This is the work of a coach. An artist knows when his work is sub-standard; the songs are his babies, so he needs to defend them, but deep inside he knows when he’s under-delivered. You’ve got to touch this mental / spiritual space inside him to inspire him to do better, but how do you gain this level of trust where you can inspire an artist to do his best work? John inspired Paul and vice versa; they wanted to top each other; they wanted acceptance & admiration (like we all do). By showing faith, you inspire. The artist / songwriter knows when you’re on his side; when you believe he’s great. When he sees you’re disappointed, he wants to make it right - it’s human nature. We’ve got to inspire our songwriters and artists to not only take risks, but to do their best work every time they sit down to write.
When George Harrison showed up with a new song he had written for “Sgt. Pepper”, George Martin (record producer) was disappointed because he knew George could do better. Instead of saying nothing because it really didn't matter (“Sgt. Pepper” would sell millions regardless of how good the songs were on it), Martin decided to motivate Harrison. He told him that “Pepper” would be a fantastic album, and he knew that George could do better.
Pete Drake, George Harrison, Ringo Starr Nashville, TN @ Music City Recorders – renamed Studio 19 where we do our demos.
You expand your mind by surrounding yourself with people who are good sounding boards, who put your art above everything else. We all aspire to do our best work, but often we need context and parameters, and that’s what a great producer or coach can do for you. George Harrison trusted George Martin when he said that he could do better. He listened to him, went back into the writers room, and came back with “Within You Without You”.
- story used with permission from Bob Lefsetz
What heights will you reach with the proper coaching?