About MPS
The “Music Pro Show” is a podcast created by music business professionals. It was created to be an educational resource for current music business pros as well as up-and-coming individuals who are currently building a career in the music industry. These people include musicians, producers, songwriters, arrangers, engineers, A&R executives, and any other career path that falls inside the lines of the music industry. The “Music Pro Show” exists to help you grow and nurture your career in the music industry through weekly broadcasts/podcasts, interviews with industry pros, reviews of current music equipment and technology, current industry news, tips & tricks from the pros, and links to other online resources.
Many people think that the music industry is simply comprised of what gets played on the radio and what we see on music-based television. The “Music Pro Show” is here to show you that there is a world of opportunities inside the music industry. With some talent, a little bit of planning, and a wealth of determination, we are here to show you how to create, grow, and cultivate a successful career with the music industry.
About The Host:
With a live gig and recording session calendar of over 300 dates per year, Brian Stephens is one of the Southeast’s busiest freelance drummers. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, he has built a reputation for being a sonic chameleon with a rock solid pocket and the ability to morph his sound to fit the demands of any gig. But, there are many other hats that Brian wears including recording studio owner, producer, engineer, journalist, and music educator. All of these combine to make for one incredibly diverse music professional.
As a freelance drummer / percussionist, Brian has toured the country working with musical artists like:
- Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame members The Platters, The Drifters, The Coasters, The Marvelettes, and Shirley Alston Reeves (The Shirelles)
- The Crystals : Billboard #1 Song – “There’s No Other (Like My Baby) and several Billboard Top Ten hits
- Frankie Ford : Billboard #1 Song – “Sea Cruise”
- Jimmy Hall : Grammy nominated singer (Jeff Beck’s 1985 album “Flash”) and lead singer for the band Wet Willie
- Davis Daniel : Singer/songwriter whose Billboard Top 10 hits include “Picture Me”, “For Crying Out Loud”, “Fighting Fire with Fire”
- Stan Whitmire : Pianist (The Gaithers) and Dove Award nominee for his 1999 CD, “Songs From The Resurrection”
- Rev. Jeff Mosier: Banjo Specialist, Band Leader (Phish, Col. Bruce Hampton & Aquarium Rescue Unit, Blueground Undergrass)
From 1999-2005, Brian was the studio manager and chief engineer of his own commercial recording studio and production company, Sound Decision Studios, located in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia. At SDS, Brian produced, engineered, and/or mixed recording projects for independent artists like Magno, Amber Brooke, and Chris Day as well as corporate clients like Warner Bros. Records, 20th Century Fox, Verizon Wireless and Merial. In 2005, Brian closed Sound Decision in favor of a more private studio environment, BonzoTunes Studio. This new studio allows Brian to work with clients one-on-one, producing, mixing, and mastering, in an environment that cultivates creativity and helps artists find their true voice.
As a music educator and journalist, Brian has written articles for magazines like Modern Drummer and Performer magazine. In 2000, he released his first drum instructional audio book entitled “Stickin’ It Out – The Anatomy of a Professional Drummer”. From 2002-2005, Brian was a monthly columnist for Performer magazine writing a recording column called, “In The Mix”.
For two years, he was a member of the teaching faculty at the Atlanta Institute of Music and has performed clinics alongside other noted drummers such as Gerry Brown and Richie Morales. Brian continues to teach both drummers and recording engineers privately from his new studio in Atlanta, Georgia. He has also been featured on television and in magazines & newspapers such as Modern Drummer, Create Magazine, The Meridian Star, WTOK-TV’s “Live At Five” TV program, and many others on topics ranging from audio recording for film/video to the entrepreneurial side of the music industry.
