vista, CA.  They are a deep rooted reggae influenced band infused with elements of rock and pop which create smooth original sounds.  They’re motto is:  “We’re all about luv”. Joe Dickens has been touring nationally since 2008, performing nationally at festivals like Lollapalooza, Outside Lands, Hangout and many others.  Some of the things we’ll discuss today are: Joe’s drum set up (note the set below is not vintage like Joe's):  The 6 Piece Ludwig Vistalite Drum Set: http://amzn.to/2kOBoyv (Zyldjian 19” A Custom)    http://amzn.to/2iNXeOo (20” EFX )    http://amzn.to/2AU1oybd (14” K Hi-Hat) The Kit Joe's played in the past: http://amzn.to/2B0Zdcr (Yamaha Custom Birch Kit) http://amzn.to/2kkr0KN (Promark Drumsticks ) What and who inspired him to switch from playing guitar to rockin’ out on the drums. One of h

Here is a short video on an exhibit I saw at my alma matter The NYC Fashion Institute of Technology where they had the most amazing costume exhibit from movies like The Wizard of Oz, Snow White, Little Red Riding Hood, Alice of Wonderland and more.     If you're looking for costume design inspiration for your band's new look, check it out.  Even if you're not a musician or entertainer, you'll still be able to appreciate the artistry of these costumes.   Enjoy!   Rock On & Rock Out!   Dawn-Marie XO Support this podcast

Today I have very fun, cool and special guest – Zeb a/k/a Jamey Dakofsky who is the drummer for Tribal Seeds.   Zeb is from L.A. and has been playing drums since he was 8 years and old and by age 10 he was gigging in a punk and classic rock. All the while playing with various musical ensembles, working on Timpani, hand percussion and full drum set.   He attended the performing arts high school in California and by age 20 he was backing his first Reggae artist Mikey Dread H.R. from Bad Brains hand drumming specialist Ras Michael when came back to the states, his career skyrocketed.   He has worked sessions with Grammy award winning songwriters such as Diane Warren (Aerosmith and Leann Rimes) and worked with top producers such as Ashley Ingram (Des'ree), Randy Jackson and Fabian Cooke (“Lion King” Soundtrack).   In 1994, he helped form Detour Posse which has since become the premiere backing band of International Reggae artists from around the globe. Working over 250 shows a year, sometimes he even play

It's National Radio Day today.  I'm so excited because it made me think of my first radio. Do you remember your first radio?  It was a hand-me-down from my big brother. It was a small transistor radio that you could plug a earplug into it (they didn't have two ear buds, one side only). A pull up antennae and basically it would only play AM radio (even though there were dials on it for FM, it wouldn't come in clearly). Me and my girlfriends would sit on our stoops in Park Slope, Brooklyn and listen to our favorite station WABC which at that time would play the Top 40 hits (mind you over and over again). We never got sick listening to those songs. I still have some of them on vinyl in my 45's collection.   Have you ever wondered what your life would be like if there wasn't any music in it? I couldn't even fathom the thought. Every important and non-important part of my life has a song attached to it. Music has made me happy, sad, pensive and most importantly, spiritual.   Do you prefer to listen to music t

Greetings Gentlemen, this episode today is specifically for you (well some of it can also apply to women), but I'm dedicating this one for you guys out there.   Today is National Men's Grooming Day! My question for you is this:  Do you take good care of your skin?  I'm not just referring to the skin on your face, but the skin on your body, feet, and hands as well?  What about your scalp? Your ears?? If you're saying, "not really", well then listen on.  Today I'm going to cover how we can keep all of the above in great shape and in the process you may actually look years younger.  So listen on.   I've been a makeup artist since I was in my teens and I've been studying skincare since then as well.   I've also studied under the best skin technicians and skincare companies like Estee Lauder's Clinique Brand, MAC and Bobbi Brown.   There's so many ways we can easily take good care of the largest organ in our bodies -- our skin.  First is to know what your skin type is.  There are 5 main skin types:  Normal,

Way back in 1996 I went to a Women's Business Conference in Newport Beach, CA.  It was my first Women in Business conference".  I was so excited, I had never been to a women's business conference before.  I didn't know what to expect.  When I pulled up to the parking lot of the conference center, my immediate reaction (from being an introvert) was to turn around and forget about going to the conference.  My anxiety was kicking in high gear and I didn't want to deal with meeting lots of new people. (I knew what my negative self talk was doing to me so I made a quick conscious decision to immediately dismiss those thoughts and replace them with positive ones).  Finally, I mustered up my confidence and walked into the building.  The first ballroom I walked into Raleigh Pinskey who was on stage speaking about promoting yourself and your business.   Raleigh immediately caught my attention.  She was discussing her at the time was her newest book release "101 Ways to Promote Yourself -- Tricks of the Trade for T

A few weeks ago I attended our local radio station WMNF 88.5's benefit - Karbbyan Kruze Music Festival hosted by Angela B. at Skippers Smokehouse and saw some amazing, talented and fun performers throughout the day. When Bickley Rivera and Island Chill band came out to play, I was immediately enthralled with her playing on the steel drums and the percussion and groove of the band they were so much fun to listen to.  I couldn't stop moving to the music.  I had a great chance to meet her and see if she would be a guest on the sow and she agreed.  So, today's episode you will meet Bickley Rivera, the high priestess of steel drums.  About Bickley: Bickley Rivera began her recording career in 1985 and branched into the Latin and Caribbean genre when she and her husband, Nelson, formed the group "Cuba Libre" in 1992, where she was keyboardist and lead singer. They originated and produced "Caribbean Madness", the only Caribbean Riverboat Cruise series on the Connecticut River, which sold out for 5 seasons. She t

I love cars, the faster the better.  I've been blessed to be able to attend the http://www.grandprix.com (Firestone Grand Prix) which is held annually here in streets of downtown St. Petersburg, FL.  They actually turn the streets of the city into an amazing race track where the Formula 1 cars race around the track for a full weekend and drive for the grand prize.  It's such a fun event.  If you ever have a chance to attend, it's a must see.  It's held in the month of March.   It just so happened that I met JoAnne Jensen on the first day of the races.  JoAnne is our guest today. JoAnne tells us how she got into the motorsports business and how she rose up the ranks in a predominately male industry (and how you too can get involved in the business).       JoAnne Jensen became involved in Motorsports in 1981 as a volunteer Marshall - a flagger, you know, the ones wearing the white suits on the corners.  It has been her good fortune to work with Formula 1, The World Endurance Cup, NASCAR, Indy Car and its ea

I became a fan of Timothy Raines' artwork when I was introduced to it at a fashion show here in St. Petersburg, FL about eight years ago.  I immediately fell in love with his paintings of exotic cars, sports entertainment and exquisitie nature scenes.  A couple of weeks ago, St. Petersburg hosts the Firestone Grand Prix and it's annual races.  I ran into Timothy at a pre-Grand Prix party where Tim was giving a rare live demonstration of his amazing artwork and was once again in awe of his work.  Timothy's art is housed at the The Gallery which is located in downtown St. Pete WWW.THEGALLERYART.COM and he was most gracious to give me an interview and an in-depth look into his world as he tells us about his inspirations and background of his creations.  Please also check out Tim in action as he paints one of his master pieces while at the Pre-Grand Prix party and the footage also contains Timothy's paintings at the gallery where Tim will discuss his inspirations on some of his works - check out the video here: 

Today's episode is a quickie.  I was at the opening party of the Social Media Week in New York City and met Sally Slater, she is the author of the book http://amzn.to/2n8eRfB (Paladin). As I'm in the process of writing a book, I thought it would be great to ask a published author some questions on how you too can get your book from mind to print.  Stay in touch with Sally at www.sallyslater.com.   Take a listen and get your flow going.  Happy writing!   Rock On & Rock Out,   Dawn-Marie Mutell XO Stay in Touch: https://www.instagram.com/lildrummergirl55/ (Instagram)/YouTube Support this podcast

The first annual http://www.etcultura.com/ (Et Cultura Festival) , a three day annual festival of music, art and film was held in downtown St. Petersburg a few weeks ago.  I'm just loving the fact that they're doing more art and music related festivals in our town.  I saw that The Hip Abduction was the headlining act for the event.  I wasn't familiar with them so I looked them up on YouTube and immediately fell in love with their sound. They're a Trop-Indie Band right here from our back yard - true native Floridians right from the St. Petersburg area. I reached out to  Matt Poynter, the drummer for The Hip Abduction to see if he was interested in being a guest on the show and he was more than gracious to offer me not only an interview, but a press pass as well so that I would be able to shoot some footage of the show for our YouTube channel (see link below to see the video).  We met at their sound check the day of the gig.  Matt is such a great guy.  I really enjoyed our time during the interview.  Matt tou

Meet Dyrol Randall (A/K/A Chops).  He’s an internationally recognized drummer who has recorded and performed with headliners such as Sister Carol, Mykal Rose, The Original Wailers, Judy Mowatt, and more.  He currently performs with Reggae band Jahfari.  A few weeks ago, I finally had the chance to visit this cool place called Skipper’s Smokehouse which is a bit of a shack style restaurant with the best fried green tomatoes and alligator bites.  But, just as great is their food, is their music.  Jahfari was playing.  We decided to go and check it out and was so glad we did cause they rocked the house!  I became mesmerized with Dyrol’s playing.  His unique style really caught my attention.  And, so did the sound of his drums.  It was a school night and had to wake early so I didn’t catch the whole show, but, I was lucky enough to meet him as I was leaving the building.  There he was taking a break with his crew and I introduced myself and we got to talking.  I asked him if he’d be a guest on the show and was

Today’s show we’re going to dive into ways to promote your brand or music and learn ways to get more ears and eyes on you.   Louie La Vella, the guest on today’s episode is the king of promoting festivals, concerts and working in the “shark infested waters” of the nightlife and music industry as a marketing and branding consultant.  Whether you’re a musician, performer, D.J. or entrepreneur, Louie will make your show shine! Louie has over 20 years of experience in the nightlight arena especially with national television, film and radio projects.  He has produced over 30 live concerts in the past 24 months and was the 2012 winner of the Niagara Music Awards Promoter of the Year. He was also the first person to give Lady GaGa her first television interview.  His clients consist of entertainment personalities, nightclubs, music concerts and live performance festivals.  He helps artists create brands and marketing strategies to help them connect with their audience.  So be sure to have a pen and paper with you

Today's episode I speak with Cory Caruso, the drummer of Rusted Root. Rusted Root wasn't a band I was familiar with in the late 90's until, that is, a co-worker I once worked with turned me on them. As soon as I first listened to their album, I immediately fell in love with it and couldn't believe the harmonies and the sounds from the drums and percussion.  My ears were having an outer-body experience.  They're sound was so amazing.  I listened to the CD several times before I could pick it apart and try to play to it.  Well, today, I'm lucky enough to get Cory Caruso the drummer from Rusted Root on the show to talk drums and how you should never give up on your dreams.  Cory is not only an amazing drummer, but, he is also an engineer.  He attended Duquesne university where he honed his skills.  His solid influence became his go-to when someone needed an amazing drummer. Here's a list of some of Cory's favorite things: Evans Real Fee Practice Pad http://amzn.to/2grcG4o ( Pro-Mark Drum Sticks) If you do

Meet with Katie Krimitsos, Co-Owner and Chief Operating Officer of the Tampa Bay Business Owners http://www.tbbo.org/   a very special community of business owners the sole purpose of bringing together great business owners who are passionate about growing their companies and helping others do the same! She is also the founder of the Biz Women Rock podcast http://bizwomenrock.com/  as well as the Podfest Podcast Conference which will be held in February 2017 in Orlando http://podfest.us (Podfest 2017). Last year’s was a blast and I learned a great deal from it and met an amazing group of like-minded folks in the process. In this episode you will learn: The Top 3 myths or misconceptions about utilizing social media platforms. The best social media tools every artist and entrepreneur needs to use and incorporate into their social media plans. Tips on time management when it comes to utilizing social media. The importance of networking in your industry. Tips to help introverts break out their shyness when

I met Kana in a very kismet kind of way. One of the things I do to earn a living is event planning.  I was creating a holiday event in 2015 for an amazing IT company with about 250 attendees and was in need of a photographer.  I put an ad up on Craigslist and a man named Curt Leimbach responded to the ad.  We met to discuss the event so we could discuss what I was looking for.  We started talking about things (since I’m also a makeup artist and fashion stylist) and mentioned that I was a drummer.  He said his wife was a drummer.  Right away, I thought of this band Undercover Betty that I saw play at a bike show at the http://thelube.com/category/locations/ (Quaker Steak & Lube Restaurant) and he said yes, she’s the drummer.  Immediately I knew I had to meet Kana and get her on the show.  (And, in case you’re wondering, Curt is a wonderful photographer and did an amazing job for the event). Kana Leimbach is a drummer and percussionist originally from Osaka Japan.  Her first introduction to drums was playing t

A couple of months ago,  I was trying to find a contact for  for Snoop Dog.  He was coming to Tampa to do a show and I wanted to catch up with him (I used to give him licenses when he first came out while I was handling Sampling licensing for MCA) and wanted to get an interview with him for the show.  It didn't happen, but when I was lead to this booking agency, I spoke with a very helpful man named Louis.  We got to talking, he mentioned that he knew of this great drummer/artist Lola Blu from Miami.  I was immediately intrigued.  I also knew what his next question was going to be.  I didn't let him ask it, I said it for him "yes, I'll have her on the show, how can I reach her?" I instantly without even seeing her work that I knew I wanted her on the show. As luck would have it, she has agreed to do the show and she's here with us in today’s episode.  Lola Blu is a multi-faceted artist with skills ranging from visual arts, music and fashion photography.  She combines her passion for music with eccentric visu

A few weeks ago I had access to shoot the Slightly Stoopid band at the Vinoy Park in Downtown St. Petersburg.  It was an outdoor concert on the water and there couldn't have been a better place to catch such a cool and amazing sounding band.  I was so excited to see them live (as I've been a fan for many years).  They have such a unique sound and so much energy it's truly a fun show to catch.  Their energy is contagious. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to meet with Rymo their drummer that day to do an interview, but he was generous to give me one post concert a couple of days after the show. If you're not familiar with the band Slightly Stoopid, they're sound is a mix of Reggae and Ska with a horn section and all.  Here's a link to some of their CD's: http://amzn.to/2d30J2B (Slightly Stoopid CD's & Vinyl)  Rymo also has an album that he's independently recorded called Structure & Flow which has amazing drum rythms and grooves that will want to make you get your sticks out and play. Take a listen and pick up

Today's guest is Jim Koeppel.  Jim is a Blues guitarist from Tarrytown NY.  His rhythmic blues will get your toes tapping and your fingers snapping.  Jim is the founder of blues and country combination.  He led his own band in the New York area during the 80's and 90's opening for artists like Taj Mahal, Doc Watson and David Bromberg.  He released his first solo record Johnny's in the Doghouse and now his latest album RSVP to Paradise is available - you can pick up a copy and connect with Jim here:  RSVP to Paradise Album & Facebook Page Jim's songs have also appeared in documentaries by independent filmmaker David Liban. Happy Listening,   Rock On & Rock Out! Dawn-Marie xo             Support this podcast

The first time I ever met Forbes Riley was while I was working in New Business Development department with HSN (the Home Shopping Network) here in St. Petersburg, FL. My first impression of Forbes was one of electricity and excitement.  She has such an aura and energy that emits from her and when you speak with her, well, what can I say “you’re hooked”.  I often felt if you shook her hand you might just get a bolt of an electric shock run through your veins.  I immediately knew she was someone I wanted to learn more about.  I also felt like we were somehow connected and had something in common (little did I know how right I was, we were both born and raised in New York-- (I knew I liked her for some reason :)). I hadn’t seen Forbes for a while. I stopped working with HSN and worked on other ventures and one night when I attended a cruise meeting with the AMA, Forbes was the keynote speaker.  It was such a pleasure to see her again and get yet another dose of high energy. I asked her if she would be a guest