Today we’d like to introduce you to Ziad Fattah.
Hi Ziad, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
If my story on creativity were a song, the lyrics would go something like this:
Verse 1-
Teen to 20. Look at me. I’m cool. I have dreadlocks and I wear flashy clothing. I sing and play bass in a funk band. I study music in college. In fact, I have a Bachelors degree in music, but music theory isn’t for me. I defy conventional avenues to creativity. Look at me.
Chorus-
Creativity is something I’ve always valued.
Into my 20’s, it was a state fueled by substances.
And today, into my 40’s, it’s a state fueled by substance.
Verse 2-
30 looks scary. I have a son. I play acoustic guitar and my new values steer my mode of storytelling. I teach music to children. I write and direct musicals. I perform in a duo with a cellist. My inspiration comes from a deeper place, yet I have pangs of an old identity.
Bridge-
I’m more selfless. Responsibility has become heavy. I’m estranged from my 1-year-old son. The toxic relationship with his mother has splintered and split. I move to LA to start grad school and be a present father. I study special education and become a special education teacher. I gain full legal custody of my son. His mother cannot mother. Responsibility becomes heavier.
Chorus-
Creativity is something I’ve always valued.
Into my 20’s, it was a state fueled by substances.
And today, into my 40’s, it’s a state fueled by substance.
Verse 3-
40 teaches me new things. I value family. I value writing. I decided to stretch my creative voice through technology. I use a sampler, loop station, synthesizer, microphone and guitar to push the boundaries of my personal creativity. My musical dexterity allows me to use music composition as a tool for revelation, pulling the covers on aspects of myself I wouldn’t be able to do without music. I compose with no expectations.
Chorus-
Creativity is something I’ve always valued.
Into my 20’s, it was a state fueled by substances.
And today, into my 40’s, it’s a state fueled by substance.
Outro-
The music teaches me that anytime I make something out of nothing, I am being creative. Any form of expression is a creative manifestation of the formless world, and when I align that with the higher good, I am free, and the result is beautiful….sometimes. How do I know the higher good? I don’t. But through years of pain, trial and error, and good fortune, I can guess the vicinity.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The road has been far from smooth. Sure, I can say that the potholes and bumps are just part of the process and that joy resides in all of it, but the reality is that life sometimes sucks…..and sometimes the despair is completely self-inflicted. True, something positive can always come out of something seemingly negative, but that particular mindset can sometimes discredit the bad and take away from the space and time it needs to come into focus. If I’m constantly avoiding negative feelings, then I’m always in somewhat of an internal tug of war. This is the root of anxiety.
Struggles in my artistic career have taken many forms. Self-destructive behaviors can impede my full artistic potential. Attempting to balance family, work and leisure time can prove challenging and induce burn-out. Financial hardships can create scenarios where the art takes a back seat to survival, especially when one has children.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My full-time gig that puts food on the table and gives me the security my family requires is teaching kids with special needs. I currently work for a public district, and I help students with special needs access the general education curriculum in a full-inclusion setting. I am extremely grateful for my job and I am blessed enough to have the entire summer off in order to focus on my music.
In addition to creating and recording my own musical compositions, I work with a friend to produce and provide instrumentation on other people’s albums, as well as music for TV and movies. Under the name, ElephantBird, my friend and I have released a full-length album with the help of musical collective Peanut Gallery Network. We were fortunate enough to have a record company in Zurich, Buenaventura Records, press the album on vinyl for us and release it across the globe. Additionally, ElephantBird composed the music for an online series called BUDS and won a Telly Award for “Use of Music”. Once per week, I also teach a songwriting and recording class to children where I impart the fundamentals of song structure, composition and recording.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
Practice, research, practice more, try, fail, practice, try again, fail again, research, practice, refine your craft. Put time and energy into your craft and make something that you are truly proud of. Share it with the world. Sometimes, other aspects of your life will take a back seat and the craft will be the top priority, and that is ok. There will come a point where everything else leads back to your craft, and all of your surroundings become sources of inspiration for that thing you are wholly passionate about.
Pricing:
- Production and Instrumentation- $150 per song
- Film Score/Recording- $2000 per film
- TV Score/Recording- $1000 per episode
- ElephantBird “Little Moves” vinyl (Imported and autographed)- $40
Contact Info:
- Website: elephantbirdmusic.bandcamp.com
- Instagram: @moreopenmusic
- SoundCloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/tu94JYunnztR34zQ7
