The Shift with Mike & Joe

EP 38 - Peggy Re James

Daniel Alvarez on Spilling Pictures Studio, Music, Videography, Photography, AI + Building a Creative Life - EP 37 The Shift with Mike & Joe

In Episode 37 of The Shift with Mike & Joe, we sit down with Daniel Alvarez — musician, videographer, photographer, audio engineer, producer, and the creative force behind Spilling Pictures Studio.
 
Daniel shares his story of growing up in Colombia before moving to Maryland, discovering guitar as a teenager, playing in original bands, and eventually building a creative life around music, video, photography, and audio production. We talk about the name Spilling Pictures, his band Leo & Cygnus, the Annapolis music scene, and how his older brother helped introduce him to film and video work.
 
This conversation also gets into the real side of creative work: pricing yourself, raising your rates, dealing with imposter syndrome, working with musicians who may not have big budgets, learning by trial and error, and trying to balance passion with business.
 
Daniel also opens up about losing his DC studio in a house fire in 2024, the gear and creative space he lost, and the way the Annapolis creative community, AMFM, friends, family, and supporters helped him rebuild.
 
We also talk about AI in creative work, where it can be useful, where it starts to feel like “AI slop,” and why live performance, human taste, collaboration, and real creative connection still matter.
 
Huge thanks to our sponsor Cult Classic Brewing in Stevensville, Maryland — a brewery, taproom, restaurant, and live music venue on Kent Island.
 
In this episode, we talk about:• Daniel’s childhood in Colombia and moving to Maryland• Learning guitar and falling in love with music• The story behind Spilling Pictures Studio• Leo & Cygnus and the Annapolis music scene• Getting into video, photography, and audio production• Filming musicians, live sessions, and music videos• Shooting in the Bromo Seltzer Arts Tower• Capturing real ambience in live performance videos• DaVinci Resolve, AI tools, and creative workflow• Pricing creative work and learning to value your time• Losing a studio in a fire and rebuilding through community• Recording artists and why having another person in the room matters• Building a creative life around music, cameras, and collaboration
 
Follow Daniel / Spilling Pictures Studio:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spillingpicturesstudio/YouTube: https://youtube.com/@spillingpicturesstudio
 
Follow Daniel personally:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daniver92/
 
Follow Leo & Cygnus:https://leoandcygnus.com
 
Sponsor:Cult Classic Brewinghttps://cultclassicbrewing.comhttps://www.instagram.com/cultclassicbrewing/
 
Support The Shift with Mike & Joe:Website: https://www.theshiftwithmikeandjoe.comDonate: https://www.theshiftwithmikeandjoe.com/giving-page-2-1Email: theshiftwithmikeandjoe@gmail.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheShiftwithMikeandJoeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/theshiftwithmikeandjoe/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61574975860350Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-shift-with-mike-joe/id1813198065Podbean: https://joer7.podbean.com
 
Connect with Mike & Joe:Image & Sound Media: https://imagesoundmedia.comJoe Bryan Music: https://www.joebryanmusic.comKent Island Academy of Music: https://kentislandacademyofmusic.comMichael Waskey Music: https://www.michaelwaskey.com
 
The Shift with Mike & Joe is fully produced by Image & Sound Media.https://www.imagesoundmedia.com

Lee Priddy on Building Priddy Music Academy, Student Bands, Guitar, Family + Community - EP 36

In Episode 36 of The Shift with Mike & Joe, we sit down with guitarist, teacher, bandleader, and Priddy Music Academy owner Lee Priddy to talk about building a life around music, teaching, family, and community.
 
Lee shares how he first got hooked on guitar after hearing Rush’s “The Spirit of Radio,” how players like Santana, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Van Halen, Joe Satriani, Allan Holdsworth, and Guthrie Govan shaped his playing, and how years of lessons, gigging, touring, and teaching eventually led him to build one of the area’s most performance-focused music schools.
 
We also talk about the growth of Priddy Music Academy, from private guitar lessons to a full music academy in Millersville with multiple teachers, student bands, adult bands, showcases, charity events, and real-world performance opportunities. Lee breaks down what students can’t learn from YouTube, why fundamentals still matter, how band programs build confidence and responsibility, and what it takes to manage 20-plus bands.
 
The conversation also covers Lee’s family band Honey Sol, PRS guitars, pedalboards, live tone, performance anxiety, music education, charity events, sound production, and the community that has grown around Priddy Music Academy.
 
Question for you:What shift have you experienced in your life?
 
Connect with Lee Priddy / Priddy Music Academy:Priddy Music Academy: https://priddymusicacademy.comLessons & Bands: https://priddymusicacademy.com/music-lessonsFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/priddymusicacademyInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/priddymusicacademy/
 
Honey Sol:Website: https://www.honey-sol.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/honeysolband/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/honeysolband/
 
Support The Shift with Mike & Joe:Website: https://www.theshiftwithmikeandjoe.comDonate: https://www.theshiftwithmikeandjoe.com/giving-page-2-1YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheShiftwithMikeandJoeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/theshiftwithmikeandjoe/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61574975860350
 
The Shift with Mike & Joe is fully produced by Image & Sound Media:https://www.imagesoundmedia.com

John Haywood on Nashville Songwriting, Outlaw Country, Stage Fright + Chasing Something Real - EP 35

John Haywood on Nashville Songwriting, Outlaw Country, Stage Fright + Chasing Something Real - EP 35
In Episode 35 of The Shift with Mike & Joe, we sit down with Maryland-born country artist and songwriter John Haywood to talk about his path from writing novels and short stories to chasing songs in Nashville. John shares how a trip through Music City sparked the idea for a book about Nashville’s songwriting scene, only for that project to eventually turn into a much bigger shift toward writing and performing music himself. We get into his early days playing open mics at places like Cult Classic, the confidence he found through learning guitar, his battle with stage fright, and what it was like moving to Nashville as a shy person trying to break into one of the most competitive songwriter communities in the country.
John also breaks down the reality of Nashville writers rounds, bar gigs, networking, recording music on a budget, touring after losing his day job, and building a career around original songs without chasing the more polished, radio-friendly version of country music. We talk about his outlaw and gothic country influences, his Maryland roots, his time performing overseas in Scotland and England, his appearance as lead singer of Gamblers in the Neon on AXS TV’s Banded: The Musician Competition, and the mindset behind wanting to become one of the best writers of his time. It’s a conversation about music, confidence, discomfort, old-school country, creative ambition, and the strange but necessary process of becoming the person you always hoped you could be.
Question for you:What shift have you experienced in your life?
In this episode, we talk about John’s Maryland roots, moving to Nashville, writers rounds, stage fright, outlaw country, recording music independently, touring overseas, appearing on Banded: The Musician Competition, and what it means to chase something real instead of settling.
Support The Shift with Mike & Joe
Website: https://www.theshiftwithmikeandjoe.comDonate: https://www.theshiftwithmikeandjoe.com/giving-page-2-1Email: theshiftwithmikeandjoe@gmail.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheShiftwithMikeandJoeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/theshiftwithmikeandjoe/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61574975860350Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-shift-with-mike-joe/id1813198065Podbean: https://joer7.podbean.com
Connect with John Haywood
Website: https://johnhaywood.infoTour Dates: https://johnhaywood.info/tourEPK / One Sheet: https://johnhaywood.info/epk-onesheetLinktree: https://linktr.ee/HeyhaywoodInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/heyhaywood/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heyhaywood/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCg1gXUaZjNSBU_lL5sy2E9ASpotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5yQUEBrCLsgRvH8ceG7TTMApple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/john-haywood/1694806429
Connect with Mike & Joe
Image & Sound Media: https://imagesoundmedia.comJoe Bryan Music: https://www.joebryanmusic.comKent Island Academy of Music: https://kentislandacademyofmusic.comMichael Waskey Music: https://www.michaelwaskey.com
The Shift with Mike & Joe is fully produced by Image & Sound Media.

Jay Fleming on Documenting the Dying Waterman Industry + Preserving Chesapeake Bay Culture - EP 34

Jay Fleming on Documenting the Dying Waterman Industry + Preserving Chesapeake Bay Culture - EP 34
In Episode 34 of The Shift with Mike & Joe, we sit down with Maryland photographer Jay Fleming to talk about his career documenting the Chesapeake Bay, the seafood industry, and the people whose lives are tied to the water.
Jay shares how growing up around photography through his father, former National Geographic photographer Kevin Fleming, shaped his eye from an early age. He also talks about early wildlife photography, fisheries work, Maryland seafood marketing, and how those experiences led him toward his first major book, Working the Water.
What starts as a conversation about photography becomes a deeper look at the changing reality of the Chesapeake Bay’s watermen, the economics of local seafood, and why so much of this culture is disappearing so quickly.
We also get into Jay’s self-published books, his sold-out Smith Island photography workshops, documenting Tangier and Smith Island for Island Life, boat bow photography, underwater images of blue crabs and rockfish, AI’s impact on photography, his next book Atlantic Harvest, and the realities of working inside small island communities.
It’s a conversation about photography, preservation, local identity, and what it means to capture a way of life before it changes forever.
Question for you:What shift have you experienced in your life?
In this episode, we talk about:• Jay Fleming growing up around photography• Kevin Fleming’s National Geographic work• Learning photography on film with an old Nikon• Winning an EPA photo contest as a teenager• Working with DNR, Yellowstone fisheries, and seafood marketing• How Jay connected to the waterman industry• Creating Working the Water• Self-publishing, printing overseas, and taking a $40,000 risk• Selling books directly and building a local business• Island Life and documenting Smith and Tangier Islands• Chesapeake Bay island communities changing fast• The decline of the waterman industry• Rising costs, regulations, imports, and younger generations leaving the work• Luke McFadden and the new model for modern watermen• Local seafood vs. imported seafood• Crab meat, restaurants, and what people may not realize they’re eating• Jay’s sold-out Smith Island workshops• Bringing business and positive attention to island communities• The Tangier Island boat vandalism story• Boat bow photography and Jay’s fine-art print business• Next book project, Atlantic Harvest• Photographing commercial fishing from Canada to Cuba• Offshore fishing boats, rough seas, and dangerous conditions• Underwater photography in the Chesapeake Bay• Drone photography with the DJI Mavic 4 Pro• Jay’s editing philosophy and keeping images authentic• Adobe Bridge, Camera Raw, and Photoshop instead of Lightroom• AI, authenticity, and avoiding heavy manipulation• Email newsletters, open houses, and building a direct audience• Preserving local history before it disappears
Connect with Jay Fleming:Website: https://www.jayflemingphotography.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jayflemingphotography/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JayFlemingPhoto/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JayPennFlemingWorkshops: https://www.jayflemingphotography.com/workshopsShop / Books / Prints: https://www.jayflemingphotography.com/shopWorking the Water: https://www.jayflemingphotography.com/shop/the-book-workingthewaterIsland Life: https://www.jayflemingphotography.com/shop/islandlife
Support The Shift with Mike & Joe:Website: https://www.theshiftwithmikeandjoe.comDonate: https://www.theshiftwithmikeandjoe.com/giving-page-2-1Email: theshiftwithmikeandjoe@gmail.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheShiftwithMikeandJoeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/theshiftwithmikeandjoe/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61574975860350Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-shift-with-mike-joe/id1813198065Podbean: https://joer7.podbean.com
Connect with Mike & Joe:
Image & Sound Media:https://imagesoundmedia.com
Joe Bryan Music:https://www.joebryanmusic.com
Kent Island Academy of Music:https://kentislandacademyofmusic.com
Michael Waskey Music:https://www.michaelwaskey.com
The Shift with Mike & Joe is fully produced by Image & Sound Media:https://www.imagesoundmedia.com

From College TV Show to Global Cooking Classes + Why Chef Egg Still Wants to Be a Rock Star - EP 33

From College TV Show to Global Cooking Classes + Why Chef Egg Still Wants to Be a Rock Star - EP 33
In Episode 33 of The Shift with Mike & Joe, we sit down with Eric Berlin, better known as Chef Egg, to talk about the unconventional career he built by teaching people how to cook. What starts as a conversation about culinary school and restaurant life quickly turns into a much bigger story about performance, education, and connection.
Eric breaks down how he carved out a lane far outside the traditional kitchen: teaching hands-on cooking classes at colleges, working with health departments and veterans groups, appearing on Baltimore and DC television, traveling internationally with the military, and helping people overcome the fear that keeps them from cooking for themselves in the first place.
We also get into the origin of the name “Chef Egg,” his early public-access cooking show, how relationships and follow-through created major opportunities in Baltimore, and why he still sees himself as a musician at heart. The conversation also touches on virtual cooking classes, Chef Egg soap, trying to turn creativity into income, and the 25-year journey of writing his first novel.
This is an episode about making things, staying open to unexpected opportunities, and chasing the kind of work that makes you feel most alive.
In this episode, we talk about:
Reconnecting after college
What Chef Egg actually does
Why restaurant life wasn’t the right fit
Cooking classes at colleges, schools, and community events
Teaching knife skills, sautéing, and kitchen confidence
Why people are scared to cook
Food habits, health, and convenience culture
Making healthier food without making it miserable
The origin of the name “Chef Egg”
The first Cooking with Egg show
Public-access TV and building creative projects with no money
Live TV cooking segments in Baltimore and DC
Farmers markets, festivals, and word-of-mouth growth
Music, performance, and the overlap between cooking and entertaining
Traveling gigs with the military in Egypt, Germany, and beyond
Hands-on classes and virtual cooking instruction
Why passive-income ideas never fully clicked
Chef Egg soap and unusual branding that actually worked
Tallow, bone broth, and whole-animal cooking
Time, priorities, and the real reason people say they don’t cook
Creativity, discipline, and accepting you can’t force people to change
Parenting, work ethic, and teaching kids responsibility
Curiosity, opportunity, and learning from other people’s work
Writing a novel 25 years in the making
Current music projects and still wanting to be a rock star
Performance mindset, preparation, and not fearing mistakes
Connect with Chef Egg:Website: https://chefegg.com/Book Chef Egg: https://chefegg.com/booking/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chefegg/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChefEgg/
Support The Shift with Mike & Joe:Website: https://www.theshiftwithmikeandjoe.comDonate: https://www.theshiftwithmikeandjoe.com/giving-page-2-1Email: theshiftwithmikeandjoe@gmail.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheShiftwithMikeandJoeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/theshiftwithmikeandjoe/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61574975860350Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-shift-with-mike-joe/id1813198065Podbean: https://joer7.podbean.com
The Shift with Mike & Joe is fully produced by Image & Sound Media:https://www.imagesoundmedia.com

Filming John Mayer & Santana at PRS + The Cancer Shift That Changed Everything | Andrew Dorbin (EP 32)

Filming John Mayer & Santana at PRS + The Cancer Shift That Changed Everything | Andrew Dorbin (EP 32)
 
In Episode 32 of The Shift with Mike & Joe, we sit down with Andrew Dorbin, Senior Videographer at PRS Guitars in Stevensville, Maryland. Andrew takes us inside the PRS world—working around Paul Reed Smith, filming product demos where both lighting and audio have to be flawless, and capturing artists on the road. We talk PRS’s quality-first mindset (from SE to Private Stock), how custom builds work through dealers, and what changes when you’re filming legends like John Mayer and Carlos Santana.
 
Then the conversation goes deeper. Andrew shares how a testicular cancer diagnosis reshaped his priorities and led him to launch the Wayfinders Testicular Health Fund. He walks through early warning signs, how he discovered it, why early detection matters, and what’s next for the nonprofit— including Putts for Nuts and a potential comedy fundraiser. This is an episode about craft, pressure, meaning, and the kind of shift you don’t get to choose.
 
In this episode:
What makes PRS different (Paul + quality-first culture)
SE vs Private Stock + how custom builds work
Filming guitars: lighting challenges + capturing great audio
Artist shoots: the Santana lesson + working with John Mayer
Cancer, perspective shifts, and building Wayfinders
 
Wayfinders Testicular Health Fund: https://www.wayfindersthf.org/
 
Support / follow the show:
Website: https://www.theshiftwithmikeandjoe.com
Donate: https://www.theshiftwithmikeandjoe.com/giving-page-2-1
Email: theshiftwithmikeandjoe@gmail.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheShiftwithMikeandJoe
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-shift-with-mike-joe/id1813198065
 
Produced by Image & Sound Media: https://www.imagesoundmedia.com

How MIGGS Built a Real Band (Not Just a Weekend Gig) Chemistry, Rehearsals & Marketing - Bobby Jackson (EP 31)

This week on The Shift with Mike & Joe, we sit down with Bobby Jackson — guitarist for MIGGS (M-I-G-G-S) — to talk about what it actually takes to build a band that works: chemistry, leadership inside the group, finding the right lineup, and keeping momentum without burning out.
 
Bobby breaks down his path from drummer → guitarist, how gospel + church music shaped his musicianship, and why modern country guitar has more overlap with the worship world than most people realize. We also get into the grind of building MIGGS from solo → duo → full band, how they finally landed the right players (yes… including the “is Tench his real name?” moment), and why the band is now focused on quality over quantity.
 
We also talk live-show reality: being the “glue” on stage, using talkback/MD-style cues, rehearsing transitions and show flow, handling crowd requests, and balancing family life with gigs and a day job in live events production.
 
And yes… Creed comes up. A lot.
 
Question for you: What matters more for a band’s success — talent, chemistry, or work ethic?
 
In this episode:
Bobby’s role in MIGGS + being the “glue” live
What an MD does (cues, saves, talkback mic, show flow)
Drummer-to-guitarist journey + why he switched
Gospel/church roots and how they translate to country
Pedals, tone, and the modern country/worship overlap
Florida vs Maryland music scene + the Nashville reality check
MIGGS origin story: solo → duo grind → full band lineup
Finding the right drummer/bassist + building a reliable team
Why “quality over quantity” matters (and how to avoid burnout)
Rehearsal strategy: parts, tones, transitions, and polish
Marketing consistency without repeating the same post
Recording in Nashville + using demos/AI for song ideas
Links & Support (Podbean-friendly)
 
Support The Shift with Mike & Joe
Website: https://www.theshiftwithmikeandjoe.com
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Email: theshiftwithmikeandjoe@gmail.com
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Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61574975860350
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-shift-with-mike-joe/id1813198065
Podbean: https://joer7.podbean.com
 
Mike & Joe
Image & Sound Media (Joe): https://imagesoundmedia.com
Joe Bryan Music: https://www.joebryanmusic.com
Kent Island Academy of Music (Mike): https://kentislandacademyofmusic.com
Michael Waskey Music: https://www.michaelwaskey.com
 
MIGGS / Bobby Jackson
MIGGS (band): follow for show updates + new releases (link as available)

How ATB Productions Survives the New Video Era: AI, Pricing, and Real Budgets (EP 30)

In this episode of The Shift with Mike & Joe, we sit down with Joey Malinsky of Across the Bridge Productions (ATB Productions) to talk about what it really looks like to build a video production career across multiple eras of the industry—big commercial sets, shifting budgets, and the current “content volume” economy.
 
Joey breaks down the meaning behind ATB (Across the Bridge), his early start in video, and what he learned working in high-end production environments. We get into the realities of running a lean team, scaling (and getting burned), and why comedy + original storytelling are still the north star—even when corporate/nonprofit work pays the bills.
 
We also go deep on AI in the production world: how Joey uses it across his workflow (from writing and planning to audio cleanup and AI-generated b-roll), what it means for creators, and the real backlash he faced when he was invited to teach an AI workshop—including how quickly the conversation can turn dark online.
 
You’ll hear about:
The shift from “one piece of content has value” to a volume-first era
Hiring and scaling challenges (especially finding great editors)
Music licensing vs AI-generated music (Suno) and client revision chaos
AI tools and workflows (prompts, transitions, b-roll generation, cleanup)
Ethics, deepfakes, and why this conversation isn’t going away
Balancing creativity, business, and family life while staying productive
 
🎧 Listen on Podbean, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you stream.
▶️ Watch the full episode on YouTube.
 
If you got value from this one, please follow/subscribe, leave a rating + review, and drop a comment—it helps the show grow.

Justin Taylor: PRS Private Stock, Gigging at 13, and Why “Perfect” Music Feels Wrong

Episode 29 — Justin Taylor
 
In this episode of The Shift with Mike & Joe, we sit down with Maryland-based artist and guitarist Justin Taylor for a wide-ranging conversation that’s equal parts music nerd-out and real talk about the craft.
 
We talk about how Justin started gigging at 13, what those early years taught him, and how he built his career through relentless reps, touring, and staying obsessed with getting better. From there we dive deep into PRS guitars (including his Private Stock), tone-chasing, live rig choices, and why blending electric/piezo tones can make a three-piece band sound huge.
 
Justin also shares how songwriting in Nashville often starts as a simple conversation that turns into a finished song fast — and why he’s leaning into “Work Tapes,” voice notes, and imperfect recordings that feel more human than polished perfection. We wrap with a great discussion on live shows: winging it vs. choreography, the internet’s effect on performance, and why authenticity is having a moment again.
 
Guest: Justin Taylor
Find Justin: Instagram @JustinTaylorMD | Website JustinTaylorBand.com | Music: Hindsight (available on Spotify/Apple Music)
The Shift with Mike & Joe is produced by Image & Sound Media
www.imagesoundmedia.com
 
🎧 Support The Shift with Mike & Joe • 🌐 Website: https://www.theshiftwithmikeandjoe.com  • 💸 Donate: https://www.theshiftwithmikeandjoe.com/giving-page-2-1  • ✉️ Email: theshiftwithmikeandjoe@gmail.com  • ▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheShiftwithMikeandJoe • 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theshiftwithmikeandjoe/  • 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/61574975860350  • 🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-shift-with-mike-joe/id1813198065  • 🎙 Podbean: https://joer7.podbean.com