In this episode Durell is joined by blind indie creative, educator, and entrepreneur Joey Stuckey. Durell and Joey begin the episode talking about the several different hats that he wears as an industry professional and the importance of diversification. Joey shares that even though he’s visually impared he has a very active mind and imagination. Joey shares how fast that technology moves and really by the time one gets the hang of one thing the next comes out and the old becomes obsolete. Durell shares that Tik-Tok is the new wave when it comes to social media but it’s not something that he’s been all the way in with. He often says to his clients that he works with that it’s totally okay not to always chase the new wave. Durell and Joey talk about how record labels are no longer signing artists but have really only been interested in signing social media influencers. Joey shares that most record labels in his opinion have never really cared about artists. He shares that’s why he values so much an artist's ability to prioritize their well-being and mental health. Joey shares that he has no issue with making sure the label gets a piece of the revenue that’s generated especially within a 360 deal as long as they actually played a part in making the product and helped to bring it to the marketplace.

Joey and Durell talk about indie creatives knowing when to put a value on prioritizing their artistry. Durell shares that creatives have to be able to become comfortable with understanding they must be okay with being able to sell and monetize what they put their blood, sweat, and tears into because bills need to be paid at the end of the day. Joey shares that he got into the music industry for self expression but these days he spends 50 percent of his time handling the business. He says that indie creatives who don’t prioritize the business aspect of their music will become a guaranteed failure. Joey shares that artist development is what made stars in the old industry. He says that indie creatives in today’s marketplace have to find a way to stand out and rise above the noise because it has become so easy to put records out. Durell shares that when he decides to work with an artist he always makes a conscious point to start with education.

Durell asks Joey about the cause of what made him blind and he shares that he was told it was caused by a brain tumor which Joey doesn’t have memory of. He shares that his mother knew pretty early on that Joey’s motor skills weren’t progressing normally and he was taken to doctors who initially didn’t think anything was wrong. Joey says that his dad was the one who one day let go of his hand and he fell down a flight of about 30 steps. He shares that the tumor wasn’t cancerous but it was crushing his optic nerves and his doctors didn’t think he would survive. He shares that his parents were advocating for him to live so the only option they felt they had was to take a chance on him having a very dangerous surgery and living vs. not having the surgery and dying. Joey shares that music was something that was very important to him as a child but most of his childhood memories were all about survival. Joey shares that he likes to talk about his struggles because he understands that he must embrace the good and bad times to live in the most balanced emotional space that he possibly can.

Durell and Joey talk about how even though there are differences between people, having the ability to find common ground within similar experiences is really important and should be focused on. Joey shares that he makes jokes about himself being blind because it’s quite honestly very funny. Joey shares that he’s passionate about making sure people know that him being blind isn’t a bad thing. He doesn’t want people to feel like they have to walk around on eggshells being worried about not offending him. Durell and Joey talk about the importance of being able to have a conversation about living with special needs with those who may not really understand what it’s truly like because that’s how we create opportunities for inclusion and change.

Durell and Joey end the episode talking about his work as an educator at Mercer University, Middle Georgia University and a mentor at The Connection Recording School in Los Angeles. Durell and Joey talk about the misconception that one must have a college degree to be successful. Joey shares that what college is really about is having the experiences and ultimately being prepared for the field if the work is put in. Durell and Joey also talk about the fact that there is definitely luck involved in success. Joey shares that you can expedite your opportunities for success by being where the opportunities are especially within the entertainment industry.

For more information on Joey Stuckey, please visit his website below:

https://joeystuckey.com/