I have the opportunity to sit down with Jonathan Mones and chat about his life in music from touring with Ghost Note to his earlier years learning piano, changing to saxophone, and how his idea of music was formed by other Dallas musicians like Snarky Puppy, The Funky Knuckles, JD Beck, Roy Hargrove, and more. He talks about their influence and how the fellowship and encouragement in their jam settings fueled him to keep growing and connecting. We also chat about his favorite Funk music, martial arts training, cooking vegan, and more!

Make sure to follow him @j.money.music for information about future shows and more!

This episode I sit down with drummer Payton Taylor and chat about the challenges of learning and playing music virtually, getting inspiration from and working in the vibrant Dallas music scene, Jazz being kept alive by sampling & Hip Hop, Rock Band, Kanye West, and more!

Make sure to follow @paytontaylor for information on future shows and more!

I have the opportunity to connect with The Womack Sisters (BG, Zeimani, and Kucha) and talk about their family's musical legacy and the foundations provide by their grandfather Sam Cooke and parents Cecil and Linda Womack. We also chat about making music relatable and easy to connect with, they share about their journey of creating and producing the music they want and how they want it. We also talk about the power of perseverance, VR technology, the future of AI, and more!

"As the granddaughters of the legendary Sam Cooke, daughters of renowned songwriters and producers Cecil and Linda Womack (of Womack & Womack,) and nieces of singer-songwriter and R&B icon Bobby Womack, music is in their blood. Taking the American R&B and Pop scene by storm, the music industry welcomes a new generation of royalty with BG, Zeimani, and Kucha, the three gifted and soulful siblings who make up The Womack Sisters (TWS). Although the best friend trio inherited the legacy of musical giants, they are forging a new path with their most recent single, "Lost for Words."

Make sure to follow them @thewomacksisters and check out their website www.thewomacksisters.com for more information!

I have the opportunity to sit down with bassist, vocalist, and producer Robert Trusko and talk about his life in music from his upbringing of playing trumpet and bass to his experience in school furthering his musical education to be a better communicator and leaning into Jazz and improvisation to expand his ideas of how to create and honor music. He opens up about being from Philadelphia and his experiences playing music and being embraced by a musical community with grace or brutal truth, we chat about his move to Dallas and witnessing and learning from groups like Snarky Puppy and The Funky Knuckles, and more.

"As a composer, bassist, and producer, Robert’s main focus is creating music that is both artful and accessible.

In addition to original music, Robert plays electric bass, Ableton Push, and double bass in a wide variety of genres including Jazz Fusion, Gospel, Hip-hop, R&B, Classical, and South Indian classical music. He also has completed successful work as a songwriter, engineer, arranger, and producer.

Through his musicianship, Robert has been able to perform across the world. Robert has been privileged to perform with Grammy-Award-Winning-Artist Robert “Sput” Searight, Grammy-Award-Winning-Artist RC Williams, Cleon Edwards (Erykah Badu), Dwayne “MonoNeon” Thomas Jr., N’Dambi, Jaguar Wright (The Roots, Jay-Z), N’Dambi, Doug Wimbish (Living Colour, Sugar Hill Records, Lauryn Hill), Black Ice (Def Poetry Jam), Danny Gotlieb (Pat Metheny), and Eric McFadden (Parliament Funkadelic). Robert has also completed successful work as a film composer, songwriter, engineer, arranger, and producer."

Make sure to follow him @rtrusko on Instagram and check out his website truskomusic.com for future show dates and more!

My good friend Gabriel Parker returns with Patrick Pombuena (Parker & Pat, Artemis Funk) to talk about their roots in music and their motivations to become full time musicians. We chat about gigging, finding inspiration in someone else's art, finding time to support fellow artists, and more.

Make sure to follow them on Instagram for updates on upcoming shows and more!

@artemisfunk

@trumpetpreacher

@phattestofpats

I connect with jazz drummer and vocalist Jamison Ross and talk about his new single "Tell Me You Love Me" and his excitement for the new season he finds himself in as well as partnering with Affective Music and being a first time independent artist. Jamison shares his feeling about being a first generation student of music and how it motivated and changed his life by seeing what he can do with his musical talents. We also chat about being a member of Snarky Puppy, the inspiring experience of being involved in the instrumental ensemble, and his involvement in the new Live album "Empire Central" that was recently recorded at Deep Ellum Art Co.

Stream his new single "Tell Me You Love Me" and you can also hear him on "Trinity" the first single released for the new Snarky Puppy album.

Make sure to check out his website www.jamisonrossmusic.com and follow him on Instagram @jamison_ross for tour updates and more!

I have the opportunity to sit down with Kazunori Tanaka and chat about his pursuit of music across his life and career and his inspirations for living a life in music. We talk about his father's musical legacy and connection to playing trumpet as a career as well as his inspirations to moving to Dallas Fort Worth for his master's in Jazz Studies from UNT in order to follow in the steps of his favorite trumpeter Roy Hargrove. We also talk about being a student of music while still balancing having fun, playing with RC & The Gritz and his band Texas Sloth Loincloth, and more.

Keep up with Kazu by following his Instagram @kazutanakatp

This episode I have the opportunity to connect with Aiyana-Lee and chat about growing up in a musical family (her mother, manager, and creative partner, Nicole Daciana Anderson, is a multiplatinum singer-songwriter (Blue), her uncle was David Ruffin of The Temptations, and her grandfather was famed American soul singer Jimmy Ruffin). We talk about the difference between making music and working in the music industry, the power of self-reflection, and how she doesn't believe in mistakes and how every mistake can lead to a victory.

Make sure to follow her on Instagram @aiyanaleeofficial and check out her website www.aiyana-lee.com for more information!

"Aiyana-Lee cannot be put in a box.

Combining elements of pop, R&B and soul with poignant, heartfelt lyrics about her lived experiences, she creates music that transcends genres.

The british singer-songwriter’s powerhouse vocals are captivating listeners, with her recent single “Bedroom” amassing more than 2.3 million streams on YouTube to date.

Aiyana Lee grew up surrounded by music. Her mother, manager, and creative partner, Nicole Daciana Anderson, is a multiplatinum singer-songwriter (Blue), her uncle was David Ruffin of The Temptations, and her grandfather was famed American soul singer Jimmy Ruffin.

She began singing at age two, a charismatic toddler who would jump on stage any chance she got – especially while joining her mother on tour.

Most recently, she was discovered by legendary music producer and executive LA Reid, who signed Aiyana-Lee to his entertainment company & record label, HITCO.

Now 21, Aiyana-Lee has honed her skills and sound to create a stunning debut album, WEDNESDAY’S CHILD, with SIDE A out now. Aiyana-Lee’s music fuses contemporary pop elements with classic R&B and soul vibes. Her songs offer insights about staying true to yourself, avoiding the superficial trappings of Hollywood, the perils of abusive relationships, and prioritizing yourself and your dreams over romance."

*more info at www.aiyana-lee.com