Meet Chris Marshall. East Texas native. Knoxville-based multi-instrumentalist. Author of the book The Lighthouse and the Machine. Full-time independent professional musician who pays his bills entirely through his creative ventures. And the mastermind behind some of the most successful open mics, jams, and artist showcases in East Tennessee.

In Episode 11 of Creative Evolution, Chris shares his philosophy for building a sustainable, long-term career: building a community is much more important than chasing the spotlight.

We go deep on what it takes to thicken your skin as a solo performer and how to command a room with a simple dramatic pause. Chris breaks down his ultimate "musician life hack" of hosting open mics to secure weekly residencies, how he handles a quiet crowd by rolling straight into a classic "meatball cover", and why you must absolutely never be a "dipper" who leaves the venue right after playing your own set.

We also talk about Chris's journey of rebuilding his life after a 20-year marriage ended, how he found his chosen family in the local music scene, and the honest stories behind his original songs, including the biting truth of his track, "They All Come Back from Nashville".

Chris drops some incredibly practical industry advice, including his golden rules for hiring side musicians (pay them and leave your "lead singer disease" at the door), the power of boots-on-the-ground networking over cold emails, and why you must always make sure you are good with the IRS.

Plus, we get to hear Chris perform several of his original songs live!

Remember: Questions always lead to answers. So, keep asking.

💎 Sponsored by:

Wizard of Rocks

https://www.facebook.com/WizardOfRocks

https://www.instagram.com/wizard_of_rocks

🌐 Connect:

https://josijanddessert.com/creative-evolution

https://linktr.ee/creativeevolutionpodcast

🎬 Credits:

Guest: Chris Marshall

Editor: Alison Danielle

Host, Producer, Copywriter, Art Director and Designer: Josie Jones

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Meet Chris Marshall. East Texas native. Knoxville-based multi-instrumentalist. Author of the book The Lighthouse and the Machine. Full-time independent professional musician who pays his bills entirely through his creative ventures. And the mastermind behind some of the most successful open mics, jams, and artist showcases in East Tennessee.

In Episode 11 of Creative Evolution, Chris shares his philosophy for building a sustainable, long-term career: building a community is much more important than chasing the spotlight.

We go deep on what it takes to thicken your skin as a solo performer and how to command a room with a simple dramatic pause. Chris breaks down his ultimate "musician life hack" of hosting open mics to secure weekly residencies, how he handles a quiet crowd by rolling straight into a classic "meatball cover" like Steve Miller's The Joker, and why you must absolutely never be a "dipper" who leaves the venue right after playing your own set.

We also talk about Chris's journey of rebuilding his life, how he found his chosen family in the local music scene, and the honest stories behind his original songs, including the biting truth of his track, "They All Come Back from Nashville". Chris drops some incredibly practical industry advice, including his golden rules for hiring side musicians (pay them and leave your "lead singer disease" at the door), the power of boots-on-the-ground networking over cold emails, and why you must always make sure you are good with the IRS.

This is the full broadcast version of the episode! Not only do we get to hear Chris perform several of his original songs live, but this episode also features our signature music sweeps highlighting incredible local sound.

🎶 Featured Independent Artists:

Alison Danielle - https://www.facebook.com/alialioxenfree13/

Chris Marshall - https://www.facebook.com/chris.marshall.58910

The Band Solstice - https://www.thebandsolstice.com

💎 Sponsored by:

Wizard of Rocks

https://www.facebook.com/WizardOfRocks

https://www.instagram.com/wizard_of_rocks

🌐 Connect:

https://josijanddessert.com/creative-evolution

https://linktr.ee/creativeevolutionpodcast

🎬 Credits:

Guest: Chris Marshall

Editor: Alison Danielle

Host, Producer, Copywriter, Art Director and Designer: Josie Jones

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

What happens when a 6'8" former police officer clotheslines a man in a white mink coat and a three foot afro wig with Christmas lights on a concrete floor outside a wrestling ring in Wartburg, Tennessee? You get the origin story of Big N Funky Productions, and one of the greatest creative partnerships in East Tennessee history.

In Episode 10 of Creative Evolution, host Josi J welcomes back Big Luke Walker and Funkmaster V for a conversation about what it really means to build something with your best friend. Together they are the co-founders of Big N Funky Productions, the independent film company behind four feature films streaming on Amazon Prime, Tubi, Plex, and Fawesome. They are also wrestlers, musicians, paranormal investigators, and two of the most entertaining humans to ever sit in the Creative Evolution Hot Seat.

In this episode they take us behind the scenes of their creative partnership: how they met, what makes Big and Funky work when solo work cannot, how their wildly different comedy styles complement each other on screen and off, and why the cheeseburger in the backpack is the greatest opening line in independent film history. They also give us a sneak peek at their upcoming sci fi horror comedy Showdown in Secret City — the story of four brave filmmakers taking on the Oak Ridge supercomputer to reclaim art for the humans. Are you Team Human or Team AI?

This is the pure conversation, start to finish. No music sweeps, no breaks. Just you, Big Luke, Funkmaster V, and a masterclass in building a creative partnership that lasts.

Questions always lead to answers. Keep asking. 🎙️

💎 Sponsored by: Wizard of Rocks

https://www.facebook.com/WizardOfRocks

https://www.instagram.com/wizard_of_rocks

🎬 Connect with Big N Funky Productions:

funkmasterv.com

funkmasterv.blogspot.com

🌐 Learn more at:

https://josijanddessert.com/creative-evolution

https://linktr.ee/creativeevolutionpodcast

Credits:

Guests: Luke "Big Luke" Walker and Vinnie "Funkmaster V" Vineyard

Editor: Alison Danielle

Host, Producer, Copywriter, Research, Art Director and Designer: Josie "Josi J" Jones

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.