We recently connected with Lauren Tyler Scott and have shared our conversation below.
Lauren Tyler, appreciate you joining us today. Can you share an important lesson you learned in a prior job that’s helped you in your career afterwards?
An important lesson I learned early in my music career was while accompanying a fellow musician and mentor to a bluegrass music festival in Northern California. I was fresh out of college with a music degree and endless directions I could walk in, and he gave me advice that I’ve referred back to for the past decade. As one of the performers at the festival, he told me to observe all the musicians I saw working there. He said that there are a million ways to play music and make a living without being a part of “the machine”; that these people I was watching were living their passion and feeding their families. I didn’t have to be the biggest pop star playing stadiums – I could be if I wanted to aim for that, but that was not what to measure success by. He told me my success would be based on my own fulfillment in my work, that there is no right way to have a music career. I think of that advice constantly as I navigate what kind of artist I want to be, and what will make me happiest as a musician rather than what I think society wants from me.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I was raised in a family where my father, my paternal uncles, and my grandfather were all musicians. They grew up playing in bands together, each on a different instrument, and so naturally they passed the music gene down to their children. Every holiday and family reunion inevitably evolved into all-night jam sessions, and with their lifelong influence, I was a bit predisposed to the life of an artist. I’ve been singing since I was two feet tall, but when I was 15 years old I taught myself how to play guitar and piano via YouTube, which then pointed me in the direction of songwriting, as I could all of a sudden create music completely independently. I have now been writing for over 15 years and I have found myself deeply in love with storytelling. The amazing part about songwriting is, if done honestly, it can act as therapy for me while being simultaneously relatable for others. I aim to connect with people by being extremely vulnerable with my internal dialogue, while analyzing the human experience. So, I’d say I’m in the business of making people feel that they can be unguarded via me (essentially) reading them my diary. In a society that encourages us to be perfect and productive and look and act a certain way, I hope people can listen to my music and remember that it’s okay to be whoever you want, that all rules are made up, and that your feelings and experiences are valid.
I released my debut EP “I Know You Are But What Am I?” last year, and I am very proud of it, as it represents a lot of topics we’re not encouraged to talk about openly, like anxiety and fatigue and imposter syndrome. I am excited to record and release more music this year, as well as actively perform live shows throughout the Los Angeles area. My promise to my audience is I will always be honest with you, and you can be honest with me.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
I sometimes like to imagine what society might be like if we compensated people based on the magnitude of what they do that we can not (or simply do not) do for ourselves. Examples that come to mind are sustainable farmers, educators, and of course, artists. Anyone who nurture’s growth – whether it be through physical food and nutrients, knowledge and world perspective, or emotional vulnerability, should be the people that we deem invaluable in society. These types of people give the human experience substance and purpose. Consequently, I believe a great first step in supporting artists and cultivating a thriving creative ecosystem, would be making sure artists are paid fairly for their work and can live and create comfortably, not just be the perpetual “starving artist” stereotype. When Spotify pays artists between $.003 – $.005 per stream (yes that’s less than a penny), and live music venues offer to pay the musicians in pints of beer (this literally just happened to me), there is no room for artists to create art with any sense of stability. In a world where art is valued over profit, our cities might offer artist grants – providing artists with living or work spaces where they can freely and comfortably create the art in which they give back to the world. We would pay artists for their time and treat them as though they are the true CEO’s and business owners of their work. Streaming services and music corporations would need to recognize that without artists, their entire business model fails and thus they must pay the artists according to that value. And nowadays with AI getting involved in the conversation, I believe it is more important than ever that we refocus as a society and rally behind our artists. Throughout time, artists have acted as vessels of inspiration that feels almost other-worldly, and that is not something AI can emulate. If we continue to devalue artists and choose profit over creativity, we will find ourselves in a dull and unimaginative world.
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
I have gleaned inspiration as an artist through a variety of texts and recordings. One album that had a significant impact on me as a young artist is “The Voice” by Bobby McFerrin. I would recommend this record to any vocalist as material to study because it is simply that good. It is a masterful example of how the voice is a physical instrument and you can play with it while learning to control it. He demonstrates the joy of music and the impressiveness of technique and precision all at the same time. This album made me want to work to be better, and I think that’s the basis of inspiration.
Two books that influenced my entrepreneurial mind as an artist are “The War of Art” by Steven Pressfield and “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck” by Mark Manson. As a creative, it can be difficult to approach your career from a logistical standpoint, and these texts give an interesting perspective on how to do so.
A point I internalized from ‘The War of Art” is treating your artistic self as “You Incorporated” meaning you are your own boss;, and your creative business is your 9-5. This perspective can help you as an artist to not treat everything so preciously and instead schedule your writing sessions, or whatever it may be, as part of your “work shift”. It is a great way to practice discipline rather than waiting for inspiration to strike.
And “The Subtle Art…” is intriguing because it offers the perspective of not taking yourself so seriously in a world that perpetually takes everything VERY seriously. I found this to be a helpful point of view for artists because it clears the way to be creative without needing to follow rules or pursue overwhelming goals.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/lotyscott
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lotyscott
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lotyscott
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/lotyscott
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/laurentylerscott
- Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/441UODu5n3EFmk0JxcstU1?si=KMtDg9nrQk6e1DLTBUc8KQ