The Minnesota Music Note
The Minnesota Music Note podcasts explores the people, places, and things that make up the Minnesota Music scene. It includes interviews with musicians, venue owners, event creators, and other facets of the fantastic music community across Minnesota.
Episodes
70 episodes
MN Music Note - Ep 68 - From One Gig to System 13
What started as a one-off gig turned into System 13.System 13's Angela and Chaz sit down with Will to talk about how the band came together, the musical backgrounds that shaped them, and why they refuse to take themselves too seriously ...
MN Music Note - Ep 67 - The Guitar, The Jams & The Bands with Danny Lee Jorgensen
What happens when a kid obsessed with AC/DC grows up to become a fixture in the Minnesota rock scene? Danny Lee Jorgensen has one hell of a guitar story to tell.From air-guitaring in his bedroom and learning AC/DC riffs off DVDs to play...
MN Music Note - Ep 66 - From Quiet to Loud with Dave Whitmer
What happens when one of the quietest guys in the room becomes a completely different person the moment he steps on stage?Dave Whitmer has spent more than 20 years navigating the Minnesota metal scene — from discovering Iron Maiden thro...
MN Music Note - Ep 65 - A Lifetime of Singing with Becca Christensen
She’s been singing for as long as she can remember. 🎤From singing little songs as a kid to performing church solos, joining her first band at 16, discovering Mariah Carey and learning how to really use her voice, Becca Christensen has sp...
MN Music Note - Ep 64 - From Drums to Hip-Hop with Kyle Bedbury
Some people play music. Kyle Bedbury builds his entire life around it.Drummer. Rapper. DJ. Producer. Guitar player. Promoter. Tour organizer. And somehow, he’s still finding more ways to stay busy.In Episode 64 of The Minnesota Musi...
MN Music Note - Ep 63 - Building a Metal Band From the Ground Up with Kalopsya
What does it actually take to build a metal band from the ground up? It’s not just writing heavy songs and playing shows. It’s finding the right people, surviving lineup changes, figuring out who you are as a band, and putting in the work long ...
MN Music Note - Special EP - Valhalla Fest 3
Minneapolis is getting ready to raise some serious hell.On October 17, Minneapolis Valhalla Fest III takes over The Hook & Ladder for a full day of heavy music — 13 bands, two stages, and 10 hours of metal. And this year’s lineup is...
MN Music Note - EP 62 - Why They Never Stopped Playing Music with Trent & TJ
What keeps you playing music when the money isn’t always there, the gigs can be hard to find, and the years keep flying by?For Trent and TJ, the answer is simple: you just don’t stop.Trent and TJ have spent years playing in bands, w...
MN Music Note - Ep 61 - When Music Isn’t a Hobby—It’s Something to Do w/ Jared Willemsen
What happens when music stops being something you want to do and becomes something you feel like you have to do?For Jared Willemsen, the answer is simple: you keep creating—even when the numbers don’t make sense, the path isn't clear, a...
MN Music Note - Ep 60 - 15 Years of Rebel Queens: Women Keeping Rock Alive in Minnesota
What does it take for an all-women rock band to stay together, keep growing, and keep rocking for 15 years? For Rebel Queens, it’s a whole lot of grit, passion, and refusing to disappear.Rebel Queens have spent years carving out their p...
MN Music Note - Ep 59 - Three Bands, 21 Musicians & a Whole Lot of Music
What happens when one love of music turns into three bands, 21 musicians, and a whole lot of schedules to keep straight?This episode is a little different from our usual band conversations.Sarah “Tuni” joins us alongside fellow mu...
MN Music Note - Special Episode: The Story Behind Tribute Fest with Lou Campbell
What happens when you combine incredible live music with a mission to help homeless veterans? You get Tribute Fest.In this special episode of Minnesota Music Note, we sit down with Lou Campbell, the man behind Tribute Fest, to hear the ...
MN Music Note - Ep 58 - From Rock Camp to the Big Stage: The Journey of Halfway There
What happens when a group of musicians meets at Rock Camp, decides to keep playing together, and somehow makes it all the way to the big stage?Halfway There is proof that you don't have to start as lifelong musicians—or even know exactl...
MN Music Note - Ep 57 - The Band That Turned 90s Nostalgia Into a Show with Gen X Jukebox
What happens when you combine 90s rock, wild costumes, nostalgia, and a group of musicians who refuse to just stand on stage and play songs? You get Gen X.In this episode of The Minnesota Music Note, we sit down with members of Gen X, B...
MN Music Note - Ep 56 - Fiona Hayes: Building a Music Career at 15
At just 15 years old, Fiona Hayes is already doing what many musicians spend decades chasing—writing original music, playing multiple shows every month, recording with a producer, and building a loyal following in Minnesota's music scene.
MN Music Note - Ep 55 - Nearly 50 Years in the Minnesota Music Scene with Rick Vogelpohl
What was it like playing the Twin Cities music scene before social media, streaming, and YouTube? Rick Vogelpohl has lived it all—from starting bands as a teenager in the late '70s to playing legendary venues, running live sound, working in rec...
MN Music Note - Ep 54 - The Secret Behind Sota Pop's Packed Dance Floors w/ Jess and Buzz
What does it actually take to build a successful cover band today? It's a lot more than learning songs. From backing tracks and in-ear monitors to finding the right people and creating a show audiences can't stop talking about, Sota Pop shares ...
MN Music Note - Ep 53 - The Wake-Up Call That Changed His Life with D.Santos
What happens when chasing success nearly costs you your life? D.Santos shares the wake-up call that changed everything—and how it led him to discover his true purpose through music.From growing up in Brazil to building a new life in Min...
The Minnesota Music Note - Ep 52 - The Best Part of Being in a Band with Rob Carlson
What keeps someone playing music for over 30 years? It might not be what you think.In this episode of Minnesota Music Note, we sit down with Rob Carlson—musician, owner of The Shred Den, and member of multiple Minnesota metal bands—to ta...
MN Music Note - Ep 51 - The Art of Playing for the Love of It with Wayne Zerr
What happens when you stop chasing fame and start chasing the joy of making music?In this episode, Wayne Zerr shares how a life built around passion—not popularity—led him to play in multiple bands, forge lifelong friendships, and find ...
MN Music Note - Ep 50 - The Highs, Lows & Comeback of Scott Zimmerman
What happens when a musician loses everything... walks away from music for 10 years... and decides to come back?Scott Zimmerman has lived through nearly every chapter of a musician's journey—from teaching himself guitar and building his...
MN Music Note - Ep 49 - The Dedication Behind Eric Trombley's Musical Journey
What does real dedication to music actually look like?For Eric Trombley, it meant teaching himself keyboards to better serve the band, driving four hours each way for gigs after moving out of state, and treating every performance—no mat...
MN Music Note - Ep 48 - 30 Guitars, 40+ Years of Music with Tim Butler
What keeps someone playing guitar for over 40 years?For Tim Butler, it wasn't fame or fortune—it was a lifelong passion that carried him through life's toughest moments, led him to leave a 20-year desk job behind, and eventually become ...
MN Music Note - Ep 47 - He Gave Up His Corporate Career to Teach Guitar with Phil Olson
What would it take for you to walk away from a stable career and bet on your passion?In this episode of The Minnesota Music Note, we sit down with guitarist, educator, author, and entrepreneur Phil Olson to talk about the unexpected pat...
MN Music Note - Ep 46 - The Guitarist Who Turned Grief Into Hope with Nathan Pehler
What if one guitar could change someone's life?For Nathan Pehler, music has never just been about playing shows. After losing his father and battling addiction, he found a new purpose—giving away guitars to kids who needed hope, encourag...
