Writing
We Can Work It Out: Personality Lessons from The Beatles
In the music business, “Who’s your favourite Beatle?” is a surefire cocktail party conversation starter. In light of the revelatory new documentary Get Back, perhaps the more interesting question for creatives and entrepreneurs is “Which Beatle do you most resemble?” While watching intimate footage of John Lennon and Paul
You Need To Waste Time To Be Great
If you’re a creative person you probably struggle in your relationship to time. Society teaches us that investing time is admirable, spending time is acceptable, and wasting time is, well, wasteful. But for creative people this couldn’t be further from the truth. I believe creatives need to consciously
The Risk of Creation
How can I live a creative life? Whether my audience is one or one million, what does it mean to be creative? Creativity is not the privilege of a few. Art is neither defined by its frame nor the institution in whose hall it hangs. Art is instead defined by
Creative Diplomacy
Have you ever had an argument about a seemingly insignificant creative decision that ended up feeling like life or death? Have you felt unequipped to have healthy conversations with collaborators who don’t share your opinion? If you’ve ever played in a band, I bet you have. Just ask
Creative Commoditization
I have a theory that some of the greatest songs ever written would have gone unnoticed had they been released today. The recent UK Parliamentary report on the Economics of Music Streaming adds weight to this thesis. "Like A Rolling Stone," "A Day In The Life," and "Good Vibrations" consistently
Does A Hit Need To Be A Hit, To Be Called A Hit?
I have a theory that not all hit songs become hit songs. This idea implies that a hit song – like a Platonic Form – has an essence and inherent value, regardless of the audience it reaches. I believe this can be a useful model to apply to creative pursuit in any
Singing (Copyrights) in the Shower
When you’re singing in the shower, did you know you’re illustrating a key principle of copyright in music? An artist can invent a melody in her head and have it travel to millions of brains around the world. But how does copyright work, allowing music to earn money?