We had the good fortune of connecting with Terry Okey and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Terry, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I have been playing music in and around Los Angeles for nearly four decades and I have seen incredible changes in the music industry with regards to styles and business procedures. Used to be you would put up a chunk of money, then write, record, mix, and release an album and then make the money back on selling copies of the album, live shows and merchandise. But in the last ten years of digital technology we have seen the complete hollowing out of the of the industry, and there are very few avenues left where musicians can actually make money. We transitioned from records to tapes, to CD’s, and then to downloads, but today people don’t even buy downloads, and pay for live shows has not increased in fifty years. Most everyone has turned their musical tastes over to the giant streaming platforms and they only pay musicians pennies. Being over 40 years old I am definitely not the target of record companies, and yet I have a lot of important music to release. Songs that have important emotions and messages. I am very old-school when it comes to technology, I really like to take my time and do things offline. But I realized there would be no way to garner any kind of an audience for my music today without embracing the new technologies. So I had to invest in a computer, hardware, cameras, and software for recording, mixing, doing graphics, video, and social media promotion, and I am basically starting my own record, video, and promotion studio all at once!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
As far as lessons learned, if I could go back I would spend more time playing music, and less time earning a living. Most of my life I have been working other jobs to pay the bills while I learned to play and write.

I have been moved by music as long as I can remember. From my early childhood I deeply felt the songs of the day. I couldn’t stand NOT knowing how to play those fantastic sounds on an instrument so I spent thousands of hours listening, copying, and learning how to play the guitar. Finally, after about 25 years I had the ability to create music from scratch. Original, creative, unique songs that are distinctive and memorable. It took a lot of sacrificing time out of normal life events but I am proud that I now have the ability to pull original songs and grooves out of thin air and match them to the emotions and stories that I see around me.

I would want people to know how much work goes into the making of old-school music. You basically never shut it off. In your head you are always crafting songs.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well most of my friends are musical so I would spend a god amount of time in local Los Angeles clubs seeing artists. There are so many incredible artists in LA right now! I would visit Irelands 32 in Van Nuys, The Hotel Cafe and Desert 5 Spot in Hollywood, and out to Santa Monica for The Trip Bar and Cinema Bar. Most nights of the week there are great local artists playing in these places. In the days I would definitely do the coast. Hiking, biking and eating.

And camping to me is the best place to write and create so I would take folks out to the local mountains. The quiet surroundings lend themselves to a creative spurts. When you settle down at night with a guitar, writing books, a good campfire, and a few drinks, everything else just seems to fall away and what’s left is new music. Places like Idyllwild, Big Bear, and Joshua Tree are the best for visiting.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
All of the amazing musicians that had come before me. I take my inspiration from all the amazing grooves of the incredibly creative performers I look up to from the last 70 years! From Hank Williams and Patsy Cline, to Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, The Allman Bros. and then the later heroes like Dave Alvin, Keb Mo’, and Jewel.

Website: https://www.totunes.com

Instagram: @terryokeysongwriter

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/terryokeymusic

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TerryOkeyTunes

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