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    Columbus Makes Art Presents: George Schwindt on Drumming for Flogging Molly and Music Publishing

    A few weeks ago we caught up with George Schwindt in West Hollywood to finalize details for his travel to Columbus for the CSA Finale Showcase. He’ll offer feedback during the event to songwriters.

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    Drinks in hand, we stood on the patio of The Black Cat, facing Sunset Boulevard as he pointed out Flea’s music school across the street and reminisced on a multi-decade career in music.

    Q: George, you’ve travelled all around the world as the drummer of one of the coolest bands on the planet. What are your favorite places that music has taken you?
    GS: Budapest, Vienna, Salzburg, Athens, Tokyo and a little town called Florianopolis in Brazil are all right up there. The hospitality in Athens and Budapest is fantastic. Christmas-time in Salzburg is magical. Watching a Japanese baseball game in the Tokyo Dome… wow!

    Q: And what’s playing on your headphones between concerts?
    GS: When I’m warming up it’s usually The Rolling Stones, particularly “Street Fighting Man.” Charlie Watts gets you up but keeps you cool. The geography of what I’m seeing outside the train window, bus window or the deck of a ferry boat can certainly inspire my listening choices. My ear’s palate really is all over the place though, most genres, old and new.

    Q: What have you done on the music business side?
    GS: I started 26F Music Publishing to handle the music licensing opportunities for Flogging Molly, right after we re-booted in 1997. While never intending to be a label, 26F also put out a one-off called “Alive Behind The Green Door” from Molly Malone’s pub in Hollywood, just to give something back to the fans for all those beautiful Monday nights.

    I’ve also been a speaker at the Denver Music Summit and a few universities, including Dr. Bruenger’s Music, Media and Enterprise program at The Ohio State University. 26F grew as I encountered fellow musicians on the road who were under-represented or ignored altogether.

    Q: What does 26F look for in new artists?
    GS: Location and genre don’t really matter as much anymore. We don’t seek out a particular type of artist either because the Muses are equal opportunity patrons. It all starts with the song. The Receiver (Columbus), Walker Lukens (Austin), Dustin Welch (Austin, our first Grammy nominated writer), Big Damn Band (Brown County, Indiana), and The Briggs (Los Angeles) are perfect examples.

    Q: Any advice for Columbus-based artists?
    GS: Being authentic with yourself and what you do will resonate with audiences. As Oscar Wilde said “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken”… easier said than done, to be sure.

    The CSA Finale Showcase is Sunday, March 6 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at Notes at 520 S High Street. Twenty local songwriters perform live and receive music industry feedback from George Schwindt of Flogging Molly, Jerry DePizzo of OAR and hit songwriter Barbara Cloyd. Tickets are available at ColumbusSongwriters.com.

    Columbus Makes Art Presents is a bi-weekly column brought to you by the Greater Columbus Arts Council – supporting art and advancing culture in Columbus. The column is a project of the Art Makes Columbus campaign, telling the inspiring stories of the people and organizations who create Columbus art. Each column will be written by a different local arts organization to give you an insiders look at how #artmakescbus.

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    Joey Hendrickson
    Joey Hendricksonhttp://www.jazzartsgroup.org
    Joey Hendrickson is the Founder of Columbus Songwriters Association. As a marketing consultant, Joey has supported organizations, startups and major events including How To Build A Music City, a panel that will be presented by SXSW in 2016. His work has been featured in Billboard, Examiner, Music Canada, Music Dealers, Columbus CEO, Columbus Underground, and other publications. www.joeyhendrickson.com.
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