PHILOSOPHY

–

I am a husband, father of four, full-time middle/high school music teacher, and working musician. Design has become a passion of mine in recent years, but my life is very full in many different facets. Sometimes it is difficult to compartmentalize, but ultimately the goal is balance. My old twitter bio was family/music/design, in that order. The three facets of my life regularly overlap, butt-in, intersect, interrupt, and intercede. Good, bad or ugly, its all me. 

I started learning the craft of design later in life, well into my 30s. Being a self-taught designer, I have often found myself in the weeds  (for various reasons.) There is no better way to learn than to fail, right? I am always learning and always trying to improve. It has been an incredible journey of self-discovery. There are seemingly endless parallels between design and music (or any artistic discipline), with many of the elements of either being interchangeable. 

The abstract angularity and timeless modernism of Thelonious Monk, the clarity and rhythmic virtuosity of Charlie Parker, the architectural complexity and exploratory nature of John Coltrane, the voice and ingenuity of Miles Davis, the bravery and structural freedom of Ornette Coleman — all are attributes you could interchange with any painter, photographer, dancer, graphic designer, architect, actor, sculptor, or writer. I often think of these parallels when I am working on design.

Another similarity between art/design and music are that it's purpose is often blurred in a similar way, frequently split between art, entertainment, and commerce.  How can I make something that is both effective as a marketing device, but is also creative, unique, artful, eye-catching and beautiful?  What can I create that is a reflection and representation of my influences, my experiences, and my taste — while at the same time, building connections with others? 

"The designer of today re-establishes the long-lost contact between art and the public, between living people and art as a living thing."  —Bruno Munari, from "Design as Art"

The concept of "Design as Art", (or photography as art, or architecture as art, or fashion, etc.) shouldn't be foreign to the creative musician — we are attempting to find a voice at the same time as finding an audience. My hope is that, through design, I can help you better reach your audience while at the same time creating something beautiful together.

— JAMIE BREIWICK