Hamilton Hardin on Becoming a Complete Musician - Creative Strings Podcast Episode 37

Creative Strings with Violinist Christian Howes

Hamilton Hardin on Becoming a Complete Musician: Any Genre, Any Instrument Have you ever worked hard learning a jazz tune with all its 9ths, 13ths, half-diminished-whatevers, only to flip on the radio and hear a pop song with the same 4 chords over and over? Some musicians wonder how jazz and other styles are so complex but it’s the basic pop that sells mainstream. If you asked multi-instrumentalist and accomplished jazz musician, Hamilton Hardin, if he’d ever enter the pop world, he says he would have simply laughed. That’s why he surprised himself by serving as vice president of A&R (artists and repertoire), a multi-million dollar record label specializing in pop music. In this episode of Creative Strings Podcast, Hamilton reveals what makes pop music so appealing, how he gained a respect for the genre and what its like being producer, mixer, sound engineer, and editor for famous talent. This podcast also includes topics such as -What it’s like playing not 1 but 13(!) instruments -Why Hamilton practices first WITHOUT his instrument -How you can develop a “good ear” -Tips to grow your music business -The inside scoop behind his album “Just Wanna Say.” -Many stories, laughs, and inspiring moments When growing up, Hamilton Hardin was considered a music prodigy, touring Europe while playing everything from jazz to gospel in his hometown of Columbus, Ohio. Soon after, he arrived in Nashville, performed as a jazz session musician for singer Wendy Moten who happened to introduce him to legendary songwriter, David Porter. When Porter decided to launch his own music studio in Memphis, he turned to Hardin, offered him a critical job- vice president of Artists and Repertoire, the side of the music house responsible for recruiting and developing talent.