The N'Courage & N'Spire Podcast

The N'Courage & N'Spire Podcast

por Durell Peart

Emprendimiento Superación personal Sociedad y Cultura

Temporada 2

The N'Courage & N'Spire Podcast EP: 46 Keyz To The Game Feat. Kareem Guy

In this episode Durell is joined by indie hip hop creative and music business consultant Kareem Guy. The episode begins with Durell and Kareem discussing how they got connected because of a mutual respect for what they both do for indie creatives in teaching them how to navigate the music space. Durell asks Kareem about his earliest memories of music. He shared with Durell what was the most pivotal moment for him in music and he says that moment was in 2006 when he wrote his very first rhyme in middle school. He shares that he made a makeshift type studio in his best friend’ basement and recorded his first song and put it on Myspace. Durell shares that he knew he wanted to make a difference in the journey of indie creatives and he had the opportunity to do just that and that’s when great things started to happen especially when he understood the power of branding himself. Kareem and Durell both agree that it can get difficult at times working with indie creatives but both believe it’s most definitely worth it. Kareem and Durell talk about how important it is for indie creatives to create a solid brand. Branding is what creates the value and Durell shares that oftentimes music consumers will connect to the person before they connect to the music that an indie creative will release into the marketplace. Durell shares this is the reason why Cardi B is the perfect case study that proves her to be a prime example of why fans connect to her even before her music. Durell asks Kareem when he knew he wanted to pursue music professionally. Kareem shares that he definitely was initially focused on being an artist first. He shares that he had linked up with a collective of artists with the goal of “getting on” together in which they were able to gain local traction but Kareem wanted them to be way bigger than being known locally. He found himself drawing a blank when he was researching on how to fix the problem of wanting to build a wider audience. When he did find solutions to the problems his collective were having he shared that he often would see them fall on deaf ears. He shares that out of frustration he would vent on Instagram about the issues that he was experiencing and that actually began to resonate with his followers much more than his music. His next step was that he knew he needed to learn more about the music business so he enrolled in NYU’s Music Business Essentials program. Once he learned the information he needed to know he realized that there was so much to learn if indie artists wanted to build a successful music career. He knew he wanted to share the information he was learning after being more knowledgeable about the music business but once again it was falling on deaf ears. Kareem shares that he wanted to keep delivering the information he learned on his socials because he saw that his followers were still so receptive about receiving his knowledge. Durell asks Kareem about how he feels about the current state of the music business. Kareem shares that he definitely feels that there are way more tools and resources for artists to get their music heard. He shares that having success in the current state of the music business is having a mindset shift. The mindset shift is understanding that the music that indie creatives put out is their product and they are a business. Durell and Kareem both agree the reason so many creatives fail is because they only see success in one prism which only consists of achieving massive success. Durell shares that he often tells indie creatives that it’s okay to have success that only nets moderate success but the ability to be full time as a creative is the ultimate goal. Kareem and Durell talk about how many artists want to have viral success but don’t have the infrastructure to be able to take advantage of the viral success. Durell asks Kareem why he feels that indie creatives don’t embrace education. He shares that education isn’t as sexy and fu

The N'Courage & N'Spire Podcast EP 45: Artist Development & The Dreamwalker Music Evolution Feat. Mike & Caroline Walker

In this episode Durell is joined by Mike & Caroline Walker. Mike has over 30 years of experience as a multi-instrumentalist, producer, composer, songwriter and educator. Caroline is the co-owner of Dreamwalker Music Evolution which is their own artist development company along with Mike as well as a songwriter. The episode begins with Durell asking Mike and Caroline what are their earliest memories of music. Mike shared that he grew up playing football and once he got to high school he realized that he didn’t have the size to keep playing without getting hurt. He remembers seeing a poster with a guy playing a guitar and he knew instantly he wanted to try playing the guitar and he knew that he had a strong work ethic that would provide the ability for him to become really good and he knew he wouldn’t get hurt like he would have if he continued to play football. Caroline shares that her earliest memories of music were that she remembers her parents having a large record collection and listening to music all of the time. She shares that she remembers a lot of classical music as well as artists such as the Beatles, & James Taylor always being on. She shares that she played flute in the marching band in high school. Caroline says that her parents always had a lot of books around and that she was always reading which developed into a passion for writing. She ended up going into a career in counseling and it wasn’t until about 5 years ago that she really developed a passion for writing lyrics. Durell asks Mike when did he know that he wanted to pursue music professionally as a career. He shares that he lost his mom and dad at an early age. He went to a recording school but his brothers were in the construction business and wanted him to join them because they didn’t think it was possible to make a living as a musician. Mike shares that he went to work with his brothers on the road for 3 months and he says all he kept thinking was that he had to figure out how to make music work professionally because he couldn’t see himself being a construction worker for the rest of his life. Mike says the first thing he did was he got a job in a music store as well as began teaching lessons which he says quickly picked up. He had several jobs that would allow him to stay around music and make a living. He shares that he decided to move to Orlando from Philadelphia because he wanted a new start. He moved down and began to establish himself within the music scene and started playing in studios as a session player. He shared that he was an original band and got nominated for a Grammy. The band disbanded and Mike decided that he would make the pivot into producing. He shared that he wanted to create a business and he knew that artists were no longer being developed the way they used to be so he along with Caroline decided that would be something worth getting into to help new artists prepare for the real world music industry. Caroline and Durell both agree that education is a major key to success. Durell asks Mike & Caroline how they approach artist development. They share that the cornerstone of what they do is “craft development”. Mike does a lot of work to make sure that their clients know how to write songs and do the creative process to the best of their ability. Caroline shares that their clients don’t really enjoy the business aspect of music because it’s not as fun but absolutely necessary. Caroline says that social media is an aspect that so many creatives don’t like. Durell shares the reason why most indie creatives don’t particularly like social media is because they oftentimes don’t know who they are talking too and that’s why he makes it a point to focus on that when he’s working with his clients. Caroline shares that they tell their clients that if they just want to be famous then they can’t guarantee that but what they will guarantee is that when they’ve completed their program there will be opportunitie

N'Courage and N'Spire Podcast EP 44 - Making A Difference In Gospel Music Feat. Afiya Cunningham

In this episode Durell is joined by indie creative manager ,music business consultant and the founder of Aspire Agency Afiya Cunningham. Afiya and Durell begin the episode talking about how they got connected. Durell and Afiya share a passion of helping to educate indie creatives on the music business. Durell shares that he really admires and respects Afiya because of her young age and drive to make a difference. Durell asks Afiya about her earliest memories of music. She can remember being absolutely in love with Soca music because Trinidad & Tobago is synonymous with Carnival. Afiya also remembers loving Gospel music. She shares that she remembers being at church and a marching band was recruiting and she ended up joining the band after listening to them play some amazing instrumental music. Durell asks Afiya if she went to school for music business and she shares that she stumbled into learning about the business side of music. She shares that she started on the public relations and event management and connected with an Gospel artist named Curtis Jordan. Curtis Jordan asked Afiya to be his booking agent and then two years later she became his manager and then through networking and more relationship building she began to work with several other Gospel artists. She shares that it wasn’t until a couple years ago that she decided to turn what she was doing in terms of working with creatives into an official business. She shares that she began to invest in herself to get the knowledge and tools by taking the necessary courses to be able to serve the artists that she works with properly. Durell shares that education is so important when working in the music industry. He shares that there’s a difference between the music industry, business, and the business of music. Afiya shares that she has noticed that so many indie creatives are often stressed out when trying to navigate their careers. Afiya shares that she tells her clients not to chase success but rather to become a person of value and success will come.Durell and Afiya talk about an event that she was a part of called “No Grey Lines” where she credits this as a pivotal event that helped to shape the journey that she is now on. She worked with several gospel artists such as Travis Greene, Jaron Nurse, Sherwin Gardner, and JPrince. Durell shares the importance of having women on a business team because of the skills and traits that most of them naturally have. Durell asks Afiya what is her approach to artist management. She shares that she believes in quality over quantity. She feels that artist management is very personal, honest, and integral. Afiya is very particular about who she takes on within the role of artist management. Her reputation is something that is very important to her and she knows that if she’s not careful her reputation can be tarnished quickly and she will not let that happen because of how long it has taken her to build such a strong and solid personal and professional brand. Durell shares that when it comes to working within the role of artist management, there must be trust on both sides. Durell shares that it’s important for artist managers to have their own brand because it’s important to take care of them because oftentimes artists think the grass is greener on the other side so there’s definitely the possibility that they will want to leave and go with someone else. Durell and Afiya talk about her creative side in addition to the business side. Afiya is a drum major for the Pathfinder Band and her local church choir. Durell talks about the fact that he’s not a creative person and his gift is people. Durell shares that he tried to learn how to produce and that after a few weeks he understood how difficult it actually is. He says that music producers can actually see the music in their head even before they lay down the musical bed and that production is very hard. Afiya shares that she also enrolled in

The N'Courage & N'Spire Podcast Ep 43 The Creative, Author, & Executive Feat. Alexcina Brown

In this episode Durell is joined by model, actress, author, blogger, former editor in chief and businesswoman Alexcina Brown. Alexcina and Durell begin the episode talking about how they initially got connected when she was the editor in chief and owner of Brash Magazine. Durell shares how much he appreciates what Alexcina has done for indie creatives in giving them a platform because it’s not easy to find media platforms to cover them as they come up building a music career. Durell and Alexcina talk about why it’s so important for indie creatives to pick the right partner when you want to pursue a music career. Durell asks Alexcina what it was like to grow up in Macon GA. She shares that she enjoyed growing up in Macon but she didn’t feel that there were enough creative outlets for her there. She did appreciate the fact that she was able to experience a pretty normal childhood. She knew that she always wanted to leave Macon because she felt there were bigger things for her to experience and she moved to Atlanta GA after college. Alexcina and Durell talk about why she has a love for marketing and why marketing played a role in pretty much every aspect of life. Durell asks Alexcina what it was like to pledge her sorority Zeta Phi Beta and how that helped her in terms of building relationships. She shares that it really prepared and helped her when it came to networking. She felt that her being in a sorority was like having a second family. She shares that her sorority has a brother fraternity and that she still keeps in touch with her line sisters to this very day. Alexcina and Durell talk about how HBCUs are going to become much more relevant moving forward now that there’s opportunities for student athletes. Alexcina shares with Durell that the ability to learn from people who look like her made a huge impact on the way she approaches and navigates her way through corporate America. Alexcina shares about her experience earning a Masters Degree in Entertainment Management from American Intercontinental University. Durell shares about the importance of knowing how to navigate through the entertainment industry. Alexcina shares that having her Degree has helped her in every aspect of her entertainment industry endeavors. Alexcina and Durell talk about understanding your value and leading with doing what’s best for you. Alexcina and Durell talk about her journey as a model. Alexcina shares that she started her journey and modeling career in Atlanta where she would attend different meet-up groups where she would meet ametur photographers and learn how to work the camera. She was able to build relationships with different magazines and submit her pictures and ultimately be chosen to feature in those magazines. She shares that her being in the different magazines is what originally gave her the idea to create her own publication, Brash Magazine. She shares that there wasn’t much money in runway modeling but she did find success doing print modeling where she was featured in several different magazines from all over the world. Alexcina knew the next step for her was to go into acting. Alexcina shared that she had done some acting work on a show called “Justice By Any Means” for the TV one network which depicts a true crime event. She says that that particular type of work is a lot of improv and acting with your scene partner but no actual speaking dialogue. Durell and Alexcina talk about many people who are fascinated with true crime because they often wonder what would make someone want to commit a crime eventually get caught and spend years in prison. Durell shares a particular story of a true crime murder involving former NFL player Rae Carruth in which he tried to kill his girlfriend and she gave birth to a son before she passed away and his son was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy. Durell talks about when it comes to relationships and dating he had to come to the realization that he’s at a

The N'Courage & N'Spire Podcast Ep 42 A Hip-Hop Canadian Creative & Difference Maker Feat Arlo Maverick

In this episode Durell is joined by Canadian hip-hop MC, music business enthusiast and grant writer Arlo Maverick. Durell and Arlo begin the episode talking about their love of sharing information to help indie creatives navigate the music space professionally.. Durell shares that there is a difference between the music industry, the music business and the business of music. Arlo shares that people like he and Durell have experiences along their journey that can be valuable to new creatives entering into the marketplace and learning how to navigate the ecosystem. Durell and Arlo talk about how the pandemic has affected the way that creatives had to maneuver and still impact communities and touch the people. Durell shares that his home state of Florida has been open for quite some time and that the governor wasn’t going to force people to be on lockdown and wear masks. Durell talks about the fact that he didn’t like the way that former President Trump was shut down from having the ability to speak on his social platforms. and Arlo both agree that there is a slippery slope in shutting down important public figures like the president because it sets a bad precedent moving forward for the ability to have free speech which ultimately can affect creatives who want to get their message across and be a voice for those who have something to say.Durell and Arlo share about them both being rooted in Jamaican heritage. Durell shares that he’s never had the opportunity to visit Jamaica because his father says that the parts of Jamaica where he is from wouldn’t be the easiest to get around because of his disability and Arlo definitely agreed that if you want to visit the real part of Jamaica you have to get off of the resort and that most of the land in Jamaica is very hilly. Durell asks Arlo about his earliest memories of music and Arlo shares how he was first introduced to hip-hop music. He talked about his cousin playing a tape of UTFO’s “Roxanne Roxanne” and he said from that day on his life was changed as he began his love affair with hip-hop music. Durell asks Arlo when he knew that he wanted to pursue music as a career and he said that for him that was high school. Arlo shares that he had a friend who had a family member that worked for BMG and really put them on game about what needed to be done on the business side if they wanted to be successful in music. Durell asks Arlo to explain the difference of what it means to be a indie hip hop creative from Canada vs. being from the United States Of America. Arlo shares that a few of the differences is the fact that creatives from the states have many more outlets to get heard as well as being a much bigger population which creates the opportunity for funding to come from record labels. He shares the reason why the Canadian government invests so much in the arts is because they aren’t as many places to go and get music heard by the masses. Arlo shares that the grants are put in place so that Canadian artists are able to create the foundation for them to be able to make a living off of their creativity. Durell and Arlo talk about how expensive it is to be a professional creative and what it really takes to be successful. Durell and Arlo talk about the lack of education that many indie creatives have when they enter into the ecosystem and how most don’t belong because they don’t respect the grind aspect of it all. Arlo shares that he was listening to an interview from one of the founders of CD Baby and they talked about how most creatives’ careers are usually broken down into two parts; the first part is where you pay to be in the music industry and the other part is now when you are bringing in more money then you are spending and that’s when things are really moving to build up longevity. Arlo shares that most people only see certain export artists like Drake and some of the other well known artists and forget that there has been quality hip-hop musi

The N'Courage & N'Spire Podcast Ep 41: I Am My Little Sister’s Keeper Feat. Tori Helene

In this episode Durell is joined by indie creative Tori Helene. Durell and Tori begin the episode talking about how they first got connected through a mutual connection. Durell and Tori talk about how she was originally born in Pittsburgh PA but she was raised in Cincinnati OH. Durell and Tori talk about how proud she was to be raised by her parents and they played a lot of classic R&B records from artists like Jeffrey Osbourne and that’s what really helped to shape her musical taste. Tori and Durell talk about her earliest memories of music when she was 5 or 6 years old watching Michael Jackson perform on TV. She also remembers when she was at the age of 8 going to a Destiny’s Child concert with her dad and knowing then that she really wanted to pursue a music career.Durell talks about how much appreciation and respect he has for Matthew Knowles in him being able to execute his plan properly for each of the girls of Destiny’s child and them all achieving success. Durell and Tori talk about how even though it was a different industry at the time of him being able to do what he did, it is an even better time now more than ever to pursue and build a career in music. Durell and Tori talk about indie creatives who don’t take the time and have respect for the craft of music. Taking the time to learn what needs to be done is so important and not just pursuing this career because of how difficult it is to build success. Durell and Tori talk about how much of a big imagination she had as a kid and would take the notepads from her dad who is a doctor and write and start to map out what she would do and she would then at 14 years old go to her friend’s house who was a rapper to get practice recording in a studio setting. Durell and Tori talk about her going to a performing arts high school. Durell asks Tori about her experience going to a special school. She shares that she would have her traditional classes for half of the day and then have more of the performance-based classes for the other half. She said it was definitely an experience to prepare her for how competitive the music industry can be. Durell and Tori talk about the fact that someone who isn’t in the space of music professionally will never really understand what goes into the work of being a professional. Durell asks Tori if she had support from her parents in wanting to pursue her music career. She shares that she had support from her parents but they did want her to go to college to have a backup plan. Durell shares that he’s not a fan of the term “backup plan” because it sets people who have that mindset up for failure. Durell shares that one of his mentors, Leslie Braithwaite (22 time Grammy Award Winning Mix Engineer) says to people never let their plan B be too far away from their plan A. Durell shares that he finds that education is the missing link to so many indie creatives and that’s where the struggle comes in for most of them, and having to navigate through an unregulated industry. Durell and Tori talk about her releasing her first EP called “Dark Angel” which was a darker alternative type of R&B sound. Tori shares that the inspiration behind that project was her love for one of her favorite artists Tinashe. She talks about her feeling really emotional and depressed during that time and that really reflected in her music at that time. Durell shares that he just knew there was something special about Tori and that he knew he wanted to work with her. Durell shares that he has seen her grow over the years with her craft and is so proud of where she is going with her career. Durell and Tori talk about how their relationship began and the fact that she really didn’t trust him and was very protective of her space. Tori shares that she knows what she wants and is very careful about letting people come in and that initially would cause them to “fight” each other when it comes to direction and vision. Durell shares that he felt th

N'Courage & N'Spire Podcast EP 72 - Feat Indi Tyton

Organizational Leadership & Sustainability In The Entertainment IndustryEpisode Info: In this episode Durell is joined by Organizational Psychologist, Business Strategist, Recording Artist, and Filmmaker Dr. Indi Tyton. Durell and Indi begin the episode talking about living in an entertainment industry hub and her being born into an artistic family and wanting at times to leave the entertainment industry but always being pulled back in. Indi shares that being in the entertainment industry definitely has its challenges but because most industries present similar challenges you might as well stay involved in an industry that you love. Indi and Durell talk about how people really can't live life without entertainment. Durell shares that the only objective part of entertainment is the technical side but once you release it into the marketplace it then shifts to being completely subjective. Indi shares that she does a lot of work as a district advocate to get the US government to support the entertainment industry. Indi shares with Durell that she spent a lot of time trying to figure out what she was going to do as an artist to create sustainability for herself and still do what she loves. She shares that she realized that she had a lot of other gifts outside of just being an artist that she could bring to artists to help them be able to sustain themselves as well as keep their artistry alive, and that’s why she decided to create the Entertainment Leadership Academy. She shares that artists need to invest in themselves by learning how to lead because they are businesses. Indi shares that without artists the industry wouldn’t move and they do have value and should be more valued then they are. Indi shares that she wanted to pursue her Doctoral PhD program in Organizational Leadership because she wants to not only work with artists and creatives directly but also work with those who work with artists because it is important that those industry professionals working with artists know how to properly lead the organizations of the artists they represent and work with. Durell and Indi end the episode talking about the entertainment industry being a project based business and being able to be smart with the money when it comes because there will be times in between projects where there isn’t any money coming in. Indi and Durell talk about artists making sure that they create a business model that can give them a return on their investment. For more information on Dr. Indi Tyton, please visit her website and social media: https://www.entertainmentleadership.org/ Facebook: @ IndiTyton Instagram: @ IndiTyton

N'Courage & N'Spire Podcast EP 71 - Feat Angelique Cinelu

Songwriting, Music Business, & Shifting MentalityEpisode Info: In this episode Durell is joined by Grammy Award Winning Composer, Songwriter, actress, and artist Angélique Cinèlu. Durell and Angelique begin the episode talking about her earliest memories of music and being the daughter of prominent Jazz percussionist Mino Cinèlu. Angelique shares that she enrolled herself into boarding school and then graduated from the University Of Virginia. Angelique shares that she got connected with well known producer D-Moet after graduation and began to put in her time building her craft of songwriting. Angélique and Durell talk about her early days as an artist and having a manager that was very shady and that made her want to quit being an artist because of such a terrible experience but ultimately being brought back to music and songwriting by co-writing. Angélique shares that she moved to L.A. for acting and that’s what allowed her to meet and build relationships that led to her being able to start cutting songs for TV and Film. Angélique and Durell talk about her working with John legend and Smokey Robinson and how she feels fortunate to have the opportunity to work with and know celebrities but she also knows that there are people who may not be able to comprehend that because they aren’t living in that type of environment. Angélique shares that she’s learned to appreciate that her life has been fortunate. Durell and Angélique end the episode talking about songwriters really being producers and being informed on how the music business has changed. Creatives being informed on how the new music business works is a major key in building success. For more information on Angélique Cinèlu, please visit her website below: Website https://www.mscinelu.com/

N'Courage & N'Spire Podcast EP 70 - Disability, Creativity & Understanding Why Inclusion Matters Feat. George Doman

Episode Info: In this episode Durell is joined by hip-hop artist, disability advocate, and digital marketing specialist George Doman. Durell and George begin the episode talking about his early years and his early memories of music. He shares that he feels like the hip-hop culture relates and shows similarity with what it’s like to have a disability and that’s why he felt such a connection to the culture early on in life. Durell and George talk about what led him to wanting to become a disability advocate. He shares his specific experiences working in a recording studio and being discriminated against and how that really made him want to talk about what it’s like having a disability and paving the way for the future of those living with disabilities. George and Durell talk about his experience meeting Chris Lighty. He shares that he always looked up to the business people behind the scenes which is what led him to want to pivot and shift his focus to working toward getting a job on the business side working for a label. He shares that he’s looked at the data and he discovered that there aren’t many opportunities and positions for people with disabilities at major record labels. Durell shares that’s what prompted and motivated him to write his e-book to share his story about his journey and give people in a similar situation hope and inspiration to chase their dreams. Durell and George end the episode talking about the work he did for the Netflix documentary entitled “Rising Phoenix” and his song being a part of the soundtrack which led to him winning a Sports Emmy in 2020. Durell and George talk about why it’s important to share their stories with as many media outlets as possible because when they get discovered by someone new their old accomplishments are new to those just discovering them. For more information on George Doman, please visit his social media profiles and website below: Website: http://georgetragic.com/ Facebook: @George Doman Instagram: @georgetragic

The N'Courage & N'Spire Podcast EP 69 - Feat Faheem Smith

Episode Title: Hip Hop & Digital Music Marketing Feat. Faheem SmithIn this episode Durell is joined by digital music marketing expert Faheem Smith. Durell and Faheem begin the episode talking about his early memories of music and his love for hip-hop. Faheem and Durell talk about his early experiences entering the music industry professionally as an artist but then getting burnt out and deciding to make the pivot into wanting to learn the business side of the music industry. Faheem talks about his work building street teams for a variety of different major labels which lead to him branching out on his own and starting his own company called Off Spring Entertainment. Faheem shares that while he had a lot of fun working the labels he eventually decided to leave the major record label music space and transition into working with several international brands like BET, Nike, Verizon and Pepsi. Durell and Faheem talk about him deciding to make another pivot and enter the digital marketing space in 2014. Faheem and Durell talk about the early days in digital marketing and their respect for Ryan Leslie and him ushering in the era of caring about data and being able to use the data to make better decisions. Faheem and Durell discuss what makes ads so powerful for independent artists and why he chose to really make that his focus within the space. Durell and Faheem end the episode talking about some of the most common mistakes and misconceptions he has when working with his clients and what he has been working on and coming up with next for him as a digital marketing expert. For more information on Faheem Smith, please visit his social media profile below: Instagram @strikefirstent

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