In a world where music never stops evolving, where collaboration, politics, technology, and cultural trends continually change the course of what we listen to and how we do it, musical legend Nile Rodgers gave us an inspirational conversation about creativity and transformation.
The last 50 years have seen music and the industry around it change beyond recognition. At the event, we unpacked exactly what that means for artists and listeners today and how we can build a more progressive musical landscape for tomorrow. Check out the top takeaways and further reading on the subject below.
Panellists: BEKA and Nile Rodgers
Top Takeaways
“Cutting school for 75 days in a row at 7 years old to go to the movie theatre, I learnt more about the world than I ever would have at school”
“The love was unbelievable and the trust they had in me helped me become the person I am.” Nile Rodgers talking about his relationship with his parents
“There is something cool about being kind.” Rodgers writes upbeat happy songs because life is short and he wants to bring as much joy as he can into the world.
* Luther Vandross came up with the lyrics “Le freak, c’est chic” to fill the space in the song.
* Nile still does music the way he’s always done it despite the evolution of the industry, which he regards as a gift.
* Nile’s favourite collaboration was with Madonna because they had the most fun rollercoaster relationship of all time. She was the biggest hard worker he had ever worked with. “She was a machine; relentless and wonderful.”
* “I’m never at a loss for any kind of musical idea.”
Related Books:
The Origins of Creativity – Edward O Wilson
‘Creativity is the unique and defining trait of our species; and its ultimate goal, self-understanding,’ begins Edward Wilson’s sweeping examination of the humanities and their relationship to the sciences. By studying fields as diverse as paleontology, evolutionary biology and neuroscience, Wilson demonstrates that human creativity began not 10,000 years ago, as we have long assumed, but over 100,000 years ago in the Paleolithic Age. Chronicling the evolution of creativity from primates to humans, Wilson shows how the humanities, in large part spurred on by the invention of language, have played a previously unexamined role in defining our species. Exploring a surprising range of creative endeavors – the instinct to create gardens; the use of metaphors and irony in speech; or the power of music and song – Wilson proposes a transformational ‘Third Enlightenment’ in which the blending of science and the humanities will enable us to gain a deeper understanding of the human condition, and how it ultimately originated.
Available here
The Cult of Creativity: A Surprisingly Recent History – Samuel W Franklin
A history of how, in the mid-twentieth century, we came to believe in the concept of creativity. Named a best book of 2023 by the New Yorker and a notable book of 2023 by Behavioral Scientist.
Creativity is one of American society’s signature values, but the idea that there is such a thing as “creativity”—and that it can be cultivated—is surprisingly recent, entering our everyday speech in the 1950s. As Samuel W. Franklin reveals, postwar Americans created creativity, through campaigns to define and harness the power of the individual to meet the demands of American capitalism and life under the Cold War. Creativity was championed by a cluster of professionals—psychologists, engineers, and advertising people—as a cure for the conformity and alienation they feared was stifling American ingenuity. It was touted as a force of individualism and the human spirit, a new middle-class aspiration that suited the needs of corporate America and the spirit of anticommunism.
Amid increasingly rigid systems, creativity took on an air of romance; it was a more democratic quality than genius, but more rarified than mere intelligence. The term eluded clear definition, allowing all sorts of people and institutions to claim it as a solution to their problems, from corporate dullness to urban decline. Today, when creativity is constantly sought after, quantified, and maximized, Franklin’s eye-opening history of the concept helps us to see what it really is, and whom it really serves.
Available here
Related Podcasts:
Never Not Creative
A community for creatives to come together and tackle the challenges we face in the creative industry. From how to manage and improve your mental health, to getting paid what you’re worth and everything in between.
Available here
The New Music Business – Ari Herstand
Ari Herstand is the best-selling author of How To Make It in the New Music Business. Forbes calls him “The poster child of DIY music.” In this show, he deconstructs the brightest minds in the music industry, digging deep to find the tools, tactics, and strategies that listeners can use to run successful careers of their own. Ari offers straight talk with no fluff and doesn’t let his guests off easy. If there is a way, Ari will find it.
Available here
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