Category Archives: Interviews

Mickey Richardson (Share My Guitar) – Interview (Part 2)

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This is the second half of the interview with Mickey Richardson from ShareMyGuitar.com, and if you liked the first part then I’m sure you’ll enjoy it from start to finish. Mickey gets to talk about the music he’s been inspired by, and all of his favorite artists.

It must be said that he’s got an excellent taste in music. Read on, I’m certain that if you check MusicKO regularly you’ll find he’s keen on the very same artists that you love.

 

PART II

MUSIC & YOU

 

When did you become interested in music? What was the first album or single you ever purchased?

I have been interested in music for as far back as I can remember. My parents had an old piano in the house. I gravitated to the piano and taught myself to play by ear. Then around 13 years of age I acquired a drum kit and messed around for a few years before migrating to the bass guitar. I played bass for many years and joined a bunch of bands that gigged all over Los Angeles and Orange County. Listening to music, playing and creating original music has always been very important to me. Funny enough it wasn’t until I started SMG that I really ever even tried playing guitar!

The first album I can remember purchasing was Van Halen’s “1984” on vinyl from a record store called “Best Records” in Simi Valley, California.  But before that, I would listen to my Dad’s old records. I remember listening to stuff like “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” by Elton John, various Beatles albums and all kinds of other 50s and 60s music. The music was great and it left a strong impression on me from a really young age.

Are you in a band yourself, or have you been in a band in the past? Is there a clip on YouTube or elsewhere we could watch?

I’m not in a band currently. There are songs posted on my SMG profile from a previous band that I co-wrote and recorded on and I still enjoy listening to those songs. Hopefully I can find the time to play live again sometime soon.

Musical likes and dislikes? Favorite artists?

My favorite music includes anything that sounds good to my ears. I used to rule out county and rap music when I was a kid. But I have heard some amazing country artists and some good rap too. I think it’s important to keep an open mind but if you checked my iPhone you would find music from Alice in Chains, Guns N Roses, The Beatles, AC/DC, Bad Religion, Ozzy, Queen, The Sex Pistols, Foo Fighters, Led Zeppelin… okay, this list gets pretty long, so I will leave it at that. Continue reading →

Mickey Richardson (Share My Guitar) – Interview (Part 1)

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Fresh from my summer vacations, I’ve got some great interviews for you. The first one is with Mickey Richardson from ShareMyGuitar.com, a superb social network for guitarists that was reviewed on MusicKO last month. You can read the original post here before delving on Mickey’s great answers. Pay special attention to the in-depth advice he gives when asked about the obvious mistakes to be avoided when launching a music-related startup.

And the second part of this interview (“Music & You”) can be read here.

Mickey Richardson From ShareMyGuitar.com

Full Name: Mickey Richardson
Age: 39
Startup: ShareMyGuitar
Position: Founder/CEO

PART I

THE STARTUP

Tell us a little about your startup. How was it conceived? What are its most distinctive features in your opinion?

The site was conceived mainly because I had taken up playing guitar. Like a lot of people do when they start playing, I was looking for a way to find good quality online lessons, as well as a way to get answers to my many questions I had about playing guitar like: What kind of strings should I use? What is the correct way to hold a pick? What songs should I focus on learning? What scales should I practice? The list goes on and on. The thought process was that if I could find a community where I could exchange questions, ideas and so forth in a format much like Facebook but just for musicians, it would be the perfect way for me to connect, network and progress on guitar. That’s how SMG came about.

One of the most distinctive features about SMG would be that it is a niche guitarists/musicians network. Our members can connect and become friends with other musicians who are located in nearly every country in the world! Connecting with others is easy because of nice features like the wall feed, live chat and a host of other cool features. To me, one of the coolest things about SMG would be that no matter what culture our member’s come from, their guitar speaks the same language.

What was the original launch date?

Well, I guess I should first explain that the idea for the website was initially for a social network for guitarists, but due to complications with finding the right developers to make it all happen and work out all the logistics, I launched the SMG Blog prior to the SMG social network. The Blog was launched in August 2009. The SMG social network followed the Blog, by the end of December 2009.

What has been the response so far? In which countries has it been more successful?  

The response has been really great. Our members have provided us with a lot of useful feedback to allow us to constantly improve and grow the site. It’s really funny when we look at the early versions of SMG and then compare them with what is here today. It’s like night and day! It’s so much better, not only in the layout or design but also in the stability of the site. Although we tend to get a lot of positive feedback, which we really appreciate, its also the people who have let us know what works and what doesn’t that has allowed us to make the site that much better. The most common response has been “Cool, Facebook for guitarists!” and we take that as a tremendous compliment.

The USA leads with the most active daily users. Next would be user from the United Kingdom, Australia and followed up with an even mix of users scattered throughout Europe. In any given day, you can find that new members have signed up from South America, the Middle East, Africa and Asia as well. As long as there is an Internet connect, people can log on and join SMG! Continue reading →

Robert Dede (PumpYouUp) – Interview (Part 2)

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This is the final part of the interview with Robert Dede (of PumpYouUp fame). In this installment we talk about the music that he loves, and which inspires him the most.

And in case you haven’t read it yet (why?!), the first part of this interview is found here.

 

PART II

MUSIC & YOU

When did you become interested in music? What was the first album or single you ever purchased?

I was forced to take piano lessons ever since I could remember.  Though I did not enjoy playing until in college and I created my first midi studio. This was on an Atari St computer running the first version of Steinberg software.

My first album: I can’t recall the actual name, it was an 8-track hit collection advertised on TV.  I only remember that one of my favorite tracks was “Rubberband Man”, Detroit Spinners.  I was age 10 at the time. I mowed lawns and had bought a nice amp and speakers; I still have the speaker cabinets today though the internal speakers have been replaced.

Are you in a band yourself, or have you been in a band in the past? Is there a clip on YouTube or elsewhere we could watch? Continue reading →

Robert Dede (PumpYouUp) – Interview (Part 1)

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What goes into creating and launching your own startup? This interview with Robert Dede from PumpYouUp (just featured on MusicKO) answers that question like little else. I’m sure it’ll give the ones among you who are thinking of taking the entrepreneurial path a hefty dose of determination.

Thanks a lot for your time, Robert!

Fall 2011, Heron Lake NM. PumpYouUp initial startup work.

Full Name: Robert Dede
Age: 46
Startup: PumpYouUp
Position: Software Entrepreneur, Electrical Engineer, owner Gigasoft, Inc.

PART I

THE STARTUP

Tell us a little about your startup. How was it conceived? What are its most distinctive features in your opinion?

The fall season 2011 I took my motor coach into the lower Rockies, Heron Lake State Park, NM for an annual sabbatical. Over the last 16 years it’s something I’ve done to increase productivity as I’ve been self-employed since age 23. Usually staying away 8 weeks from family, friends, and the same-old-grind that causes one to get complacent and stagnant. About 2 weeks into my trip I got a phone call about a seven year old domain name I had purchased and incorporated into Pump You Up, Inc. The call got me re-thinking about what to do with the domain, besides parking it, as I’ve always thought this was a good domain to own. Timing was everything. If I was not on my trip, the start-up would have never happened. Also, for this trip I happened to bring along a Yamaha MOX6 and latest Cakewalk/Sonar software. So a combination of bringing a keyboard on the trip (a first time for me) and having the phone call about PumpYouUp made me connect the two ideas. Researching the idea of music I saw there was a large demand for music and a large number of indie/hobby producers. It seemed obvious to create a web location to bring the two groups together. I will also keep producing music in-house. The goal is to get one of our artist’s songs or one of our in-house songs to go viral.  I feel producing in-house increases the chances.  Another goal is to keep pressure on improving the music quality and website’s public awareness.

What was the original launch date?

It took 5 weeks to write the initial web site, write a few songs in-house, deal with all the legalities, and find the initial Fall/Halloween 2011 collection.  In the process I registered PumpYouUp, Inc. with US ISRC so I could assign ISRC codes if needed.  I was working 18 hours a day during this period.  It all culminated on Oct 20th 2011 upon my first press release.

What has been the response so far? In which countries has it been more successful?  

The response has been very positive.  Many days the site gets StumbleUpon scores above 90 and facebook like click-though rate above 30%.  Not many websites produce such scores.  40% of the traffic is from the US, 45% from Europe, and the remaining 15% come from around the planet.

What features can we expect to see implemented in future revisions?

The site is very early in its evolution.  One day I would like the site to be mostly automated with a popularity high enough that the quality of music is undeniably world-class.  I don’t want to discuss future features in detail but there will definitely be some exciting additions.   I’m also looking forward to 2012 as I have many ideas for songs and it will be interesting to see how they take shape and received. Continue reading →

Dario Zampetti (Veenue) – Interview (Part 2)

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This is the final part of my conversation with Dario Zampetti from Veenue. Read it, post it to Facebook and Twitter, and show everybody what being one step ahead is like!

And just in case you’ve been out of touch recently, you can find the first part of this interview here.

 

PART II

MUSIC & YOU

When did you become interested in music? What was the first album or single you ever purchased?

I started to play guitar when I was 11years old. I have studied with teachers as great as Donato Begotti, owner of the Rock Guitar Academy in Milan. My first album was Eric Clapton “unplugged”, then Smashing Pumpkins and today Queens of The Stone Age.

Are you in a band yourself, or have you been in a band in the past? Is there a clip on YouTube or elsewhere we could watch?

Luckily there’re not videos around of me playing with my old bands : ) One of my funnier moments was with a “rage against the machine” like band. We’re used to perform without t-shirt and covered by colors (body paint). Like the “blue man group”. Very funny!

Musical likes and dislikes? Favorite artists?

I love Muse, QOSTA, RED HOT, GORILLAZ and many others. I listen to lot of Italian music, too. Continue reading →

Dario Zampetti (Veenue) – Interview (Part 1)

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Dario Zampetti from Veenue (just featured on MusicKO) is today’s interviewee. We talk about his startup (one of the most original I’ve seen in a while, actually), and then about the music he loves.

Thanks a bunch, Dario!

Full Name:
Dario Zampetti Age: 32
Startup: Veenue ltd
Position: founder & CEO

PART I

THE STARTUP

Tell us a little about your startup. How was it conceived? What are its most distinctive features in your opinion?  

The veenue idea was born after a rehearsal with my friend and business partner Massimo. We were always surprised about how hard it was to find people to play music with.

“How can we find them?”, we thought.

And after a little while, the idea was clear: to build a search engine for musicians (what they play, how they look, what they like) and try to let them to play music together even if they’re far away from each other.  I believe the most distinctive aspect of Veenue is the way everything’s approached. The idea to be free to search for people without any border, and to be free to play real music with them.

What was the original launch date?  

3rd of October 2011

What has been the response so far? In which countries has it been more successful?   

It’s still too early to say. Veenue is a simple idea, but the adoption of the whole system is not. It’s not like when you ask someone to write a text or email, we’re telling musicians that they can play together if they record a video.  As it’s not a very common approach, we need time, marketing and good reviews to spread it : )   Continue reading →

Christoph Thür (Ovelin) – Interview (Part 2)

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The second part of the interview I conducted with Christoph Thür from Ovelin, the creators of the super-cool WildChords for iPad. You can read the first part of this interview here. And this is my review of WildChords. Enjoy, and share!

 

PART II

MUSIC & YOU

When did you become interested in music? What was the first album or single you ever purchased?

I always loved those evenings at the scout summer camp where we were singing next to  the fire. I think the first album I bought with my own money was Keep the Faith from Bon Jovi. Continue reading →

Christoph Thür (Ovelin) – Interview (Part 1)

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Full Name: Christoph Thür
Company: Ovelin
Position: CEO

Last week I told you about WildChords, a cool iPad app created by Ovelin that lets you learn to play the guitar without you even noticing – it all becomes a game. Now I want to introduce you to Ovelin’s CEO, Christoph Thür. He was kind enough to answer my questions, and with WildChords’ release date set for October 2011 this interview’s all you need before heading to the App Store and downloading your own copy.

 

PART I

THE APP

Tell us a little about your app. How was it conceived? What are its most distinctive features in your opinion?

WildChords is a guitar learning app that motivates people to practice on their real guitars. Its played with an acoustic (or electric guitar), and currently on an iPad (other platforms to follow). The cool thing about it is that you don’t need any special equipment to play, and you also no previous guitar knowledge is required. Turn it on, grab your guitar, and the game will get you playing in no time. We concentrate much of our energy on the motivational aspects of the game: give rewards, make it easy to use and turn it into a casual game (play a quick session in the add- breaks, rather than reserve an hour for practice). Both co-founders (Mikko and me) were guitar dropouts. Not because we did not know what to do, not because we did not have time to practice (who has time for anything anyway), but because we lacked the motivation to go through those early exercises. We figured that if we find a way to motivate ourselves to practice, it might work for others too.

When is WildChords going to be released?

The plan is to launch the first version in October 2011.

What has been the response so far?

The response has been overwhelming. Users (kids and adults alike) love the game, they get hooked immediately, and make real progress. More importantly they really enjoy playing the guitar, which makes it that much easier to pick up the guitar every day for a few minutes. We also worked with different guitar teachers who love the idea even more. Finally their students practice at home and come to classes proud to show what they have achieved the past week, and motivated to learn more. One teacher tested WildChords with two of his least motivated students and said that they have practiced more at home in this one month using WildChords, than in the whole previous year. WildChords records the time you play, and another teacher reported that his student had used it on average of 2.5h per day! However, we are still learning so many things from our users that we are excited about gameplay modes, advanced features, and tons of new levels.
As a nice bonus, we won the Best European Learning Game 2011 competition with WildChords.

What features can we expect to see implemented in future revisions?

I don’t want to say too much about upcoming things yet, but we are working hard to make the game even richer, with new guitar techniques, and also more interactive features. We are also talking to different musicians and bands to help us create more songs for the game. And of course we will include some famous songs to the game too. Continue reading →

Jonas Brander (Restorm) – Interview (Part 2)

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Part 2 of the excellent interview with Jonas from Restorm. Enjoy, and share!.

PART II

MUSIC & YOU

When did you become interested in music? What was the first album or single you ever purchased?

I became interested in music just when my brain started to work inside my mother’s belly. She often sang to me, that’s why I wanted to stay inside and they had to cut her open to get me. It was really comfortable. Since this day I often became angry and could channel all this emotion with Sonic Youths “Daydream Nation”.

Are you in a band yourself, or have you been in a band in the past? Is there a clip on YouTube or elsewhere we could watch?

The most people working at restorm.com are playing in bands or have a really strong passion for music. I have various projects. The main project at the moment is a German rap project and is called son kas. Continue reading →

Jonas Brander (Restorm) – Interview (Part 1)

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Believe me, you’re surely not wanting to pass on this interview with Jonas Brander from Restorm, the platform for licensing music online I reviewed last month on MusicKO. I praised the service quite extensively back then, and the conversation I was fortunate enough to have with Jonas simply exemplifies the way of thinking of those with the vision and the skill to create revolutionary digital services.
You can read Part 1 of the interview below. Part 2 (“Music & You”) is right here.

Full Name: Jonas Brander
Age: 25
Startup: restorm.com
Position: media & communication

 

PART I

THE STARTUP

 

Tell us a little about your startup. How was it conceived? What are its most distinctive features in your opinion?

We built an artist-based music platform that offers solutions for the challenges of the music industry. There should be one place for everyone who loves music, one meeting point where artists, labels, promoters, media representatives and music lovers can connect to share their music, offer gigs and tickets or talk about music.

At the moment we focus to build professional and completely free tools to help artists to earn more money and create more attention while saving time. For example restorm.com allows bands and labels to sell music directly to their fans. It only takes a few minutes to set up a personal download shop, which can be embedded on their homepage or on Facebook. 90% of all sales go directly to the artists. Another feature is the connect tool that allows you to synchronize Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Soundcloud, Youtube and large Eventdatabases with each other at once. With the so-called Minipage you can embed the entire restorm.com profile anywhere on the web. Just to mention a few of our tools.

What was the original launch date?

restorm.com was launched in 2007, but it had another focus back then. Our CEO Philippe Perreaux became the main shareholder of the company in 2008 and in the course of this change we had a big personal and conceptual shift towards the vision we represent now. So the real starting point was at the end of 2008. The following two years were mainly programming to get a unique profile and stand out from other music platforms.

What has been the response so far? In which countries has it been more successful?  

Since we have a clear profile, the feedback has been really good. For example, just recently there was a huge survey from a university and the biggest German independent music association. They analyzed 13 music platforms in eight categories and restorm.com won far in front of well-known services such as Bandcamp, Spotifiy or Soundcloud.

As we started in Switzerland its consequence was that we first had the most members in Switzerland, Germany and Austria. But since we are available in five languages and have a global approach, we daily get more and more bands form all over the world. So this discrepancy should be history soon. Continue reading →