We were lucky to catch up with Carl Tietze recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Carl , so excited to talk about all sorts of important topics with you today. The first one we want to jump into is about being the only one in the room – for some that’s being the only person of color or the only non-native English speaker or the only non-MBA, etc Can you talk to us about how you have managed to be successful even when you were the only one in the room that looked like you?
The dilemma of being the only one in the room that looks like me or has my skills is the answer itself. By realizing I had a larger ‘toolset’ of skills in music and video storytelling than anyone else I’ve encountered gave me the confidence I needed to forge ahead. I also was told many times by mentors to not worry about what others think about my work or me personally because the hard truth is that most people don’t think about anyone else’s work besides their own. This gave me a great deal of freedom to be myself.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I wrote my first piece of music at the age of 10, and by the time I went to college I had written a few albums worth of songs and taught myself electronic music production before computers were involved. At the University of Georgia I became the first student to create full tracks on a computer, and soon after started my career in video production. In 2001 I began performing live electronica under the stage name Solovox, and for twenty years became a staple of the Pacific NW music scene. I played countless festivals, eleven Burning Mans, and in 2010 almost caused the collapse of the Hawthorne Bridge in Portland, Oregon with 3,000 people dancing and causing the bridge to sway. I composed music for corporate clients and also created video game soundtracks.
I felt that something was missing however in my creative world; essentially I did not enjoy “only” creating music, and in 2017 I founded my own video production company Activator Media. Partly due to winning a YouTube contest rapping about Turbo Tax, my first successes involved making viral music videos for clients that helped promote their message. Everything changed in 2018 as I became the lead video producer for an American EV company based in Eugene, Oregon: Arcimoto. For the next five years I became Creative Director and produced over 300 videos for the startup, wherein I wrote, shot, edited and then musically scored all of our content. And this is where my two ‘worlds’ of creativity merged.
To be able to conceive of a visual idea as well as the musical accompaniment at the same time is my true superpower that has set me aside from the crowd, in my opinion. To edit a video while also composing the music simultaneously creates a cohesive vision and emotional impact. Arcimoto was able to therefore release videos about the product and company that convinced many observers the company had a full-fledged ad agency under contract. But in reality it was just me and a few others that were hired to assist me.
I’m currently producing car commercials for Oregon clients, and I’m also in four tribute bands. I’ve been the keyboardist in a Beatle tribute band (The Nowhere Band) for 25 years, and I’m also the sound designer and keyboardist for a Pink Floyd band (The Floydian Slips).
My website www.activatormedia.com shows my video work. All of the videos were created solely by me, including the original music.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
It all boils down to curiosity! Once I became interested in synthesizers I read everything I could. When I moved into video production I spent countless hours learning about it via YouTube which is now the greatest repository of human knowledge in history. YouTube has shown me that even though I have been using Ableton Live since 2002, I can still learn new things about it from younger users on YouTube that were born -after- I started performing live with the program in 2003. That’s amazing to me. And it’s only because of a persistent curiosity and refusal to think that I “know it all” that keeps the process fresh and expansive.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
Because of my experience with Arcimoto, I strongly feel that my greatest impact is working with startups. Startups need to gain exposure, and they need someone that can tell their story to the world. That was my number one job at Arcimoto, and I flourished in that role. Our content showed the world it was a serious company with a strong mission to reduce the carbon footprint of our vehicles and ‘right-size’ our transportation model. Startups don’t have unlimited funds to retain a full ad agency usually. But with me they get a copywriter, videographer, video editor -and- music composer all in one. Also a photographer, graphic designer, creative director and team leader. I enjoy working with startups that have an important mission to achieve other than just selling a product, and I want to help them tell that story to the world.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.activatormedia.com
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carl-tietze-a64049b/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@activatormedia2757
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/solovox
Image Credits
Rainbow stage photo courtesy of David Putzier
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
