Johnny Price – Owner/Editor
Johnny felt like a misfit from a very early age. He always felt left out and misunderstood. That was until music came along. Music opened up a whole new world to him. He was a die-hard listener to Casey Kasem’s American Top 40. He stayed up late to watch Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert and The Midnight Special. Saturday mornings meant American Bandstand followed by Soul Train. He discovered KISS at the young age of nine and these larger than life superheroes captivated his world both sonically and visually. Music became his obsession in life and he just couldn’t get enough of it. Over the years, he’s seen hundreds of concerts including 57 KISS shows and their final two concerts of their last tour ever at Madison Square Garden in December of 2023. He loves going to concerts and interviewing musicians.
After writing and doing concert photography for other publications, he took a leap of faith with the support of several bands and publicists and he began his own magazine in 2014 called I’m Music Magazine. I’m the guy who still loves to ride that rail up front for concerts. I’m the guy who loves catching a guitar pick at a show. I’m the guy who waits late after a show for a chance to get a picture or autograph. Who am I? I’m Music. That’s how the name was born for this magazine. Johnny brings over 10 years of writing and concert photography to the magazine. He’s a lover of all types of music and that’s why the magazine is open genre. We love talking to the big dawgs in music, but we also love talking to the small bands too. All of the big dawgs started out as little puppies, so we give those small bands the same respect as we do the big guys. The saying ‘do it with passion or not at all’ is something that he truly believes in.
Daphne McKinney – Associate Editor/Photographer
Daphne McKinney has always been consumed by music. Her first favorite band as a kid in the 80’s was Mötley Crüe. As a teenager in the 90’s that switched to collecting anything and everything by two more favorites, Blind Melon & Candlebox.
By the late 90’s, she was already combining her love for photography with her love for music, and began asking to photograph any band that would let her. She joined I’m Music Magazine in early 2019 as a photographer, has dabbled in a little bit of writing, and also can often be found updating the website.
You can usually find her at a few concerts a week, whether she’s photographing or just buying a ticket and attending for fun. At home, she has 10 extremely spoiled rescue cats and often has a few more hanging around that’s being fostered.
Personal goals: “I just want to spend every night at a different metal show, is that too much to ask?”
Meesha Walden – Associate Editor/Writer
Growing up in a family of musicians, working at a record label, and a recording studio, Meesha’s passion in life has always been music. Her favorite part about working at I’m Music Magazine is showcasing and spreading positivity about cool new bands/artists. Some of Meesha’s favorite bands/artists include Sevendust, Radiohead, and N8NOFACE. Meesha has the uncanny knack for “spotting a hit,” whether with budding music stars, a hot new restaurant, or emerging cultural trends. This is why she’s known in her community as @AskMeesh (also her Instagram handle).
Michele Hancock – Contributing Writer/Photographer
Michele is a self professed concert-junkie and freelance photographer based in SW Virginia. After ten years of teaching, she finally put that art degree to use, and started putting the camera to use. Michele met the Editor / Owner of I’m Music Magazine Johnny Price and fell in love with the idea of mixing her love of music with the art of photography.
Michele has a love for a wide range of music, going from classical to hard and heavy rock, and tried to instill that love of music in her now grown children. She is the wife of a first responder, who shares her love of classic cars. On a nice spring or fall day, it’s not unusual to find her in her 1969 Camaro with the top down and music loud. 🤘🏻
My Top Ten Drivetime Songs from My Senior Year, 1989 (in no particular order)
- All She Wants Is – Duran Duran
- When Love Comes To Town – U2 & B.B. King
- Black Velvet – Alannah Myles
- Harvester Of Sorrow – Metallica
- Youth Gone Wild – Skid Row
- Kickstart My Heart – Motley Crue
- Fire Woman – The Cult
- Close My Eyes Forever – Lita Ford & Ozzy Osbourne
- Paradise City – Guns N’ Roses
- Modern Day Cowboy – Tesla
Kris Cagle – Contributing Photographer
Kris Cagle is a MTSU grad, living in Nashville since 2016. He loves all genres of music but has a passion for classic rock and metal. When he’s not taking concert photos, he works in AV at the Nashville Public Library. His first concert was Charlie Daniels and favorite has been Red Hot Chili Peppers.
“I’d say my favorite I’m Music Magazine story so far is when they mixed up my name at will call and I got the honor of calling Styx manager and he came down and escorted us in.”
Amanda Packey – Contributing Photographer
Amanda Packey is from Long Island, NY. Her first concert was Elton John at Madison Square Garden. She’s mostly listened to rock and metal, but recently become obsessed with country music, especially Billy Currington. Her favorite concert was probably the Dream Theater show in the late 90s when Mike Portnoy handed her one of his drum sticks.
“I once drove nine hours straight to see The Tea Party the same night in Buffalo, NY. I’m still shocked I made it out of the Godsmack photo pit (at Jones Beach) with my eyebrows intact with all the pyro they had. I started doing music photography back in the 90’s with my friends’ bands. It was a much different world working with film, but a lot of fun.”
The attached photo was taken of me in the pit at Great South Bay Music Festival (Patchogue, NY), July 2022. Photo credit Vanessa Marie Media.
Through The Eyes Of A Queen – Contributing Photographer
Born and raised in South Florida, Through The Eyes Of A Queen has been capturing live music amongst other things since 2013.
Property manager by day, and a self-taught photographer by night. I love capturing moments especially on stage. Because when words fail, music speaks.
Jojo Key – Contributing Writer/Photographer
Jojo Key discovered a life-long love of music, especially heavy metal thanks to the movie Little Nicky. It was love at first listen – Ozzy, Motley Crue, KISS, then anything and everything.
She’s been writing album reviews and doing concert photography on occasion since 2013.
Michael Praats – Contributing Writer/Photographer
An Atlanta expat living Charlotte, Michael is an investigative journalist during the day — and a concert photographer and writer in his free time. After being asked to cover a show when a photographer was unable to 2022 he decided to jump headfirst into the world of music photography.
Since then he’s covered shows across the country including Nine Inch Nails, Rage Against the Machine, and The Used (which also happen to be some of his favorite bands).
Angelica Bohurjak – Contributing Writer
Angelica Bohurjak has been involved in music since a very young age. “Born and Bred a Metalhead,” she attended her first Mötley Crüe concert at the age of 7 and was hooked on live music for life! Playing classical flute for a majority of her life, she now attends university as a music educator hoping to train future generations of talented young musicians.
Professionally, she tours as a multi-instrumentalist in America’s longest running live stage show and folklore ensemble. But, she knew she couldn’t leave her heavy metal roots as just an outlet of entertainment and began writing for I’m Music Magazine in 2021. Her favorite bands include everything from Dream Theater to Motionless In White and Ratt!
Alice Malice – Contributing Writer
A poet, storyteller, guitarist, amateur film photographer, avid vinyl-collector, concertgoer, and more, I’m a jack of all trades, master of none. While I am a NC native, I’ve been known to travel questionable distances for a good show (including When We Were Young Festival in Las Vegas, catching The Cure in New Orleans, and Rock for People all the way in Czech Republic…yes, my bank account hates me). All that being said, my favorite shows are the more intimate bar settings, whether it’s a local band or a touring act who hasn’t quite broken into mainstream venues yet, there’s something special about grabbing a cheap beer and kicking back at these smaller gigs to watch a good set, and if lucky, sometimes getting the chance to chat with the band afterwards.
Outside of writing for I’m Music Magazine, I’m either at home writing my own short stories, film essays, and poetry, tucked in the back corner of a movie theater, or on rarer occasions taking my old Alvarez downtown to play some songs myself.
Steve Pawlowski – Contributing Writer
Steve Pawlowski began his career in Cleveland, Ohio more than 30 years ago. A graduate of The University of Akron, Steve would later return to the U of A as an adjunct instructor, teaching senior and graduate-level public relations classes.
His first job was with the Cuyahoga County Public Library, one of the biggest and busiest library systems in the country. The rabid sports fan then jumped at the chance to join Fox Sports Ohio, where he worked closely with the Cleveland Indians, Cleveland Cavaliers, Columbus Blue Jackets and Cincinnati Reds.
In 2008, Steve and his wife relocated to Arizona where he began the next chapter of his career with Scottsdale-based Danielle Sittu Communications.
As media relations manager at PetSmart Charities, he was responsible for the planning, execution and measurement of all public relations initiatives for the largest funder of animal welfare efforts in North America.
In his role as director of communications and development at the Foundation for Blind Children, he shared the inspiring stories of student heroes and raised funds for one of the largest schools for the visually impaired in the country.
After a brief stop with environmental services giant, Republic Services, he is currently on the communications and donor relations team at the non-profit HonorHealth Foundation.
Steve is among only 20 percent of public relations practitioners nationwide to have earned his Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) from the Public Relations Society of America.
He is the proud father of twin girls and a rescued cat. Spare time is rare, but when he finds some, he enjoys playing hockey, coaching volleyball, going to concerts and writing for I’m Music Magazine.
Tim Board – Contributing Writer
Host of the syndicated internet radio show Eye On Jamz for 5 years prior to that host of Front Range Rado for almost 10 years. Photographer for 3 years and journalist for 4 years.
Bucket list items photograph a band at Red Rocks in Denver Colorado and interview Paul McCartney
Favorite genres of music Blues, Classic Rock and Country
Guilty pleasure, 80’s new wave music. I was a DJ at a college radio station during the mid to late 80’s. This was the music the station played and I got hooked on it.
Favorite bands: The Beatles, Kiss, AC/DC, Samantha Fish, Mike Zito, The Vintage Yell, man I could go on and on.
Big sports fan, grew up in St Louis so I still cheer for the St Louis Cardinals and the St Louis Blues. I live in west Texas now, but there is no way I can cheer for the Dallas Cowboys.
Madison Kay – Contributing Photographer
Some facts about me is that I’ve been shooting professionally for three years. My favorite band so far has been Fitz and the Tantrum because of their stage presence and enthusiasm for their music they make. I run a business centered in Raleigh for photography and started out doing sports photos for high schools in the triangle and found an opportunity to shoot for I’m Music Magazine after attending joy wave at Cats Cradle and before the show started I talked to F28 photographer James where he connected me to you!
Matthew Allen – Contributing Photographer
I am Matthew Fike, but I go by Matthew Allen. I am based out of Warwick, Rhode Island, where I
live with my wife of 15 years and our two dogs. I have been photographing for about 13 years now, but only been focusing on concerts for 7 years. My passion started when a good friend asked me to help photograph a Big and Rich acoustic charity show for my local Country Music radio station, which led to
photographing a festival headlined by Big and Rich. That was the night that changed my life. From that
night on, all I wanted to do is photograph concerts. I fell in love with the challenge of getting “THE” shot,
the action and know that I only get that one chance to get the shot. I have always loved live music, and
photography, now I get to mix my passions together.
My ultimate dream is to photograph iconic artists like Garth Brooks, Jason Aldean, Luke Combs, Def
Leopard, and many more amazing artists. There is not a genre of music that I would not photograph. I
cannot wait to shoot as many shows as I can (and my wife lets) for I’m Music Magazine.