BP#12: Singer-Songwriter JT Roach on the Psychology of the Session, Writing Better Songs, and What to Expect Your First Year in Los Angeles

Joining us on this week's episode of Bad Posture are Rohit Reddi and Rahul Chittipeddi of AlbumTradingCards, a group of 4 friends aiming to become the official trading card partner of the music industry. Sports cards have existed for 100+ years, and ATC wants to make that happen for music. If you're here for the first time, the mission of this show is to help you grow and heal into the most authentic version of yourself by listening to stories of how creative visionaries like Grammy-winning musicians, filmmakers, and start-up founders are attempting to do the same, with actionable takeaways packed throughout each episode.  If you're interested in the following, this episode is for you: - The challenges of starting a business with your friends (and why it's still worth it) - Having multiple, non-linear dreams (like start-ups and screenwriting) - Managing the egos and conflicts within a company - How to prioritize and manage your time more effectively - Overcoming perfectionism as a creative - Confronting the fear of failure  Follow AlbumTradingCards - Instagram | Website Follow Daniel (the host) - Instagram | Tik-Tok Follow Bad Posture - Instagram | Tik-Tok

Joining us on this week’s episode is Casper Sage (real name Cooper Shelton), a rising artist, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. While barely out of his teens, the 21 year-old student at Nashville's Belmont University carries himself with the emotional depth and philosophical wisdom of a man twice his age, writing with a sense of nostalgia shocking for someone still in the prime of their youth.  Over the past few years, the innate authenticity of this young artist's work has started to gain recognition with fellow students and fans alike, leading to sold-out shows, millions of streams, and coveted playlist placements. Topics covered in this episode include (in order):  The college debate for aspiring professional artists The difference between "who" and "what" you are Cooper's musical roots, including an all-star cast of middle school music teachers Why creating the best work only matters if you can effectively get people to engage with it The ideal balance of input vs. output as an artist Amateurism vs. Professionalism How to be intentional with your work and life How to keep yourself accountable The romanticization of depression (especially, among young artists) The hamster wheel of social media and how to sustainably share your work Why he doesn't mind the Frank Ocean comparisons Must-reads for aspiring artists And much more As always, whether you’re an artist yourself, an entrepreneur, someone who works in the arts, or really just a human being interested in self-development, healing, and actualization, this episode has something for you. For more content like this, subscribe on your favorite platform for podcasts and follow us on socials! ——— Follow Casper Sage - ⁠Instagram⁠ | Tik-Tok | Twitter Follow Bad Posture - ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ | Tik-Tok Follow Daniel Witcoff - ⁠Instagram⁠ | ⁠Tik-Tok⁠ | Twitter

Joining us on this week’s episode is Matt Schonfeld, the Founder, Executive Producer, and Host of the music discovery platform NOT 97, now in the 9th season of its flagship podcast, produced and distributed in partnership with The Orchard & Human Re Sources. Schonfeld manages the rising singer/songwriter and producer Cleo Reed who recently released their debut album “Root Cause.” Outside of music, Schonfeld can be found at the dog park with his 2 year old hound DOOM, R&Ding breakfast recipes for his future diner, or climbing walls at the rock gym.  Topics covered in this episode include (in order):  What to expect on this current season of NOT 97 Matt’s journalistic background studying American history through the lens of culture Your responsibilities when working with or covering a culture you don’t belong to What pushed Matt to therapy for the first time Getting the most out of therapy on the days when you actually feel good Why Matt fell in love with cooking (specifically, breakfast) How to have better conversations (the art of the interview) How to support your favorite artists Much more! As always, whether you’re an artist yourself, an entrepreneur, someone who works in the arts, or really just a human being interested in self-development, healing, and actualization, this episode has something for you. For more content like this, feel free to subscribe on your favorite platform for podcasts and follow us on socials :) ——— Follow Matt Schonfeld - Instagram Follow NOT 97 - Instagram | Website Follow Daniel Witcoff - Instagram | Twitter | Tik-Tok Follow Bad Posture - Instagram | Tik-Tok

Joining us on this week's episode is Gary 'Biddy' Burbridge, the head of A&R at Guin Records (Curtis Waters, Kevin George), as well as the co-founder of THE HEARD, a management company whose clients have worked on multiple Grammy-winning albums, including Kendrick Lamar's most recent album "Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers." A Los Angeles native born in Long Beach, Gary spent his entire youth in Baldwin Village ("The Jungles") and always envisioned a creative path forward. At 14 years old, he began raising himself on his own, while on a creative exploration as a means for survival. From poetry and journalism, to photography and production, Gary spent most of his time in the underground music scene of Los Angeles, until finally arriving in the world of artist management and development. As an A&R, manager, and executive producer, Gary has fostered a community of talent that prioritizes the essence of an individual's artistic capacity. Topics covered in this episode include: - Gary’s story (which includes long bouts of homelessness) - Investing in loss (or, the hidden power losing) - How to overcome being overlooked - Reverse gatekeeping - How to give better feedback - How artists can approach the delicate balance of authentic self-expression and living off of their craft - Taking wins wherever you can find them - Why he’s not interested in winning unless his team does  As always, whether you’re an artist yourself, an entrepreneur, someone who works in the arts, or really just a human being interested in reaching your potential, this episode has something for you. If you liked this episode, please subscribe on your favorite platform, leave us a review, and tell your friends :) ------------ Follow Gary 'Biddy' Burbridge -  ⁠Instagram⁠ | ⁠Twitter Follow Daniel Witcoff - ⁠Instagram⁠ | ⁠Twitter⁠ | ⁠Tik-Tok⁠ Follow Bad Posture - ⁠Instagram⁠

Joining us on this week’s episode is Dylan Bourne, an artist development specialist from Dallas who broke into the music industry with a combination of creative instincts and good ole' fashioned brute force.  Dylan is the founder and CEO of Bourne Creatives, a diversified entertainment and music company that partners with world-class talent to represent and build their personal brands throughout all stages of careers. BC's current roster of artists, producers, and songwriters -- like JELEEL, DWLLRS, and Dazy -- have over 100M streams across platforms, as well as a number of Top 10 positions on various Billboard charts. Prior to starting his own shop, Dylan had successful runs as both an A&R and creative director with the beat-leasing behemoth BeatStars, Darkoom (the Interscope-partnered label famous for helping launch Billie Eilish into the stratosphere), and music marketing monster Black Box. Topics covered in this episode include: - The venn diagram of personal and artistic development - Learning how to speak to to an individual's needs - Breaking into your dream job or industry - Navigating creative conflicts - Bringing strategy to self-expression - The importance of viewing yourself as a brand - How fatherhood supercharged his self-care -  How to be a pro both at work and with your family  - And much more! As always, whether you’re an artist yourself, an entrepreneur, someone who works in the arts, or really just a human being interested in reaching your potential, this episode has something for you. If you liked this episode, please subscribe on your favorite platform, leave us a review, and tell your friends :) ------------ Follow Dylan Bourne -  Instagram | Twitter Follow Daniel Witcoff - Instagram | Twitter | Tik-Tok Follow Bad Posture - Instagram | Tik-Tok

Joining us on this week’s episode is Morgan Jay, an award-winning musician and comedian with appearances on MTV”s Wild ’n’ Out, NBC, and even Comedy Central. A multi-hyphenate artist whose unique blend of music-based crowd-work and original songs have earned him millions of followers across social media, he's at almost 1M followers on Tik-Tok alone. Insane. When Morgan's not touring the country and performing his craft in front of thousands of fans, he’s working on original music, streaming on Twitch, or preparing his next comedy special — like his upcoming special, recorded at legendary venue The Village in Los Angeles. As always, whether you’re an artist yourself, an entrepreneur, someone who works in the arts, or really just a human being interested in reaching your potential, this episode has something for you. Topics covered in this episode include:  - The double-edged sword of becoming famous on Tik-Tok - A performer's moral imperative to be prepared - Bouncing back from being boo’d by 4000 people - The relationship between sports and art - Much more If you liked this episode, please subscribe on your favorite platform and leave us a review :)  ------------ Follow Morgan Jay - Website | Tik-Tok | Instagram | YouTube Follow Daniel Witcoff - Instagram | Twitter | Tik-Tok Follow Bad Posture - Instagram | Tik-Tok

Joining us on this week's episode of Bad Posture is Donavan Brown, of Troy Carter & Suzy Ryoo's Venice Music. A creative soul raised in a military family, Donavan often felt alienated and confused by the clash between the military mindset and his own. In this episode, we talk about how he learned to reclaim his creativity, what breaking the cycle of generational trauma looks like, why there is so much pain in today’s music, and much more. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe on your favorite platform and consider leaving us a comment :) -------------------------------------------------------------------- Follow Donavan Brown - Instagram Follow Daniel  - Instagram | Twitter | Tik-Tok  Follow Bad Posture - Instagram | Tik-Tok

On this week's episode of Bad Posture, we welcome my good friend, award-winning engineer Elton "L10MixedIt" Chueng. Based in Chicago, Elton started as an intern at Classick Studios in 2011, Elton worked his way to becoming one of the most in-demand engineers in Chicago. Since then, Elton has worked with Chance the Rapper, Smino, Da Baby, Kehlani, Clairo, Saba, Xavier Omar, Kota the Friend, No Name, Mick Jenkins, and many more. In 2017, Elton received a Grammy for his work on Chance The Rapper's  critically-acclaimed mixtape "Coloring Book," which won 'Best Rap Album' that year. His mission statement is to help bring  opportunity to Chicago, and create more resources for upcoming artists and producers to flourish. Elton's most recent success was his significant contribution to Smino's latest album "Luv 4 Rent" If you're interested in working with Elton -  [email protected]. Follow Elton on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/l10mixedit/ Follow Elton on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/l10mixedit -------------------------------------------------------------------- Follow Daniel on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/danielwitcoff Follow Daniel on Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/dontfightghosts

On today's episode, we welcome my good friend, JT Roach. Originally from Wisconsin, JT Roach is an artist, singer-songwriter, and producer who's written songs for Jessie Reyez, Emily Warren, French Montana, Lil Jon, and more. JT was the winner of the Season 1 finale of NBC's songwriting competition “Songland,” in which Ryan Tedder -- one of the most successful songwriters in history -- chose his song, "Somebody to Love," to perform, record, and publish with his band One Republic. In addition to his cuts with major artists, JT’s music has placed w/ Apple, Hulu, and Netflix. At the moment, he is focused on finishing his next solo album. In This Episode: In this interview, JT and I talk about the contrast between his expectations and the reality of moving across the country to Los Angeles in 2014, the psychology of the songwriting session, his experience living in the hallway of an artist commune (I was there too!), as well as how to write better songs, find your audience, and be a better collaborator. Fun Fact: JT and I actually went to college together at the University of Wisconsin-Madison — go Badgers! Want to learn more about JT? Follow on Instagram Listen on Spotify Enjoy this episode? Feel free to subscribe and show your support by leaving a rating/review on your favorite platform! Follow Daniel on Instagram Follow Daniel on Twitter Follow Daniel on Tik-Tok  Follow Bad Posture on Instagram  -

On today’s episode, we feature my friend Giulianna Pino. A professional gymnast since childhood, Giulianna competed as recently as the 2019 World Championships in Germany, before injuries and shifting interests took her into the entertainment business, where she currently works on operations at FaZe Clan, directly supporting President and COO Zach Kats. Since its inception in 2010, FaZe Clan has established itself as one of the world’s most prominent and influential gaming organizations known for its disruptive original content and hyper-engaged global fanbase of over 510 million combined across social platforms. Earlier this year, FaZe Clan made headlines for going public at a whopping $725M valuation. From Giulianna's not-so-distant days competing at the highest levels of gymnastics, to how she carved out her lane in the entertainment business, to reading 40 books a year, her journey with returning to self, and her most recent role at Faze Clan, this episode is perfect for current or former athletes, executives, entrepreneurs, readers, manifesters, & seekers. Without further adieu, it’s my great honor to introduce to you all, Ms. Giulianna Pino. ----------- Follow Giulianna on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/giulipino/ ----------- Interested in learning more? Subscribe to "Bad Posture" on your favorite platform and:  Follow Bad Posture on Instagram - https://instagram.com/badposturepodcast Follow Daniel on Instagram - https://instagram.com/danielwitcoff Follow Daniel on Tik-Tok - https://www.tiktok.com/@danielwitcoff Follow Daniel on Twitter - https://twitter.com/dontfightghosts