Steel pannist and composer Jonathan Scales joined me to talk about his journey in the music world, playing at NPR Tiny Desk, record labels, streaming platforms, and much more.

Show Notes:
0:00 Playing at NPR Tiny Desk
01:36 The Steel Pan
03:24 Classically Trained in Music
06:55 Inspiration, Taste Of Success
09:07 Jonathan's Band
13:05 How to start a band
16:31 The business of a band
20:41 Booking your first venue
23:52 Day in the life of a tour manager
25:07 Revenue share within a band
29:27 Working for free
34:50 How does a record label work?
43:40 Is Spotify stealing from artists?
49:15 How Jonathan makes money
51:01 Reacting to success
53:53 Reacting to failure
57:42 One day at a time
Welcome to The Sagnik Show — where politics, media, and identity collide.
Over the past decade, I’ve worked across legacy and new media, from FOX to independent platforms alongside people like Tucker Carlson, Saagar Enjeti, and Krystal Ball.
I didn’t come to the U.S. to cover politics—I just happened to fall into it. What followed was an unexpected crash course in the American political machine, taught by some of the sharpest (and most polarizing) voices in the business.
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