Smash Notes

Back to #18 — Burt Blackarach — Music Man, with Burt Blackarach.

Who Is Producer Burt Blackarach?

James Beshara introduces Burt Blackarach as a Grammy-winning composer, producer, DJ, and sound engineer, known in part for production work with Public Enemy and about a dozen other acts. Blackarach grew up around music. His father, soul and rock keyboardist William Smitty Smith, played with artists from Bob Dylan to Rick James to Fleetwood Mac, and Beshara says watching that work is what pulled Burt toward making music himself. The conversation is about the private cost of that career. Blackarach describes record deals as an expensive form of validation, which is the thread Beshara asks him to unpack.

Transcript

#18 — Burt Blackarach — Music Man ·

Below the Line with James Beshara

More from this episode

  1. What Is the Expense of ValidationWhen making something creative, you want to take it to the next step and have someone on to believe in you.
  2. What Does Publishing Mean in the Music IndustryBurt gives the scenario of a person writing a song and there’s 200% to share. He says that 100% is the recording.
  3. What Did Burt’s Parents Do in the Music Industry That Was Unheard ofThey started their own publishing company. It was his mom that really looked into the details and encouraged her husband to do startup the business.
  4. How Do You Balance Success and InsecuritiesBurt states that balancing this line is constant and never goes away.
  5. Why Do Bands BreakupAs an example, Burt states that for a band with five individuals, you can’t balance all five personalities.
  6. Who Are Burt’s Biggest SupportersHis mom and his wife. Not once has his wife ever suggested that he should stop doing what he’s doing.
  7. What Makes People JealousBurt states that people weren't jealous of him having money, but of the life that he lived, the things that he prioritized, and living the life he wanted was…
  8. What Is Something Shared Between Founders and Band MembersJames Beshara says you can almost form a shared bond of insecurity and the need for validation.
  9. What Are Three Stories That Have Shaped BurtOne story was in the 80s, when Burt and his friend were popular DJs at high schools and the local L.A. area playing for parties.
  10. How Did Burt Know What to Charge When Playing at PartiesBurt was told by his dad to charge as much as his mouth could say.
  11. What Completely Opened Up Burt’s WorldAnother piece of advice that his dad told him was to know all kinds of music. At the time, he and his friend were both just stuck in their genre.
  12. What Happened When Burt Discovered Other Types of MusicIt completely opened up his world. He listened to jazz and deeper soul music. He started finding original samples to songs that he was already familiar with.
  13. What Has the Exposure to Jealousy or Envy Been Like for BurtHe states that he is lucky because he doesn’t feel envious or jealous of what other people have.
  14. What Are the Two Key Components That Are 50/50 in BusinessThe ability to create and the ability to utilize the scene and network.
  15. How Has L.A. Changed Since Burt Was Younger to His Age NowHe states that one of the biggest things that has changed is that people complain a lot about gas prices. The air quality has also changed since then.
  16. What Is Something That You Think About Often, but Don’t Ever Get the Chance to DiscussFor Burt, it’s the psychology and mental side of the music business.
  17. How Did Burt Handle Mental Approaches That Worked Against HimBurt restates how lucky he was to have his mom, wife, and writers with him.
  18. What Is the Best Way to Spread New IdeasWhen it comes to new ideas, you should get people naturally and organically interested in what you’re doing.
  19. What Were Some Health Issues That Burt Had to OvercomeHe tried to ease the pain by drinking or smoking. April 2016, he started to deal with the pain, and this lead him to be on his back in the floor for two weeks.
  20. What Caused Burt to Stop DrinkingHe got a DUI in 2011. Then, he promised that he would not get behind the wheel if there was a drop of alcohol on his breath.
  21. What Should You Do With Praise or Criticism, According to Burt Blackarach?Burt Blackarach tells James Beshara that he used to take every reaction into his body, good or bad, until he had to start over.
  22. Why Would People Procrastinate as a Form of Self-medicationJames states that a person will medicate by procrastinating because they are unsure about how their actions will be received.
  23. How Is Procrastination PerceivedTo James, he sees it as the silent killer of the soul.
  24. How Has Airbnb Impacted Burt’s LifeBurt attributes Airbnb for him being able to achieve three of his biggest dreams in 2013 and 2014.
  25. Why Is It Important to Spend Time Each Day to Reflect on YourselfBecause you could become brainwashed by an idea.

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