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Listening to people speak about creativity is interesting, but watching first-hand someone’s creativity at work is an entirely different experience, one that was brought to attendees as the 10th annual VM Summit came to a close.

Set as a dialogue, Ted Gioia, an expert on business creativity and music, returned to the VM Summit stage to introduce and speak with Bill Charlap, Grammy award-winning jazz pianist, bandleader and educator. The dynamic discussion melded the worlds of music and creativity and the unique structure and relationship between them.










“We’ve been talking a lot about creativity, and there is no better way to learn about it than to hear from someone whose job day in and day out is to be creative,” Gioia said.

The conversation touched on various aspects of being a creative individual such as creativity on command, finding inspiration as well as coexisting and collaborating with other creatives.

Ted Gioia (l), business expert on creativity, interviewed jazz pianist Bill Charlap about the connection between creativity and music.

Charlap ended the session as he played the piano and took song requests from the audience.
For Charlap, the energy of music and creativity was always present in his home growing up with his father, who was a professional songwriter. He noted how important it was to keep the momentum going by actively seeking inspiration instead of waiting for something to come along and inspire you.

“It’s about not waiting for inspiration but having the creative juices flowing all of the time,” he said.

When asked by Gioia how he prevents his job from becoming routine after all of these years, Charlap explained that there is still newness to be found in every experience. It’s having the ability to approach an idea from a fresh perspective and use that as a muse.

“The mystic of jazz is that it’s different every time,” he said. “Music is still rife with ideas. It’s a canvas. I don’t think about every single word I’m saying before I say it. It’s instantaneous. That’s how music is. It’s a language.”

And while that is what keeps the creativity flowing, Charlap also recognized that there is a concrete process and methodology to creating, a concept parallel to what Gioia illustrated with “thinking inside the box” during his earlier session.

“There is still a structure, and that structure is a stringent structure. You have to have creativity within the frame.”

Within the frame of creativity, working with other creatives can be presented as a challenge. While confidence is attractive, it is imperative to be able to listen not just to what is being said or done but to the subtext of what is being said, Charlap explained.

“I’m lucky. People I worked with, iconic figures such as Tony Bennett, Barbara Streisand, Steely Dan and Wynton Marsalis—you know they want you to be yourself. And they want you to bring what it is that is special about you to the table,” he said. “And at the same time, it’s about listening all the time.

“Look at Fred Astaire and Ginger Rodgers. One is not the leader. They’re both dancing along with each other and playing with each other. And even if I’m playing alone, I’m playing with the sounds of the canvas that exist within my inner ear.”

Through his career, working with musical legends and becoming one in his own right, Charlap offered his advice to the younger musicians who are just starting out. Charlap advised younger musicians who might still be struggling with creating on command and finding inspiration to work on equipping themselves with a full box of tools.

Charlap ended the session and the Summit by demonstrating his creativity with musical prowess as he sat at the piano and accepted song requests from the audience.

jwilson@jobson.com