Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Michael Kadnar. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Michael, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.

Thank you for taking the time to interview me. I really appreciate it!

My mother really encouraged me to learn the piano and then percussion at an early age. This paved the way for my creative journey. In addition to this, she also firmly suggested I get a dual degree in college. My heart was set on studying jazz performance at a SUNY school in New York, but my mother always said I was good in business and should also study Finance so I have a good foundation and understanding of money.

I didn’t know it at the time, but this was an amazing combination for me and my dual degree gave me the skills to improvise with music and with finances. Both these degrees gave me the skill sets to become a touring drummer and to start and grow my own record label.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

After college, I started playing in some local bands and writing our own songs. Black Table was the first band that I played drums with that started touring significantly. I was giving a lot of drum lessons at this time, and also joined more touring bands, like German black metal band Downfall of Gaia.

While I was touring, I realized there was a need for musician owned record labels. No major labels wanted to sign my band Black Table, so I thought to myself, “why don’t I do this myself.” I placed my first vinyl order that year and the rest is history.

Most record labels are owned by non-musicians and they only care about profit. We have all heard millions of stories of bands being forced to do things by their record labels that they didn’t want to do. I wanted to create a familial atmosphere where friends help each other grow and succeed while maintaining our creative visions.

I’m most proud of the roster and employee list I’ve curated over the years. I am so fortunate to have such amazing artists, creators, and creatives around me, who I can also genuinely call my friends. Almost every employee of Silent Pendulum Records started off as a member of a band that I signed and released music for. The synergies and shared resources we have is truly impressive and makes running this label an absolute pleasure. For example, our lead graphic designed is in the band Steaksauce Mustache and our webmaster is in the band Sleepsculptor. I didn’t even know I would need a webmaster until after I signed Sleepsculptor and the label continued to grow.

I want the world to know that not every record label has to be mundane and corporate. I’m so happy to present a new record label business model and allow all our bands to grow and create together as a family.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

It’s really hard for me to relate to non-creatives, and I imagine the same goes for them. Playing drums in a live setting for a receptive audience, and connecting with them has to be the greatest high in the world. This single force is everything behind what I do with my music career and record label.

I know that every album is a work of art that has been painstakingly edited and pondered about, a literal piece of someone’s soul translated into audio and visual art. The responsibility and weight of this gift is enormous, but every cell in my body needs to perform and share these works of art with the world.

Even though there have been times that I was overwhelmed by too many tasks, or too many songs to learn, I always perservered and finished all the things I had to for the love of music. Every show is 200%, every release I do is 200%, because it has to be. Even if it means sacrificing other aspects of my life, that’s what you need to do to see a creative vision to it’s logical, most impactful conclusion. Just believe in yourself and go for it!

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

Absolutely! When I was younger I really enjoyed all of Gary Vaynerchuk’s books and social media. His energy and story are very inspiring to this day, and he continues to influence the world with his marketing strategies.

I listen to more podcasts and audio books these days with my travel schedule being so hectic, but The Diary of a CEO podcast with Steven Bartlett is an amazing resource for business, education and health. I listen almost every week.

A recent and unexpected influence is Alicia Keys and her conversation with Jay Shetty on the podcast “On Purpose.” It just aired a few weeks ago, but hit me exactly where I needed it to and get into gear for 2025. Hearing Alicia’s story, her doubts, her fears, her successes and failures really gave me some perspective on life, business, and personal balance. I highly suggest this episode to anyone struggling with making creative decisions, imposter syndrome or general seasonal depression!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://silentpendulumrecords.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michael_kadnar/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SilentPendulumRecords/
• Twitter: https://Twitter.com/Silent_Pendulum
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/SilentPendulumRecords

Image Credits

It’s on the water mark. Thank you!