It wasn’t that long ago that I really couldn’t tell you what a podcast was. While I’d heard of them, and gotten into listening on stupidly-long commutes, I struggled to explain them to friends and family. So leave it to Chris Czynszak, the ringmaster for the first annual Nashville Rock n Pod Expo, to explain it best on page 4 of the Expo Program (a program in year one – how boss is that?!?).
What is a Podcast?
“A podcast is a series of digital media files, which are sent from websites over the internet using syndication feeds for playback on portable media players and computers. With Podcast you can listen to radio programs or watch events whenever and wherever you choose.
Simply put, Podcast are audio and video files that are automatically downloaded to your personal computer or other device, which has internet connectivity. (Iphone, Android Phone, Tablet, etc.) These files can then be played on-demand on your player via podcast streaming apps like Apple Podcast, Stitcher, Podbean, Spreaker, Podomatic, etc.
You may say, hey I don’t need this, I have radio. Yea, how about saying goodbye to the same tunes played over and over again? Say hello to deep tracks from your favorites. Say hello to new bands you have never heard that are awesome. Say hello to long-form, in-depth conversations with your favorite artist as well as talks with behind the scenes people that have stories that will blow your mind. Say hello to podcasting.”
And with that the Expo was off and running.
Passionate Music Fans
Like all of the podcasters I met at the Rock n Pod Expo, I am a passionate music fan. It’s formed the mostly hard rock and heavy metal soundtrack to my life, so over the years I’ve acquired massive amounts of what others might consider useless information about music, my favorite bands and artists. One of the things I’ve always loved about rock n roll, is that you don’t have to be a rock star to have a story, although some of their stories are pretty freakin’ cool.
Inspired by people who’ve been recording podcasts week after week for years, and even decades, I set out on an adventure to put some of my trivial information to good use, share my stories of growing up around rock music, and hear rock ‘n’ roll stories of people from all walks of life – so I launched Growin’ Up Rock podcast. Since our motto is “Everyone’s got a Rock N Roll story to tell, and we want to hear yours,” we came to the expo looking forward to hearing stories from podcasters, rock fans, and the rock musicians and producers themselves.
As the proverbial “new kids on the block,” we hoped also to connect with some of the podcasters creating great shows in order to learn, and let’s face it, promote our show. What? Did you think we were dumb? Come on. One of the things that drew me to podcasting was the strength within the community of people doing this everyday. People like you and me that work 40+ hours a week, raise families, and still find time to create and share wonderful shows that keep people entertained while commuting everyday for hours, mowing the grass, or perhaps just sitting by the pool during the hot summer months. There ain’t much money in it for the majority and in most cases pay out of their own pockets for hosting fees and data storage, not to mention the time it takes to record, edit, and post a quality program.
Then why do it? Passion is a strong thing and the passion for music is immeasurable. Music is an art, and so is the ability to use music to accent a conversation or tell a story.
In most of the podcasts I listen to, this is exactly what is being done. Once you make an emotional connection with a band or its music, you are automatically transported through time and space when you hear the music or get caught up in engaging conversation with other passionate fans. It takes you away in most cases to happy memories. and the occasional sad ones, but for better or worse it raises you up above the cloudy haze of a daily grind that we call life. This is the power of music.
Power of the Rock N Pod Expo
Music has the power to elevate and transform our live, so when you have the chance to bring music fans and podcasters together, and you can reminisce and talk about past guests and swap stories, then the end result will be grand on any scale. The Rock N Pod Expo did exactly that. In every direction, you heard music, and saw happiness and excitement. People who were strangers before acted like they were long lost family members. There were deep discussions in musical history; about recording classic albums, which “KISS” record needed to be tossed out the car window and which ones needed shrines, and witnessed people telling stories of how their lives were changed by podcasts being created.
This is an important movement. All kinds of people create all kinds of podcast for all kinds of reasons. And at heart, I think we would all like to make a living at this, but most do not, so it comes back to the start, which is we create for the passion and love of music.
Now that the dust is clearing and the expo is in the rearview mirror, I am able to reflect on all the amazing people I met. I’m hopeful that I’ll continue to build on these new friendships with like minded artists that will last a lifetime. And we look forward to meeting many more of you, and having you share your Rock N Roll stories with the other Growin’ Up Rock listeners.
We don’t know if there will be a 2nd Annual Rock N Pod, but I sure as hell hope there is. And next time Growin’ Up Rock aspires to be part of it in an official capacity. Be sure and check out any number of different re-caps from the Podcast that were there, including Growin’ Up Rock – EP 7
Note: The first annual Rock N Pod Expo was a day long expo in Nashville’s Music Valley Expo Center on Saturday, August 26th, 2017. Bringing together podcasters, rock musicians and producers, passionate rock and heavy metal fans, and vinyl and memorabilia dealers, it was a full program of events ranging from live podcasts to panel discussions, and even a live performance. Celebrating all things podcasting and rock n roll, the Rock ‘n’ Pod Expo attracted celebrity performers like Mark Slaughter, Gunnar Nelson, and Chris Green of Tyketto, as well as featured appearances from legendary producer Michael Wagener and Grammy award-winning producer Toby Wright. The event kicked off Friday, August 25th with a pre-party at the Cobra Lounge where the crowd enjoyed live music from Desolation Angels, Denman, and The Tip.
Steven Michael