Gig To Live
Full-time gigging musician John Voelz discusses the strategies, mindset shifts, and real-world lessons that help you build something that actually lasts, delivering smart and practical insight with a sense of humor that keeps it real and approachable. If you gig, or want to gig, this is for you.
Episodes
30 episodes
Ep 29: The Letter, The License, and The Lawsuit (Straight Talk About BMI, ASCAP, SESAC, GMR)
In this episode, we're tackling one of the most misunderstood topics in live music: Performance Rights Organizations, or PROs. Organizations like ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, and GMR are often surrounded by confusion, fear, and plenty of rumors, especial...
Ep 28: A Conversation with Trenton Wagler
In this episode, John sits down with Trenton Wagler of The Steel Wheels to talk about what it really takes to build a sustainable career in music over the long haul.Over the past two decades, Trent has helped grow The Steel Wheels from a...
Ep 27: Let's Get Real Specific About Money
In this episode, John revisits one of the topics that generated the most feedback from listeners: money. Back in March, he released a two-part series called Let's Talk About Money, and while the conversation sparked good discussion, ma...
Ep 26: Beating the Funk
In this episode, John talks about beating the funk. Not the good kind with a killer bass line. The emotional kind. The kind that sneaks in after too many miles, too much noise, too much pressure, or just . . . too much life. Instead...
Ep 25: A Conversation with Jason Keiser
Our guest today is Jason Keiser.Jason is a California, San Francisco Bay Area guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and arranger known for blending jazz, bluegrass, old-time, and acoustic music traditions. In this conve...
Ep 24: Some Mistakes I've Made
In this episode, John gets honest about some lessons learned from years of gigging, traveling, creating, and trying to make a living in music. Every musician has stories they wish they could redo, decisions they’d take back, and mom...
Ep 23: Storytime Volume One
In today's episode, John shares five gig stories. No Top Ten list. Just a musician sharing some of the most memorable things that have happened to him along the way. One of the greatest things musicians can do is tell one another st...
Ep 22: The Childlike Musician
In this episode, John dives into the childlike qualities that often disappear as artists get older and more cautious, and why reconnecting with those instincts may be one of the most important things a musician can do for longevity, creativity,...
Ep 21: Prolific and Healthy
In this episode, John talks about the tension between being prolific and being healthy. Full-time music is hard work. It takes discipline, consistency, sacrifice, and the willingness to keep showing up. But artists can easily drift into a dange...
Ep 20: The Sacrifices We Make PART TWO
In this episode, John wraps up a two-part conversation about the sacrifices musicians make to live this life. From missed time and uncertain schedules to the hidden strain on mental health and relationships, this episode is about learning to na...
Ep 20: The Sacrifices We Make PART ONE
In this episode, John begins a two-part conversation about the sacrifices musicians make to live this life. From missed time and uncertain schedules to the hidden strain on mental health and relationships, this episode is about learning to name...
Ep 19: Let's Talk About Tips
In this episode, John unpacks a Top 10 list built from real nights, real rooms, and real years of making a living with music. Drawing from life as a full-time working musician, he talks about the strange, fascinating, unpredictable ...
Ep 18: A Conversation with Clementine Moss
This episode's guest is the amazing Clementine Moss, best known for her work with the Led Zeppelin tribute band, Zepparella. John and Clementine talk about music and gigging, and take a dive into habits, spiritual practices, mental health, and ...
Ep 17: Some Thoughts on Social Media
In this episode, John lays out a clear, no-nonsense strategy for how working musicians should approach social media if they actually want it to support their gigging life. This isn’t about chasing trends or trying to go viral. It’s ...
Ep 16: A Conversation with Jason Peek
In this episode, John chats with Jason Peek, a lifelong working musician. Starting out at just 12 years old alongside his bandmate, Jason went on to help build Kung Fu Diesel, a Michigan-based band that carved out a loyal following acr...
Ep 15: Musician Archetypes
In this episode, John takes a look at something that can quietly shape your entire path as a musician… how you naturally show up in the musical landscape.He introduces the idea of archetypes, not as labels you get stuck in, but as recogn...
Ep 14: A Conversation with Patrick Tetreault
You don’t build a 30+ year career in music by accident.In this episode, John sits down with Patrick Tetreault, a songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist who has lived the full spectrum of a working musician’s life. From record de...
Ep 13: Why Musicians Quit
In this episode, John tackles a side of the music life that can be tough to face. For some, it may hit close to home, especially if you’re finding yourself in a difficult spot or questioning where things are headed. But instead of avoiding it, ...
Ep 12: Annoying Things People Say to Musicians
In this episode, John dives into those weird, awkward moments every gigging musician knows all too well. The ones that stop you mid-song, make you smile on the outside, and think something very different on the inside. It’s not malicious. It’s ...
Ep 11: Your Gigging Philosophy
In this episode, John breaks down why every working musician needs to be able to clearly articulate their gigging philosophy. Not some abstract idea, but a real, usable answer to the question: “Why do I do what I do, in the way I do it?” Becaus...
Ep 10: A Conversation with Kevin Marcy
It’s the 10th episode! Thanks so much for listening.On this special 10th episode, John interviews Nashville recording artist and songwriter Kevin Marcy in a special double episode all wrapped in one.Kevin Marcy is a California-bor...
Ep 9: When a Gig Cancels
A gig cancellation can feel like a punch to the gut, especially when you’ve had it circled on the calendar for months. In this episode of Gig to Live, John talks honestly about the frustration performers feel when plans fal...
Ep 8: You May Be Missing Something
In this episode of Gig to Live, John explores a simple but important idea: when you’ve been performing for a long time, it’s easy to miss things. Habits form, routines take over, and certain details that once mattered can slowly drift ...
Ep 7: Let's Talk About Money PART TWO
In this episode, John continues the conversation in Let’s Talk About Money, Part Two, continuing a countdown of Top Ten items, beginning with number 7. With humor, straight talk, and a few hard truths, John explores the hab...
Ep 6: Let's Talk About Money PART ONE
In this episode, John opens the conversation many musicians quietly avoid, sidestep, ignore, or start breaking out in hives over . . . but constantly think about: money. In Let’s Talk About Money, Part One, he digs into the realities o...