The title of this post is taken from a book written by the late, great Sir George Martin; ‘the fifth Beatle’ and the one who made the Fab Four famous. Martin passed away on March 8, and with that we lost a musical genius, a visionary and an inspiration to many.
Here are some lessons he left us:
- To get the best out of others, treat them with respect: In an interview with Linnda Durré, Martin shared his technique for getting a diverse group of people to work together. “I think it makes good practice to treat all people the same. Whether it’s the tape operator or the star, I have found I get the best out of people that way.”
- Trust your instincts and your intuition: When he first heard the Beatles, Martin didn’t think their performance was that special, but his instincts told him that there was something there. And he was right.
- Keep the love of innovation: Don’t be afraid to do things differently and to look for opportunities. George Martin was the first to introduce some experimental production techniques – some of them we still use today, and many which changed the way music was made forever.
Sir George Martin will forever be remembered for the music he made, for how he made it and for the way he followed his dream. As The Independent puts it, “Fortunately for us all, his influence is scattered everywhere” and will forever be found in his music.
