We recently connected with Akpanoluo Etteh and have shared our conversation below.

Akpanoluo, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

One night during the summer of 2015, Pharrell Williams appeared in my dreams. Donning one of his big hats, he walked down a supermarket aisle toward me. When he reached me, he asked: “what happened to your aspirations in music, Akpanoluo”? I woke up distraught.

Pharrell Williams had inspired me to become a producer in high school, but not knowing where to start, and with the louder familial messages encouraging me to pursue medicine, I left that aside. But passions have a tendency to catch up with you: despite excelling in the sciences and studying psychology and neuroscience at Yale, I realized during my final semester in 2010, while studying for the MCAT, that medicine was quite literally the last thing I wanted to pursue.

And so began my meandering journey back to the arts. I moved to NYC and went into advertising: it seemed like a good next move on the path from psychology to the arts. I’d enter an industry driven by creativity that was intended to drive human behavior. I made my way into analytics, and by 2015 I scored a role that led me to feel comfortable financially and in the progression of my career. I had begun networking to seek out analytics roles at music companies in 2014, and joined a singing group in early 2015, my first singing group since my college a cappella group. It was the perfect moment for an appearance by Pharrell.

Thus, his appearance was a punctuated moment in an already-simmering process. My brain was brewing, and awaiting moments to spur me on. The foundations for the true inciting incident took place a year after Pharrell’s visit: In December 2016, I went to LA for the first time, and while there, I facilitated numerous musical connections. I facilitated introductions between Kevin Olusola of Pentatonix, Goldlink, and my younger brother Eno, the latter of whom, unlike me, went more directly into music, having studied music at Wesleyan. I reflected on making these connections in an industry I didn’t even work in, while in a city I’d never before visited. And then, I met my friend Lauren Sattler on January 1st 2017. Our initial conversation about our love of music was so invigorating that I called my brother that night and conceived of hosting an event to bring together the musicians I knew so that they could give him, and each other, advice, feedback, and encouragement on their work.

That event took place on January 28 2017, and became my music community Soundshop. It has been a profound source of purpose for me over the past six years. It’s become a space where musicians can deeply connect with one another and with music enthusiasts. Through Soundshop, I’ve forged strong friendships with other musicians and community builders, with many becoming my closest friends. Fittingly, one of those close friendships cultivated through this community was with Lauren Sattler, who told me about the open position for the Head of Data role at Bandcamp, the role I now have, and which I consider to be my dream job.

While I see curating Soundshop’s music salons as an art form in itself, it’s also inspired me to broaden my creative horizons. Being surrounded by such passionate individuals, I’m constantly motivated to channel my energy more effectively. Thanks to Soundshop, I’ve not only found a solid sense of purpose but also been driven to venture into new creative spheres. At 35, it’s exhilarating to experience this personal growth, and I feel like I’m in the midst of a personal Renaissance.

Lately, I’ve been embracing various forms of improvisation. A standout has been Circle Singing, an improvisational group singing style, championed by Bobby McFerrin. One mesmerizing exercise that takes place during Gaia Music Collective’s Circle Singing events in Manhattan has us all seated around candles. We close our eyes, take in a deep breath, and sing, starting on a shared note. As we continue, each of us can choose a new note to maintain through the following breath, regardless of its harmony or dissonance with the rest. The exercise leads to an immersive singing experience that transports me in ways I never thought possible. After attending about six circle singing sessions, both through Gaia Music Collective and a friend I met there, I’m now filled with ideas for singing exercises, and it has become a new focal point for my creative journey. So much so that I’m even planning to host my own Circle Singing events through the Soundshop music community.

Akpanoluo, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am driven by a deep sense of curiosity, a desire to connect with people intellectually, and an abundant appreciation for music. Six and a half years ago, I found the synthesis of these passions in Soundshop. Soundshop is a music community that hosts monthly music salons that give a space for musicians to to discuss their musical journeys, perform their pieces, and engage in enriching conversations with an audience equally enamored with music.

Because Soundshop is so aligned with my passions, every Salon feels like a celebration: I get to hold space for musicians to be in touch with their evolution as they articulate it to others, and to witness their evolution as they are made to think of their work in different ways through conversation and meet future collaborators at my events. Artistic evolution thrives in community and collaboration, not in isolation. Despite not aligning with traditional music industry categories, my events offer a vital platform in the music world.

While the events themselves give me immense joy, I gain so much outside of the events, in particular through engaging with the artists outside of the events and watching them evolve. One deeply personal instance is my brother, Eno. I founded this community with his growth at the forefront of my mind; so seeing him tap into and evolve within the community I’ve built has been immensely rewarding.

Another prime example is rapper Conor Sullivan. He attended the first Soundshop in January 2017, as he was making his transition from spoken word to rap. And I’ve gotten to witness as he’s learned and mastered music theory, production, and sound engineering, while incorporating many musicians’ voices, including my own, into his songs, and soliciting feedback at every stage of the process of making his debut album.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My mission is to create immersive and participatory musical experiences. That can be as simple as hanging out with a friend or romantic interest taking turns sharing tracks and discussing what we love about those songs. Or it can be more akin to one of my Soundshop music salons, or a Circle Sing. I’d love to be a music supervisor one day, to curate the music for a film. Just one would be enough; I’d be immensely proud. I am currently dreaming up a Circle Singing-based event to host at the immersive audio installation Sonicsphere if it returns to NYC. And I remain committed to one day recording an album in ten rooms of a mansion, with ten musical collaborations I pulled together for each room, recorded using a binaural microphone traveling between the rooms, enabling the album listener to feel like they were there traveling through the space.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on NFTs. (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)

I hold profound philosophical reservations about NFTs — to the extent that I could envision writing an entire book on them. I would title the book “Tech Will Not Save Us: The Intersection of Art, Commerce, and Community.” In it, I’d examine how technology, without a forward-thinking, human-centered vision, can perpetuate existing issues instead of addressing them, as I see is currently the case with emerging technologies like NFTs and blockchain.

The book would commence with a retrospective on the internet’s evolution. Tracing its journey from ARPANET in 1969 through the dawn of modern internet commerce with the founding of Amazon and eBay in 1995, I’d aim to emphasize a crucial narrative: truly transformative technologies often stem from prolonged, unglamorous efforts fueled by public investment and uninfluenced by immediate profit motives. The importance of infrastructure investment for is often overlooked, but is vital.

Shifting focus, I’d dive deep into the world of blockchain, which is, in essence, still in its infrastructure stage, much like the early internet. While there’s enormous potential here, including for applications like NFTs, it’s vital to note that these applications are being built atop an infrastructure that is still maturing.

As a concrete example of my NFT-specific critique, I’d speak about the art world’s dynamics and the rise of NFTs, which showcase both its promise and pitfalls. While NFTs are hailed for their potential to democratize art ownership, I believe they fall short by treating art primarily as an investment vehicle. This paradigm intrinsically benefits the wealthy by facilitating tax evasion and money laundering, a problem already inherent to the art world.

I would then turn to a blockchain infrastructure project that does excite me, the Creative Passport by Imogen Heap. It embodies a future where musicians are empowered with clearly-defined ownership rights, and the music business pays fairly and transparently. Yet, like many promising technological endeavors, it’s currently hamstrung — not by its vision or utility, but because its long-term objectives don’t provide the rapid returns that investors usually seek.

The book would then pivot to American capitalism, which champions individualism in contexts detrimental to workers but beneficial for commerce. Conversely, the only embraced forms of collectivism centers on appeasing the shareholders of giant corporations.

I’d conclude with a hopeful vision: a world where art and technology exist in harmony, where artistic endeavors aren’t overshadowed by profit motives. But for that to become a reality, we must recognize the foundational work required in the early stages of transformative technologies, and champion an economic system that prioritizes long-term societal outcomes over quick gains.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.the-soundshop.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesoundshop
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/akpanoluo/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@soundshopnyc

Image Credits
There are numerous credits, which are in the file names. If the file names aren’t in the uploaded images as well, let me know! Akpanoluo – Jason Snell Plays Music with his Brain at Music and the Brain in 2022 – Alex Sgobbo (IG – @alexsgobbo).jpg Akpanoluo – Panel at An Evening of Songwriters in 2019 – Michael Clemente (IG – @michaeljclemente).jpg Akpanoluo – Shelley Thomas performs at Soundshop’s January 2020 Salon – Dizzy Senze (@feelingdizzy.wav).jpg Akpanoluo – Soundshop Jam Session at Club Curious in 2023 – Julia Drummond (IG – @juliadrummond).jpg Akpanoluo – Akpanoluo Photoshoot at Club Curious in 2023 – Shannon Caroll (IG – @sheannonleecarroll).jpg Akpanoluo – Conducting Demo from Mia Ibrahim at the Orchestra Salon in 2018 – Michael Clemente (IG – @michaeljclemente).jpg Akpanoluo – Soundshop Audience at Club Curious in 2023 – Julia Drummond (IG – @juliadrummond) .jpg Akpanoluo – Akpanoluo with Featured presenters at Music and Romance in February 2018 – Michael Clemente (IG – @michaeljclemente).jpg