---
title: "Eat The Beatles (Influences and Growing Creatively)"

description: "Everyone stands on the shoulders of giants. Getting to know those giants and how they got so big helps us to become the artists we dream of being. In this episode, I focus on The Beatles as an example of how to digest influences, break down what makes individual works of art/bands/communities great, and how to take those influences to create something worthy of the time we spend creating."

status: complete

date: 2024-03-26

kind: solo

guestSlugs: []

listenUrl: "https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/lovemusicmore/episodes/Eat-The-Beatles-Influences-and-Growing-Creatively-e2hib7p"
appleUrl: "https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/eat-the-beatles-influences-and-growing-creatively/id1567355195?i=1000650459402&uo=4"
spotifyUrl: "https://open.spotify.com/episode/3vsHtmPMm5untnxsDS5XAZ"

topicsDiscussed:
  - "Creativity"
  - "Influence in music"
  - "The Beatles' creative process"
  - "Active listening"
  - "Musical analysis"
  - "Artistic growth"
  - "Overcoming creative limitations"

hostNote: |
  The melody should be the person at the steering wheel. That's the Beatles principle I keep coming back to, and it's the frame for this whole episode: how do you actually digest an influence instead of just admiring it from a distance?
  
  I use the Beatles as the case study because they're specific enough to learn from. The chaos and creative energy of the band members, the way their individual voices pushed against each other, produced something none of them could have made alone. I look at what Paul McCartney does with melody, what that chaos inside Abbey Road actually generated, and how to go from "I want to write melodies like that" to a concrete practice of breaking down what makes a thing work. Through influence you find the steps, and find the ones you skip too.
  
  The episode closes on a cue for when something is done: go to the point where you feel something deeply, and then stop. That's the standard, not the clock.

selectedMoments:
  - label: "Introducing the theme of influence"
    startSec: 19
    note: "I set the stage for discussing how to digest influences for creative growth."
  - label: "The power of creative digestion"
    startSec: 135
    note: "I elaborat on how to actively break down influences."
  - label: "Dissecting The Beatles' techniques"
    startSec: 227
    note: "A look into The Beatles' unique recording methods and collaborative environment."
  - label: "Engaging with discomfort in creativity"
    startSec: 452
    note: "I encourage embracing uncomfortable situations to enhance performance."
  - label: "The role of community in artistry"
    startSec: 810
    note: "I discuss collaboration and influence among artists using The Beatles as a reference."
  - label: "Bringing it all together"
    startSec: 1261
    note: "I share thoughts on balancing technical and emotional elements in music creation."

excerptQuotes:
  - text: "The beauty of what The Beatles had is they had the chaos and the creative energy of the band members themselves."
    startSec: 225
    reviewed: true
  - text: "You look at Paul McCartney, best melodies ever. I'm gonna try to write melodies like Paul McCartney and bring that kind of joy to making music."
    startSec: 543
    reviewed: true
  - text: "The melody should be the person at the steering wheel."
    startSec: 678
    reviewed: true
  - text: "You need to go to the point at which you feel something deeply and then stop because it’s done now."
    startSec: 1083
    reviewed: true
  - text: "Through influence, you can find those steps. And you can find the ones you skip too."
    startSec: 1398
    reviewed: true

faq:
  - question: "How can I use The Beatles as an influence in my music?"
    answer: "I discuss practical ways to analyze The Beatles' techniques and apply those methods to your own artistry."
  - question: "What do I mean by 'creative digestion'?"
    answer: "I explain how to actively process influences to shape your unique sound and style in music."
  - question: "What can I learn from The Beatles about collaboration?"
    answer: "In this episode, I highlight the importance of collaboration and the dynamics within The Beatles that fostered their creativity."

transcriptPublished: false

draft: false
---