Episodes

  • Uniquely Familiar: A Lifetime Pouring Passion Into Guitars That Sing | A Brand Spotlight at The NAMM Show 2026 with John Page and Bryan Ray of John Page Guitars

    Uniquely Familiar: A Lifetime Pouring Passion Into Guitars That Sing | A Brand Spotlight at The NAMM Show 2026 with John Page and Bryan Ray of John Page Guitars
    Apr 18 2026
    At The NAMM Show 2026, John Page walks Sean Martin of ITSPmagazine through a hand-painted electric guitar called the Retablo. The motifs are lifted from the artwork that traditionally sits behind a cathedral altar, reimagined so the saints and icons are not from scripture but from the roots of American music. Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Muddy Waters. Howlin' Wolf. Mahalia Jackson. The canvases themselves are cut from the floorboards of an old church. It is one of the most personal guitars John Page has ever built. The conversation traces the arc of John Page Guitars, the small-batch shop John Page runs after more than 20 years at Fender, where he co-founded the legendary Custom Shop and led guitar research and development. He has now been designing and building guitars for 53 years. What gets made today at John Page Guitars is built by a small team, with John Page handling his own custom work and prototypes while a master builder works alongside him on production models. What makes the instruments different is not one big thing but a series of quiet decisions. John Page mounts the neck to the body with threaded machine inserts and machine bolts instead of standard wood screws, a coupling he believes transfers tone better between neck and body and adds overtone complexity that a conventional bolt-on simply does not produce. A flatter 12-inch radius, a reverse-angled bridge pickup that removes the ice-pick high, a vintage-feeling neck profile. Every decision serves a single goal: an instrument that sings as a complete unit. John Page describes his design philosophy in two short phrases. The first is "uniquely familiar," the idea that a guitar should feel comfortable in a player's hands and recognizable in their eyes while still being clearly its own thing. The second is "balanced asymmetry," an imbalance in which he finds a kind of perfect balance. Both show up in the offset fret markers, the body contours, and even in the restraint of the aesthetic choices that surround the Retablo's portraits. The Retablo itself is where that philosophy leaves the factory floor and becomes something closer to a reliquary. John Page had never painted portraits before. He taught himself, hand-painting each founder of American roots music onto wood reclaimed from a dismantled church, designing and building a custom bridge that routes volume and tone controls into the tailpiece so the body can carry its imagery unbroken. A full documentary exists on the making of the guitar for anyone who wants the layer-on-layer detail. When the talking is done, Bryan Ray of John Page Guitars steps in with one of the new baritone builds to let the instrument speak for itself. Every design decision John Page described is suddenly in the room, audible, as one of his guitars does exactly what he designed it to do. This is a Brand Spotlight. A Brand Spotlight is a ~15 minute conversation designed to explore the guest, their company, and what makes their approach unique. Learn more: https://www.studioc60.com/creation#spotlight GUESTS John Page, Founder, John Page Guitars (Co-Founder, Fender Custom Shop) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-page-742b4213/ Bryan Ray, Marketing Director, John Page Classic LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryan-ray-a63b5419/ RESOURCES John Page Guitars: https://www.johnpageguitars.com/ Meet John Page: https://www.johnpageguitars.com/pages/john-page The Retablo and other Art Guitars: https://www.johnpageguitars.com/pages/john-page John Page Signature Collection: https://www.johnpageguitars.com/collections/guitars The NAMM Show: https://www.namm.org/ Are you interested in telling your story? ▶︎ Full Length Brand Story: https://www.studioc60.com/content-creation#full ▶︎ Brand Spotlight Story: https://www.studioc60.com/content-creation#spotlight ▶︎ Brand Highlight Story: https://www.studioc60.com/content-creation#highlight KEYWORDS John Page, Bryan Ray, John Page Guitars, John Page Classic, Fender Custom Shop, Sean Martin, brand story, brand marketing, marketing podcast, brand spotlight, guitar design, luthier, electric guitar, The NAMM Show 2026, NAMM 2026, Retablo art guitar, Ashburn, Bloodline pickups, American roots music, custom guitars, handmade guitars, boutique guitar builder More From Sean MartinMore from Music Evolves: https://www.seanmartin.com/music-evolves-podcastMusic Evolves on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnYu0psdcllTRJ5du7hFDXjiugu-uNPtWMusic Evolves: Sonic Frontiers Newsletter | https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7290890771828719616/Line of Sight Newsletter | https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7400591548452667392/ITSPmagazine YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@itspmagazineBe sure to share and subscribe! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    9 mins
  • Inside DW Drums: Custom Craft, Heritage Revival, and Drummer-First Innovation | A Brand Spotlight at The NAMM Show 2026 with Scott Donnell, Director of Brand Management of Drum Workshop, Inc.

    Inside DW Drums: Custom Craft, Heritage Revival, and Drummer-First Innovation | A Brand Spotlight at The NAMM Show 2026 with Scott Donnell, Director of Brand Management of Drum Workshop, Inc.
    Apr 16 2026
    At The NAMM Show 2026, Drum Workshop turned its booth into a walk-through of what a modern drum company looks like when craft, heritage, and engineering share the same floor. Scott Donnell, Director of Brand Management at Drum Workshop, Inc., guided us through a lineup that spans the DW Custom Shop, the revived Slingerland Radio King line, Latin Percussion, Pacific Drums and Percussion, and the brand's new DW Manufacturing series. The DW Custom Shop stand is a visible argument for customization as a sonic decision, not just a cosmetic one. Chrome, gold, satin chrome, and black hardware. Polyester sprays, three durable lacquers, exotic plies, and ply wraps. When a drummer specifies wood species, ply count, and grain orientation, they are designing the drum's voice from the inside out. The Slingerland revival gets the faithful-reproduction treatment. Radio King studio kits on display are solid, steam-bent maple shells with the original three-point throw-off and stick saver hoops, built in California. Scott Donnell speaks about the line the way a curator talks about a restoration: get the details right, honor what drummers remember, and let the sound do the rest. Donnell frames DW's innovation as a stack of deliberate decisions rather than a single breakthrough. DW stamps a note into each shell through a process called timbre matching, which ensures the kit is manufactured as a family. Pair that with grain orientation technology, True Pitch tuning, and resonance-focused tom mounting systems, and drummers never end up with an orphan drum in their kit. Marking the tenth anniversary of True Cast, the new DW Manufacturing four by 14 piccolo features a five millimeter sand-cast shell, cast bronze hoops, and fully machined brass and bronze hardware. Only one hundred are being made globally, each arriving in an Anvil flight case. A recent DW video features Dave Elitch and Abe Laboriel Jr. playing the drum with Paul McCartney. The conversation closes on a Red Hot Chili Peppers tour kit gifted to the DW museum by Chad Smith, which will join Neil Peart's and Terry Bozzio's tour kits on display while DW builds Chad new Sonic flight drums for the band's next tour. Pacific Drums and Percussion, LP's top-tuning congas, Tony Escapa's signature hand percussion series, and DWE round out the booth. Drum Workshop is not hiding how the drums get made. Take the tour, take the pictures, watch the videos, and the innovation speaks for itself. This is a Brand Spotlight. A Brand Spotlight is a ~15 minute conversation designed to explore the guest, their company, and what makes their approach unique. Learn more: https://www.studioc60.com/creation#spotlight GUEST Scott Donnell, Director of Brand Management, Drum Workshop, Inc. (DW Drums) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-donnell-2964a129/ RESOURCES DW Drums: https://www.dwdrums.com Pacific Drums and Percussion: https://www.pacificdrums.com DW Music Foundation: https://www.dwmf.org The NAMM Show: https://www.namm.org Are you interested in telling your story? ▶︎ Full Length Brand Story: https://www.studioc60.com/content-creation#full ▶︎ Brand Spotlight Story: https://www.studioc60.com/content-creation#spotlight ▶︎ Brand Highlight Story: https://www.studioc60.com/content-creation#highlight KEYWORDS Scott Donnell, Drum Workshop, DW Drums, Sean Martin, brand story, brand marketing, marketing podcast, brand spotlight, NAMM Show 2026, NAMM 2026, Slingerland, Radio King, Latin Percussion, LP, Pacific Drums and Percussion, PDP, DW Manufacturing, True Cast, custom drums, drum innovation, timbre matching, grain orientation, Chad Smith, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Josh Freese, Tony Escapa, Abe Laboriel Jr, Dave Elitch More From Sean MartinMore from Music Evolves: https://www.seanmartin.com/music-evolves-podcastMusic Evolves on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnYu0psdcllTRJ5du7hFDXjiugu-uNPtWMusic Evolves: Sonic Frontiers Newsletter | https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7290890771828719616/Line of Sight Newsletter | https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7400591548452667392/ITSPmagazine YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@itspmagazineBe sure to share and subscribe! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    12 mins
  • Sound Is a Force: Frequency, Healing, and the Physics of Music | A Music Evolves Conversation with Scott "Shagghie" Scheferman, Cybersecurity Strategist, Musician, and Researcher

    Sound Is a Force: Frequency, Healing, and the Physics of Music | A Music Evolves Conversation with Scott "Shagghie" Scheferman, Cybersecurity Strategist, Musician, and Researcher
    Mar 15 2026
    Show Notes Scott Scheferman -- known throughout the cybersecurity and music communities as Shagghie -- brings a rare combination of backgrounds to this conversation: classically trained on trumpet, a live techno producer since the late nineties, a student of synthesis at its lowest circuit level, and now a full-time researcher working on what he calls the Joy Protocol -- a frequency-based framework designed to produce measurable physiological and neurological benefits through sound and light. The conversation opens with Scott recounting his musical journey -- from blues trumpet in the Caribbean to losing his cherished instruments during a move to the United States, to a 25-year silence before his daughter convinced him to pick up the horn again. Then came the synthesizers. He describes performing live techno with six drum machines and synthesizer sequencers at a San Diego club, his parents in the crowd, sweating and dancing by 2:00 AM. For Scott, that was the moment of arrival -- not just as a performer, but as someone understood. From there, the conversation moves into the physics. Scott and Sean explore how frequency operates across the entire spectrum -- from the 7.83 hertz resonant frequency of the Earth itself to the quantum oscillations that defy measurement. Scott makes the case that sound is not merely an aesthetic experience but a literal force, one that operates on the body, mind, and cellular structure in ways now being confirmed by a new wave of scientific research. The Solfeggio scale, long dismissed by mainstream music as esoteric, turns out to have been built around frequencies that have specific, studied, physiological effects on the human body. The conversation doesn't shy from harder territory. Scott discusses directional sound weapons he witnessed firsthand at Booz Allen Hamilton, the documented Havana syndrome incidents, and how blue light frequencies are engineered into consumer electronics to trigger dopamine responses. These aren't conspiracy theories, he argues -- they are the same science, used from the opposite direction. The Joy Protocol is the inverse: taking those same mechanisms and applying them to produce healing, not harm. Even the 40-hertz frequency -- which Scott now seeks out on his wife's Power Plate machine at the gym -- produces a physical response he describes as immediately and unmistakably real. The episode closes on the question every musician, listener, and creator should be sitting with: if certain frequencies heal and others harm, if the A-440 tuning standard may have been a deliberate departure from something more resonant, and if the spaces between notes matter as much as the notes themselves -- then what does it mean to produce music intentionally? Scott points toward the guitar as a last frontier that AI cannot replicate: the harmonic overtones that physically manifest in wood when an instrument is tuned to a resonant frequency cannot be induced after the fact. That reality, he suggests, is both a challenge and an invitation. Host Sean Martin, Co-Founder at ITSPmagazine, Studio C60, and Host of Redefining CyberSecurity Podcast & Music Evolves Podcast | Website: https://www.seanmartin.com/ Guest(s) Scott "Shagghie" Scheferman, Cybersecurity Strategist, Musician, and Researcher | Website: https://www.scottscheferman.com/ | On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottscheferman/ Resources Scott Scheferman's Personal Website | https://www.scottscheferman.com/ Music Evolves: Sonic Frontiers Newsletter | https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7290890771828719616/ Keywords scott scheferman, shagghie, frequency healing, quantum consciousness, cymatics, solfeggio frequencies, sound as medicine, live techno, music production, joy protocol, sean martin, music, creativity, art, artist, musician, music evolves, music podcast, music and technology podcast More From Sean MartinMore from Music Evolves: https://www.seanmartin.com/music-evolves-podcastMusic Evolves on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnYu0psdcllTRJ5du7hFDXjiugu-uNPtWMusic Evolves: Sonic Frontiers Newsletter | https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7290890771828719616/Line of Sight Newsletter | https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7400591548452667392/ITSPmagazine YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@itspmagazineBe sure to share and subscribe! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    1 hr and 3 mins
  • The Operations Layer for Live Events | A Brand Highlight Conversation with Ben Ikwuagwu, CEO & Co-Founder of Soundcheck Live

    The Operations Layer for Live Events | A Brand Highlight Conversation with Ben Ikwuagwu, CEO & Co-Founder of Soundcheck Live
    Feb 19 2026
    Ben Ikwuagwu is a vocalist, performer, and entrepreneur who has spent over 15 years navigating the live events world. That firsthand experience, combined with a degree in operations and years working in corporate America, gives him a unique vantage point on what makes the industry run and where it breaks down. Now, as CEO & Co-Founder of Soundcheck Live, he is channeling both worlds into a single platform designed to simplify how live event professionals manage their work. What does an all-in-one operations platform for live events actually do? Soundcheck Live focuses on four core pillars: booking, scheduling, payments, and coordination. Ikwuagwu explains that every event, regardless of size, comes down to these four elements. The platform provides a centralized dashboard where teams can manage gig details, client communication, and payment information without juggling spreadsheets, text threads, and scattered documents. How is Soundcheck Live building differently? From day one, the team has built the product around its users. Pilots with bands, production companies, and venues shaped the tool from the ground up. With advances in AI, the feedback loop has accelerated dramatically. Focus group insights that once took weeks to implement now translate into working features in hours, giving users the feeling that the platform is being custom-built for their specific workflows. This is a Brand Highlight. A Brand Highlight is a ~5 minute introductory conversation designed to put a spotlight on the guest and their company. Learn more: https://www.studioc60.com/creation#highlight Host Sean Martin, Co-Founder at ITSPmagazine, Studio C60, and Host of Redefining CyberSecurity Podcast & Music Evolves Podcast | Website: https://www.seanmartin.com/ Guest Ben Ikwuagwu, CEO & Co-Founder of Soundcheck Live | On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjaminikwuagwu/ Resources Soundcheck Live (Website): https://soundchecklive.io/ Music Evolves: Sonic Frontiers Newsletter | https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7290890771828719616/ Are you interested in telling your story? ▶︎ Full Length Brand Story: https://www.studioc60.com/content-creation#full ▶︎ Brand Spotlight Story: https://www.studioc60.com/content-creation#spotlight ▶︎ Brand Highlight Story: https://www.studioc60.com/content-creation#highlight Keywords Ben Ikwuagwu, Soundcheck Live, Sean Martin, brand story, brand marketing, marketing podcast, brand highlight, live events, gig management, event operations, live music, booking platform, freelancer tools, event technology, live entertainment, artist management, talent agencies More From Sean MartinMore from Music Evolves: https://www.seanmartin.com/music-evolves-podcastMusic Evolves on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnYu0psdcllTRJ5du7hFDXjiugu-uNPtWMusic Evolves: Sonic Frontiers Newsletter | https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7290890771828719616/Line of Sight Newsletter | https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7400591548452667392/ITSPmagazine YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@itspmagazineBe sure to share and subscribe! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    8 mins
  • Taylor Guitars at NAMM 2026: Next Gen Guitars, Action Control Neck & Gold Label Collection | A Brand Highlight Conversation With Jim Kirlin from Taylor Guitars

    Taylor Guitars at NAMM 2026: Next Gen Guitars, Action Control Neck & Gold Label Collection | A Brand Highlight Conversation With Jim Kirlin from Taylor Guitars
    Feb 12 2026
    Jim Kirlin, Editorial Director at Taylor Guitars and Editor of Wood&Steel, joins Sean Martin at NAMM 2026 to walk through the company's latest innovations, from a reimagined Grand Auditorium to a brand-new collection rooted in tradition. The conversation takes place on the Taylor Guitars show floor, surrounded by the very instruments being discussed.At the heart of this year's introductions is what Taylor is calling its Next Generation guitars, a suite of three interconnected innovations built around the flagship Grand Auditorium body. Kirlin explains how the new Action Control Neck, a patented design with a long-tenon neck joint, enhances both resonance and playability, giving players the ability to adjust string height in seconds through the sound hole. It is a tool designed for real-world musicians who move between venues and climates and need their instrument to adapt with them.The second innovation is a scalloped V-Class bracing system, the latest evolution of the bracing architecture that Chief Guitar Designer Andy Powers introduced in 2018. This new variation adds warmth and low-end depth while preserving the clarity and balance that define the Taylor sound. The third piece is the Claria pickup, a simplified onboard system with sound-hole-mounted preamp controls for volume, mid contour, and tone. Kirlin describes it as a more plug-and-play approach for players who want a natural amplified sound without the complexity of dialing in previous systems.The conversation then moves across the booth to the Gold Label Collection, a line of non-cutaway, traditionally voiced guitars designed by Andy Powers. Inspired by instruments from the 1930s and 1940s, these guitars feature torrefied tops, a vintage-influenced headstock design, and body styles including a new square-shoulder dreadnought, a round-shoulder dreadnought, and a Super Auditorium. Kirlin positions the collection as a way for Taylor to broaden its tonal palette and reach players who gravitate toward warmer, more vintage sounds.What emerges is a picture of a company that treats innovation not as disruption but as service to the musician, removing obstacles and expanding possibilities one design at a time.HostSean Martin, Co-Founder at ITSPmagazine, Studio C60, and Host of Redefining CyberSecurity Podcast & Music Evolves Podcast | Website: https://www.seanmartin.com/GuestJim Kirlin, Editorial Director at Taylor Guitars and Editor of Wood&Steel | On the Web: https://woodandsteel.taylorguitars.com/authors/jim-kirlin/ResourcesTaylor Guitars | https://www.taylorguitars.com/Wood&Steel Magazine | https://woodandsteel.taylorguitars.com/The NAMM Show 2026 is taking place from January 20-24, 2026 | Anaheim Convention Center - Southern California -- Follow our coverage: https://www.itspmagazine.com/the-namm-show-2026-namm-music-conference-music-technology-event-coverage-anaheim-californiaMusic Evolves: Sonic Frontiers Newsletter | https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7290890771828719616/Keywordsjim kirlin, taylor guitars, andy powers, action control neck, v-class bracing, claria pickup, grand auditorium, gold label collection, dreadnought, acoustic guitar innovation, guitar playability, guitar pickups, torrefied tops, namm 2026, music, creativity, art, artist, musician, music evolves, music podcast, music and technology podcast More From Sean MartinMore from Music Evolves: https://www.seanmartin.com/music-evolves-podcastMusic Evolves on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnYu0psdcllTRJ5du7hFDXjiugu-uNPtWMusic Evolves: Sonic Frontiers Newsletter | https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7290890771828719616/Line of Sight Newsletter | https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7400591548452667392/ITSPmagazine YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@itspmagazineBe sure to share and subscribe! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    10 mins
  • Chris Buck and His Signature Yamaha Revstar RS02CB at NAMM 2026 | A Brand Highlight Conversation with Chris Buck, Yamaha Signature Artist

    Chris Buck and His Signature Yamaha Revstar RS02CB at NAMM 2026 | A Brand Highlight Conversation with Chris Buck, Yamaha Signature Artist
    Feb 11 2026
    What does it take to design a signature guitar from the ground up? Chris Buck sits down with Sean Martin at NAMM 2026 to talk about the journey of creating the Yamaha Revstar RS02CB, his first production signature model. Buck describes the experience as surreal, noting that the weight of joining Yamaha's legacy of signature artists continues to hit him in waves. The lengthy design process, he says, was about making sure every detail lived up to what the guitar could be.How did Chris Buck and Yamaha land on the right pickups for the RS02CB? Buck explains that the pickups were the centerpiece of the collaboration, with the team working through countless iterations of magnet types, wire specifications, and voicing options. The result is a set of custom P90-style pickups that deliver the dynamic, responsive tone he has built his sound around. The wraparound tailpiece, a feature less common on modern instruments, adds sustain and directness to the signal path, contributing to the guitar's massive volume and resonance.What makes the RS02CB stand apart from other Revstar models? Buck highlights a three-way pickup selector switch instead of the five-way found on the current generation of Revstars, along with custom inlays and his own signature squiggle on the back of the headstock. He caps the conversation by playing a lick that shows exactly what the guitar can do, leaving no doubt about the instrument's character and capability.This is a Brand Highlight. A Brand Highlight is a ~5 minute introductory conversation designed to put a spotlight on the guest and their company. Learn more: https://www.studioc60.com/creation#highlightGUESTChris Buck, Yamaha Signature Artist | On Instagram: @chrisbuckguitar | Website: https://www.chrisbuckguitar.shop/RESOURCESYamaha: https://usa.yamaha.com/Yamaha RS02CB Chris Buck Signature Revstar: https://usa.yamaha.com/products/musical_instruments/guitars_basses/el_guitars/rs02cb/index.htmlPart of ITSPmagazine's On Location Coverage at NAMM 2026. 🌐 https://www.itspmagazine.com/the-namm-show-2026-namm-music-conference-music-technology-event-coverage-anaheim-californiaAre you interested in telling your story?▶︎ Full Length Brand Story: https://www.studioc60.com/content-creation#full▶︎ Brand Spotlight Story: https://www.studioc60.com/content-creation#spotlight▶︎ Brand Highlight Story: https://www.studioc60.com/content-creation#highlightMore From Sean MartinMore from Music Evolves: https://www.seanmartin.com/music-evolves-podcastMusic Evolves on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnYu0psdcllTRJ5du7hFDXjiugu-uNPtWMusic Evolves: Sonic Frontiers Newsletter | https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7290890771828719616/Line of Sight Newsletter | https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7400591548452667392/ITSPmagazine YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@itspmagazineBe sure to share and subscribe!KEYWORDSChris Buck, Yamaha, Sean Martin, brand story, brand marketing, marketing podcast, brand highlight, Yamaha Revstar, RS02CB, signature guitar, P90 pickups, NAMM 2026, Cardinal Black, wraparound tailpiece, electric guitar, guitar design, custom pickups, signature artist More From Sean MartinMore from Music Evolves: https://www.seanmartin.com/music-evolves-podcastMusic Evolves on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnYu0psdcllTRJ5du7hFDXjiugu-uNPtWMusic Evolves: Sonic Frontiers Newsletter | https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7290890771828719616/Line of Sight Newsletter | https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7400591548452667392/ITSPmagazine YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@itspmagazineBe sure to share and subscribe! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    2 mins
  • Gibson Guitars at NAMM 2026: Brand Values, Commitment to Quality, History and Innovation from 131 Years of Craftsmanship | A Brand Spotlight Conversation with Jeff Stempka, Brand Manager, Gibson USA & Custom of Gibson

    Gibson Guitars at NAMM 2026: Brand Values, Commitment to Quality, History and Innovation from 131 Years of Craftsmanship | A Brand Spotlight Conversation with Jeff Stempka, Brand Manager, Gibson USA & Custom of Gibson
    Feb 3 2026
    For Sean Martin, walking the Gibson booth at NAMM 2026 is personal. As the host of Music Evolves, Sean brings a player's eye and a storyteller's ear to every conversation about instruments and the people who make them. Picking up a Gibson and feeling the weight, the finish, and the resonance is something he describes as holding a piece of art. Jeff Stempka, Brand Manager for Gibson USA and Gibson Custom, shares that same passion. A guitarist for over 30 years, Stempka calls his role on the Gibson marketing team a dream, and his enthusiasm is unmistakable as he walks Sean through the latest additions to the NAMM 2026 lineup.What is Gibson bringing to NAMM 2026? Stempka highlights several key launches, starting with the Les Paul Studio Double Troubles. Building on a successful refresh of the Les Paul Studio franchise and last year's Les Paul Standard Fifties and Sixties Double Trouble, Gibson extends that approach to the Studio platform. These modern collection guitars feature coil splits, coil taps, and pure bypass switching, offering players versatile tone options in a lightweight instrument. Stempka is equally excited about the evolution of the ES-335 portfolio, now available in dedicated Fifties and Sixties models out of the Gibson USA craftory. The logic mirrors the Les Paul Standard lineup: the Fifties version delivers a classic rounded neck profile, while the Sixties offers a slim taper for players who prefer that feel.How does Gibson stay connected to the artists who play its instruments? Stempka frames the relationship as one of service. The craftspeople who come to work every day in Nashville are thinking about the musicians who will pick up these instruments and pour their hearts into creating something new. Gibson is preparing to launch a new campaign, "Handcrafted in Nashville, Tennessee," that puts the spotlight on the passion behind every instrument that leaves the factory. For Stempka, the connection between maker and player is the heartbeat of the brand.When co-host Marco Ciappelli steps in to explore Gibson from a branding perspective, the conversation shifts to what makes someone reach for a Gibson even when the price stretches the budget. Stempka points to 131 years of craftsmanship and a deep understanding that people expect something meaningful from the Gibson name. His goal, and the goal of everyone at the company, is to exceed those expectations every day. He sees his role as a small but important opportunity to shepherd and steward the brand so that Gibson is still thriving 131 years from now.The conversation takes a historical turn as Stempka walks through a century of flat top acoustics and the foundational innovations of Orville Gibson and Lloyd Loar. While many fans think first of the Les Paul, Stempka points to the J-45 and the Lloyd Loar master model mandolin as equally iconic instruments that changed the trajectory of music. He recalls how artists like Eric Clapton took a Les Paul burst, plugged it into a stack, and turned it up, creating sounds that nobody at Gibson ever anticipated. That willingness to listen, learn, and evolve alongside the musicians is what Stempka calls the true meaning of innovation. At its core, Gibson helps players unlock something inside themselves, and that, he says, is beautiful.This is a Brand Spotlight. A Brand Spotlight is a ~15 minute conversation designed to explore the guest, their company, and what makes their approach unique. Learn more: https://www.studioc60.com/creation#spotlightGUESTJeff Stempka, Brand Manager, Gibson USA & Custom, GibsonOn LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-stempka/RESOURCESLearn more about Gibson: https://www.gibson.comAre you interested in telling your story?▶︎ Full Length Brand Story: https://www.studioc60.com/content-creation#full▶︎ Brand Spotlight Story: https://www.studioc60.com/content-creation#spotlight▶︎ Brand Highlight Story: https://www.studioc60.com/content-creation#highlightKEYWORDSJeff Stempka, Gibson, Sean Martin, brand story, brand marketing, marketing podcast, brand spotlight, NAMM 2026, Les Paul Studio, ES-335, guitar craftsmanship, handcrafted guitars, Nashville, music innovation, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, Lloyd Loar, J-45, functional art, artist connection, guitar branding More From Sean MartinMore from Music Evolves: https://www.seanmartin.com/music-evolves-podcastMusic Evolves on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnYu0psdcllTRJ5du7hFDXjiugu-uNPtWMusic Evolves: Sonic Frontiers Newsletter | https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7290890771828719616/Line of Sight Newsletter | https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7400591548452667392/ITSPmagazine YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@itspmagazineBe sure to share and subscribe! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    10 mins
  • The Human Element That AI Can Never Replace | A Conversation with Chuck Tennin, President and CEO of Big Fish Music | The NAMM Show 2026 Event Coverage | Music Evolves with Sean Martin

    The Human Element That AI Can Never Replace | A Conversation with Chuck Tennin, President and CEO of Big Fish Music | The NAMM Show 2026 Event Coverage | Music Evolves with Sean Martin
    Feb 3 2026
    Show NotesAt NAMM 2026, Sean Martin sits down with Chuck Tennin, the President and CEO of Big Fish Music and Big Fish Music Publishing Group, for a candid conversation about the role of AI in the music industry and why the human element remains irreplaceable. Known as "The Big Fish" and "The Alligator," Chuck has spent more than five decades working as an engineer, record producer, music publisher, and consultant, and he pulls no punches when it comes to the limits of technology in creative work.Chuck draws a sharp line between AI as a tool and AI as a replacement for human creativity. He points to organizations like ASCAP, BMI, and the Recording Academy as allies in the fight to protect the creative process, arguing that AI cannot replicate the feel, the instinct, and the emotional investment that go into producing a record. For Chuck, the difference between producing music and producing a record is everything: a record has to connect with an audience on a level that no algorithm can manufacture.The conversation takes listeners through Chuck's journey from two-track analog recording to the digital era of Pro Tools, exploring how each technological leap brought efficiency but never fully captured the warmth and authenticity of tape. He reflects on the critical distinction between an MP3 and a WAV file, between convenience and quality, and between what sounds good enough and what sounds like a record.Chuck also shares hard-earned wisdom about the business side of music: the perseverance required, the reality that 90% of aspiring artists fail, and the belief in oneself that separates survivors from those who walk away. Drawing on stories from legendary artists he has worked with over the decades, he reminds listeners that every big name started in the same place and climbed out of the same struggle.This is a conversation about what technology can assist with and what it can never touch: the soul of music and the humans who create it.HostSean Martin, Co-Founder at ITSPmagazine, Studio C60, and Host of Redefining CyberSecurity Podcast & Music Evolves Podcast | Website: https://www.seanmartin.com/GuestChuck Tennin, President and CEO of Big Fish Music and Big Fish Music Publishing Group | On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuck-tennin-3468b6105/ResourcesThe NAMM Show 2026 is taking place from January 20-24, 2026 | Anaheim Convention Center, Southern California — Follow our coverage: https://www.itspmagazine.com/the-namm-show-2026-namm-music-conference-music-technology-event-coverage-anaheim-californiaMusic Evolves: Sonic Frontiers Newsletter | https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7290890771828719616/Keywordschuck tennin, big fish music, sean martin, AI in music, analog vs digital recording, record producer, music publishing, Pro Tools, ASCAP, BMI, Recording Academy, NAMM 2026, music industry, human creativity, songwriting, music, creativity, art, artist, musician, music evolves, music podcast, music and technology podcast More From Sean MartinMore from Music Evolves: https://www.seanmartin.com/music-evolves-podcastMusic Evolves on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnYu0psdcllTRJ5du7hFDXjiugu-uNPtWMusic Evolves: Sonic Frontiers Newsletter | https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7290890771828719616/Line of Sight Newsletter | https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7400591548452667392/ITSPmagazine YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@itspmagazineBe sure to share and subscribe! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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    16 mins