Janek Gwizdala Podcast
Dive deep into the music universe with the podcast that unveils the journey of one of the most influential bass players in the music industry – Janek Gwizdala. Designed for bass enthusiasts and musicians alike, each episode is a sonic exploration into the world of groove, gear. technique, and artistic evolution.
Janek Gwizdala, renowned for his mastery of the bass, shares his life's narrative – from the early days as a budding musician to his current status as a sought-after sideman and solo artist. Whether you're a seasoned bassist or simply appreciate the magic of live music, join us as we unravel the layers of Janek's experiences, revealing the secrets behind his signature sound.
Expect in-depth conversations with Janek and special guests, offering unique perspectives on music, composition, and the art of creating an unforgettable groove. Explore the challenges and triumphs of a professional bass player, gain insights into the creative process, and discover the stories behind some of Janek's most iconic performances.
Whether you're looking for inspiration for your own musical journey or simply want to bask in the rich tones of the bass, "The Janek Gwizdala Podcast" is your backstage pass to the world of bass and music.
Subscribe now for an intimate look at the life and legacy of Janek Gwizdala's bass-centric career.
janekgwizdala.substack.com
I'm Not Crowd-Funding A Wal Bass
2023-01-29 18:05:00
Hey cats, I'm psyched to bring you my latest podcast episode. Now, I know what you're thinking, 'Janek, are you finally crowd funding the purchase of that Wal Bass you've been drooling over?' and let me tell you, simply put, no. But, I do have a goal that I'm working towards, and that's hitting one million subscribers on YouTube. Why, you ask? So I can bring my music to all corners of the world, that's why. But enough about my dreams and goals, let's get down to business. This episode has some fender P bass, an in-depth breakdown of how the signature instrument business works, and a LOT of reactions to comments from the latest video I posted on my main channel. ⬇️ Check out this podcast episode on the new Janek Gwizdala Podcast YouTube channel: If you dig what you’re hearing and seeing, be sure to subscribe to the channel. Thanks, Janek Get full access to Janek's Newsletter at janekgwizdala.substack.com/subscribe
Hey cats, I'm psyched to bring you my latest podcast episode. Now, I know what you're thinking, 'Janek, are you finally crowd funding the purchase of that Wal Bass you've been drooling over?' and let me tell you, simply put, no. But, I do have a goal that I'm working towards, and that's hitting one million subscribers on YouTube. Why, you ask? So I can bring my music to all corners of the world, that's why. But enough about my dreams and goals, let's get down to business. This episode has some fender P bass, an in-depth breakdown of how the signature instrument business works, and a LOT of reactions to comments from the latest video I posted on my main channel. ⬇️
Check out this podcast episode on the new Janek Gwizdala Podcast YouTube channel:
If you dig what you’re hearing and seeing, be sure to subscribe to the channel.
Thanks,
Janek
Get full access to Janek's Newsletter at janekgwizdala.substack.com/subscribe
One For The Harmony Nerds
2023-01-22 18:15:00
It’s cosy on the couch with a bass for this episode as I continue to transform the studio and make different sets for each outlet of the substack and youtube channel that gets published every week. A quick health progress report for anyone following along with the year’s mission of looking forward 30-40 years that I started 2023 with, and I answer some questions that have arisen as a result of this new push to grow the main YouTube channel to help facilitate more touring and recording as an artist. As part of that video re-boot, I’ve actually launched two additional channels to help keep each part of my artistic output focused. There’s the Podcast Channel where you can see the video version of this podcast: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFMyKm2jBCZ0bZUyIvv8dKA There is also a new “Clips” channel for highlights, and slightly shorter-form videos that don’t make sense to be on the main channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvoj9YUz4XB_2Dxqu2nzU9g Thank you all for supporting the podcast, the substack, and the new surge to bigger things with YouTube, touring, recording and beyond. Get full access to Janek's Newsletter at janekgwizdala.substack.com/subscribe
It’s cosy on the couch with a bass for this episode as I continue to transform the studio and make different sets for each outlet of the substack and youtube channel that gets published every week.
A quick health progress report for anyone following along with the year’s mission of looking forward 30-40 years that I started 2023 with, and I answer some questions that have arisen as a result of this new push to grow the main YouTube channel to help facilitate more touring and recording as an artist.
As part of that video re-boot, I’ve actually launched two additional channels to help keep each part of my artistic output focused.
There’s the Podcast Channel where you can see the video version of this podcast:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFMyKm2jBCZ0bZUyIvv8dKA
There is also a new “Clips” channel for highlights, and slightly shorter-form videos that don’t make sense to be on the main channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvoj9YUz4XB_2Dxqu2nzU9g
Thank you all for supporting the podcast, the substack, and the new surge to bigger things with YouTube, touring, recording and beyond.
Get full access to Janek's Newsletter at janekgwizdala.substack.com/subscribe
My Wife Gets Her Dream Gig In Music
2023-01-15 18:03:00
I’m super proud of the work Chelsea has been doing since May of last year in her new dream job in music. We take a look at a line of work you might not have considered in the music business, and reveal what a literal life-long journey this has been in the making. I’m also really excited to be uploading this as the first video made specifically for my new YouTube podcast channel. In the interests of hitting my goal of 100,000 subscribers on the main channel by April, and onwards to a million, I’m opening dedicated channels for different areas of my creative output to better serve the specific audiences for each of them, and work the YouTube machine to my advantage for a change. For all you podcast fans, the podcast channel is where long-form content like this is going to live. Like Comment and Subscribe on the new podcast channel and help us grow this one and expand our shows. We’re bringing back seasons of Two Bass Hit, Interviews, The Practice Room, and of course continuing to make regular episodes of The Janek Gwizdala Podcast. Get full access to Janek's Newsletter at janekgwizdala.substack.com/subscribe
I’m super proud of the work Chelsea has been doing since May of last year in her new dream job in music.
We take a look at a line of work you might not have considered in the music business, and reveal what a literal life-long journey this has been in the making.
I’m also really excited to be uploading this as the first video made specifically for my new YouTube podcast channel. In the interests of hitting my goal of 100,000 subscribers on the main channel by April, and onwards to a million, I’m opening dedicated channels for different areas of my creative output to better serve the specific audiences for each of them, and work the YouTube machine to my advantage for a change.
For all you podcast fans, the podcast channel is where long-form content like this is going to live.
Like Comment and Subscribe on the new podcast channel and help us grow this one and expand our shows. We’re bringing back seasons of Two Bass Hit, Interviews, The Practice Room, and of course continuing to make regular episodes of The Janek Gwizdala Podcast.
Get full access to Janek's Newsletter at janekgwizdala.substack.com/subscribe
Time Management For Musicians And Parents
2023-01-08 18:00:00
Having started out 2023 with a new health, fitness, nutrition, and work routine, I’m able to report in on what that first week of change looks like, and what managing my time as both a parent and a musician looks like. Also in this episode are some insights into what 2023 is going to look like for me, with the beginning stages of a major project in the works for the summer. If you have a few seconds, please head over to the YouTube channel to subscribe. A big part of how successful this year’s touring is with my trio, will depend on actively growing the audience and the community of fans around the world with the help of YouTube. It’s free, and if you really hate what I post there, it’s quite easy to unsubscribe. Thank you as always for all your support, Janek Get full access to Janek's Newsletter at janekgwizdala.substack.com/subscribe
Having started out 2023 with a new health, fitness, nutrition, and work routine, I’m able to report in on what that first week of change looks like, and what managing my time as both a parent and a musician looks like.
Also in this episode are some insights into what 2023 is going to look like for me, with the beginning stages of a major project in the works for the summer.
If you have a few seconds, please head over to the YouTube channel to subscribe. A big part of how successful this year’s touring is with my trio, will depend on actively growing the audience and the community of fans around the world with the help of YouTube. It’s free, and if you really hate what I post there, it’s quite easy to unsubscribe.
Thank you as always for all your support,
Janek
Get full access to Janek's Newsletter at janekgwizdala.substack.com/subscribe
Planning For Life In My 80's | Health & Fitness As A Musician
2023-01-02 18:00:00
If you haven’t read yesterday’s post yet, I recommend checking it out to give today’s podcast some context. I was really happy to get to speak to my friend and nutrition expert Jeff Rosthchild in this episode. He messaged me about yesterday’s post so I asked him last-minute if he had a little time to be a guest on the podcast, and weigh-in on some details about my change of protocols as I think about later life and old age, as well as give advice for musicians in general no matter what your goals might be. Jeff has helped me not only with nutrition and data related to my health and fitness levels, but also with mitigating the effects of jet lag when touring. I can now basically be rid of any jet lag within a day of arriving somewhere thanks to these basic principles. The long and the short of it, for me at least, has been to create good habits and educate myself about what is right for my body, my lifestyle, and my long-term goals. I hope that sharing some of the things I’m adapting in my life right now as regards to health and fitness can help some of you out with your journey. The Practice Room is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Janek's Newsletter at janekgwizdala.substack.com/subscribe
If you haven’t read yesterday’s post yet, I recommend checking it out to give today’s podcast some context.
I was really happy to get to speak to my friend and nutrition expert Jeff Rosthchild in this episode. He messaged me about yesterday’s post so I asked him last-minute if he had a little time to be a guest on the podcast, and weigh-in on some details about my change of protocols as I think about later life and old age, as well as give advice for musicians in general no matter what your goals might be.
Jeff has helped me not only with nutrition and data related to my health and fitness levels, but also with mitigating the effects of jet lag when touring. I can now basically be rid of any jet lag within a day of arriving somewhere thanks to these basic principles.
The long and the short of it, for me at least, has been to create good habits and educate myself about what is right for my body, my lifestyle, and my long-term goals. I hope that sharing some of the things I’m adapting in my life right now as regards to health and fitness can help some of you out with your journey.
The Practice Room is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
Get full access to Janek's Newsletter at janekgwizdala.substack.com/subscribe
1 Hour of "Flow State" Practice
2022-12-30 18:05:00
Today was a great day in that I got to spend three separate periods of time with my instrument. This is all good news in my quest for more consistency in my routine as I prepare to be back onstage again after the holidays. With just the idea of playing Pat Metheny’s “Soul Cowboy” blues head and seeing where it takes me, I manage to get almost an hour of solid practice in, and take breaks periodically to discuss what I’m thinking, and how I might adjust my approach in realtime to get more out of the session. The Practice Room is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Janek's Newsletter at janekgwizdala.substack.com/subscribe
Today was a great day in that I got to spend three separate periods of time with my instrument. This is all good news in my quest for more consistency in my routine as I prepare to be back onstage again after the holidays.
With just the idea of playing Pat Metheny’s “Soul Cowboy” blues head and seeing where it takes me, I manage to get almost an hour of solid practice in, and take breaks periodically to discuss what I’m thinking, and how I might adjust my approach in realtime to get more out of the session.
The Practice Room is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
Get full access to Janek's Newsletter at janekgwizdala.substack.com/subscribe
How To Recover Technique After Time Off
2022-12-24 18:00:00
Having been off the radar for a few days first with a finger injury where I cut myself with a razor, and then with a bout of food poisoning, I’m happy to be back with the bass and back making the podcast. This holiday edition takes a look at how I come back from unexpected setbacks like this, and manage to keep working on my playing through the holidays in order to be ready for gigs early in the new year. I’m also happy to announce that we have gift cards at the store for the first time ever! If you’re looking for that last minute bass-related gift, these make the perfect present for a low-end fan. You can also get 22% off everything in the store this holiday season when you use the code ENDOF22 at checkout. Happy holidays, enjoy the episode, and I’ll be back with more fun stuff next week! Janek The Practice Room is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Janek's Newsletter at janekgwizdala.substack.com/subscribe
Having been off the radar for a few days first with a finger injury where I cut myself with a razor, and then with a bout of food poisoning, I’m happy to be back with the bass and back making the podcast.
This holiday edition takes a look at how I come back from unexpected setbacks like this, and manage to keep working on my playing through the holidays in order to be ready for gigs early in the new year.
I’m also happy to announce that we have gift cards at the store for the first time ever! If you’re looking for that last minute bass-related gift, these make the perfect present for a low-end fan. You can also get 22% off everything in the store this holiday season when you use the code ENDOF22 at checkout.
Happy holidays, enjoy the episode, and I’ll be back with more fun stuff next week!
Janek
The Practice Room is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
Get full access to Janek's Newsletter at janekgwizdala.substack.com/subscribe
How Much Should You Practice?
2022-12-16 23:09:54
My practice time is an always-elastic period of time during the day that I’m constantly trying to improve the productivity of. Everyone’s goals for the time we spend with our instruments are going to be different, but there are some common threads, no matter what your goals, that I think are important to understand and build upon when it comes to your learning process. Make sure you check out the sheet music and tab at the bottom of this post of the exercises I highlighted in today’s routine. This episode looks at: * How to work around real life and be consistent in your practice * How to practice anytime without your instrument * When you should commit to the art no matter what vs when to have a day job * The insane amount of “extra” time I now have after eradicating social media * What just 20 minutes a day can do for you if you do it every day * That it’s okay if you find you’re not as committed to the process as you thought you were * You can’t just skate by with fake-guru/mindset-only frameworks. At some point, you simply have to commit to the work Janek. The Practice Room is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Janek's Newsletter at janekgwizdala.substack.com/subscribe
My practice time is an always-elastic period of time during the day that I’m constantly trying to improve the productivity of. Everyone’s goals for the time we spend with our instruments are going to be different, but there are some common threads, no matter what your goals, that I think are important to understand and build upon when it comes to your learning process.
Make sure you check out the sheet music and tab at the bottom of this post of the exercises I highlighted in today’s routine.
This episode looks at:
* How to work around real life and be consistent in your practice
* How to practice anytime without your instrument
* When you should commit to the art no matter what vs when to have a day job
* The insane amount of “extra” time I now have after eradicating social media
* What just 20 minutes a day can do for you if you do it every day
* That it’s okay if you find you’re not as committed to the process as you thought you were
* You can’t just skate by with fake-guru/mindset-only frameworks. At some point, you simply have to commit to the work
Janek.
The Practice Room is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
Get full access to Janek's Newsletter at janekgwizdala.substack.com/subscribe
The Musician's Retirement Plan.
2022-12-08 17:37:08
It’s incredibly interesting to look at how our heroes plotted their careers and their lives out. As I get into middle-age, I think more and more about what is to come in the next 20-30 years, and what I can do to better prepare myself for a healthy and productive old-age. Meeting Mike Mainieri this week while recording on Steve Smith’s new album really got me motivated to never stop pursuing what I love about music, and I touch on elements of that in this episode. I also announce our book giveaway winner: John W! If you’re reading or listening John, please drop us a line at www.janekgwizdala.com with the subject “giveaway winner” and we’ll get your books off to you right away! I would also love everyone’s feedback on something I mentioned in the podcast today: Doing an episode on musicians and their health. I’ve been working hard on that myself, and if people want to hear about it, I’m more than happy to share. If you have specific question, leave them below, and I’ll do my best to include answers in the episode. Janek The Practice Room is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Janek's Newsletter at janekgwizdala.substack.com/subscribe
It’s incredibly interesting to look at how our heroes plotted their careers and their lives out. As I get into middle-age, I think more and more about what is to come in the next 20-30 years, and what I can do to better prepare myself for a healthy and productive old-age.
Meeting Mike Mainieri this week while recording on Steve Smith’s new album really got me motivated to never stop pursuing what I love about music, and I touch on elements of that in this episode.
I also announce our book giveaway winner: John W! If you’re reading or listening John, please drop us a line at www.janekgwizdala.com with the subject “giveaway winner” and we’ll get your books off to you right away!
I would also love everyone’s feedback on something I mentioned in the podcast today: Doing an episode on musicians and their health. I’ve been working hard on that myself, and if people want to hear about it, I’m more than happy to share. If you have specific question, leave them below, and I’ll do my best to include answers in the episode.
Janek
The Practice Room is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
Get full access to Janek's Newsletter at janekgwizdala.substack.com/subscribe
How I Learn Difficult Music
2022-11-28 18:00:00
As an important and challenging record date in New York approaches, I’m sharing my process of learning difficult material under less than optimal conditions. Gone are the days of limitless amounts of time to luxuriate in, and I’ve been working on adapting to this new life as a dad, a husband, a small business owner, and bass player all rolled into the same 24 hours a day when I used to have with only one of these titles. I’ll share progress from the studio with you this week, and let you know what my studio setup ends up being in terms of the signal chain, and how the session develop of this rare opportunity to spend 5 whole days cutting an instrumental album. For anyone in NYC, I’ll be at the Bitter End with a trio featuring Cliff Almond and Nir Felder on November 30th at 9:30pm. You can get tickets HERE! To close out our mega Black Friday Sale weekend, there are just a few hours of Cyber Monday left to take advantage of massive discounts at our store , and at the Bass Studio. Use promo code LIFETIME350 to get $350 off lifetime Bass Studio Memberships. Like I said in the podcast, I’m doing a giveaway of three physical books for Cyber Monday. Bass Player’s guide to Pentatonics, Altered, and Site Reading. All three, for free, and I’ll ship them anywhere in the world. All you have to do is comment below with your favorite bass player and song, and you’re automatically entered to win. Get full access to Janek's Newsletter at janekgwizdala.substack.com/subscribe
As an important and challenging record date in New York approaches, I’m sharing my process of learning difficult material under less than optimal conditions. Gone are the days of limitless amounts of time to luxuriate in, and I’ve been working on adapting to this new life as a dad, a husband, a small business owner, and bass player all rolled into the same 24 hours a day when I used to have with only one of these titles.
I’ll share progress from the studio with you this week, and let you know what my studio setup ends up being in terms of the signal chain, and how the session develop of this rare opportunity to spend 5 whole days cutting an instrumental album.
For anyone in NYC, I’ll be at the Bitter End with a trio featuring Cliff Almond and Nir Felder on November 30th at 9:30pm. You can get tickets HERE!
To close out our mega Black Friday Sale weekend, there are just a few hours of Cyber Monday left to take advantage of massive discounts at our store, and at the Bass Studio. Use promo code LIFETIME350 to get $350 off lifetime Bass Studio Memberships.
Like I said in the podcast, I’m doing a giveaway of three physical books for Cyber Monday. Bass Player’s guide to Pentatonics, Altered, and Site Reading. All three, for free, and I’ll ship them anywhere in the world. All you have to do is comment below with your favorite bass player and song, and you’re automatically entered to win.
Get full access to Janek's Newsletter at janekgwizdala.substack.com/subscribe