Read on for the final part of the interview with Barry Starlin from SoundzAbout.
Here you will learn all there is to know about his background in music. Of course, you can learn more about the company itself in the first part of the interview.

PART II

MUSIC & YOU

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

I am the last of five music kids so I was born into it.  My earliest memories of being alive were of me and my family gathered around the piano playing and singing songs.  My older brother and three sisters were teenagers in the 70’s.  They were a part of the whole scene.  Even better is the fact that they exposed me to everything from country to rock to pop, and growing up in Georgia – home of James Brown, Otis Redding, Allman Brothers and so many legends was also an influence in such a multi-cultural environment.  But, it was when I was six years old and saw Johnny Cash on television that I decided what I wanted to do with the rest of my life.  When I was ten, my brother and my oldest sisters husband hooked me up with guitars and I was hooked.

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?

Yes I am.  Currently I’m performing, writing and producing with a lot of different bands, artists and vocalists.  You can check out some of them at www.reverbnation.com/starlin.  I’m also currently recording a catalog of songs I have written.  Some will be published through ASCAP with the intention of major artists recording them and some will wind up on my upcoming solo release.  I’m all over YouTube, but one of my favorite things recently posted was a live show in Shanghai in 2006.  I’m the one playing the white Les Paul.  Viewers should watch the video till the end so they can see the size of crowds we played to in Asia!  (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5H0CE-iVts)

Musical likes and dislikes? Favorite artists?

I like artists who are original, creative, and innovative and are an inspiration in some way to their audience.
Dislikes – Bands and artists who are unoriginal and whose music makes no difference.

Favorite Artists:  Tom Petty, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, The Black Crowes, The Who, Aretha Franklin, Sade, Prince, Led Zeppelin, David Bowie, KISS, The Smithereens and believe it or not – Lady Gaga.  (Yes, eclectic I know) Continue reading →

SoundzAbound is one of the most interesting startups that I have reviewed so far. And I have had the privilege of catching up with its president and co-founder, Barry Starlin. Now you can read the whole story.
This is Part 1; it deals with the genesis of the startup and its repercussion so far. Part 2 is about Barry and his musical past, present and future. Make sure to check it here.

Barry Starlin Britt from SoundzAbound

Full Name: Barry Starlin Britt
Startup: Soundzabound.com
Position:  President and Co-founder

PART I

THE STARTUP

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

Back in 1996 a district educator in the Atlanta area was working in the media department and getting many requests for royalty free music that could be used in PowerPoint and news shows primarily.  Most of the audio was too expensive and mostly “elevator music” in those days.  He contacted me about producing some demos.  Once the demos were done and I could see the results of use, I was on board.

The most distinctive features were the technological needs, the need for copyright compliance in the school systems and mostly, our intellectual property was unmatched having been a marriage between district educators and music industry professionals that soon join us.

What was the original launch date?

Our first Volume was released in August 1998 and Soundzabound was officially incorporated just shortly after that same month.  We did not decide to take the company full time until 2005.

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

The response has been amazing.  I never knew what a necessity our product would be.  In the early days I personally thought it would be nothing more than a novelty, but technology and compliance really drove the need.

Being a U.S. based company with strategic focus on the district, regional and state levels of K-12 education, the United States has been our most successful country, but the U.K., Australia, New Zealand, China and India are of course quickly emerging. Continue reading →