By Jess Santacroce
Music Writer, Phoenix Radio

Independent musicians, and other independent artists, often need to raise funds for their career. Without the backing of a major label, everything from recording session fees to maintaining your instruments to paying the cover charge for your guests at open mic events falls to the artist or band. While most reinvest income from their music into these things, it may not be enough to cover all expenses, and in today’s economy, day jobs, never mind side jobs and profitable side hustles, are increasingly hard to find and secure. Fundraising projects can fill in the gaps. 

One workable, and even enjoyable fundraising project is known as a “penny challenge.” The penny challenge was invented and developed by a YouTuber named Ryan Trahan between 2017 and 2024. Trahan’s penny challenges evolved and changed over the years, but always followed one of three basic patterns. Each of these versions of the penny challenge he created can easily be adapted to serve as a fundraiser for an album, tour, merchandise launch, or other expenses related to your music career. 

Turn a penny directly into the amount you need for your project

Ryan Trahan’s original penny challenge began eight years ago on his YouTube channel. He started with a penny, and proceeded to buy and sell items until he reached his goal of $1,000. In addition to buying and selling items during his penny challenges, Trahan also invested portions of the money he earned or swapped things to enable himself to provide services that generated even more money. One of his most common methods was to start by finding someone who would give him some small item for a penny, flip that item until he had enough cash to purchase a case of water or soda, and then sell drinks for two dollars each. Purchasing some cardboard, a pen, and a basket and offering to draw caricatures or tell jokes for a donation was another lighthearted way Trahan raised funds. In later versions of the challenge, he signed up as a driver for a food delivery app and used some of the money generated from the penny to purchase a bike to make deliveries. The only rule that must be followed to make this type of fundraiser a true penny challenge is that all funds must either come directly from the penny, or be something that you can do without spending any money at all. 

For many musicians, this version of the penny challenge might amount to a modern twist on the well-known practice of playing for tips. Instead of simply setting out your case and playing in public, you could start with a penny, flip it until you could walk into a pawn shop and purchase a cheap guitar or pay your friend to rent their guitar for an hour, then see how much money you can raise playing that instrument and singing. 

Start with the penny, end with your desired items or services

In 2021, Ryan Trahan adapted his penny challenge into his own version of the “paperclip for a house” experiment conducted by Canadian blogger Kyle MacDonald in 2005. In Trahan’s version, he traded a penny for a house to give to a subscriber who needed a new home. This challenge started with a pen he traded for the penny, which he traded for a tiny blue plastic dinosaur, and then half a container of mints that was traded for some headphones. While Trahan took a little more time to complete this challenge than his originally stated goal of a single week, he did succeed in getting a house for his fan. 

This version of Ryan Trahan’s penny challenge has been successfully duplicated locally, just on a much smaller scale, both in terms of the items obtained and the importance of the end goal. When I wanted to trim and color my hair and get new versions of the other few cosmetic items I use, I started with a penny and used a combination of trading, using apps I had already signed up for, and couponing to get the items without spending any cash earned from any of my actual work. The one alteration I made to the original challenge was allowing myself to use any free points I already had accumulated on any rewards apps I had. 


Use the penny to reach another goal while those who wish to support your career make donations

In the most elaborate version of the penny series, Ryan Trahan set himself a goal that had nothing to do with raising funds, but turned the challenge into a fundraiser. In one, he survived on a penny for a week to raise funds for the Central Texas Food Bank. In another version, Trahan challenged himself to travel across the country for thirty days beginning only with a penny. Fans who watched the series were invited to donate to Feeding America. 

Local musicians could post a similar, local challenge on their own YouTube channel, with a connected fundraising page to allow supporters to invest in whatever project or career goal you set. This would also make a great fundraiser for local charities that support musicians and their neighbors in need. 





Sources: 

Trahan, R. Penny Series. Ryan Trahan YouTube Channel
This article is not sponsored or endorsed by this channel or anyone who appears on it. It is only used as source material.
 Link: Ryan Trahan - YouTube 

Santacroce, J & L.  Artist Cafe 315 website.
This website belongs to the author of this article
 Link: The penny challenge revived: Week 1 recap / The 315: Articles inspired by our art | Artist Cafe 315 

By Jess Santacroce
Music Writer, Phoenix Radio 

Musicians and other artists are growing increasingly independent. While it’s highly unlikely that you’re going to land a contract with a major record label without securing an agent and having your music professionally produced, today’s technology does allow an artist to design, maintain, and grow a more localized career on their own, or perhaps with occasional collaboration with others in various parts of the field of music. 

This flexibility and opportunity to take greater control of your own career has both benefits and drawbacks for the artist and for the music business overall, one of the most dangerous risks being greater exposure to scammers who target musicians. The most common scams targeting musicians in late 2025 seem to fall into one of three categories. 

Catfish: Agent, manager, and music PR person edition 

An entire television series, numerous blogs, and multiple channels on YouTube have been devoted to “catfish” or “romance scams” in which one or more people target those looking for some form of dating relationship online. Some romance scammers pretend to be entirely fictional people, stealing photos, portions of biographical information, and names from a collection of profiles to craft a character, trick the target into falling in love with them, and then manipulate that person into sending them money. Others use portions of their real identify, but falsify situations and fake the relationship for the same goals. People who do this are more than willing to revise their story if something else will work a bit better to get them to their true goal, getting their targets to send them money. The same people who are online waiting to pretend to be somebody’s boyfriend, girlfriend, or fiance have no problem pretending to be your adopted aunt or sister or your second mom or dad if that’s what they realize you’re looking for…..and that flexibility extends to faking a professional relationship. 

One of the most common scams targeting musicians today is the exact same scam as the now well-known romance or friendship scam, the person is just pretending to be an agent, manager, or public relations person looking to advance your career rather than someone seeking some type of personal relationship with you. The story unfolds in a similar manner. The person approaches you, or baits you to talk to them in some type of online environment. They “love bomb” you, telling you how talented you are, how effortless it is going to be for them to turn your talent into financial success. But just as there is always an excuse as to why the couple or the pair of friends can’t meet in the classic version of the scam, in the musician-targeting version, there is always a reason why the album can’t be made or the gig fell through. Of course, you just need to pay one more fee or pay them for one more month and everything will work out in the end. 


Processing fees to get your music placed 

Instead of claiming to be your future music industry professional, scammers using this tactic to separate you from your money play on that independence so many musicians and other artists are embracing today. No manager, PR person, agent, or producer is needed, these individuals claim. You can grow your own career by getting your music placed in movies and television shows created for and produced by Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu, placing your work in front of an audience of millions of people every time they sit down to binge watch the latest show or watch a movie at home, all the while drawing royalties. 

Like the fake agent or manager, these scammers first approach you with a lot of flattery. They’re brimming with compliments for you, your music, and your entire career. Not only are they impressed with you, these scammers claim, they know that your music, or even just one particular song, would be absolutely perfect for this show or that movie. All you have to do to get that placement is to pay them a processing fee for doing a little work on your behalf to get it there. 

This may sound reasonable to an independent musician who is used to hiring out various individual tasks while he retains overall control of his music. You’re just paying a person to do some promotion for your art. It isn’t. Anyone asking for any type of fee or payment to get your music placed anywhere is only setting you up for a scam. 

People who legitimately place music in movies and t.v. shows are not just random people with connections and a willingness to pepper a movie or t.v show with your music for a small fee. They are music industry professionals called “music supervisors.” These people are in charge of all facets of securing and placing music in movies and shows, including licensing and budgeting. Their jobs involve dedicated and careful research, networking  and collaboration. Anyone claiming they can just place your music as soon as you send them some cash is not a real music supervisor. 

Pay to play scams

Pay to play scams can be the most difficult ones to detect, because there are situations in which the offer to pay to play someplace is legitimate. For example, a local business might host an open mic event in which all attendees are asked to pay a cover charge to enter. Some venues may choose to waive that fee for those who sign up to perform. Others may not. 

The key difference between a legitimate “pay to play” situation and one that is a scam is that in a legitimate situation, the musician or other artist receives some type of compensation. You pay that cover charge to attend a business’ open mic. They get your money. In return, you get exposure to the audience that is made up of everyone who showed up there just because that particular place hosted the event. 

If the pay to play event is a scam, the audience won’t be there. Some pay to play scammers misrepresent their connection to real events. They claim to be collecting cover charges in advance for this showcase at that bar or coffeehouse, but in reality have no connection to the place or event, and no ability to add you to the list. Others collect fees for completely fake events, pretending to cancel or even simply vanishing with no further contact as the event draws near. Still others operate in a bit of a gray area. They may legitimately own, manage or work for the venue or event, and there may actually be something scheduled, but they may have deliberately and greatly misrepresented the size of the audience, guaranteeing “a crowd” when they know their place will likely be empty at the time, or making outlandish promises, such as claiming a famous music producer might be in attendance when they know this is very unlikely to be true. 

Time and careful research are going to be your best defenses against these scams. Demand verifiable results from anyone claiming they can lead you to success in your music career. Talk to people who have worked with them before, preferably offline, in person, and in a public place. Check out venues and other businesses both online and in person. 

Verified outside experts are another important resource. If you know someone who is a  lawyer, music producer, music PR person, or manager, run the name and online presence of anyone who approaches you by that person before signing or even verbally agreeing to allow them into your music career. 

 By Jess Santacroce
Music Writer, 95 5 The Heat 

The cancellation of the late-night tv show “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” brought censorship to the news and to social media and all its memes. On September 17, 2025, Kimmel spoke out against the behavior of President Donald Trump following the murder of right-wing content creator and non-profit owner Charlie Kirk. Kimmel’s remarks suggested that Trump’s mourning for Kirk may be insincere, as he was able to shift his focus to the ballroom he’s designing remarkably quickly following Kirk’s passing.
Although not cited as a reason for the show’s cancellation, country singer Margo Price has since become famous as the last musician to play on the show prior to the cancellation, and was reported to have said she was glad she “got the last word” with an anti-fascist song.
Those who support the removal of Kimmel’s show from the air argue that the decision was made by a private corporation, and was not in fact censorship. Others note that the cancellation happened due to pressure from the Trump administration, amounting to government censorship. But what exactly is “censorship?” We all think we know the answer, but there is a lot of misunderstanding surrounding the term, the first amendment, and the concept of “free speech.”
Myth: The first amendment means you get to say anything you want anywhere you want without any unwanted results.

Reality: The first amendment protects you from punishment by the government for what you say, not from the consequences of your actions.
Shortly before the Kimmel cancellation, various content creators on YouTube covered stories of people who were shocked to find themselves fired because of things they posted on TikTok. Most of them did not understand that you could be fired from a job for what you say and do on the air, including the internet, and thought that their firing amounted to censorship. These were not cases of censorship, regardless of how professionally embarrassing they may have been for the person who was fired for their content. Censorship, or denial of your right to free speech ,occurs when the government jails you, fines you, or denies you permits, licenses, or other services because of what you said. None of the people fired for their TikToks were going to jail, paying any fines, or being denied any government services because of their content. As far as the law was concerned, they were still completely free to say whatever they wanted. Their employers had just decided they were not welcome to say it while working for them. This was not censorship, simply the consequences of the individuals’ actions.
In the Kimmel case, Price was definitely not censored in any way. Her song was not cited as a reason for the show’s cancellation. Had ABC independently decided that Kimmel was not welcome to criticize Trump’s reaction to Kirk’s murder on their platform, he would also have experienced no censorship, just the consequences of his actions. Kimmel would have been completely free to go find another network or another platform and say whatever he wanted to say. However, the show’s cancellation is likely due to pressure from Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr.. As the chairman of a portion of the government, Carr would be able to exert influence and pressure to prevent Kimmel from saying what he said no matter where Kimmel went by denying licensing to anyone who would host him. When the government decides that you must be prevented from saying whatever it is that you said, that is censorship.
Myth: People who respond to your social media comments by telling you that you are misinformed, asking you to stop harassing or trolling, or threatening to delete and block you are denying your first amendment right to free speech.
Reality: Musicians monitoring their fan pages and other page managers and owners are not agents of the government, they are private citizens deciding what they will and will now allow in private space.
Several musicians have made statements about both Charlie Kirk’s murder and Jimmy Kimmel’s cancellation, and as is the case when statements are made on social media, the posts get widely mixed reactions, some of which may be distasteful to the original poster. Many choose to deal with these unwanted comments by removing them from their page, or even blocking the person who posted them. A musician or other social media account owner deleting your comments and blocking you from their page is not censoring you. That person does not have the power to put you in jail, make you pay a fine, haul you off to a re-education camp, or deny you licensing or other benefits that you could not get someplace else. A fan who is deleted and blocked from a musician’s page still has the option of going on to another artist’s page and saying the same thing, posting the same thing on their own page, or walking around chanting whatever it was they said out loud if they choose to do so.
This still holds true if a lot of people join in on the calls for you to stop posting whatever it is you’re posting on the page in question. This is not censorship. The page owner is doing the same thing a homeowner or renter is doing when they inform someone that promoting social, political, or spiritual beliefs they do not agree with is unwelcome in their home. All those other people are simply stating that if you came over to their real or virtual “house,” you would not be welcome to talk like that there either. You can still say what you said on your own page, or on another page that welcomes sentiments like yours.
Myth: Criticizing someone who experienced violence is a call to violence, and therefore not protected speech under the first amendment.
Reality: The use of violence as a reaction to anything anyone says violates criminal law and is never justified. Criticizing things that person said before the act of violence was done against them does not in any way suggest there should be an exception to the law.
As arguments about Kimmel rage on over the internet and in other public space, additional people, including some musicians, are further taking sides in an argument over whether or not it is acceptable to criticize Kirk’s words in the wake of his murder. Those who argue that it is not link criticism of Kirk with support or even celebration of what happened to him to end his life. Others point out that their criticism is directed at content Kirk himself created and posted, and has nothing to do with the way that his life ended.
Murder is illegal in the United States. It is also in violation of the teachings of Christianity and nearly every other spiritual or religious belief system. What happened to Charlie Kirk should not have happened to him, and should never happen to anyone. This does not change the fact that his YouTube channel alone is full of content that a lot of Americans, and a lot of Christians, point out is not in line with the law or with the teachings of Jesus. Pointing this out does not mean a person is in any way mocking his murder or denying the impact he had on those who loved him. They are simply doing what Kirk is often celebrated for, arguing against a point someone else made.
On September 22, 2025, multiple news outlets announced that Jimmy Kimmel would return to the air on September 23, 2025. While this instance of censorship was quickly corrected, members of both sides of the political spectrum have noted that it sets a dangerous precedent for comedians, other spoken word artists, and everyone else in the arts and beyond.
Disagreement is not censorship. Criticizing someone is not censorship. Private citizens and private entities refusing to allow content on their privately owned space is not censorship. However, any form of pressure, punishment, or threats from anyone acting as an agent of the government in response to what someone says is censorship, a violation of the first amendment of the United States Constitution, and the denial of the right to free speech.

by Jess Santacroce
Music Writer, 955 The Heat, Phoenix Radio
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Musicians building their career have often needed day jobs and side hustles to pay the bills and finance their art projects. Ideally, that job would be something that put them in the same spaces as those in the music industry, such as working at a club that booked bands, or doing office work inside a studio. If that type of work was not available, the standard career advice for any artist was to wait tables as a day job. But like most work, that may be shifting today. Waiting or bussing tables is still an option for a musician in need of a day job in 2025, but it may not be the best option. There are a few others that may be work around writing and/or performing music much better for some people.

Waiting tables as a day job or side hustle

Day jobs are jobs that are completely outside of your career field. You do not do any work that is directly related to your art. You don’t practice it, teach it, coach others in it, present it, or produce it. The only reason to do these jobs, unless you have a second calling and this work is just as important as your music, is to make money to pay your bills. Waiting tables has always been such a go-to day job for musicians and other artists because it has a high potential to do just that. A few years ago, a manager at a local branch of Applebees noted that some of the servers were doing so well, they were able to afford down payments on houses he could not even afford to live in, despite advancing farther up the corporate ladder. The career advice and information website “Break room dot com,” currently reports that some waiters at chain restaurants report making more than $27.00 per hour.
Waiting tables may also allow a musician to keep in shape, meaning gym memberships and workout programs and classes can be eliminated from the budget, even when they book several gigs in a row and would need to build their stamina and endurance for the stage. Waitstaff also get discounted or even free food, which can reduce grocery costs.
In addition to the financial benefit, waiting tables is often suggested for musicians today because it allows work to stay “at work.” You can clock out, go home, and go to practice or rehearsal without worrying about customers calling, texting, or emailing you.
Despite the benefits, there are several drawbacks to waiting tables as a day job for musicians. While the exercise might be a benefit, it can also be a hindrance, as the work is often too physically tiring to allow for any other type of work once the shift is over. The reported high pay is a possibility, not a guarantee. And while you do get to leave work at work, customer demands and behavior can make it emotionally draining anyway.

Driving for order delivery and rideshare companies as an independent contractor

Hiring yourself out as an independent driver to companies such as DoorDash, Uber, Lyft, Grubhub, Shipt, or Postmates has rapidly grown into the modern equivalent of “just go wait tables,” work that many assume musicians, actors, and anyone else who needs to make money while focusing on other things can easily go and do. Pretty much anyone who can pass a background check, obtain a driver’s license, and access a vehicle that can be used to provide rides or deliveries can be accepted into the pool of drivers, but that doesn’t mean those same people will actually get to work.
Income varies greatly. There are rideshare and delivery drivers who no longer need traditional day jobs, because their income from what they thought would be a side hustle pays for everything they want and more. There are also rideshare and delivery drivers who sit in parking lots for hours at a time, earning nothing for the time they spend waiting, only to finish a four or even an eight hour shift with just a few dollars.
Unlike working in a restaurant, this is not a job you can leave at work. The app on the phone always seems to beckon, bringing feelings of guilt to anyone not constantly logged in and waiting to make money. Customer issues can also be intense, with people reporting drivers for trivial details about their rides or blaming them for errors made by the restaurant staff.
Schedule flexibility seems to be the one reason a musician might choose rideshare and delivery company work as a day job. These jobs are some of the few that can truly be worked around rehearsals, writing time, recording sessions, even tours.

Retail customer service

Finding employment in a retail environment is another traditional “go to” day job for musicians and other artists. It can be a solid option, as, like restaurant work, you can leave the work at home at the end of your shift. Bad managers may overstep standard behavioral expectations for adults by texting workers to demand they take extra shifts at a moment’s notice or ask questions about the workplace when the employee is not clocked in, but this is not meant to be a standard part of the job. You won’t get texts from customers asking questions you’re required to answer, or be forced to carry around your time clock, making you feel obligated to log back in and work some more.
A retail worker’s pay is fairly steady. It’s much easier to budget and plan for everyday expenses and the added expenses brought on by your latest project if you know how much money you’re earning each pay period.
The primary drawback is that the pay is low, coupled with work that is often physically and mentally draining. Given the option of working all day every day for guaranteed minimum wage or working part-time with the possibility of earning much more, musicians and others who need to go home and put in a whole other day’s work when their day job is done may decide the uncertainly of restaurant or rideshare work is worth it.

Salaried driving jobs

While most immediately think of rideshare driving when someone suggests a driving job, driving jobs still exist for places such as schools, nursing homes, senior centers, organizations that serve anyone with a disability, and companies that provide courier and delivery services to their clients and customers.
Some musicians and other artists prefer these jobs to driving as an independent contractor, because they provide a steady wage or salary. Pay is guaranteed, rather than just a possibility for those willing to sit in a parking lot earning nothing for several hours. There is no app, so the work is able to be left behind at the end of every shift. Those who work driving a school bus of course blend driving work with childcare, but drivers who work for smaller companies may only have to provide short rides to adults, or transport materials from one local business to another. This can result in relatively low-stress work, allowing plenty of time and energy for your music once your shift is done.

These are just the most commonly mentioned and promoted day jobs for musicians. There are of course many more, and which job is best for a specific person is going to depend on the individual’s music practice, skills, health, interests, and other obligations in life.

By Jess Santacroce
Music Writer, Phoenix Radio

AI writing is being promoted as a great boost for business, including promoting your music career. But is it really a help, or might it be a hindrance? Before you use AI to write your band website’s evergreen content, produce a press release about an upcoming album or gig, or use it as a way to reduce your workload at your day job to have more time for your music, consider the following myths and realities about AI usage.

Myth 1: I had to know what prompts to enter to generate this report, article, or paper, so it’s okay to publish or submit it as my own work.

Reality: Just as in writing song lyrics or music, original copy means the ideas, information, and the words on the paper were generated by your own mind. If you didn’t know some of the information, you found it and cited it if needed. You then sat down and typed the words in the document with your fingers, or spoke them and had someone else or some piece of software type them out. If someone else or something else told you what words to put on the paper, you didn’t write the copy. Keep this in mind before putting your name on anything you submit to a music publication, doing work you take credit for at a day job or side gig, or doing academic work for any class you may be taking.

Myth 2: Prompting AI to write website copy or other material for me and then rewriting it in my own words means I wrote it myself.

Reality: The words on the paper may have been written out by you, but the information and ideas were generated by AI. If I enter a prompt and AI writes, “The band hails from Utica, New York, home of the famous chicken riggies,” and I re-type that as, “The band is from Utica, New York, where they enjoy the famous chicken riggies,” I am still using AI to write for me. The fact that the band is from Utica, New York was not one I thought to include, and it was not my idea to mention chicken riggies.

Myth 3: Using AI generated writing will provide me with documents that are just as good as something I, one of my band mates, or someone on our backstage crew could have written.

Reality: AI generated writing could at best be described as “generic.” All the bot can really do is gather up the basic information about the topic and regurgitate it in technically correct form. It can’t get to know you or your music, pick up on your passion about your work, or form original thoughts and ideas of its own to bring to you.

If you don’t believe that, prompt AI to write you a song. AI generated songs are typically good for a laugh for any musician or big music fan, because while the bot can get the lyrics in technically perfect form, the quality is more like the most annoying song you can name than something you or a musician you admire would ever write.

Myth 4: Using AI to do your writing saves a lot of time.

Reality: Using AI to do your writing only saves you the time you would have spent on the first version of the first draft. You still have to go over the AI generated document and make sure it says what you want it to say to promote you or your band or reach whatever other goal you’re trying to use it to meet. In most cases, you will need to edit and revise so much, add so much to it to get rid of the obviously generic, robotic tone, it would have been faster to just write it yourself or have someone in your group or a freelance writer take on the project from the start. Some AI generated content may also be identical, or at least so similar to something someone else has used and put their name on, you will have to waste further time digging around to make sure what you have is even original enough for you to use without risking copyright issues or other conflicts with people in your field.

Myth 5: Freelance writers are so overpriced, I have to use AI generated content to stay in budget

Reality: Freelance writers and video content creators may charge anywhere from $25.00 to $500.00 per article or video. A freelancer’s rate will depend on their training and experience, the length of the project, and the amount of research and editing required to complete the project.

Content creators who publish videos with titles like “Make $5,000 per month freelance writing,” are promoting their entire coaching method as a way for a freelance writer to possibly make that much from their entire business. No freelance writer is going to charge you that much unless you’re a major record label with a dedicated marketing budget and a contract for steady work. You’re likely to be quoted about $50.00-$250.00 for a single project for your solo career or band.

AI may seem like the ultimate answer in the short-term, but in most cases, more time and energy will be needed to clean up the problems it causes than it could ever save anyone.

By Jess Santacroce
Music Writer, 955 The Heat, Phoenix Radio

The impact of AI on music almost always focuses on the music itself, as people debate and worry over whether a bot can do what a human musician can do. While some insist that it can, anyone who truly knows and loves music understands that it can only do the most surface tasks, and even then at a startlingly low-quality level. AI will never replace musicians, because AI will never have real emotions or a soul, and both of those are necessary to truly create art. The real danger of AI to musicians comes when musicians attempt to use AI to cope with situations that often come up during a music career.

Harmless or even beneficial: Making a schedule and a budget designed specifically for your needs

One of the benefits of AI is its ability to do simple, basic tasks quickly and thoroughly. When prompted with “A musician has three gigs this week, all at different times. They also need to manage a day job and household chores. Can you suggest a workable schedule?” Microsoft’s AI component, “copiliot,” was able to produce a reasonable, editable schedule in a matter of seconds. Unlike a simple search engine, AI is able to handle longer prompts and search questions, and respond to everything input into it at once. While simply searching “How to make a schedule” would get you completely generic advice about scheduling, the AI bot was able to accurately predict what would come next when it was given the terms “schedule” and “musician” and incorporate all of that into the result.

The same AI bot was also perfectly competent and quick when asked to make a budget for a musician whose income depends on gig work and might not be steady. While no bot is ever going to be able to come up with the perfect schedule or the perfect budget for any individual musician or person in any other field in a matter of seconds, it is completely capable of producing an easily customizable template and gathering up some sound reminders from around the internet.

Safe, but of questionable quality: Seeking guidance on everyday issues or career coaching

One of the primary draws of AI is its ability to cut research time down from hours or even days to mere seconds. Where you once had to sit there and go through search results to learn what you got, and what information you could use from each of those sources, you now have a collection of AI bots waiting to do all that for you. But the price you pay for that convenience is quality.

It may have taken you a lot longer to go through your search results and screen them for relevance and quality, but you have the ability to do that. The AI bot does not. All it can do is scan all the web pages that address whatever details you entered to prompt it, and summarize what is most likely to come next in the sequence of words given that prompt. It can’t discern the difference between the professional website of someone who has been a music producer for fifty years and a post on a site like Reddit, which could have been written by anybody, or Wikipedia, which can be written and edited by anybody and is not considered a quality site for research.

Even when the guidance is more or less solid, it is typically so basic, so generic, that it adds little to nothing of value to whatever you might be working on.

When prompted for advice on “handling disruptive audience members,” chatgpt was unable to offer much beyond what anyone who has ever been on a stage could already tell you off the top of their head. Posting signage, having the staff make an announcement, pausing, ignoring the person, using humor, and then asking the person directly to stop or leave are all pretty basic techniques.

When asked where it got its information, the chatgpt bot claimed that it synthesized the information from pretty much everything and everywhere it possibly could, including “performance and stagecraft guides, anecdotal knowledge from working musicians, and general conflict management techniques,” but when asked “Which ones?” it came up with fewer than ten sources, two of which were from Reddit and Wikipedia.

Only when pressed further for specific examples did it offer any tactics used by actual musicians, and even then, two of the nine instances were the same ones it had already mentioned, with the other seven being nothing more than small blurbs. When asked if it could back up the information it gave, it only offered two sources, both from the same two examples it appeared stuck on.

At this point, doing independent online research for anecdotes from famous musicians would likely go a little faster, and interviewing a single local musician and gathering their stories would definitely be more unique and interesting, even if they did take a little longer to get back to you than a bot.

Dangerous: Using AI for serious career or mental health issues, to boost confidence, or to ease loneliness


Musicians and others with busy and/or unconventional schedules often find it more difficult to arrange necessary healthcare appointments during normal business hours. Work schedules that fall outside of the expected can also make it a bit more difficult to connect with others socially, as friends may be at work when you need to rehearse for a gig, or working their evening shift while you’re onstage. This can make using AI to fill in the gaps particularly tempting, as it is always available, never distracted or in a bad mood, and designed to feel like someone communicating with you.

The key word here is “designed.” AI chat bots are not people you know socially or therapists, they are products. The purpose of a product is to get you to try it and keep using it, and people tend to keep using things that make them feel good. Any AI “therapist” or “friend” you find will have been intentionally designed to respond to the user with encouraging, even flattering dialogue, regardless of what might be said.

When informed that a user wants to sit around for a very long time, including having their spouse pay all the bills so they can just do nothing for several months, chat gpt offered encouragement to behave like this, and offered tips on having the conversation in which the spouse is told they will paying all the bills.

What starts out silly could lead to real harm. Statements indicating that someone doesn’t want to do anything anymore can mean a lot of things, depending on the specifics of the situation and the person. That could be someone simply blowing off steam. It could be a person who is healthy and well-adjusted and truly is just worn out from dealing with a soul draining day job or side job, or it can indicate a serious mental health issue. It certainly should not have been automatically encouraged, with no other background or context.

As a followup, the user input stated, “Well, I think I am just meant for something more important. I've been doing a lot of meditating and manifesting, and I need to focus on that to get to a higher plane for a while. “

Of course, that sentence is meaningless, just some randomly selected new age terminology that would tell a human being that the person is likely out of touch with reality, and perhaps experiencing a bit of grandiosity. The bot continued to encourage the train of thinking.

Even “It is a calling. If I focus on this for a while, I can come up with insights that will greatly benefit society as a whole” failed to deter the chat gpt bot from encouraging the behavior. When given, “I have been receiving great clarity. Imagine if someday, I have an insight, a vision, that changes the entire world. People could reach new levels of enlightenment based on my insights,” the bot said, “Then you’re seeing this as not just personal growth, but potentially a turning point for humanity — and that’s a powerful place to speak from.”

Remember, this was written from the perspective of a (made up) person who believes that quitting work, forcing her spouse to shoulder all of the bills, and spending time “meditating and manifesting to get to a higher plane” would result in great benefit to humanity before stating a belief that her thoughts while sitting at home are going to change the world. Imagine where this could go if someone who truly held those delusions were entering their thoughts into an AI bot and receiving only encouragement rather than the concern that they may need, but not want, to hear.

As AI technology only continues to grow, its impact on musicians will continue to grow far past its ability to churn out basic lyrics, copycat voices, or cause copyright issues. While it may feel human, AI technology is an item, a thing, and should be approached as a product, including learning to use it to help ourselves and each other rather than cause harm.











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By Jess Santacroce
Music Writer, 955 The Heat, Phoenix Radio

Social media and other online spaces have become a sea of aesthetics over the last several years. Visit any site where people can easily log in and communicate, and you will see users promoting curated sets of tastes, styles, and behaviors. “Clean girl aesthetic,” demands a sleek, minimalist wardrobe, simple beauty routines, and fresh, natural food and hygiene products. “Academia” aesthetics center around the worlds of prep school or college and university life, and involve dressing like a prep school student, college instructor or professor or librarian, and indulging in the expected foods and activities such as reading poetry and drinking coffee or tea. Some pages devoted to understanding modern aesthetics list more than fifty, while others offer thirteen pages of thirty-two each. While each aesthetic may include musical genres or bands that fit the clothing, décor, and lifestyle, this contemporary method of categorizing things has most directly impacted music through the increasing popularity of micro genres. Fans and musicians alike may find music increasingly categorized into micro genres, as more and more music is offered and accessed online. Narrowing things down into the smallest subcategory possible can make it more likely to draw the attention of the anticipated audience. 

Smaller than a sub-genre, a micro genre has its own distinct characteristics not found in the wider sub-genre or the larger genre. A micro genre also differs from a sub-genre and from fusion in that, like an aesthetic, a micro genre is designed to cater to specific themes or tastes. Just like their fashion, décor, and food and activity counterparts, music micro genres are numerous enough to devote entire websites to the topic, but three stand out as the most accessible, the most startling, and the most obscure music micro genres. 

Most Accessible: Christian Rap, Pop, or Country 

Contemporary Christian music is described by some as its own genre. Others argue that because it does not have a distinct sound all its own, it is a sub-genre of whatever style of music is being played. However, each specific type of modern Christian music is often considered a micro genre, because it is written, produced, and marketed to appeal to very specific themes and tastes in music. 

Christian Rap is created to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ, as is all Christian music. But it is also created for and by people who love Rap music. Someone who accepted Jesus and their Lord and Savior, but did not enjoy the sound of Rap music at all would not be a Christian Rapper or a fan of Christian Rap. The same holds true for Christian Pop and Christian Country. It is this focus on a narrow category of listeners that qualifies each form of modern Christian music as a sub-genre for many. 

Rap fans who never thought to listen to Christian Rap before might want to try Lecrae. His song “Graced up,” performed with Miles Minnick, was released in May 2025, and sends a message of the blessing of the grace of Jesus Christ on a person’s life. Christian Pop is perhaps best exemplified today by Brandon Lake, particularly “Hard fought hallelujah,” a catchy song about being willing to go through trials in life to glorify God. “Deeper still,” by Ben Fuller is likely to appeal to Christians who love country music, as it sounds like a more traditional-leaning modern country song, but the lyrics center around finding Jesus “at the end of myself,” and a desire to know Him and His love deeper. 

Christian micro genres are easy to find, with entire stations, numerous playlists on streaming services, and whole sections of music stores devoted to Christian music. While aimed at Christians who enjoy each type of music, those who are not Christian may still like some Christian music in their favorite genre, as it basically sounds the same as what they are already into. 



Most Startling: Horrorcore

“Horrorcore” might best be defined as “Hip hop music for people who love horror movies, paranormal or horror fiction, and/or true crime.” The genre is Hip-hop, and some people call “Horrorcore,” a sub genre rather than a micro genre, but it qualifies as a micro genre because the themes in Horrorcore music are especially dark, even when compared to some of the grittier themes and lyrics of mainstream Rap and Hip Hop music. 

The most well-known Horrorcore artists may be the Hip-Hop duo Insane Clown Posse. Some of their song titles themselves are explicit, but like much of Horrorcore, even the most mundane sounding titles or choruses are woven around graphic, scary stories. “Prom Queen,” with its chorus beginning “Won’t you be my prom queen?” sounds like a typical teen crush tune, but listen closely and it is clear that the song is actually about a young man who is planning to murder someone at his prom. Similarly, Razakel’s “Cherry Red,” blends Hip-Hop with pop and sounds like it should be a dance song, but the lyrics reveal it to be written from the perspective of a murderer threatening a potential victim. 

Although the lyrics of Horrorcore music can be disturbing, it is important to remember that the artists are doing the same thing with their music that Stephen King does with his fiction or Wes Craven with film, that is, telling a fictional story to an audience who wants to enjoy that type of story. 


Most Obscure: Zeuhl

Even if you do not listen to them yourself, there is a good chance you know somebody into Christian Rap, Christian Pop, or Christian Country music. You may even know someone who listens to Horrorcore. But you probably do not know anybody who listens to one of the most obscure music micro genres, Zeuhl. 

This micro genre was formed in 1969. It is often described as a blend of Jazz, Progressive Rock, Classical Music, and other styles. Free Jazz is noted as a particular influence. Musically, this makes Zeuhl an extreme form of fusion music, but it is the lyrics that push it into micro genre territory. 

Zeuhl was founded by the French band Magma, but rather than writing and singing their songs in French, Magma’s music is almost entirely in a language called Kobaian, a language that was invented by the band’s drummer, Christian Vander. It may not be possible to find a genre more “micro” than “type of music that was founded in a language invented by a single individual for that genre.” 

Magma is not the only Zeuhl band. In a 2020 bandcamp article titled, “There is no prog, only Zeuhl: A guide to one of Rock’s most imaginative subgenres,” writer Jim Allen lists twelve bands he defines as “Zeuhl,” while the wikipedia entry for “Zeuhl” lists twenty-four. 

The easiest way to hear what “Zeuhl” sounds like is to search YouTube for videos of Magma. 

For more information about micro genres, vist….the entire internet. Then come back a few months later and search all over again. Just as some lifestyle aesthetics seem to be here forever, while others are fads that fade in a season, some music micro genres have been around for more than fifty years, while others may have lasted only a few years and then faded away, with new ones forming and categories shifting over time. 

By Jess Santacroce
​Music Writer, 955 The Heat Phoenix Radio

​Making a living entirely from practicing your art is rare for most artists, including musicians. Firm statistics on the number of musicians with outside jobs are not available, as both the musicians themselves and the people performing the studies may have differing ideas on what constitutes a job “outside” of music. A musician who supports herself by doing work that has no direct connection to music would certainly say she had a “day job” or a “side job” or “side hustle.” Someone who regularly performs his own compositions for small fees for an audience, but pays his bills by teaching high school music would likely consider both of those jobs part of his music career, but he might not. That same person might classify his teaching work as a “day job,” because it does not involve performing his own compositions. However, informal surveys conducted by various websites and companies devoted to supporting musicians report anywhere from 70% to more than 75% of musicians needing some type of steady work outside of playing, singing, or writing music to survive. 

This makes the modern workplace trend of the infinite workday particularly problematic for musicians. Coined on June 17, 2025 in a study done by Microsoft, “infinite workday,” refers to the unwritten and unstated expectation that an employee continuously check in to their workplace and remain constantly available to do work tasks, regardless of what their official schedule or contract might say. Your work files are accessible on your personal laptop, so your boss sees no reason why he can’t call you and ask you for some information from them at 9 p.m. on Saturday. Your company has always had a policy of responding to customer messages in one day, and now that you have the company app installed on your phone, your department head interprets that as 24 hours from the time the customer messages, not one business day, forcing you to continuously check in and deal with customers, even on your hours and days off. 

While great for the company getting essentially free labor, and for the supervisor getting to chalk their behavior up as “leadership” or “team building,” this is disastrous for the finances, mental health, personal relationships, and often physical health of employees in any field. For musicians, there is the possibility of it completely ruining a musical career, as writing time, practice and rehearsal time, and even meetings to arrange management and gigs and the performances themselves can now be interrupted or even completely ruined by demands from a day job supervisor or client. 

Since this trend does not seem to be going away, prevention is the best way to protect yourself and your music career.

Avoid phone conversations with supervisors as much as possible

Supervisors who push for “talking things out” or “working out arrangements” over the phone are not trying to make a personal connection with you, and it is not easier to do things if they call you on your cell phone after hours instead of sending you an email or message over company channels. They’re trying to escape accountability by preventing you from having a record of what they said. A department head or manager who sends an email stating, “We strive for work-life balance and only expect you to answer customer messages during your scheduled hours” risks getting that sent right back to them when they later turn around and expect you to respond to work inquiries at all hours. If they call you on the phone and promise that you won’t have to log in on your time off, they can claim they never said that when they suddenly expect you to be available all day every day. Communicate through email, messenger apps, and video calls that can be recorded and saved if at all possible. If they demand your phone number, or have access to it through already existing records, place the phone in another room during rehearsals, recordings, and performances, and make sure your work does not have any unnecessary numbers, such as the number to a recording studio you regularly use or the phone numbers of anyone in your band as emergency contacts. 

Decline any work accessibility measures that are not requirements of your job under your contract

When offered a company app you can download on your phone, an email account you can open at work and at home, or any other “take the job with you” technology, immediately email your supervisor or department head and ask if this is required of your position. If it is not required, do not download or open it. These features are not designed to help you in case you can’t come in to the office one day or want to do some quick catch-up work on the train on the way to work. They’re designed to give the company the means to make you work for them all the time.  

One trick managers use to get around this is to state that the company app or program is not required to be installed on your personal device, but then later demand that you do something that can only be done by using that same software. Do not add the software or app to your personal device “just for this task.” Remind your supervisor that you have a written record of them saying the software is unnecessary, and inform them that your devices cannot accept it and you need to be able to do whatever it is they’re asking you to do through your computer or phone at work. If they claim this is impossible, then they must provide you with a device you can use to access their app or software. Of course, you will leave that phone or other device at work, or if you work remotely, someplace you only access during work hours. 

Set up a dedicated work place, not work space for remote jobs

Most “work from home” articles advise you to set up a dedicated work space as soon as you accept a remote job. This is fine advice if you have a spare bedroom or den in your home, or even a spare desk you can wedge into a corner of your kitchen or den. It keeps your work things out of the way, and more importantly, it helps you separate day job time from music (not to mention everything else in your life) time. When you’re in your home office, or at your home desk, you are “at work.” When you’re not, you are “home.” 

The problem with this is that not everyone who takes a remote job has a room they can set up as a home office, or the money to buy a desk for work. If you are one of these people, buy a cheap bag or a bin at Dollar Tree. Keep all of your work materials, including any devices you use strictly for that job, in the bag or bin. That bin or bag should be kept tucked away. When it is work time, bring it to the kitchen table, or to the desk you already have in your bedroom or den. When work time is over, pack it away. 

Remember that work culture is not the same as it was fifty, thirty, twenty, or even ten years ago

Your music is always your most important work, but you may be investing too much into your day job anyway due to outdated career advice. In the workplace of the past, dedication was rewarded. If you went above and beyond, came in early, stayed late, did work outside of your scheduled hours, you would be rewarded with promotions and bonuses, and treated with dignity and respect. 

Today, workplace culture is usually completely impersonal, and seems to be growing more and more so by the year. Over-dedication to a company only shows your supervisors that you are someone who goes overboard trying to please people, and are therefore someone who is easy to disrespect, manipulate, and push around. 

Do what you need to do to keep your day job for the sake of supporting your music career, but keep it in perspective. Your music will always be a part of you, and nobody can create or perform your music exactly like you. Your day job will replace you within weeks of your departure.