Rising Stars: Meet Amanda Cadran

Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Cadran.

Thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
12/31/95. Anyone who knows me probably knows this date is the start of so many important things in my life. But especially, the call to the music community, specifically jambands. 

On NYE /95, I was a 15-year-old high school sophomore from Jersey Shore, and I got a ticket from a friend to see Phish at Madison Square Garden. Within the first 30 minutes, I decided, I wanted this in my life as much as possible. This means the music, but also the sense of family and community. Even in a venue as big as MSG, the feeling of being together in a special place was palpable to me. I have never changed my mind. 

If anything, my desire to be involved in music has only grown over time. I am not a musician, but I have and play several instruments. Over the years since that first magical night, I have done a lot of different things in music: Publicist, marketing, merch gal, both volunteer and full-time, booking, promoting, and all for the love of it. 

Music is not my full-time job; it’s what I do because I have to – I am not complete without it. And supporting artists is everything to me. Today, this mainly surfaces through my podcast, All That Jam, and doing various behind-the-scenes work to support specific organizations, artists, and venues here in Denver and beyond. 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
This is such a great question! 

Nothing about my journey has ever been by the book. Is there a book? I love working, and I love feeling productive, but rather than a smooth road, I have always traveled on several different lanes at once. As an undergrad in English and journalism, I have always known that communication is everything, and I love nothing more than talking to people and trying my best to relate to them and empathize. Making connections between people so that they can collaborate and do great things is also something that makes me happy. 

The struggles have come with not knowing how to find the path in the first place. I have a doctorate in education, but I didn’t want to work at a university – I had to figure out on my own through a lot of conversations, questions, and trial and error, what to do, and I ended up at a small startup. Now, I do research full-time at one of the biggest edtech companies in the world. 

Music is the same. Having a passion for something is necessary but turning that into a productive gig is something else. Being willing to try something, work on a project even if it doesn’t come to fruition, and just be involved, has given me the confidence to talk with anyone, and keep building real relationships, which is so important to me. 

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My music work takes so many forms, but they are all focused on creativity and connecting with other people. As a radio and podcast host, along with Kevin Hogan who is one of my best friends in the world, and an incredible partner in this work, we get to decide who we want to talk to, what to talk about, and how to share that with the world. 

We started with an idea (that is all thanks to Kevin) and in 2023, dropped over 300 original episodes, had over 120 different interviews, and are already on pace to match or surpass that. We LOVE getting to talk with artists, whether they just sold out a venue, or they are just starting. It makes no difference because it’s all for the love we share about the importance of music. 

In October 2023, All That Jam, along with the Galaxy Jams podcast, was able to host a very unique event at Knew Conscious in Denver. We brought together industry leaders with artists to listen and react to music live, in front of a crowd. This had been a dream, and we were able to do it! What a special night – I will never forget it. Being able to pitch that idea and see every detail through the day of the event, is something I hadn’t done in a long time, and it reminded me of why I love this world of music so much. 

I also enjoy graphic design and have made show posters for a lot of different events, stickers, and shirts. I guess merch is in my veins after all these years! If you need some merch, I do it for the love – get in touch! I DJ when I can; which is so much fun differently. I’ve been able to do that at some local venues including Cervantes and Meow Wolf, which has been mind-blowingly amazing!! 

What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
Without a doubt, the music community in Denver is (for me) the most special thing about it, and why I moved here years ago. There is a very clear connection between venues, artists, and fans here in Denver, and Colorado in general, and a lot of respect amongst all of those groups. 

There is a reason bands are always telling me they want to come out here and play. It’s because people here love live music! They support it and show up. In return, as a fan, we can go out 7 nights a week to any type of venue to see world-class musicians sitting down to impromptu jams, playing a local spot because they have a night off or just got back from tour, and most importantly, artists from so many different bands actively supporting each other. There is no ego in the Denver music scene that I have ever witnessed. 

I see love and gratitude – a ton of hard work – and dedication to this thing called music that we can’t live without. I know there are other amazing music cities like New Orleans and New York, plus other markets that are doing amazing things. Denver has the perfect mix of size, number of venues, fan support, and resources to do it right, and we do! 

Contact Info:

• Website: thephdj.co and allthatjampod.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thephdj/ and https://www.instagram.com/allthatjampod
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/allthatjampod/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/YourPhdj and https://twitter.com/allthatjampod
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiFqPsyAqIjeutXBbSlj0Hw

Image Credits
David Tracer and Ali Jay