We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ian Hicks. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ian below.

Ian, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

Back in 2001 a friend showed me Fruity Loops 3. Fruity Loops was an early version of the music software that many electronic music producers know and love today.

A lot of my friends gave up on music early in life, because they hated taking music lessons. The tedious scales and tasks assigned to them by instructors to improve their skills crushed their passion.

I too hated taking lessons, so I found a simple and effective workaround: Don’t take lessons. Instead, make bad music (and lots of it) for thousands of hours. Usually, making bad art leads to making good art (eventually).

Taking lessons might get you to the level of making good art within a few months. But the discovery process (experiencing the wonder in learning things at your own pace) is a great way toward creating your own unique sound.

I have taken some music making lessons since then, although my patience usually wears out and I go back to making music the “wrong” way (winging it and self discovery, then Google problems when they arise).

If you are feeling resistance to making art, waiting for the right teacher or opportunity to start, my advice would be: Just make bad art and enjoy the process. Don’t show anyone until you want to. Have fun with it.

Credit for this idea goes to Neil Gaiman, a fantastic writer.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I make electronic music as the producer Eko Zu. I’ve played music festivals like Lost Lands, Lightning in a Bottle, Northern Nights, and many more.

I also make music for clients, where they send me song ideas or sketches, and I send them back a finished song.

I was based in in San Francisco and LA for about 20 years, but last year I moved away and put my stuff in storage to travel. It’s cheaper to travel South America and Asia than to live in Los Angeles. I make music remotely and my quality of life has improved significantly.

A travel hack is getting a credit card that gives you airline miles. When you spend everything on the card and pay it regularly, you can get flights all over the world for next to nothing. Finding remote work and flying somewhere far with a low cost of living, or where your currency is strong, can make a drastic improvement in your happiness.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The feeling of doing exactly what you were put on this earth for, instead of questioning your purpose in life, has an incredible calming effect on the soul.

Facing financial hardships and relationship problems becomes easier to process when you are confident that (even though it isn’t easy) you’re doing what you were born to do is a big motivator in staying positive.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Be understanding and remember that nobody owes you anything (nor do you owe anyone anything). Exceptions of course when money or contracts are involved. But I’ve seen friends tear themselves apart being upset because an artist they helped years ago, suddenly didn’t want to work with them, or promoters decided not to book them.

It’s easy to get upset and hold grudges, but you’re only hurting yourself. Also, if someone doesn’t reply to you when you reach out, maybe and old friend or cold contact, it’s easy to take it personally. Remember that everyone is fighting a war we know nothing about.

Learning to not take things personally is one of the best skills to improve your mental health and outlook. It’s easier said than done, I know, but it’s a life practice.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://ekozu.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/ekozumusic
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/ekozumusic
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/ekozumusic
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ekozumusic
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/ekozumusic
• Other: https://linktr.ee/ekozumusic
  https://open.spotify.com/artist/3UTpx1qth1EZxywRjGywLQ?si=5483f04927ce4b7d

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