Friday, September 20, 2013

Artist as muse

There are countless ways I foster my inspiration. One of my favorites is through other artists. Not just from the work, but from listening to their insights on what they create. Music is my religion and from time to time I like a good "fire and brimstone" sermon to flick the switch on a few dormant brain cells. This is not exclusive to artists I really love. Just because someone's work doesn't resonate with me doesn't mean a technique or viewpoint of theirs wouldn't be an asset in my own creations. I highly recommend scouring YouTube and the web at large for insights from all types of artists to expand your own creative horizons.

One artist I am a fan of is Daniel Lanios. He is one of the most talented producers music has seen in the last 35 years. During his career he has worked with Bob Dylan, Neil Young, and created iconic recordings with both U2 and Peter Gabriel. He released many of his own albums and scored several films including the highly acclaimed Slingblade. I stumbled across this interview a few days ago and could not wait to share it. I hope you find it as rich a resource as I have. For those of you that aren't musicians, it's an interesting peek behind the curtain of creativity. Consider yourself forewarned though, there will be naked women involved in the interview.





What I found most striking about this interview is how many "Big Picture" career pointers he touched upon during the 40 minute conversation. Here are the points that struck me:

  • How to build a career: just work with as many people as possible 
  • Making connections: you have no idea who will introduce you to Brian Eno
  • Your studio is a laboratory: don't rely on past successes, move forward, experiment
  • Realize your weaknesses, educate yourself: you will create more when those holes are filled
  • Preparation: never walk into any situation blind if at all possible
  • Idea Orphanage: from beats, to hooks, to lyrics - a good home will come to those ideas
  • Strive for originality: for Lanios it's the reason he wakes up in the morning
  • Soundtrack music as a supportive element: a great way to learn musical restraint