Carl Hauck

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Interview with Carl Hauck

Published on 3/19/2007

By Artistopia

Q. At what age did you realize you wanted to become a music artist and why? There wasn’t any exact age or moment when I suddenly strove to become a music artist. It was more of a gradual occurrence, a warming up of sorts to the whole process of musical creation and performance. Q. Most music artists have that special someone or thing that influenced their decision to do music. Did anyone or something in your life play a major role in influencing you to go into the music business? One person who remains an inspiration to me, even after his death, is my former guitar teacher Ben Jinapantha. As a young kid I looked up to Ben greatly, not only as a musician, but as a person who cared greatly for others. He was also the first person to introduce me to music other than my dad’s Jethro Tull and Pink Floyd records—which, by the way, I came to appreciate later—but the point is that I began to form a musical identity independent of what I had been raised on. Q. In terms of the music, which major artist(s) influenced your style and why? To name only a few of the many artists who have influenced me is difficult, but some of the big ones recently are Andrew Bird, Sam Beam, and Will Sheff. Each has a unique dynamic, whether it’s Bird’s extraordinary sense of melody, Beam’s lyrical intimacy, or Sheff’s emotive capacity. But there are so many other artists that I am indebted to—too many to name. Q. With so many independent artists trying to make it, what makes you stand out from the competition? I’m not necessarily “trying to make it.” Of course, there is always a certain level of restrained optimism that I will “make it”—but as of right now, I’m just focusing on creating music that means something to me, with the hope that it will mean something to other people. In fact, I cringe at the notion of music as a “competition,” which reflects the “Battle of the Bands” mentality of the industry, where admiration and respect are replaced by jealousy, and the collective joy of musical creation is obscured by a constant anxiety with regard to individual success. Q. Music industry professionals are quick to say that being an artist means to gracefully fit a marketable niche in the industry. If you were offered an opportunity that asked you to be something you are not, would you do it to get your foot in the door? A musician could justify the compromise of artistic ideals in a pseudo-Machiavellian sense, but there is nothing intrinsically “graceful” or even “artistic” about generating marketability. Certainly, it’s great to have an audience, but a superficial attempt to receive critical acclaim is worthless in my book. Q. Making music is one thing, selling it is another. What types of strategies do you use in promoting your artistic work and getting it heard by the proper professionals? Actually, I don’t actively send my music out to “professionals,” but I do try to promote performances and recordings in hope of reaching real music enthusiasts. Q. In regards to wheeling and dealing, how important do you feel business knowledge is to making it in an industry filled with much heartache? I think it’s quite important to have some sort of business knowledge, as the exploitative nature of music business is no secret. And since you mention heartache, it is equally important to maintain an objectively practical sense of your dreams. In many cases, there’s a fine line between persistence and stupidity. Q. Let's fast forward to 5 years from now. What advice would you offer to struggling independent artists? If I was talking to a struggling independent artist in five years, I would probably be talking to myself, which isn’t socially acceptable. Q. Most successful artists are involved in charitable organizations that stand for a cause that hits close to home. In that regard, once you reach success, what charitable cause(s) would you like to be involved in and why? The cause with which I would become involved is in advancing of political awareness. Personally, I’m fed up with the symbolic sound bytes and the hollow ideology that pervade American political discourse. I’m not an insider, of course, but I do feel that I am fairly well-versed in a few political subjects. Well, we thank you for taking the time to interview with us and certainly wish you the best in your music career endeavors. There you have it ladies and gentlemen, an inside look into the mind of an independent artist struggling to bring their hard work to fruition in an industry where perseverance and thick skin means survival. No one said it would be easy.



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Interview with Carl Hauck