What Playing with an Earth, Wind & Fire Legend Teaches You About Live Performance
Every working musician remembers the first time they shared a stage with someone whose skill level seemed miles ahead of their own. For vocalist Rene Fernandez, that moment happened during the 2020 pandemic when Earth, Wind & Fire drummer John Paris agreed to sit behind the kit for a casino date at Pala Casino in Southern California. On a recent episode of The ZHZ Podcast, hosts Zak Davis and Matt Allen sat down with Rene to talk through his journey from sixth-grade trombone player and TV actor to fronting his soul group, The Beat Allegiance, and recording his single "We Got This." The conversation explored how live musicians navigate chaos, make smart business choices on stage, and keep their passion intact over decades of creative work. Stepping on Stage with John Paris When live touring paused in 2020, Rene reached out to see if John Paris was interested in playing a casino date. Paris agreed. But hours before showtime, Rene’s regular keyboard player had to go to t...
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