After nearly 16 years at Atlantic Records (the last six as President of A&R) Pete Ganbarg has a clearer view than almost anyone of what separates artists who break through from artists who don't. In this conversation, he shares what that view looks like in 2026, when the barrier to entry for releasing music has collapsed and the bar for being heard has never been higher.

Pete unpacks the working principles behind a career that includes A&R credits on Santana's Supernatural, the Hamilton cast album, and Twenty One Pilots, plus publishing credits on Miley Cyrus's "Flowers" and Alex Warren's "Ordinary." But the substance of this conversation isn't the credit list — it's what he's learned to listen for, what he tells his students at Berklee and NYU, and what he wishes more independent artists understood about the work.

Topics covered in this conversation include: the "megaphone" mindset behind major-label promotion, the hard math of who makes it and who doesn't, the only opinion that matters in music, A&R'ing yourself when no executive will, and more.

Pete Ganbarg is CEO of Pure Tone Music and host of Rock School Podcast.

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The Unstarving Musician's Guide to Getting Paid Gigs, by Robonzo

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What does it look like to build a recording career so busy you don't have time to market it — and do it entirely without computers?

Terry Carleton returns to share what's happened in the two-plus years since his first appearance: a solo album seven years in the making, the completion of his work on the Vince Guaraldi Charlie Brown remix series, and a closer look at how his all-analog, DAW-less production approach actually works in practice — and where it's headed.

Terry walks through the making of Ric Shah and the Sandcrabs (From Jupiter), including a title track written as a tribute to his late high school bandmate Mike Perlitch, and how he reconstructed lost guitar tracks recorded by Camel's Andy Latimer using AI audio separation tools — a process he discovered through a Rick Beato video on the making of the Beatles' "Now and Then." He also shares how collaboration works at this level: Andy Latimer, bassist Michael Manring, and Grammy-winning composer Michael Silversher all appear on the album, and Terry explains why that kind of participation has become more accessible in the past decade.

Topics we cover include:

• The DAW-less, all-analog studio workflow — what it enables, what it costs, and what's changing
• Writing a tribute song in someone else's musical voice
• Using AI audio separation (Lalal.ai) to reconstruct lost session tracks
• How remote collaboration with high-caliber musicians has evolved
• The Vince Guaraldi Charlie Brown remix project — what came out and what's next
• Why constraints (no undo, no recall) can make a producer a better listener

Visit UnstarvingMusician.com for show notes.

The Unstarving Musician exists solely through the generosity of its listeners, readers, and viewers.

Learn how you can offer your support at UnstarvingMusician.com/CrowdSponsor

This episode was brought to you by Podcast Startup.

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Whether you're just getting started or looking to improve your existing podcast, you'll get actionable strategies on equipment selection, content planning, audience building, and sustainable production workflows—without the overwhelm.

Learn more at UnstarvingMusician.com/PodcastStartup. Join podcasters who are building shows that last.

Stay in touch!

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Most music theory education is built for nineteen-year-olds in a conservatory. If you're a working musician who's been gigging for years on ear, feel, and a handful of chord shapes, that path doesn't fit your life — and it doesn't have to.

In this deep-dive, Robonzo breaks down a four-part framework for adult musicians who want to finally crack music theory and reading without quitting their job, abandoning their gigs, or pretending they're starting from zero. The framework comes from a conversation with drummer, vocalist, and podcaster Dave Hamilton from way back in Episode 13 — and it's the cleanest, most adult-friendly roadmap Robonzo has come across.

The episode covers why piano is the right tool for the job (even if it isn't your instrument), how chord construction and the 1-4-5 unlock most of popular music, why guitar chord charts make brilliant practice material, and the concrete revenue case for learning to read music as a working musician.

The Unstarving Musician exists solely through the generosity of its listeners, readers, and viewers.

Learn how you can offer your support at UnstarvingMusician.com/CrowdSponsor

This episode was brought to you by Podcast Startup.

Ready to launch your podcast or take it to the next level? Podcast Startup gives you the frameworks, systems, and insider knowledge to build a show that actually grows your audience and serves your goals.

Whether you're just getting started or looking to improve your existing podcast, you'll get actionable strategies on equipment selection, content planning, audience building, and sustainable production workflows—without the overwhelm.

Learn more at UnstarvingMusician.com/PodcastStartup. Join podcasters who are building shows that last.

The Unstarving Musician's Guide to Getting Paid Gigs, by Robonzo

Dreamhost – See the latest deals from Dreamhost, save money and support the UM in the process.

More Resources for musicians

Pardon the Disclosure: Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means I make a small commission, at no extra charge to you, if you purchase using those links. Thanks for your support!

Stay in touch!

@RobonzoDrummer on Instagram

@UnstarvingMusician on Facebook and YouTube