Ep 5: Creativity, Deadlines, Spreadsheets, and VGM Jazz (insaneintherainmusic / Carlos Eiene)

Success = consistency over perfection. That's the biggest takeaway I took from my value-packed interview with Carlos Eiene, aka, insaneintherainmusic.

Success = consistency over perfection. That’s the biggest takeaway I took from my value-packed interview with Carlos Eiene, aka, insaneintherainmusic.

We chatted about his origins, his influences, his advice for young composers, the STARS system he uses for sight-reading music, his fascination with checklists, and the neuroscience of remembering things.

We walk through his entire process for making videos, from the idea to the upload, and how he balances the improvisational nature of jazz with shipping consistent content.

What does Carlos think about when he solos? What’s his sacred checklist?

He breaks down the power of repeatable processes. Oh, and why he hates the book, “The War of Art.”

This multi-instrumental, incredibly talented video game jazz musician has so much value to offer. I hope you enjoy this interview as much as I did. 🙂

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TIMESTAMPS — JUMP TO YOUR FAVORITE PART OF THE INTERVIEW!

1:00 — The origin story (his first video game music and jazz experiences)

5:30 — What made him fall in love with jazz

7:00 — How has he gotten so good at so many instruments?!

7:50 — “Hitting the shed” and other cool Berklee slang 😂

9:03 — The single most valuable way to improve as a soloist

10:25 — His “desert island” album and other influences

14:30 — His whole process from idea to upload (The Sacred Checklist™)

16:30 — The power of mechanical, repeatable processes

19:10 — The balance between improv and practice in his videos

21:32 — “What’s going on in your head when you solo?”

25:03 — His tools for mixing and the simple secret to good mixes

29:45 — Our beef with audiophiles and snobbery

31:25 — The “STARS” system for sightreading

34:05 — Carlos calls me out for sucking at the piano 😂☠

35:00 — Mind-Blowing Algorithmic Sax Soli™(holy crap)

44:45 — Creative philosophy and dealing with backlash

49:57 — Why Carlos hates the War of Art!!

52:30 — Scheduling, Calendars, Deadlines, Oh My!

55:40 — The part of video production he can’t stand

58:45 — The future of insaneintherainmusic

1:00:00 — The VGM Real Book!

1:02:49 — Keys to YouTube and Patreon growth

1:05:22 — Interview recap

Thanks for listening!

This interview is also available on YouTube

Composer Code is also available on all popular podcast services. Just give it a search and you’ll find it!

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