A Guitar player’s guitarist, Frank aka “Deville” Greenfield is a Multi Platinum Award winning guitarist and producer. ...
Frank Greenfield speaks with Marc Hoberman about his career, and overcoming challenges and adversity
Press
NAMM Oral History
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NAMM Oral History Interview with Frank DeVille Greenfield
Rising Music Star Frank Greenfield of The Family of Funk the Five things you need to shine in the Music Industry
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Write up in Authority Magazine , June 11, 2023
Frank Greenfield and The Family of Funk release "EITM" fest LISO
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Poze Magazine Volume 69 , 1-6-2024.. 5 page write up
The Family of Funk kicks off The Soul Party
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From 7-3-2024.. The Family of Funk at The UBG, Universal City CA
SD Voyager meet Frank Greenfield and The Family of Funk
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Article in San Diego Voyager magazine, introducing Frank Greenfield and The Family of Funk
This is 50 magazine
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Write up and review for "EITM" by The Family of Funk as it breaks into the top 100 charts
Life Stories with marc Hoberman
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Frank Greenfield speaks with Marc Hoberman about his career, and overcoming challenges and adversity
Write up from Radford University
Guitarist and Producer
FGreenfield Music.
Robert Trent
Robert TrentClick to drag this recommendation
Classical Guitarist/Professor of Guitar Studies Radford University
Frank Greenfield is not only the consummate performer and producer, but as a public speaker/educator on topics of business of music, the life of the artist, life and work of the producer he is honest, frank and giving of himself in ways that not only inform his audience with valuable actionable information, but enlighten them that the path to becoming successful goes hand-in-hand with honesty and truthfulness. He's a breath of fresh air in the world of music business! And I cannot recommend anyone more highly. Engage Frank for your work or organization and you and will receive much more of value than you can anticipate. Do it!
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March 9, 2015, Robert was Frank's client
Musician Endorsements Synergize NAMM Sales
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It's easy to say musician endorsements are the heartbeat of NAMM. In Anaheim on Jan 24-27, NAMM proves itself the biggest show in town and most certainly one of the most important conference/conventions in the music biz. But fans didn't necessarily come to play instruments. They came to meet those who did, affectionately known as...musicians.
There were some pretty big names at NAMM, starting with Elton John, and his endorsement ofYamaha. If Elton buys a Yamaha piano, you can damn well bet anyone will. Well, the exception is that professional musicians do have their preferences. The music instrument game is not necessarily won on the basis of who's the best. More so, it's about matching the peculiar and highly individualistic preferences of musicians and their styles.
Some of the biggest brand names are names of musicians like Les Paul and Zildjian, At nearly 400 years old, Zildjian is one of the oldest companies in the world, founded by Avedis Zildjian, who passed the company first to his son, Armand, then his daughters, Craigie and Debbie.
Getting the right tone for a guitarist is just as important as writing a hit song. Many drummers are devoted to a single kit. The feel of horn's valves makes all the difference in fluidity. And so it goes for any kind of musician. These differences and preferences are as subtle as the curvature of a guitar pick or how the reed of a woodwind feels in the mouth. Color, shape, size and dozens of other variables influence feel and style.
Big name players at NAMM include Tommy Thayer (KISS)with his new signature Epiphone Les Paul, Other appearances: Animals As Leaders, Periphery, Frank Gambale, Mike Inez (Alice In Chains), Fieldy (Korn), Alex Skolnick, Billy Sheehan, Frank Bello (Anthrax), Rocco Prestia (Tower Of Power), Neal Schon (Journey), Willie Adler (Lamb Of God), Stephen Carpenter (Deftones), Rusty Cooley, Victor Wooten, Brent Mason, Brendon Small (Dethklok), and Chris Squire (Yes), Tower Of Power, members from The Motels, Three Dog Night, Blue Oyster Cult, Iron Maiden, Asia, Yes, Bad Company, Quiet Riot, The Living Legends Jam (with band members from The Eagles, Black Sabbath, and Fleetwood Mac, among others), and CTA (California Transit Authority) rocked the Grand Plaza.
NAMM president and CEO Joe Lamond proclaimed Stevie Wonder as Mayor of the NAMM Show. "My goal is before it's my time, I hope to be able to make music accessible to everybody, children and adults,” said Wonder. "It's a whole new world of music and instrument discovery at the show every year.”
At NAMM, big names get the most attention, but wandering the A-E halls, basement, outdoors, hotel rooms and rooftops are the lesser known players--and they love to talk about their favorite instruments...well, in the 21st century, favorite can also mean hardware and software. Word of mouth is still considered by marketing professionals to be the best way to brand, and a player on the local scene can have alot of fans and friends.
Two guitarists/producers out of LA, Stephen Sea and Frank Greenfield, serve as prime examples of just how unique musicians are, and how important endorsements can be during NAMM, and most certainly before and after. These guys love the stuff they endorse. Thoroughly professional, and capable of wearing many hats, players like Sea and Greenfield have serious experience with a wide range of equipment, in the studio and on stage. They are the "crash test dummies" of the music equipment world. What they do is what the world's best recordings and performances are made of.
Stephen Sea flew out of the womb playing drums and percussion, switching to guitar at age 12. A year later he was working with Frank Zappa in Hawaii, playing the Gibson Melody Maker he bought for $99.98 at a little music store in Honolulu. Later he went back to LA to work as a session player, working with some acts that Bob Monaco was producing and traveling overseas to Munich, Germany to work on projects signed to Gammarock Records, Polygram and EMI.
He took a job with Oberheim Electronics as a programming and product specialist and learned a lot about sound design, and programming the "old analogs". Putting on a producer hat, he helped produce demos for singer/songwriter Jim Bacon, who was signed to United Artists as a staff writer, and others like David Pomeranz, Larry Cox (Jefferson Starship).
How did you come to endorse Godin Guitars?
"I needed a nylon string guitar for a song I was producing for a tv show. I had several steel string acoustics, but not a nylon string. A good friend of mine offered to loan me his Godin ACS (with midi access). I picked it up and played it for only a few minutes before realizing I HAD TO HAVE ONE OF THESE. After checking out some of the other models I was amazed at the precision quality and craftsmanship that these guitars displayed, but most impressive was the retail price-point. I contacted them to ask about how and where they are made, etc. I expressed my interest in endorsing these artfully crafted works to anyone and everyone I could share it with, and they expressed appreciation by signing me on as an "endorsee". This has always seemed funny to me that artists are "endorsed" by instrument makers when it's really the other way around. We endorse the use of their products for what they can do us in our work. Whatever. "Endorsee" works form me,.. from either side.
With Grip Guitar Picks, "I use them religiously. I have them in every guitar case. Keep a few in the car and even on the key-ring. I don't like using the old "flat ones" any more. The curved "grip" feature opens up added technique you can't access with the flat ones. I've loaned them to other players in a pinch when they need a pick and they always ask to keep it. I did the same. They're great picks.
IK MUltimedia's "Amplitube" is my weapon of choice for most of the guitar sounds and textures I need in the studio. Their modeling software is capable of taking me just about anywhere I need to go with clean, gritty, chunky, blues, rock 'n roll,.. etc. fxpansion (BFD and BFD2) drums are great for workstation tracking and I used them for a lot of the material in the BMT catalog. Toontracks' EZ Drummer is outrageously superior to anything in it's price range (under $100.00) and with the upgrade to Superior Drummer, you have everything you need to make "state of the art" recording from the Basics on up.
How important is it for musicians to endorse music instruments and other products used in the music biz (i.e. recording, live performance, etc.)?
"The importance of endorsement is like any other business. In our business, a huge advantage can be enjoyed by "knowing" one product over another "before" spending money on it. Product endorsements help us to know what instruments and other gear is used to get the sound they have. Music being "art",.. almost all of these things qualify as "paint brushes" for color and affect toward the target result. Endorsements are guiding factors for making decisions on what to use in the process."
Is there any conflict of interest, for instance, in wanting to use guitars other than the one(s) you endorse?
"There's rarely any conflict as most all instrument makers assume that an artist will need some variety in the production of "their sound" and it isn't likely that any "brand" can cover all the bases. However, "featured" use and visibility is expected and appreciated by endorsing manufacturers."
What are the expectations of an endorsement? I would assume live performance is about the best way to see you using an instrument or piece of equipment, but then, with picks or rackmounts or pedals, etc., no one sees the names of the equipment, which is especially true in a studio situation. So how do you get press/media coverage? Or is "word-of-mouth" considered a valid means of promoting an endorsement?
"Word of mouth is always desired, visual coverage is standard (photos and video), but with those things not easily seen, featuring the products via discussion in interviews, educational/training materials, etc., Really anything that helps to expose a wider ranging audience to any given product is the intended result.
With Frank Greenfield, the endorsement experience is a bit different. "Eminence speakersactually approached me and asked if I wanted to try their product, after checking me out on LinkedIn. I had been using Marshall and Boogie speakers for years. Once I tried Eminence I sold everything else. Morley was a company that I approached because I had been user for so long. Morley has been a part of my sound from the beginning. When I was starting to play guitar, I used to draw the Morley Man all the time, now I am him!"
With George L cables, it sounds like someone took a blanket off my amp. I was pleased to become one of their artists as well. Its important for companies to get product into the hands of artists that are brands...for feedback on performance, visibility, aligning their brand with your brand etc. Usually the deals are just that. They ask that wherever your name or likeness is used, t heir's is also. That's also why I only endorse what I use. If I don't love it I won't use it. I will be endorsing Boogie once we go on tour as that's a criteria for that company.
Frank aka “Deville” Greenfield is both a Grammy nominated, award winning Producer and performer. As one of the creative partners of “The DentMakers”, Franks’ career broke with the release of Timberlands’ “Shock Value” which went six times Platinum followed by a Grammy nomination for Trin-ity 5-7 and a GMA/DOVE Award for Best Urban Recorded Song of the Year for “Listen”. Frank is signed to Universal Music, Music World ENT, and Black Ground Records. He also has been writing music and putting his guitar touches on a who’s who of Pop/R&B Artists such as; Beyonce, Usher, Kelly Rowland, Timberland, and Onyx. Most recent release was Mindless Behavior/Interscope...
NAMM, the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM), commonly called NAMM in reference to the organization's popular NAMM trade shows, is the not-for-profit association that promotes the pleasures and benefits of making music and strengthens the $17 billion global music products industry. Our association—and our trade shows—serve as a hub for people wanting to seek out the newest innovations in musical products, recording technology, sound and lighting. NAMM's activities and programs are designed to promote music making to people of all ages.