dHarmic Evolution

Best from Amy: “We're put on this Earth to do you know stuff that you know is going to change the world.” “You know a lot of the artists they work you know they work full-time part-time right? So I'm doing both. I've got the three jobs, I've got a singing career. I'm Hannah Montana!” “I’m always in the moment…  I'll be at work, and something will come to me, and I'll grab out my notebook on my phone and just start typing it in.”  “Canadian Redneck” Amy Rose is as down to Earth as an artist can be, and we’re lucky to have her back on the dHarmic Evolution! She tells us about how her work/life balance; it’s not easy juggling being an EMT, a Mom, and a country singer at the same time - but this real-life Hannah Montana pulls it off with stellar songs like Sunday Morning After and One Of These Days.  About Amy: Amy grew up on her parent’s classic country music, so it’s no surprise she wants to take everything song she hears and turn it into a country jam. She recently worked with producers Marty Beecroft and Glenn Coulson of VIP, and released her first international release to radio single! Featured Songs: - Sunday Morning After - Sunshine - Party Like A Redneck - One Of These Days Also, you can listen to Amy Rose in episode 58 of Dharmic Evolution  

Today on the dHarmic Evolution podcast we are diving into a variety of great topics. I will be having a conversation with the man who was my first real mentor on the guitar. We’ll chat about his journey and life experience as well as his beautiful, musical talent. In this episode, I am speaking with George Barker. George has influenced me in so many ways. I would describe him as a light in the wilderness. He is a brilliant musician, composer, author, and has an amazing sense of humor. For many years he performed up until he became paralyzed in 2003. He unfortunately no longer performs due to a rare disorder called transverse myelitis. This is a disorder where the immune system attacks the spinal cord. Doctors don’t know the cause of the disorder at this time. It’s extremely rare, as only one to four in one million people contract this rare disease. George has continued to live his life and pursue his passions despite the disorder. He currently lives in Kentucky with his wife and two dogs. His dad was actually born in Kentucky and he always saw himself moving to Kentucky. His entire family had a love and talent for music. His dad was a guitarist who was a pro for a while before World War II and his mom was also involved in music. Music ran in his blood. George went on to study at Berkley where he got really deep into theory and harmony. He focused mostly on harmony and guitar performance. He actually dropped out to join a band, which was encouraged at Berkley because you could always come back. Today George just really loves to play the guitar and help people. He continues to write when he can. In this episode: - George’s transition to Kentucky - Music clips from George - Amp set up and gear - Who was on the record and time frame of the record - The Berkley story - Gear and recording at Mix-o-Lydian recording studio with Don Sternecker - George’s family and upbringing - What connected George to jazz fusion - Rendition of Amazing Grace - George’s diagnosis - Maintaining a positive attitude in light of hardship - George’s take on what’s going on in the world musically - At the wire - The experience of playing with another accomplished guitarist - Big goals and plans upcoming Follow George: Website: ! 

What is the motivation for people to pack up and move? Maybe you are thinking of packing up and moving to another state or possibly across the country, or maybe to a different country? Many people move every year. Some move for college, a new job or new opportunities. Relocating to a new place gives you a fresh perspective. Today on the dHarmic evolution podcast, we are going to be talking about the top places people are moving and where they are moving from. If you are thinking about or have thought about moving, what are you waiting for? If you’re wanting to check out a new place, don’t wait. Just do it! In this episode, I’ll be sharing the top places people are moving to and from. One of these places might just spark your interest or maybe you have just moved to or from one of these places. If you’re in a place of moving or thinking about moving, I encourage you to think about why you are going, where you are going and what is going to be waiting for you. In this episode: Why are people moving? The top 10 cities people are moving to Sources of migration Moving in vs moving out Check some of the previous episodes: Episode with

James’ guest on this episode of the dHarmic Evolution podcast is a fellow New Jerseyan and one of the few finger-style guitar players in the musical world. Donrique was first introduced to the indy/emo music world when one of his friends in 8th grade asked him to design a t-shirt for his band. He began to hang around with the band and was asked to design shirts for other bands around town, which is when he realized that he really liked that style of music. With his dad’s old acoustic guitar, Donrique started learning how to play bar chords, and when he discovered YouTube, he realized that he loved finger-style. After a few years of playing finger-style and writing some of his own songs, he played for the owner of CandyRat Records, the home base of most of the finger-style players in the country. The owner recommended that he try to create something unique, which led Donrique down the path of integrating hip-hop and rap into his music and eventually into the singer-songwriter world. Now that he has found his sweet spot, he is committed to being a musician for life, constantly honing his craft and teaching others to do the same. When it comes to recording, Donrique has found that he prefers to record in stereo, using matched pair microphones to capture sound from different angles. He has been heavily influenced by people like Jethro Tull, John Mayer, Johnny Cash, and Michael Buble, who all sing in a lower register as he does. Donrique is in the musical world for the long haul, building his brand and figuring out what works in the studio more than doing live performances, but that may change. Coming up soon, he will be launching online songwriting and recording courses for interested musicians, which he hopes will inspire and instruct aspiring artists. Key Quotes: “Then YouTube happened…and I was completely sucked in.” “Every day it was like I was getting more and more committed to learning this art-form on the guitar.” “Fingerstyle guitar is still my roots.” “The through-line with all of these people is the songwriting.” “Songwriting puts the spotlight on the guitar, vocals, and instruments.” “I’m not trying to be a ‘flash in the pan’ thing – this is my life and what I want to do.” “You have to cultivate the right crew of people to support you.” “Music happens best when you’re just living your life.” “I want to inspire people and help them actually write their own songs.” Follow Key: Website:

MoeDeLL joins James for this episode of the dHarmic Evolution podcast to discuss his passion for music and his new album “There It Is”. Growing up in Portsmouth, Virginia, Moe lived with his mom and his grandparents and he remembers there always being music playing in the house: The Eagles, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Fleetwood Mac, and Waylon Jennings to name a few. When he was 9 years old, he started taking private guitar lessons, and the rest is history. While his grandmother is the inspiration for a lot of his songs, he finds that he also writes frequently about his grandfather, though they didn’t always get along. For the past 16 years, he has been a full-time Americana musician, currently averaging about 250 shows per year in Minnesota, the Dakotas, Virginia, and the Carolinas. Some gigs are solo, such as house concerts or sets at assisted living facilities, whereas corporate concerts or weddings might be with his full band. Until a few years ago, Moe was a rock’n’roll artist, but he had an epiphany while playing around with the sound of his song “Devil’s Lake” that gradually caused him to change his style to Americana. He felt that Americana allowed him to tell more of a story than rock’n’roll. Moe’s must-have writing materials are coffee, a pencil, and paper, and he finds that he does his best creating in the morning or while waiting for a show to start. He loves to just fiddle around with new sounds, a practice that began in his childhood when he would mute the television and play his guitar along with what he saw on the screen. His dream job would be to write film scores, but until John Williams calls it quits, Moe will stick to his favorite gigs at assisted living facilities, Cowboy Jacks, and Beaner’s. He just joined the Midwest Country Music Association and he looks forward to potentially collaborating with some of his fellow members in the future. Quotes: “Even if it was just my mom listening, I would still get a joy out of writing music.” “I’m infatuated with writing and lyrics and words.” “I didn’t feel like my old lyrics really told a story.” “In the morning, you may feel cloudy because you just woke up, but your mind is technically at its most fresh because you haven’t had the things of the day stifle you.” “As a musician, you know your place.” “Time has a way of drawing us closer.” Mike Lardy Creative Studio: