Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Scott Montoya. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Scott, appreciate you joining us today. What’s the kindest thing anyone has ever done for you?
Studios For Schools is a nonprofit organization that raises money by auctioning autographed merch/collectible items from friends and colleagues who have been fortunate enough to make a name for themselves in the world of music. Every one of those donations is an act of kindness and I’m grateful for all of them.
Scott, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I’m called Scott. I started playing music in 4th grade, violin it was. My love of playing music transformed into a love of recording music, which one day I decided to apply for internships overseas. I sent out emails to studios all over the world, and the one that seemed the most promising was a studio in Rome, Italy called SoundArt 23. So I decided to take a chance and bought a one way ticket. I ended up spending majority of my time in Rome assisting Mick Boggis, who was there from England and taught me a great deal. When I got back to California I started recording/writing and touring with The Growlers, which furthered my education on graphic design, marketing, web design, tour managing, and the music business as a whole. We started a music festival called Beach Goth Party, which like all parties was fun while it lasted. I met my future wife / partner Julia Kugel while on tour in 2012. Her band The Coathangers was playing the same festival as The Growlers, a post-SXSW shindig in Dallas called Bro Fest. We bought a house in Long Beach in 2016, where we started organizing a free community music festival called Happy Sundays. Drawing inspiration from SXSW, Happy Sundays is our way of connecting people and supporting local businesses. Through Happy Sundays we’re working to help re-establish Long Beach as an international hub for live music. Our nonprofit Studios For Schools has entered its seventh year and has provided recording equipment to various schools in Southern California thanks to generous donations I mentioned in the last question. We started a music video channel called TheMouth.tv with a big agenda, raising awareness and raising the bar for how much streaming services pay artists. Julia and I have been releasing music and touring under Soft Palms, as well as Julia’s solo project called Julia, Julia. We record in our home studio the Centre Of Mental Arts (COMA). I’ve recently learned how to master music, thanks to the time and patience that Mick Boggis has given me.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
I wounldn’t really call this an “unlearnt” lesson, but definitely one that I want to remind everyone of, especially any new band: GET A LAWYER. Have them draft up an operating agreement that everyone in the band is happy with. A band is a small business and should be treated like one.
Can you talk to us about your experience with selling businesses?
I’ve sold my shares in a business and a lesson I learned from is to GET A LAWYER, but not a lawyer recommended by the other party’s lawyer.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://softpalmsmusic.com, https://happysundaysfest.com, https://themouth.tv, https://studosforschools.org
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/montoyascottmontoya, https://instagram.com/softpalmsmusic, https://instagram.com/happysundaysfest, https://instagram.com/studiosforschools
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=694213861
- Twitter: twitter.com/happysundayslbc, twitter.com/softpalmsmusic
- Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/@softpalmsmusic
- Other: https://www.twitch.tv/TheMouthTV
Image Credits
Logos for Studios For Schools, Soft Palms, Happy Sundays Fest and TheMouth.tv