We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Marcus Cole Balkissoon a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Marcus Cole, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

When I was 13 I got introduced to drums through my cousin, which helped plant the seed of my musical passion. By the age of 16 I got FL Studio from a friend. As soon as opened the program and got into producing/remixing songs the feeling was so right. It was almost instant from that point, that I knew I wanted to purse music for my entire life.

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 first got into music as a producer/dj, I fell in love with production and crafting songs fairly quickly. Leveraging those skill sets I ended up producing some songs/remixes that have gotten on Spinnin’ Records and Monstercat which was my dream at the time. After that period of musical discovery I decided to start songwriting and recording on my own songs. Which lead to a new found rebirth in my musical career. It felt as if it was the last missing piece to help evolve me to the next natural stage to be able to truly express my artistic visions.

Now I typically work on production/songwriting work with a few artist at a time helping create something they are truly happy with. I’am currently freelancing at a recording studio so all my clients are able to utilize amazing analog mixes with digital precision. I like to understand an artist’s inspirational north star. Translation bertween the language and understanding of songwriting is easier to comprehend and express due to my experience recording and singing/writing my own songs. At the same time I am still working on my own songs as an artist and slowly evolving in that area.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

There were a few books that really helped with my growth as an artist and person. One of my favourites is Be Here Now by Ram Dass. This book really helped challenge my perspective and mindset, highly recommended to anyone. Another book that is more targeted towards my industry which I think is a must read is The Creative Act by Rick Rubin. One of the worlds most prolific producer/creator breaks down the fundamentals of creativity, it was a game changer for me.

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

When I create something that resinates with me there’s an energy that’s received. When that energy is transmitted through to someone else and received the same why It’s a special moment and a testament to the power of music. Being apart of something that can potentially effect someones mood and emotions with just frequencies is a privilege to me.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/markuscole
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarkusCole
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MarkusColeTV
• Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/02NcCKPAkMt91fnwTSDhfC

Image Credits
Taija Grey – https://www.instagram.com/jesusssister/