Producer — Podcast — Making It with Chris G.

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After over 100 interviews for the podcast, I’ve learned one of the most important qualities to “making it” is about having the right mindset. Clinton Sparks is a world renowned DJ, Producer, Songwriter, Serial Entrepreneur and now Author. He’s a Grammy nominated artist who has worked with artists such as Akon, Bun-B, Ludacris, Tyrese, Pitbull, Lady Gaga, Jordan Knight, and many more. Today, he’s also an author of the book “How to Win Big in the Music Business.”

In this conversation we talk about the new book, the importance of having the right mindset, setting goals and having a plan, building real genuine relationships in the music business, balancing family life and being a dad with the crazy music business and all the ventures he’s involved with, and much more.

To learn more about Clinton Sparks visit https://clintonsparks.com/ and www.winbiginmusic.com/.

Get In Touch with Clinton Sparks:
https://clintonsparks.com/
https://www.winbiginmusic.com/
Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube

You can also listen to this episode on iTunes | Spotify | Stitcher |

Rodney Hazard is an Art Director, Producer, and DJ based in Brooklyn, NY. On February 23, 2018, he released his second album, Sain or Savage, which premiered on Noisey.com. Rodney was first introduced on the podcast by Mark Schaefer on Episode #073, where Mark spoke of Rodney as an example of creating very creative and exciting content with his videos and music on Instagram. Rodney has created many amazing projects to which he has contributed as a director, music producer, videographer, photographer, graphic designer, or a combo of them all. He’s someone that’s a great example of a musician expanding his creative talents, and applying them to create beautiful and powerful content, with very talented collaborators. In this episode, we discuss the value of collaborating with others, how Rodney reaches out to complete strangers via Instagram or Twitter DM for collaboration projects, and much more.

To learn more about Rodney, visit http://rodneyhazard.com/ and make sure to follow him on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/rodneyhazard/.

Highlights from this Episode
[3:24] Collaboration with Chasing Rooftops
[5:05] Where Rodney’s collaborations come from
[5:39] Meeting Mark Schaefer
[6:52] About Rodney Hazard
[8:05] What he looks for in potential collaborators
[9:12] Reaching out to people on social media
[11:45] What to say when reaching out to people on social media
[13:58] Overcoming being a perfectionist and start putting out content
[16:08] Putting out content
[18:10] Rodney’s process of creating content
[19:30] Getting someone’s attention on Instagram
[20:55] Rodney’s Team and workflow process
[22:51] Finding management and what to look for in a manager
[24:28] Approaching a manger
[25:20] Best practices for Soundcloud and Spotify
[26:52] The journey of Rodney Hazard
[31:52] Nvr Sleep - A Party for the Creative Class
[34:11] Lessons learned from collaborations and Heavy D.
[38:22] Booking and opening for other artists
[40:08] Equalizing Music Project
[43:27] Getting started in Film Scoring
[47:57] Expectations when reaching out to potential collaborators
[48:26] New Album - Saint or Savage
[52:47] Preview of 2018 for Rodney Hazard
[53:47] Philosophy on Touring for Hip-Hop and Producers
[56:12] A live performance that stands out and turning an audience into fans
[58:52] Getting to know Rodney Hazard

Quotes from Rodney Hazard
“Don’t be afraid to break rules and make noise.”
“How can we help each other push forward?”
“Always thank people for their time.”
“Art is never finished.”
“You’re always going to look at your old self, and cringe.”
“You have to see how people react to what you’re doing.”
“Let the world see it, let the world hear it.”
“You should always be creating.”
“If you’re practicing all the time, and doing things all the time, you’re going to get as great as you want to be.”
“All of things get flipped on its head. Why not be the first one to start that wave?”
“You should choose your manager, it shouldn’t be the other way around.”
“Sitting around and waiting for somebody isn’t the right way to go about it.”
“It’s all about creating a new conversation.”
“There is always something to learn, as long as you look at the craft as, I’m forever a student.”
“You can’t expect everyone to do what you want to do.”
“You should constantly be doing shows.”
“You have to be able to perform whether it’s a small crowd or big crowd.”
“You have to get on stage and bring something a little different.”
“Be willing to create a conversation with the crowd.”
“Making the music is the fun part.”
“I want people to feel something when the hear it.”