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
60 episodes
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...
MN Music Note - Ep 45 - Why Lakefront Music Fest Is About So Much More Than Music
What does it really take to pull off a music festival for 18,000 people—and why would hundreds of volunteers dedicate thousands of hours to make it happen?Most people show up for the music. They never see the months of planning, the las...
MN Music Note - Ep 44 - World Karaoke Champion, Drag Performer & Musician | Mikko Blaze
Can a karaoke competition really change your life?For Mikko Blaze, the answer is yes.What started as a love for singing led him from drag performances and karaoke competitions to becoming a World Karaoke Champion, performing on ...
MN Music Note - Ep 43 - From a Tennis Racket to 25 Years on Stage with Jason Farruggia
From pretending a tennis racket was a guitar as a kid to becoming a staple of Minnesota's rock scene, Jason Farruggia has spent decades living and breathing music.As a founding member of Menace, a guitarist in KOBB, and a member of Stip...
MN Music Note - Ep 42 - The Behind-the-Scenes Story of Mid Summer Music Fest
What does it actually take to build a music festival from the ground up?In this episode, I sat down with Jena Burkman, General Manager of Mid Summer Music Fest, to pull back the curtain on one of Minnesota's fastest-growing rock festivals. ...
MN Music Note - Ep 41 - The Musician Behind 13 Musical Alter Egos with Craig Hecht
How does one musician create 13 different bands, write rock operas about giant mutant chickens, release music under multiple identities, and still find new ways to stay creative after nearly 60 years of making music?In this episode, I s...
MN Music Note - Ep 40 - 5 Gigs a Week. Full-Time Job. Zero Excuses with Aly Dyg
What happens when you stop waiting for the "perfect time" and decide to go all in on your dream?In this episode of The Minnesota Music Note, Aly shares her journey from singing in her grandma's kitchen as a little girl to becoming a wor...
The Minnesota Music Note - Ep 39 - Studio Owner, Gear Addict & Metalhead Will Maravelas
Think running a recording studio was always part of the plan?Think again.This week on The Minnesota Music Note, we sit down with Will Maravelas — musician, studio owner, gear addict, content creator, and the man behind 1459 Studios....
MN Music Note - Ep 38 - From Small-Town Minnesota to the Metal Stage: The Story of Slag
What does it take to keep a metal band alive when every show starts with a 3-4 hour drive?In this episode of The Minnesota Music Note, Will sits down with the members of Slag, a thrash metal band proving that passion, persistence, and a...
MN Music Note - Ep 37 - A Lifetime Of Metal, Guitars & Minnesota Music with Wally Borgan
Ever wonder what it takes to stay passionate about music after decades of gigs, bands, rehearsals, and changing trends?In Episode 37 of The Minnesota Music Note, Wally Borgan joins us for a raw, honest, and entertaining conversation abo...
MN Music Note - Ep 36 - From Choir Boy to Rock Band CEO: Alain Nisam’s Wild Music Journey
What happens when a lifelong musician combines creativity, technology, business, and pure obsession into one project?This episode with Alain Nisam is an inside look at how Shredding Flannel became one of the most unique and ambitious liv...
