Now here's a video of Queen Latifah and Eve, two female hip hop lyricists and artists who, despite a male dominated industry, understand their creativity, their ability to expand boundaries, and their ability to be inspired by a problem, and by each other! They discuss what it was like doing a collaboration together for the first time. They collaborate with none other than the production team, Cool & Dre!
cool & dre queen latifah and eve in the studio
Showing posts with label creative. Show all posts
Showing posts with label creative. Show all posts
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Saturday, June 21, 2008
You are a creative being - Part 1
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Here's yet another inspirational post!
Do you know who you are? I mean really! Are you seeing yourself for the person that you really are? Are you seeing your full potential? Or have you closed your mind? Titles can limit the mind, creativity, and potential ... or extend those things. It's all in the person holding the title. In other words, are you seeing yourself as a creative person or just as a creative musician?
Do you see obstacles as impossible? Or do you see them as stepping stones? Do you, as a creative person, open your creative mind to see what else you can do to solve the problem? Then after you solve the problem, do you then see an opportunity to help someone else? Then do you see the opportunity to make money helping others solve the very same problems you have? do you even see all the potential that comes from a problem? or do you just see yourself as a ant trying to move a mountain?
Do you challenge yourself all the time to be as creative as possible? Are you a trendsetter? Or do you follow trends?
do you challenge your mind to think bigger? Or are you stuck in average? Do you realize that average is the enemy to greatness?
If you saw that you really need help in thinking bigger, being more creative, changing your perspective, and being more positive, here's some things I recommend:
Here's yet another inspirational post!
Do you know who you are? I mean really! Are you seeing yourself for the person that you really are? Are you seeing your full potential? Or have you closed your mind? Titles can limit the mind, creativity, and potential ... or extend those things. It's all in the person holding the title. In other words, are you seeing yourself as a creative person or just as a creative musician?
Do you see obstacles as impossible? Or do you see them as stepping stones? Do you, as a creative person, open your creative mind to see what else you can do to solve the problem? Then after you solve the problem, do you then see an opportunity to help someone else? Then do you see the opportunity to make money helping others solve the very same problems you have? do you even see all the potential that comes from a problem? or do you just see yourself as a ant trying to move a mountain?
Do you challenge yourself all the time to be as creative as possible? Are you a trendsetter? Or do you follow trends?
do you challenge your mind to think bigger? Or are you stuck in average? Do you realize that average is the enemy to greatness?
If you saw that you really need help in thinking bigger, being more creative, changing your perspective, and being more positive, here's some things I recommend:
1. read my other inspirational blogs on creativity!
2. read my other blogs on the music business because they will help you find solutions to some of the problems you may be facing.
3. spend time meditating on the these facts and truths: You are a CREATIVE BEING! The CREATOR of the UNIVERSE made you (created you) just like him! You CAN do anything! If it doesn't exist, you can CREATE IT! (and emphasize and meditate the words in caps especially). You CREATE SOLUTIONS. My CREATIVE MUSCLES are strong enough to move any situation out of my way!
4. listen to inspirational messages
5. read inspirational books
6. watch inspirational videos
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Creative Ideas for Songs - Part 3
In my prior blogs on creative ideas for songs, I talked about how to capture your ideas when they come and how to be opened to getting creative ideas for songs from anyone or anywhere. I even provided my own video on how I was inspired to write, Cops 'n Robbers. But how can you strategically, i.e. intentionally come up with creative ideas for songs? Here's a couple of places where you can start looking for themes, concepts and titles for songs:
1. Newspaper or magazine articles - great source for themes and titles.
2. Social/political events - great source to express your feelings and emotions about what you see, hear, and feel in the world. Hip Hop initially started as a means of expressing political and social injustice.
3. Current events - great source for new things to sing about.
4. Films/TV sitcoms - great source for concepts and themes.
5. Books - great source for titles.
6. Conversations - people say the funniest things sometimes. Capture those conversations in a song. Or listen for a story that you want to tell in a song.
7. Your own life - believe it or not, your life is full of songs. Think of things you always wanted to say to someone, or feelings and emotions that you wanted to express.
8. Other songs - I listen to songs that I love or WISH I had written to inspire me to write better.
9. Other people - if none of the above things inspire you, then it's time to collaborate and get ideas from other people.
Happy creative writing!
Thedy B, Attorney/Songwriter
Hits A Million, LLC
http://www.myspace.com/hitsamillionllc
http://www.hitsamillion.ning.com/
http://thedyb.magnify.net/
1. Newspaper or magazine articles - great source for themes and titles.
2. Social/political events - great source to express your feelings and emotions about what you see, hear, and feel in the world. Hip Hop initially started as a means of expressing political and social injustice.
3. Current events - great source for new things to sing about.
4. Films/TV sitcoms - great source for concepts and themes.
5. Books - great source for titles.
6. Conversations - people say the funniest things sometimes. Capture those conversations in a song. Or listen for a story that you want to tell in a song.
7. Your own life - believe it or not, your life is full of songs. Think of things you always wanted to say to someone, or feelings and emotions that you wanted to express.
8. Other songs - I listen to songs that I love or WISH I had written to inspire me to write better.
9. Other people - if none of the above things inspire you, then it's time to collaborate and get ideas from other people.
Happy creative writing!
Thedy B, Attorney/Songwriter
Hits A Million, LLC
http://www.myspace.com/hitsamillionllc
http://www.hitsamillion.ning.com/
http://thedyb.magnify.net/
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Creative Uses of Your Music Money
As I mentioned in my last blog, when I attended Patchwerk Studio's Music University IV, Coach K, Snake, and Melinda Dancil all stated that artists and artist managers need to be creative with their money. In other words, artists and we as songwriters must be smart with our money. You might not have agreed with me that paying $75 for people to attend Patchwerk's Music University IV was relatively expensive for a one-day conference. Some of you may not have even hesitated to spend the money. That's great. But I've decided to be more conservative, i.e. smart or creative, with my time and money. And I heard this said also from DJ Tony Neal at the Southeastern Music Awards in January 2008. At that event, he cautioned the indie artists about looking better than the major label artists who have deals, especially when the indie artists aren't working and do not have a deal but have wrapped vans, bling, designer clothes, and other expensive items to promote themselves. In other words, make sure you are getting your money legally, first! Then next stay within your budget and use your money for things that are really going to enhance and further your career. So some things just simply aren't worth my money.
Here's 6 tips on how to be creative with your music money (more will follow in future blogs):
1. Instead of continuously buying studio time, consider investing in a home recording studio. You can go to outlet stores, Guitar Center, and other music gear retail stores and buy music recording software (such as Pro Tools, Logic, Cake Walk, Fruity Loops, Nuendo, etc.) and equipment (mics, cords, headphones, speakers, mixer, and compressor) for approximately $2,500 - $3,500 depending upon the brand of the equipment.
2. Instead of buying cheap music equipment, be smart with your money: invest in quality equipment.
3. Want quality recordings? Invest in plug-ins. Invest in yourself to learn to use it or build a relationship with a studio engineer or a place that will mix and master your records.
4. If you a ghost songwriter and you have an okay voice and you pay to have other singers sing your songs for you, consider investing in a vocal coach instead. Yes, they can charge on average $25/hr to $100/hr. But again, you will recoup that money over time when you don't have to wait for an artist to fit your demo work into their time, when you don't have to pay anyone else to sing your songs, when you can sing the song exactly how you want it sung without having to spend time with vocal production having to teach the song to someone else, and when you save time.
5. If you press up a lot of CDs, it may be smart to purchase a CD/DVD burner instead of continuously using a CD duplication service.
6. Even smarter, purchase jump drives to store your music and to pass out to people. It holds more music than a CD/DVD. It won't skip and you won't have problems with scratches. However, because jump drives are so small, I do recommend buying something like a key chain or lanyard (if your jump drives doesn't come with one) to help you and whoever you give the jump drive to, to keep up with your jump drive.
Thedy B, Attoprney/Songwriter
Hits A Million, LLC
http://myspace.com/hitsamillionllc
http://hitsamillion.ning.com/
Here's 6 tips on how to be creative with your music money (more will follow in future blogs):
1. Instead of continuously buying studio time, consider investing in a home recording studio. You can go to outlet stores, Guitar Center, and other music gear retail stores and buy music recording software (such as Pro Tools, Logic, Cake Walk, Fruity Loops, Nuendo, etc.) and equipment (mics, cords, headphones, speakers, mixer, and compressor) for approximately $2,500 - $3,500 depending upon the brand of the equipment.
2. Instead of buying cheap music equipment, be smart with your money: invest in quality equipment.
3. Want quality recordings? Invest in plug-ins. Invest in yourself to learn to use it or build a relationship with a studio engineer or a place that will mix and master your records.
4. If you a ghost songwriter and you have an okay voice and you pay to have other singers sing your songs for you, consider investing in a vocal coach instead. Yes, they can charge on average $25/hr to $100/hr. But again, you will recoup that money over time when you don't have to wait for an artist to fit your demo work into their time, when you don't have to pay anyone else to sing your songs, when you can sing the song exactly how you want it sung without having to spend time with vocal production having to teach the song to someone else, and when you save time.
5. If you press up a lot of CDs, it may be smart to purchase a CD/DVD burner instead of continuously using a CD duplication service.
6. Even smarter, purchase jump drives to store your music and to pass out to people. It holds more music than a CD/DVD. It won't skip and you won't have problems with scratches. However, because jump drives are so small, I do recommend buying something like a key chain or lanyard (if your jump drives doesn't come with one) to help you and whoever you give the jump drive to, to keep up with your jump drive.
Thedy B, Attoprney/Songwriter
Hits A Million, LLC
http://myspace.com/hitsamillionllc
http://hitsamillion.ning.com/
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