NAMM Show Pt. 1: Chris Lord-Alge and Asadi on Music Careers (Episode 163)

Everything you do is an audition.

If you are not familiar with it, the NAMM Show is the biggest convention for music gear makers, where musicians and retailers make connections, distribution deals and endorsement deals, and old friends in the business reunite. In Episode 163 of The Career Musician, part one of the show's NAMM coverage, Nomad catches two very different career musicians on the floor.

First, famed mix engineer Chris Lord-Alge. Then Asadi, a young producer and live artist who built his following online. Between them, it is a quick masterclass in music career advice from NAMM: stay focused on the music, and build your own lane.

Chris Lord-Alge: the music never changes

Nomad asks how he got into mixing. The answer is simple: if you love music, you love finding out how it is made. Stick with it, take it seriously, and have the confidence to keep going.

Then the big question. The industry keeps shifting, and he has pivoted every time. What is the secret? He doesn't see it that way.

"Music never changes for me, just the gear changes."

Chris Lord-Alge, 0:52

His view: it has gotten trickier to monetize what you do, but if you make things sound great and focus on making artists happy, the rest follows. Stereo or Atmos, digital or analog, if it works in your workflow, use it. He treats every project the same no matter how big the star, and he keeps revisions simple by getting them clearly articulated and showing the artist exactly what changed.

Nomad and Chris have worked with some of the same people, including Babyface, whom Nomad served as music director for over a decade. Chris jokes that he is kind of the MD of the mix. That is reliability beats virtuosity from someone at the very top: make the artist happy, every time.

Asadi: building a lane nobody had built

Asadi started on piano at five with a Russian teacher in his hometown of Columbus, Ohio, which is why he plays the MPC like a classical pianist. His goal is big: help the world accept and appreciate Middle Eastern music, the way Bob Marley brought Jamaican music to everyone. After the K-pop wave, he thinks a Middle Eastern wave could be next.

His first viral video was a comedic remix shot in his bedroom while he was going to school in Orlando. He didn't want every follow-up to look the same, so he started shooting in places that looked exotic, starting with a lake area at his apartment complex. People asked where he had flown to. That became his brand.

Consistency, then negotiation

Asadi is clear that the locations are not the secret. A black backdrop works too. The secret is consistency: topping your last video week after week, and moving with the platforms, from Facebook to Instagram to Reels, TikTok and Shorts. Over time, companies started emailing about sponsorships, and as his following grew he kept negotiating for more.

"My advice: don't be afraid to negotiate. If they really want to work with you, they'll counter."

Asadi, 10:23

He also stays true to why he does it. He says that if he were only in it for the business, he would have chosen something smarter. He loves the music, and that is what kept him going through years of hustling online. That is Savvy and passion working together.

The takeaway

One veteran says the music never changes. One rising artist says stay consistent and negotiate. Both say focus on the work and make it great. If you are heading to NAMM or any industry event, treat every handshake like it counts, and start with the free Get the Gig guide.

Get the gig. Keep the gig. Build the career.

Watch on YouTube or find every episode on the TCM Podcast page.