The incredibly talented drummer Rob "Beatdown" Brown is our guest on today's episode. In addition to being fortunate enough to play and perform on some of the biggest stages internationally, Rob also created a YouTube channel that has grown to over 200,000 subscribers! Since his first instructional video uploads back in 2008, his goal has always been to share his knowledge of this instrument with as many drummers as he could reach across the globe. In this episode, we discuss why he decided to create the channel and keep it free, how he got started in music and his approach to being a versatile musician in this unpredictable industry. Great chat and we hope you enjoy it!

Sean Wilson is a musician and teacher from Lakeland, Florida. Sean got a degree in Mathematics but did not choose this path. Instead, he decided to develop some online music training courses. It started as a YouTube channel that grew to over 34K subscribers and then created seanwilsonpiano.com, an online-only training membership website for musicians who want to learn to play gospel and jazz by ear at a high level. In this episode, we talk to Sean about what inspired the online training course, his thoughts on various avenues available to musicians, and, of course, tips on becoming a better piano player.Shortly after this recording, Sean was involved in a motorcycle accident he is currently recovering from, so our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family.

Our guest for today's episode is musician Gabriel Vargas. Gabriel is based in Melbourne, Australia with strong ties to his native country of Brazil. He has a great approach to life and thirsts for experiences outside the normality of social conditioning and beyond his own areas of comfort. He connects to the fact that real growth occurs on the outskirts of normality and comfort. In this conversation, we discuss his transition from athlete to musician, the process of him learning to use music as a means of healing, and the experience of traveling on his own path!

Lady Luck joins us today for this week's episode. @iamladyluck has been in the music scene from a very early age, thanks to her aunt, the great Sylvia Robinson, one of the founders of the legendary Sugar Hill Records. Lady Luck went on to sign a record deal at the age of 17 with the iconic Def Jam recording label and was also featured in the 2000 documentary film of Jay-Z's 1999 tour, Backstage. In 2017, Luck was a cast member on the reality show "First Family of Hip Hop" on the Bravo cable network. We connect and talk about what it was like growing up immersed in hip-hop, the experience of being on a reality show, and much more. Available wherever you listen to music or podcasts!

Our guest today is musician LJ Mitchell. LJ is currently the musical director for the Elevation Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. Elevation church for anyone who doesn't know is one of the larger churches in the US with over 12 locations in the US and Canada with a weekly attendance of well over 25,000 people. We talk to LJ about how he had almost given up on his love for playing the keys when the chance of a lifetime presented itself, the journey from Toronto to Charlotte, and some of the conversations currently circulating regarding the current state of gospel music. It's funny but the more we think about all the incredible musicians and artists, we notice more often that their success is really about progress meeting with opportunity and he is just another example of that so please enjoy his story.

Today we connect with songwriter and musician Thad Cockrell. Thad had spent two decades steadily building his career through five album releases and constant touring before the COVID-19 pandemic forced musicians, including Cockrell, off the road. Cockrell intended to end his music career and even emailed his managers letting them know; however, on Jan 4th, Thad got a phone call every musician dreams of - his management called with the news that he would be performing on one of the biggest late-night television shows, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon! In this episode, Thad tells us the incredible story of how the Tonight Show appearance came on the same day he decided to hang it up, what he's been up to lately, and much more.

This week we sat down with Canada's premier media and public relations expert Eric Alper. Eric Alper started his own PR firm, Eric Alper Public Relations, after being the Director of Media Relations and Label Relations for eOne Music Canada for over 18 years. As a 6-time nominee for Publicist of the Year during Canadian Music Week, and 16-time JUNO Award winner overseeing PR campaigns, he's been fortunate to work with some of the biggest and most important artists of our time (past and present) including Ringo Starr, Ray Charles, Snoop Dogg, J Dilla, Slash, Ashanti, Allman Brothers, Bush and so many more. The Toronto native is a regular music industry contributor to Bell Media, Rogers, Shaw Media, among others, and also the host of his @ThatEricAlper show on SiriusXM. We connected with Eric to discuss the incredible journey he's had in music and his advice for the next crop of artists dealing with the publicity.

On this episode of the podcast, co-hosts Diriki and Anthony sit down to talk about their careers in the music industry, their new pursuit of learning the piano and song-writing, plus much more.

Today we are joined by Canadian musician Ori Dagan. Ori is an award-winning jazz singer-songwriter that has a remarkable ability as an improviser to produce rich and remarkable sounds that warm audiences' hearts all over the world. Dagan's 2017 recording "Nathaniel: A Tribute to Nat King Cole" was an incredible visual album, that provided him the opportunity to showcase at South-By-South-West in Austin, Texas, and also a headline spot at the TanJazz Festival in Tangier, Morocco. Due to the covid-19 lockdown, we connect with Ori over the internet to talk about his start with Jazz music, the complexity of the genre, and how he has been adjusting to the current state of live performances. A cool chat with a cool cat, we hope you guys enjoy.

Our guest today is 4 time Juno Award winner and Canadian hip hop legend Choclair. @officialchoclair was one of the most successful Canadian rappers in the late '90s and early 2000s. He released his debut single, "Twenty-One Years", on his own independent label, Knee Deep Records, in 1995. He then went on to sign with Priority Records to release his classic debut album, "Ice Cold" in 1999, which went on to win the Juno Award for Best Rap Recording. He was also a part of the iconic Canadian anthem Northern Touch with fellow Canadian hip hop legends like the Rascalz, Checkmate, Kardinal, and Thrust. In 2018, Choclair and the other team members who recorded "Northern Touch" reunited to perform the song at the 2018 Juno Awards ceremony, which was an incredible moment in Canadian hip hop history. We connected over the internet with the Toronto legend to talk about the early days of Canadian hip hop, his recent release One Day Away, which is available wherever you stream music, and a lot more.

We are joined today with tour manager and engineer extraordinaire Jason "Redz" Reynolds. Jason started out in the industry at a very young age and worked his way up the ranks to work with some of the biggest stars in North America including, Grammy award-winning artist Shaggy, Koffee, Luther Vandross, and many more! In addition to engineering and being a tour manager for huge acts, Jason is also an instructor at the Metalworks Studio, one of Canada's premier entertainment arts schools located right here in the GTA. In this episode, we talk to Jason about how he's adjusted to a world without live shows and get into some in-depth conversations about music production from a more technical perspective. Great listen for anyone with an in-home studio or anyone interested in learning a bit more about recording in general!! Always great chatting with Jason and we hope you guys enjoy it too!

Today we are speaking with Producer, artist, and entrepreneur Erika Rose Santoro. While being a dynamic artist and executive in her own right, Erika is best recognized for co-writing the hit song "A Woman's Worth" with childhood friend and Grammy-winning artist Alicia Keys. In 2016, she was hired to be Keys' full-time manager and is now President of AK Worldwide, Keys' philanthropic organization. She is also currently the Director of Luminary Programming at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health located in western Massachusetts's beautiful Berkshires. We connected over the internet with Erika to speak about all of the various transformations she has made throughout her life and, of course, what it was like being childhood friends with an American icon and a bunch more. Great conversation with this fascinating woman, and we hope you enjoy listening.

Our first guest on the podcast for 2021 is the versatile Kellindo Parker. Kellindo is a multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, and lead guitarist for Janelle Monae. He began playing the guitar at the age of 8 and was propelled into the music scene under the guidance of his uncle, Maceo Parker, a saxophonist for James Brown. Since those early years, he has collaborated and co-arranged with Janelle Monae on multiple hits featured on her Grammy-nominated albums, “Metropolis,” “Archandroid” and “Electric Lady.” Most recently, Kellindo released his new single, Long Gone, which is available wherever you stream your music. We spoke to the down to earth musician about how he first connected with Janelle, his process when writing or producing, and a lot more!

We decided to wrap up the 2020 year with no guest and take a look back at ALL that was 2020! This year will be one that the entire world will look back at one day to remember all the unprecedented events that took place. The crew gets into some of those events and touches on some of the brighter spots of 2020...like this podcast!! We talk about everyone's highlights from the pod so far, as well as what this podcast has taught us and what we are looking forward to in the new year!

Today we connect with the incredibly talented married duo of Joy Lapps and Larnell Lewis! Joy is a musician, composer, academic and arts educator. She was awarded a Masters in Music Composition at York University, and has received international acclaim for her proficiency with the tenor pan. She also leads The Joy Lapps Project, an ensemble exploring Afro and Latin-Caribbean Jazz, with a hint of R&B and soul. Larnell Lewis is a Grammy Award winning musician, composer, producer, and just like his wife, an educator as well. He's established himself among the most diverse and in-demand drummers in the world and since 2012, Larnell has been playing with the three time Grammy Award winning band, Snarky Puppy. Larnell also leads successful ensembles of his own and has toured the globe with highly reputable contemporary musicians, including Quincy Jones, Gregory Porter, Jacob Collier, & Kurt Elling to name a few. His latest release, Relive the Moment is a revived re-imaging of his compositions from his debut album In the Moment with brand new drum performances available now on all your favourite streaming platforms. During this webcast, we get into the backstory of how these two met, what it's like to be successful traveling musicians while trying to raise a family, and so much more. We had a great time talking to this beautiful and talented couple . Hope you enjoy!

Our guest today is Entertainment lawyer Matthew Ram. Matthew graduated from the University of Toronto with an Economics degree and then completed his Juris Doctorate from the University of Detroit Mercy. Shortly after, Matthew became the founder of MSM Group Professional Corporation where he practices in the area of Real Estate, Corporate and Entertainment Law. Once MSM Legal Group became a renowned name in the industry, Matthew focused his efforts on two of his other passions, entrepreneurship and music. Today MSM Legal Group offers a comprehensive and innovative New Business Start-Up package and is rapidly growing in the entertainment industry. We sat down with Matt in the MPL studio to pick his brain about his work in entertainment law, and he offers up some great advice for artists trying to seriously pursue music as a career. A lot of valuable information worth listening to so please enjoy!

On today's episode we talk with author and composer, David Ditchfield. In 2006, David had a near death experience (NDE) while being dragged under a speeding train in a freak accident. While doctors grappled to' save his life, he re-emerged with some incredible new gifts. He discovered he could paint images he had seen in the "Afterlife", over and above any artistic ability he previously had. He also identified that he can now compose classical music, having never received any musical training. Since his debut symphony, "The Divine Light", he has been commissioned to compose further classical works which have also been premiered at sell-out performances and has completed more than thirty paintings and a number of commissioned artworks. David's connect with us over the internet during Covid-19 from his house in the UK to talk about his incredible experience, the time his spent in the "afterlife" and his new book, "Shine On" available now on Amazon. An unbelievable story worth hearing so sit back and enjoy. This is the DNA Airwaves.

Today we connect with Toronto native The BLK LT$ (pronounced Black Lotus), previously known as Andreena Mills. This singer/songwriter/producer/ and DJ has collaborated with some of music industry's biggest stars like Drake, Future and DMX. She has also worked with Grammy award winning producers like Boi 1da, Noah "40" Shebib, HitBoy and the legendary duo Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis. She's been nominated for several Juno awards and is currently producing new music while working on some exciting projects in fashion as well. We connected with her via the internet during the Covid-19 pandemic while she was home in Los Angeles to her more about her humble beginnings, her metamorphosis from Andreena Mills to the BLK LT$ and the exciting path she is on now.

Michelle Treacy is a Canadian singer/songwriter from right here in Toronto, Ontario. She first made a buzz in the music scene with an impromptu duet with Lady Gaga during her ArtRave tour in Montreal. She then went on to compete and win the second season of CTV's hit series The Launch, which spawned her hit single "Emotional". She has made various media appearances and recently released her newest single, "Time Off From a Letdown", which available on all the major streaming platforms. For safety reason we chose to record this podcast remotely over the internet during the covid-19 pandemic. Nonetheless, In this episode, she shares her story about the infamous Lady Gaga incident, her time on The Launch and navigating the current climate as an artist releasing new music.

Lyndon John X, sometimes also credited as LJX, is a Canadian reggae and ska musician. He is most noted for his 2019 album The Warning Track, which won the Juno Award for Reggae Recording of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2020. Of Grenadian descent, he grew up in Cambridge, Ontario. Born Lyndon John, he added the X to his performing name in tribute to Malcolm X. He released his debut album Two Chord Skankin' in 2007, and received his first Juno Award nomination in the reggae category at the Juno Awards of 2008. He followed up with the albums Brighter Days in 2010, which was a Juno nominee at the Juno Awards of 2011, and Escape from the Mongoose Gang in 2015, which was a Juno nominee at the Juno Awards of 2016. We speak to him about how he discovered how he found reggae music and how he's been able to stay relevant with a such a small social media presence.

Today we are joined by the award winning, childern's musical entertainment duo, Sonshine and Broccoli. Both Lisa Sonshine and Brock Burford attended Sheridan College's musical theatre program and have grown into one of Canada’s premier children’s entertainers. They've been entertaining children and parents alike for over a decade are are most noted for their album, "It's cool to be kind", which was nominated for Juno awards last year. We catch up with these two friends to find out how they've been adapting in the entertainment space during the Covid-19 restrictions and to learn a bit more about this dynamic duo.  

Our guest for this episode is Lorraine Lawson. Not only is Lorraine the proud founder of Lawson Vocal Studios here in Toronto, she is also one of the most successful vocal coaches in North America. She is the vocal coach on CTV’s show The Launch and season 5 of the hit show Schitt’s Creek. Some other notable artists she’s coached include Blake McGrath and R&B star Roy Woods. We decided to record this episode remotely for safety concerns during Covid-19 but we had a great conversation with her about the innovative programming at her studio and tap into her wealth of experience in vocal coaching and performing. It was incredible conversation with such an amazing multi-talented woman we know you’ll enjoy. 

Today we sit down and talk with music therapist Sarah Rose Black. Sarah Rose holds a Masters degree in music education from the University of Toronto, and a Masters degree in music therapy at Wilfrid Laurier University. She is the founder and coordinator of the first music therapy programs at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and Kensington Hospice in Toronto. She is also a Suzuki music educator, piano accompanist and singer/songwriter. In this episode we dive deeper into the use of music and the therapeutic relationship to promote health and well being.

No guest for this podcast but the hosts chat with our show's producer, Mat Keselman, who is not only co-founder of The MPL , but also a sound engineer and a college professor. On this episode of the podcast we discuss music technology, audio production, and how creativity & technology work together.

On this episode of the podcast we sit and chat with Karen Burke! Karen is the co-founder and Artistic Director of the Juno award-winning Toronto Mass Choir, a Gospel choir that has been touring and recording since 1988. Karen has written and arranged many of the songs on their 10 albums and has led the choir on tours in several countries including Poland, Romania, Italy and most recently, the Dominican Republic. In addition to her work with the Toronto mass Choir, Karen is also a Professor in the music department at York University and developed the first post-secondary gospel music curriculum in Canada.  We had a great time speaking with her about her start in music and her reluctant path to becoming a professor. Enjoy!

Today we discuss the perceptual phenomenon known as synesthesia. Synesthesia is a neurological condition in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway (ie. hearing) leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway (such as vision). Sometimes, this takes the form of hearing music and simultaneously sensing the sound as swirls or patterns of colour. In this episode, we chat with two musicians, Brigit O'Regan and Blake Hamilton, who are both synesthetes (A person who reports a lifelong history of synesthesia) to learn more about this fascinating subject. Enjoy!!

Today we sit down in the studio with violinist Grenville Pinto aka G Pinto. Grenville is a Canadian violinist originally from our hometown of Hamilton and was a member of the Philharmonic orchestra there. Similar to us, he’s now based out of Toronto and has travelled the world delivering his versatile repertoire of pop, jazz and hard rock in such a vibrant, brand new way. We asked him to join us at the studio to talk about why he chose violin in the first place and the cool path it led him down through music. We also included a sample of his amazing talent as bonus because he was kind enough to also perform live in the studio for us. Check out this incredible performance at the end of the episode! Cheers

Eddie Bullen is, undoubtedly, a rare breed amongst multi-talented artists. Pianist, songwriter, arranger and producer, Eddie's lengthy career has yielded an abundance of awards and recognition for his outstanding talents. From his first album, 'Nocturnal Affair' to his most recent single, "Sunset Marquee, Eddie continues to give us an incredible blend of jazz with world music, hip hop, R&B and Latin vibes. He's collaborated with many successful artists including Deborah Cox, Glenn Lewis, Fefe Dobson, Oleta Adams and Liberty Silver. He also composes and arranges for City TV, YTV, CBC, and TMN the Movie Network. We get a chance to hear the story of this exceptional career from start to finish in this episode. Listen now! 

This week we are joined by Canadian songwriter, singer and vocal coach Nevon Sinclair. Nevon was born and raised in Toronto where he was first introduced to music. Over the years he has arranged and written for several groups and artists, including Grammy award winning artist Daniel Cesar. We connected with Nevon and discussed his writing process, his trek through the Canadian music scene and his future plans. Listen now!!

Our guests for this episode are violinist/fiddler Brigit O'Regan and saxophonist Nathan Allen. Brigit is known as “Violin Girl” by over 16 Million people due to the success of her FanExpo and ComicCon videos. Saxophonist Nathan Allen made his start on YouTube in 2009 and saw some success with creating RnB sax cover songs. His "Allen Music" brand took a leap forward in 2014 when Nathan began covering pop tunes on the Billboard charts. Both of their channels have skyrocketed in popularity and looks to continue to grow with the help of its devoted supporters. We sat to discuss what it's like to create content, run a YouTube page, and so much more. Check it out now!

Our guest for this episode is Canadian singer, songwriter and actor Robert Ball. This multi talented artist has sung background vocals for Kim Burrell as well as opened for artists Mary Mary, Cece Winans, Gordon Chambers, Keshia Chante, Shawn Desman and many more. His music has be played on television and radio all over Europe and North America. We had the opportunity to speak with Robert during the Covid-19 lockdown and learn more about his story. Check it out now!!

Our guest today is Kiana Eastmond aka Rookz. Kiana 'Rookz' Eastmond is the Founder & Director at Sandbox Studios. Rookz is one of Toronto's stars behind the stars and has made a name in the Canadian music scene by creating one of the most successful urban music artist development and recording facilities in the GTA. This serial entrepreneur has also become the Executive Director for Manifesto, one of Canada's premier contemporary youth arts and culture platforms. In our conversation, we get into her incredible story from the beginning, all the way to what's ahead for this incredibly inspiring business woman.

Today's guest is the incredible Canadian singer/songwriter Gary Beals. Gary was the runner up on the first season of Canadian Idol. He stepped away from music for over a decade to take a break from the scene but he is now returning with his new upcoming album, "Bleed My Truth", which will be available October 2nd. His new single, "Blood Red Rose" from the new album will be available August 21st on all the major digital streaming platforms. In this conversation, we discuss his long break from music, what brought him back and experience of being on the first season of such a big show!

This week's guest is one of Canada's brightest Pop and R&B recording artists NOA! NOA recently released her new single Patience, which has garnered a lot of attention and gaining momentum on Spotify and iTunes. During the height of the lockdown, we checked in with Canadian artist NOA and had a conversation about her start in music, her creative process during the lockdown, her time on The Launch and much more!  

In this episode of the podcast, our hosts chat with Canadian entertainment professional Keziah Myers. Keziah currently works with SOCAN and Re:Sound, Canada's largest rights management organizations that serve as advocates for music creators, publishers and labels. Keziah’s main role is to educate media and non-media organizations on the significance of music licensing, and facilitate the initial process of getting songwriters their royalties. In this interview, we speak about public performance copyright and royalties for artists in Canada. A great conversation for any creator to check out!

The DNA Airwaves sits down with Juno award winner Carlos Morgan. Carlos is an accomplished singer, songwriter, producer and vocal coach that has seen so much of the music industry in North America. We go in depth about his humble beginnings as an R&B artist in Canada and what he is currently working. As a bonus, Carlos also performs one of his latest singles, "Have a Little Faith" in studio!

We chat with Lisa Sonshine from the Juno nominated children's musical duo Sonshine and Broccoli about her career in music. Sonshine and Broccoli have performed at the NBA All-Star game along with large stages all across North America & are currently working on some incredible projects in film and audio.