Thinking in Sound: Collaboration and Creative Partnership with Jeff Fiorello
Jeff Fiorello is vice president / executive producer at the world-renowned JSM Music in New York City. He has spent the last 15 years cultivating original music and sound content for the advertising world. With JSM, Jeff has gone on to help develop award-winning work spanning multiple genres for brands such as Microsoft, Verizon, FCAS, Michelob, Mastercard, Budweiser, and more.
LBB> What's your typical starting point when working on a new brief or project? How do you break it down, and how do you like to generate your ideas or responses?
Jeff> We always like to start with a creative conversation with our agency/brand partners. More and more projects seem to have accelerated timelines, but the best work always stems from having that face time - regardless of schedule. Music/sound may be a small part of the production timeline, but it can be crucial to a project's successful execution.
At JSM, we always work together to develop a creative POV for every project. We like getting in the room with the whole crew, discussing new ideas and references, and finding the best path forward. JSM has an amazingly musically diverse group of producers and composers, which lends itself to an incredibly powerful creative foundation. We discuss, agree, disagree... and then we do our thing.
Joel Simon (JSM's founder and CCO) always pushes us creatively and, over the years, has developed a strong creative culture here. We want to inspire and challenge everyone to push the envelope and create something they can be proud of with every project.
That culture, along with our respect and understanding of all our client's challenges, is JSM's lifeblood. We pride ourselves in always going above and beyond. It's all pretty easy to do when we walk into our beautiful new studio and get to collaborate with incredibly talented, thoughtful people, day in and day out. We get to call that work!
LBB> Music and sound are, in some ways, the most collaborative and interactive forms of creativity - what are your thoughts on this? Do you prefer to work solo or with a gang - and what are some of your most memorable professional collaborations?
Jeff> Collaborative and interactive, absolutely… but music is also personal, emotional, visceral, and entirely subjective for each listener. There's that old quote: "Writing about music is like dancing about architecture." This can be true... but in a collaborative process like what is required here, it's essential to discuss the why, what, and how music makes each of us feel the way we do. Collaboration is a must, and we have to talk it out.
I've heard the "I don't know how to talk about music" line spoken far too often during creative conversations.… and I wholeheartedly disagree with that statement. It's another testament to the importance of starting our process with dialogue and connection; getting to know each other and learning to speak the same creative language is crucial to positive collaboration. If you can communicate how a piece of music makes you feel, you're talking about music. JSM's job as your music partner is to help decipher the what and why.
Some fav collabs:
#1: We had Jimmy Fallon into JSM for Frito-Lay's holiday ad a few years back. It was a fun one. He sang on our arrangement of "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year." It was just an amazingly collaborative process. He worked for about four hours straight and wanted to keep going!
#2: Vocal directing Chester Cheetah (Max Koch) for a cover of "No Diggity." Young Jeff is still losing his mind with that one...
LBB> What's the most satisfying part of your job and why?
Jeff> The people... hands down.
Over the years, I've had the honour of working with who I would consider the most talented and creative individuals in our field. I've always believed that being surrounded by people better and different than yourself will push you, teach you, and keep you inspired. In turn, I love every aspect of what I do, and the day I wake up and feel like there is nothing left to learn is the day I retire from music and become an accountant.
A close second is experiencing my family's excitement every single time they see something I helped create on TV.
LBB> As the advertising industry changes, how do you think the role of music and sound is changing with it?
Jeff> Technology's role in ad music has been a double-edged sword.
On the one side, we can create and share high-quality custom compositions at an alarmingly fast rate and then quantify the emotional effectiveness of a target audience…. I do feel that we are beginning to lose sight of what it takes and means to create art. Even when that art is for brands. Keeping it subjective. Understanding that everything is not going to be for everyone. Trusting in an idea. Trusting in people. Taking time to create something unique together rather than expecting it to already exist on a shelf.
We've all seen the influx of hundreds of vast music libraries, and now functional AI composition and mixing is on deck. They will all move forward to be essential tools for the future of advertising. However, I will always put more stock in the talented people who hustle to create and communicate their ideas.
Surrounding ourselves with those talented, passionate, forward-thinking companies & individuals will move us toward positive creative growth. Which should always be the goal.
LBB> Who are your musical or audio heroes, and why?
Jeff> I wouldn't have my relationship with music without Brian Wilson and The Beach Boy's catalogue. I remember putting "The Beach Boys Today!" on my old Fisher Price record player when I was a little kid. The last track, "Bull Session with Big Daddy," is the band goofing off and playing in the studio. I realised then that these people made the songs I loved. Just people... and maybe I could do that, too.
But daily inspiration… not enough credit goes to the immensely talented composers in our field. These people create multiple works of art from the ground up daily. I'm constantly blown away by the skill and patience it takes to create and then evolve a composition to fit someone else's creative vision. It's inspiring to be a part of.
LBB> And when it comes to your particular field, whether sound design or composing, are there any specific ideas or pioneers that you go back to frequently or who really influence your thinking about your work?
Jeff> Joel and I have developed an amazingly synergistic process over my years at JSM, but it was quite the learning experience from day one. The quality and scale of what's created at JSM is just beyond anything I had ever been a part of. The creative side of our field is always fostered, but I've really learned here that our service & dedication is just as important as having a strong creative POV.
One of my first creative directors told me, "You know, Jeff, there are two types of people. People who see a pile on the ground and walk around it, and people who see a pile and pick it up. Be the second person."
Every project is different and has its own unique set of challenges. Creative or otherwise… but that's where the fun lives. There's no "one way" to accomplish what we do, and along with that, there are no wrong answers.
Pick up the pile. Build something. Anything.
LBB> When you're working on something that isn't directly sound design or music (let's say going through client briefs or answering emails) - are you the sort of person who needs music and noise in the background, or is that completely distracting? What are your thoughts on 'background' sound and music as you work?
Jeff> I like a little separation from outside noise when I need to focus. It's just the audio equivalent of horse blinders. Wait, do they make actual blinders for people at work? Quick Google search, they do exist... and they are weird...
Anyway, I do have a handful of playlists and artists that I like to pop on when I need to turn on my hyper-focus superpower, but I also find myself using noise-cancelling headphones or white noise just as often.
LBB> The quality of the listening experience and the context in which audiences listen to music/sound has changed over the years. There's the switch from analog to digital, and now we seem to be divided between bad-ass surround-sound immersive experiences and on-the-go, low-quality sound (often the audio is competing with a million other distractions) - how does that factor into how you approach your work?
Jeff> The content being produced will always dictate the role that music and sound can play, and the media or tech used must always be considered. It's a delicate balancing act between the visuals, VO, sound effects, score, etc. That's one of the huge benefits of original composition; we're always developing the music with the overarching creative needs and final usage in mind.
LBB> What does your 'listening diet' look like on a typical day?
Jeff> Wake up: Free-styling songs at my wife and dogs about how wonderful they are.
Subway to work: Almost always audiobooks or a new album (I love listening to albums front to back)
Studio: There's a lot of reviewing new compositions and playlist curation during the day, but we also have a shared playlist in the studio and take turns driving. It's more often than not a very eclectic playlist, but I have a soft spot for singer-songwriters & ‘90s rock.
Subway home: Usually a different audiobook
Evenings: Any song I can belt at the top of my lungs while cooking dinner.
LBB> Do you have a collection of music/sounds, and what shape does it take (are you a vinyl nerd? Do you have hard drives full of random bird sounds? Are you a hyper-organised Spotify-er…)?
Jeff> I have a fun little budding vinyl collection, but streaming was a game-changer. I have countless constantly-evolving playlists spanning different genres and decades. I love going down the rabbit hole of building playlists based on artists/genres or just an idea.
LBB> Outside of the music and sound world, what sort of art or topics really excite you, and do you ever relate that back to music (e.g., history buffs who love music that can help you travel through time, gamers who love interactive sound design… I mean it really could be anything!!)
Jeff> I'm pretty obsessed with cooking and baking. My favourites are usually exploring Italian dishes and finding really fresh ingredients (so simple & so perfect.) I also dig trying new cookie recipes. I can't swing that back around to music other than I'm always listening to music and singing while I cook!
LBB> Let's talk travel! It's often cited as one of the most creatively inspiring things you can do. I'd love to know what the most exciting or inspiring experiences you've had regarding sound and music on your travels are.
Jeff> Travelling the world and experiencing things outside of your day-to-day hustle is essential not just for staying inspired musically but also for growing as a human. I went on a long trek through Italy with my wife this fall. I returned excited by all the new experiences, flavours, and sounds I had in the tank. I've been so clear-headed, inspired, and ready to listen since I got back.
LBB> As we age, our ears change physically, and our tastes evolve too, and life changes mean we don't get to engage in our passions in the same intensity as in our youth - how has your relationship with sound and music changed over the years?
Jeff> Much like people's ears... I hope my relationship with music never stops growing.
I originally came to NYC with dreams of being a singer-songwriter. I performed as much as possible around the city and did a little touring overseas. I loved it, and the people I met in those years ultimately helped get me here. I still write, sing, and record, but my main focus has grown into producing/creative direction at JSM. Having the daily opportunity to connect with my passion and work alongside such talented creatives, producers, and composers really helps push me to work harder, share bolder ideas, and ultimately help develop better music.
