Blog
On Graduation & Lifelong Creativity
I was recently asked to be the keynote speaker for grade 12 graduates at my old high school, tied to my life path and learnings along the way. The following is an excerpt from the speech. When I was graduating, GNS had a yearbook tradition where each graduate had a
Mixing Beats with Business: How to Embrace Lifelong Creativity
Why are business executives who chase personal fitness goals admired, while those who pursue creative goals often questioned? Why are busy professionals who enroll in recreational athletics applauded for making time to exercise, while those who pursue amateur creative projects judged for wasting time? In short, why is lifelong physical
Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara
What is the price of fame? When an unknown person pretending to be Tegan Quin started tormenting Tegan and Sara fans, our management office at Amelia Artists, and Tegan herself, the cost wasn't just our privacy – it was our sense of safety and security. The new HULU documentary
Big Dreams in Small Towns: The Necessity of Music in Small Communities
In his famous ode to New York City, Frank Sinatra sang, "If I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere." Moving to the big city to make it big is part of our cultural folklore, especially in entertainment. The great cities inspire our imagination and
Reclaiming Fame: As an Artist Who's Your Customer?
Author Hunter S. Thompson famously quipped, "The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side.” Paradoxically, any artist who has achieved significant fame knows the
Bordering on Insanity: A Case Against U.S. Policy on International Musicians
What surprising thing do more than half of the acts booked at the 2023 Coachella festival have in common? Unless they comply with burdensome, expensive, and exploitative administrative requirements, they would be barred from entering the United States to perform, and would have 30% of their payment siphoned off at
Creative Closure
Life is full of open loops – circular internal dialogues and unfinished tasks that rattle in our heads. This is especially true for the musician, songwriter, or producer who must bring order to the amorphous creative process. While an open drum loop in your DAW might inspire creativity, too many open
Creative Courage
What does it mean to be courageous? We’re taught to associate courage with high-stakes moments, from responding to danger to facing grave illness. We rightly celebrate courageous acts of heroism – but is the characteristic of courage only the domain of exceptional individuals in traumatic moments? I believe we as
What Would Elliot Do? Lessons from a Legend
Neil Young called his longtime manager, Elliot Roberts, “the greatest manager of all time” after his sudden passing in June 2019. From the late 60s onwards, Elliot had steered the fabled careers of Joni Mitchell and Neil Young, while also co-managing the likes of Tom Petty and The Eagles in
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