In the music industry, you usually can’t have it both ways. You find a musician who gets what life is like in the studio and in front of the stage lights, but who finds the business side of things a mystery. Alternatively, you get the industry insider who knows how to close a deal but not how to hold an instrument. Not so with Cameron Mizell. This Brooklyn based freelance musician and online musician’s advocate knows how to straddle the divide.
As a musician, Mizell brings his guitar playing, composing and arranging chops to a host of NYC based outfits. Mizell is a core member of nine piece jazz ensemble Collective Pursuit, where both his guitar playing and compositions play an important role in the band’s sound. Additionally, he recently teamed up with singer-songwriter Lauren Zettler as multi-instrumentalist and occasional co-writer and arranger. The two worked together to create Zettler’s On Your Back Porch for which Mizell also recorded, mixed, and mastered. They continue to work together on and off stage.
Currently, the centerpiece for Mizell’s musical output is his jazz/funk trio. The group serves as his creative playground, a place to continually develop his voice as a musician. Formed in NYC in 2004, the trio originally consisted of Mizell, drummer Mike Fortune and long time Mizell collaborator, pianist/organist Brad Whiteley, who had worked on Mizell’s 2004 self-titled debut release. Mizell, Fortune and Whiteley recorded 2007’s Life is Loud together. Post album release, Fortune moved to upstate New York and the drum chair was quickly filled by Kenneth Salters. Mizell, Whiteley and Salters are regulars on the NYC live circuit.
Before becoming a freelance musician, Mizell had a gig of a different sort – behind a desk at Verve Records. As head of production at Universal Music Group subsidiary Verve Music Group, Mizell got a look at a side of the music industry most musicians never get to see. After starting out as a Digital Production temp, Mizell was soon hired as a full time employee and eventually promoted to Head of Production. In his three years at Verve, Mizell got a look at a side of the music industry most musicians never see–invaluable information that has helped him as an independent musician.
In 2008, Mizell decided to combine his knowledge of the industry with his understanding of life as a musician and put it to good use. Together with Dave Hahn, Mizell founded the website Musician Wages. Musician Wages offers music industry advice specifically geared towards making a living as a musician. The site has become a fast favorite in the music community, and Mizell can often be found there writing about everything from promoting your music on iTunes to tips on home recording.
The remainder of 2009 is jam packed for Mizell. In addition to continually expanding Musician Wages, Mizell is beginning to take on music industry consultancy work. He just finished a cover song album with vocalist Erika Lloyd called Pour A Little Everything Else, and has several more recording on queue for the year, including a new album with his trio and another project with Lauren Zettler. With his business acumen and musical prowess, expect to see much more of Mizell both on and offstage in 2009.
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