BerkleeICE Series: Gary Powell Asks If Music Can Survive the Music Industry

In conversation with BerkleeICE founder Panos Panay, Gary Powell took the audience on a journey down his career path.

April 29, 2015

Songwriter, composer, and producer Gary Powell addressed a full house recently at Cafe 939. His larger than life personality and ability to both entertain and provide deep insight had the audience of faculty and students captivated at the latest Creative Entrepreneurs Lecture Series.

In conversation with BerkleeICE founder Panos Panay, Gary Powell took the audience on a journey down his career path. Having moved to LA, the man who would eventually go on to sell 69 million records, received rejection letter after rejection letter. Reliving the experience on the Red Room stage, Powell became misty eyed, remembering the first time he heard "yes." That "yes" just so happened to come from Walt Disney Records and started a relationship that would last until this day—resulting in a Grammy nomination and countless songbook albums for Disney's family films. 

The songs produced by Powell for Disney's storybook albums have become a staple in homes around the world and helped shape many children's earliest years. This is not something that Powell takes lightly and it is a fact that motivates him to always make the best music he can. "That one interesting chord tickles a child's brain. They dont know music theory, they just like it, and it changes the brain's chemistry." Having spent many years producing albums for children in his Austin, Texas–based studio, Powell noted that his work took on a whole new light when he saw a family dancing around a campsite to his music. This was a side of the production he had never actually witnessed. Powell went straight up to the family and explained who he was, recounting "it was a bigger moment for me than them."

Shifting focus to the state of the music industry today, Powell stood up from his chair, telling the audience that the problem with the industry today is in fact the musicians themselves—a bold statement to make to a room full of musicians. Calming the buzz in the room, Powell went on to say that it is the responsibility of the artists of this generation to recognize their own value and stay true to it, recounting that in his experience as a musician, "every time I said no, I added value." Of course, an aspiring musician cannot always say no to an unpaid opportunity and must also learn to nurture the "emotional intelligence to look behind the the curtain and decide when to make a stand." 

As the event drew to a close, Powell handed the baton to the musicians in the room to go out and drag music from the dirt. This generation, he said, has the ability to once again make music with meaning and integrity. Why not take that opportunity.

Browse BerkleeICE events for a list of future and upcoming lectures in the series. All lectures are open to the public.