Town Hall Seattle Arts & Culture Series

What kind of beat is irresistible to listeners, and how is it achieved? What makes a musical collaboration successful? What can musical minds teach us about innovation? They don’t think like we do, and in the creative process, they don’t act like we do. R. Michael Hendrix believes it isn’t a coincidence that some of the world’s most respected creators, like Jimmy Iovine and Bjork, are also entrepreneurs. The designer and musician joined us to share from interviews he conducted for his book Two Beats Ahead: What Musical Minds Teach Us About Innovation. He discussed conversations with some of the biggest names in music, and how their musical strengths correlate to innovative business practices: with Justin Timberlake, he spoke about the importance of demoing; with Jimmy Lovine, the essentials of acute listening. Hendrix shared secrets to maximizing results in a collaboration from Beyoncé and Pharrell Williams. He imparted the importance of experimentation from musical pioneers Imogen Heap and Radiohead, and pro