My guest today is Chris Graham, a mastering engineer, who works from his own mastering studio, Chris Graham Mastering, in Columbus OH.

Chris came across my radar one day when I was looking for Youtube video about a new plugin, and before the video started an ad popped up. Of course I’m used to seeing ads about cars, or plugins, or whatever trendy item Google thinks I should know about. But this one was unexpected. It was a normal looking guy talking to me about the frustrations of trying to master my own record, how he understood, and how he could help.

So out of curiosity I clicked through and landed on his website Chris Graham Mastering. I was so impressed with how he had laid everything out, and how he presented his before and after player for mixing, and mastering examples that I decided to send him an email and introduce myself.

Chris and I talked on the phone I knew right away that he was someone you needed to meet, Rockstars! Chris has figured out how to build a thriving mixing and mastering business that really over delivers by offering coaching, mentoring, and video tutorials to help his clients get the best mixes possible before the mastering process. And he does all this from the heartland of Ohio, not from NYC, LA, or Nashville.

He has built a smart, effective marketing, and business strategy that allows him to help as many people as possible using the internet to connect with his clients. I am really excited to dig deep into mixing and mastering, and find out what makes an effective marketing strategy for you Rockstars.

Check out ChrisGrahamMastering.com

Chris designed his own custom audio player to show before and after examples of his work. Something we might take for granted today, but he was actually the first guy on the web to do this!

Chris Graham Mastering

Press the play button below to listen to the podcast episode:

And keep reading below for more videos and cool photos from the road...

Chris Graham Welcome video on Youtube. Click through and check it out!

Here are the great books we talked about to inspire you in your business!

Chris King is a songwriter, music and film producer, and award winning author. He also happens to be the singer in my St Louis bands, Enormous Richard, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Three Fried Men.

Chris has produced or co-produced musical adaptations of the poetry of Gertrude Stein, Pulitzer laureate Paul Muldoon, Missouri Poet Laureate David Clewell, Australian poet laureate Les Murray and Connecticut Poet Laureate Leo Connellan. He directed two feature silent films for Poetry Scores "Blind Cat Black," which scores the Turkish poet Ece Ayhan, and "Go South for Animal Index," which scores the Salt Lake City / St. Louis poet Stefene Russell.

He co-produced "No Dark in America" by legendary jump blues musician Rosco Gordon (Dualtone, 2002). He served as executive producer on St. Louis raconteur Fred Friction's "Murder Balladeer" and on "Just Piping" by All-Ireland piper Michael Cooney, and he produced "Memory Music" by Merchant Marine songster Pops Farrar, the father of Jay Farrar (Uncle Tupelo / Son Volt).

And he has done all this while working daily as the managing editor of The St. Louis American, the largest weekly newspaper in Missouri.

You can reach Chris King at: Brodog@hotmail.com

Check out David Greenberger - The Duplex Planet​

Press the play button below to listen to the podcast episode:

And keep reading below for more videos and cool photos from the road...

Chris gives us a personal tour of The Skuntry Museum!

Photos from Hoobellatoo travels:

Enormous Richard

Chris King and Nymah Kumah in front of the church where we recorded.

Lij Shaw and Nymah Kumah

Road Food - Crab Shack in Maine.

BAND VIDEOS:

Rosco Gordon

Rosco Gordon, Chris King, and Lij Shaw.

Chris, and Nymah by Walden Pond.

POET VIDEOS

Leo Connellan at Curbstone Press.

Writing Skuntry tunes by the water with John Minkoff and Matt Fuller.

The original selfie stick!

PRODUCTION WORK:

AND OF COURSE A GREAT RECIPE:

Nymah Kumah taught us this recipe for Jolof Rice the African precursor to Jambolaya on our first field recording expedition. http://confluencecity.blogspot.com/2008/08/recipe-for-african-precursor-to.html

Jolof Rice