Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ken Powe. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Ken, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

Developing my craft began when I took piano lessons at 8 years old, which gave me the technical background to do what I do now. Having a knowledge of music theory and the ability to read musical notation aren’t really essential to musical success, however it does make many things easier and gives musicians more versatility. It’s the passion for music that is the key to development.

In the industry, I should have started spending more time learning about recording and the music business earlier. The myth that signing with a major label means that you’re set for life and you’re free to work on your art persists and is still very false. I think practically every musician starts out chasing that myth. I should have talked to experienced people, read books and spent more time on the other end of the studio console at the beginning of my music career.

As a recording artist, assuming you possess adequate musical ability, technical skills and business skills are most important. Technical skills such as understanding the recording process is helpful because paying others to put out a product can be a tremendous expense. Business skills are necessary because you have to manage resources carefully and make decisions based on what you expect to return financially both short- and long-term.

There will always be detractors and people who see you as a competitor. The key is to ignore them. There’s always good information available to those who seek it. Pride and arrogance may be the biggest obstacles to learning more.

Ken, 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 became a professional musician while I was in high school. It has always been much easier for me to find jobs playing music than doing anything else. Later, I started playing keyboards for artists who were touring in the Southeast along with a few local cover bands. Then, I got involved in recording and became a VP A&R at a small recording label and eventually ventured off into creating solo projects.

I’m most proud of the work that I created on my own, which resulted in six studio albums that still can be heard around the world. I would like my listeners to know that everything I put out on the market is sincere and from the heart. I only make songs that I would like to listen to myself. I don’t pander to commercial broadcast interests who insist that every song has a certain sound to fit their formats. If I’m inspired, I record it so the world can hear it. Hopefully, it’s well received.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

A book called, This Business of Urban Music, by James Walker. Another book, This Business of Music, by Sidney Shemel, is standard reading for any aspiring musician and should be kept as a reference.

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

As much as I hate admitting it, the most rewarding thing is the acceptance and enjoyment of my creation, whether recorded or live. This is hard for me to say because I don’t think a real artist should seek validation from others but should freely create expression whether people like it or not. But no one exists in a vacuum, so I take great pleasure in creating something that other people enjoy.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kenpowe.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kenp_keys
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ken.powe.98
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/kenp918
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5CNsBJ_KjpGmsGe_RpqsxQ

Image Credits
Tom Scheiker, Germany