Renowned music industry executive Tom Sturges literally wrote the book on creativity. In his most recent work, Every Idea Is A Good Idea, he explores the two primary types of creativity- individual and collaborative. While the book is a must-read no matter what you do, filled with excellent advice and exercises to help anyone find their creative center and learn to access it more efficiently, many of us work with artists every day in a non-creative capacity. We followed up with him to find out a little more about how to have a successful relationship with truly creative people, and see what creative turns he has taken to end up where he is today.
In the book Every Idea Is A Good Idea you talk about how deeply personal the creative process is, and how it shouldn’t really be discussed. When you said that a one-hit wonder will go on and on about how a song just came to them, I laughed out loud. We all know those guys. Can you give me a few questions one can ask to get a good read on whether or not a new artist is really tuned in to their creative center? Or is producing material the only way to really know?
True artistry is very genuine, and very truthful in its presentation. And you know the truth when you see, and more importantly, hear it. In a strange way, it’s almost as if the performer doesn’t really care if anyone is listening or not, as if he or she is so in tune with their own music and art that the presence of a witness is insignificant. Picasso could not tell you how he painted, but he could tell you how empty his life would be without his art.
So the questions to ask a new artist would relate to their inspirations, their artistry, their big dream, their favorite song that has ever been written (not their own, I hope), what they were like in high school, and that kind of thing. Come at them from the perspective of complete respect and see how they respond.
You have worked with a lot of very extremely creative people and in your book you share one particular story about an encounter you had early in your career with Carole King. You have picked up a lot of wisdom about creativity itself, but what can you share regarding what you’ve learned about working with creative people, from the business end of things?
Between an artist and the record, there are several intermediaries, including the producer, engineer, mastering engineer, mixer, a&r, etc. Between the songwriter and the song there is no one. When working with artists, the music is almost like a third person in the room, probably because it required so many others to successfully create it. When working with the writer and talking about the song, you might as well be talking about a family member.
The bottom line is that one must be completely respectful of a creator’s art, and allow plenty of room for ego and dreams to co-exist with the vocal, instrumentation, the lyrics and melodies. But, before sharing an opinion with someone about their work, find out if it’s the FINAL version, i.e., cannot be changed no matter what versus a DRAFT, i.e., still a work in progress. If it’s the latter, feel free to say whatever you like. But if it’s the former, pay a compliment relative to your view of the work and say no more.
What do you think it takes to have a successful working relationship with an extremely creative person when you’re not really a collaborator?
If you are working with someone and you are not a collaborator, you need to pick the role you intend to play. Possibly you are the sounding board (listen to all ideas and offer comments and suggestions), the enabler/facilitator (organizer of studio time and finder of musicians, but with no “creative” role to play), or the fan (who loves everything, no matter what). The thing I find most creators need most is believers. So if you cannot be any of the three above, just believe. CONTINUE READING
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Kings favorite blues/rock singer-songwriter Katie Buchanan just released her new single “Honey, Don’t“, the first track off her debut full-length album Glow, set to release in March of 2015. Influenced by artists like John Mayer and Sara Bareilles, Katie pairs fine-tuned guitar chops with self-produced soundscapes, putting her own gritty spin on the singer songwriter niche. She has been making waves throughout the blogosphere, being featured in notable publications such as American Songwriter, Diffuser.fm and Pop Matters.
Contact: info@katiebuchanan.com
Nadia Rayne, hailing from St. Paul, Minneapolis is making her way as an up coming singer-songwriter and YouTube cover sensation. For only at 14 years of age, her vocal prowess can be heard in Sia’s cover Chandelier and her original “Color Out The Lines“. Nadia already has a decade of singing experience and sights Beyonce as an influence with respect to songwriting, expressing herself musically. Nadia has a voice of a young Duffy, Adele and Jesse J all rolled up into one.
Contact: elamanna14@gmail.com
Hurricane Love the band that is perhaps Swedish music’s best-kept secret are buzzing. For several years the band had a relentless schedule of song-writing and touring, that has built up a large and loyal base of listeners. They have performed over 100 gigs, toured in Sweden, Denmark, Finland, England and Germany, and opened for The Movitz! and The Royal Concept. They performed at major festivals and venues, winning the Emergenza – the world’s biggest live music competition for unsigned bands and were praised by Billboard. With diverse influences from acts like Coldplay, Sigur Rós, Muse, Mumford & Sons the band has found their own sound which can be heard in the new single Nowhere To Go.
Contact: mia@miapromotion.com
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