The Trubify founders are Stephen Tyszka, Krystal de Cent, and Brian Lau. In order to give you a “backstage” view of Trubify, we threw some random questions at these three so you can get a taste of what they’re all about. . .
In the beginning. . .
Trubify started with Stephen Tyszka (CEO). His journey through life, music and technology ultimately set him on this path to create a new way for musicians to make music and earn a living doing it. He brought together Krystal and Brian, as well as a few more of us, to formulate more ideas and to help them take shape.
In later posts on the Trubify Blog, Brian will geek out on guitar stuff and talk about mic placements in a studio. Krystal will dive into her passion for percussion. Stephen will offer tips on the best way to play a Strat while throwing it over and behind your head right in the middle of a solo without ever missing a note. In the meantime, we asked them to describe themselves by way of these random music questions:
What would be on the soundtrack to your life?
Stephen –
Shine On You Crazy Diamond, Little Wing, Bold As Love, Free Bird, Stairway to Heaven, Fire and Rain, Eruption, Life Without You, Sonata Facile in C, A Change is Gonna Come (I’m sensing a theme here… haha).
Krystal –
- 80s Experimental rock. New wave. Classic Rock.
B-52s, Tears for Fears, The Clash, Bowie, Eagles, Genesis, Mamas and Papas, Fleetwood Mac, Elton John, Seal, Crowded House, Simply Red, The Beatles, Eric Clapton, Michael Jackson, Jackson 5, Queen, Eurythmics, Phil Collins, Prince, The Police - 90s American rap & RnB
2Pac, NWA, Snoop, KRS-One, Destiny’s Child, TLC, Lady of Rage, Bone Thugs, Lauryn Hill, Missy Elliot, Timberland, Mariah Carey, Queen Latifa, Janet Jackson, MJ. - 00s Metal, industrial electronica, Rock
Deftones, Em, Placebo, No Doubt, The Cranberries, Tori Amos, Massive Attack, Portishead, Outkast, The Roots, Meshuggah, Marilyn Manson, Hole, Johnny Cash, BB King, Tool, Ian Brown, Radiohead, Korn, Cypress Hill, Prodigy, Fatboy Slim, UNKLE, 50 Cent, Nine Inch Nails, Spice Girls, Shapeshifter, Skunk Anansie, Muse, Arctic Monkeys, Audioslave, Soundgarden, The White Stripes, Radiohead, Pearl Jam, A Perfect Circle, Bob Marley, Eminem, Black Eyed Peas, Pendulum, Red Hot Chili Peppers. - 10s Jazz & World Music
BBNG, Dave Brubeck, Diana Krall, Fatoumata Diawara, Ali Farka Touré, Bjork, Tanya Tagaq, Cerys Mathhews, Heilung. - Now Come at me, bro
Danny Brown, Little Simz, Jam Baxter, Ocean Wisdom, Aesop Rock, Killer Mike, Shotty Horroh, Lunar C, Nipsey Hussle, ONEFOUR, Mick Jenkins, Shirley Bassey, B-52s. I love live covers. - Shout out NZ music
Lord, Bic Runga, Crowded House, Furpatrol, Electric Wire Hustle, Hollie Smith, Che Fu.
Brian –
- “You’re the Man” – Marvin Gaye – great timeless message that’s very poignant right now, and an incredible bass groove
- “Great Pumpkin Waltz” – Vince Guaraldi – I love fall and I feel that Vince Guaraldi captures that feeling so well in this song
- “Between the Bars” – Elliott Smith – We are all capable of so much but will we be able to realize it
- “Under Pressure” – Queen and David Bowie – Just remember, everybody has to deal with their own pressures
- “My Battle” – Woody Guthrie – because sometimes we just need to be shown the way
- “Higher Ground” – Stevie Wonder – Always strive to improve who you are
How did you get your start in music?
Stephen –
My auntie was Adriana Caselotti (the voice of Snow White) which set the stage… my dad had an acoustic guitar and I heard James Taylor play Fire and Rain when I was twelve (I’d watch the video again and again and learned it by mimicking the fingering), and then my Uncle Michael bought me Van Halen’s Live Without a Net VHS because I played drums and he said I’d like Alex Van Halen’s drum solo; I did, but when Eddie played his solo i said to myself “THAT’s what I want to do!!!” Since then I never put the guitar down.
Krystal –
A summer job in a West African music shop in Melbourne, Australia. It turned into so much more. I had the chance to learn from exceptionally talented drummers from Mali, Senegal, Ghana, and Aussie too. Got into a few bands, did countless corporate workshops, school lessons, and performances… all while keeping the desk job on lock.
Shout out to Simon Fraser, Jeremy Prentice, Madi Keita, Ben Coleman, Djudju Black, and Simone Lang.
Brian –
I have always loved music. I started playing trumpet in junior high. In eighth grade, my friend got a new guitar so he sold me his beat up Fender Squire Strat for $60 and I wore out the frets on that thing. All throughout high school I would play whatever instrument in whatever band would have me. Give me the songs and a couple of weeks and I would be ready. I worked at a music store so I was by a bunch of instruments and recording gear and just doing more and more. After I graduated, I started an indie record label to produce records for different bands. At this time I was playing in a band, trying to gig as much as I could playing bars, coffee shops, small venues, wherever we could book.
What is Trubify to you?
Stephen –
An opportunity for artists to make a living by making music… to discover hidden talent from around the world – it’s the MUSIC REVOLUTION!
Krystal –
A creative space where artists come first.
Brian –
Trubify is allowing me to leverage everything I have learned in music to build the best app for musicians and fans. We really want to empower fans to find new bands and to help artists stay connected with their fans so that they can make a living playing music.
What is the biggest change you’ve seen in the music industry over the past 20 years?
Stephen –
Music used to be about musicianship… now it seems to be about “the marketable image.”
Krystal –
Artists realizing their gig isn’t fair–TLC were broke when Waterfalls was out?!?
Brian –
The biggest change that I have seen in the music industry over the past 20 years is a general shift moving to democratize music creation and distribution. It started with the digitization of music and then the internet as the distribution. In every shift, new artists will figure out how to try and earn a living with their craft, but they need to stay nimble and evolve with the technology and legislation.
What was the first album you bought with your own money?
Stephen –
It was two albums in the same purchase: 5150 by Van Halen and Bon Jovi Slippery When Wet.
Krystal –
A cassette of the Spice Girls’ debut Spice. Played until it got loose and warped and became it’s own psychedelic remix.
Brian –
In 1985 I went to one of the local swap meets with $10 and bought Van Halen 1984 and Def Leopard Pyromania on cassette and played those both so much that I wore them out. Those two albums totally influenced my early music development, whom I listened to, and what styles I tried to learn.
More to come
Stay tuned for more from each of our founders. We’ll be expanding the blog to include more from each of them (and maybe a few others), including their thoughts and musings around music, technology and more.