Ep. 02: Creating a Life as a Professional Drummer with Arthur "L.A." Buckner

Arthur “L.A.” Buckner is a performing musician, teaching artist, and producer from the Northside of Minneapolis. He holds a master’s degree in Percussion Performance from McNally Smith College of Music. Currently, LA is playing with his band BiG HOMiE, teaching drums, and also serves as co-host for the two-time Webby award-winning PBS music education YouTube series Sound Field, a video project exploring the music theory, production, history, and culture behind our favorite songs and musical styles. Back in 2020, LA took iTunes by storm with the release of his project, also titled BiG HOMiE, which reached #1 on the iTunes Jazz charts.

On this episode, LA and I dive deep into his artistic journey, from learning and playing music through his church to getting his degree, playing in tons of local bands, finding his own authentic voice, and how being a teacher and mentor accompanies and supports all of it.

Full transcript and show notes: https://secretsfromthescene.com/2

00:00 Introduction and Guest Background
00:56 Beginning of the Interview
01:10 Early Musical Journey and Experiences
02:24 Influence of Church and Gospel Music
05:20 The Power of Persistence and Authenticity
07:10 Transition from Church Music to Forming a Band
08:28 The Birth of Big Homie
10:10 The Role of Mentorship in Music
10:56 The Making of the New Album
11:56 The Importance of Authenticity and Balance
18:50 The Journey to the New Album 'North Side'
29:12 The Role of Business in Music
31:59 The Narrative and Promotion of the New Album
37:33 Achieving Number One on iTunes
39:45 The Importance of Networking and Collaboration
39:53 The Art of Analytics in Music
40:33 The Power of Grassroots Marketing
40:47 Understanding the Music Industry's Numbers Game
41:05 The Joy of Unexpected Success
41:27 Balancing Different Areas in Music
41:31 Exploring the Role of a Music Educator
42:12 The Journey of Hosting a Music Education Show
42:56 The Impact of Networking in Music
43:19 The Excitement of Meeting Music Legends
44:03 The Process of Creating Content
46:45 The Power of Relationships in Music
52:23 The Importance of Diverse Musical Influences
57:38 The Role of Community in Music
58:12 The Importance of Teaching in a Music Career
01:01:09 The Value of Relationships in the Music Industry
01:02:17 The Balance of Different Income Streams in Music
01:04:00 The Importance of Lifelong Learning and Teaching in Music
01:05:24 The Power of Persistence in Music
01:06:15 The Role of Relationships in Band Dynamics
01:06:52 The Importance of Diverse Income Streams in Music
01:08:04 The Power of Combining Interests in Music
01:09:50 The Importance of Consistent Content Creation
01:10:14 The Power of Perseverance in Music
01:10:54 The Importance of Relationships in Music Success
01:10:11 The Power of Balancing Multiple Roles in Music

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🔗 ‪@LABucknerBiGHOMiE‬
🔗 https://BiGHOMiEband.com

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