“A CEO had better be able to go rock some beats at the local club down the street. And if they can’t do that, then they’re not using their full multidimensional capabilities, and they are going to be beat out by somebody who does.”
—Hank Shocklee, Two Beats Ahead pg. 220
In Two Beats Ahead, we interview some of the nation's top musicians and business leaders about how they approach innovation differently. We speak with Justin Timberlake about the importance of demoing, and discuss the essentials of acute listening with Jimmy Iovine. You’ll learn the secrets to maximizing results in a collaboration from Beyoncé and Pharrell Williams. You’ll learn the importance of experimentation from musical pioneers Imogen Heap and Radiohead, and have a front row seat in a conversation about producing with T Bone Burnett and Hank Shocklee, co-founder of Public Enemy.
A window into these brilliant mindsets, this book equips any entrepreneur or innovative thinker with tools they can put into practice to thrive in an evolving world.
Watch this short video about Beyonce’s innovative hit, “Hold Up,” inspired by a story from the book!
Featuring interviews with Pharrell Williams, T Bone Burnett, Gloria Estefan, Imogen Heap, Hank Shocklee and many more, Two Beats Ahead shows what the musical mind has to teach us about innovation.
From two innovative, musical minds
We’re two friends that met each other when our careers crossed paths at Berklee College of Music. But even before we met we both realized how much our music backgrounds informed our career success, which honestly has been surprisingly good. Panos is President of the Recording Academy, best known for the GRAMMYs, and Michael runs his own business in Iceland after serving as the Global Design Director at IDEO, one of the world’s leading innovation and design companies.
We’re Live!
Two Beats Ahead Live! Is a podcast inspired by the book. When Michael moved to Iceland he was blown away by the ingenuity and creativity of so many people he met. They all could have been in our book too! Two Beats Ahead Live! In Reykjavík felt like the best way to share their stories with the world.
“[Two Beats Ahead ] makes a sound case for why the arts should play just as central a role in education as maths and science and that to meet the ever-increasing complexity of the world’s challenges ‘it’s not about making the false choice between science or art, mathematics or music, but about emphasizing both’.”
— Financial Times
“Two Beats Ahead is the first of its kind — a book that turns on its ear the popular myth that business and the arts are at odds with each other. There is so much we can learn from musicians about innovation and creativity in business…”
―Amy Cuddy, social psychologist & bestselling author of Presence
“At its heart, this is a book about the creative journey. While the main ingredient is music, it is spiced with entrepreneurship, leadership and design. The result is one that will be of great inspiration to anyone looking to expand the reach of their creativity.”
―Tim Brown, Chair of IDEO & author of Change by Design
“This book shows how thinking like a musician can provide valuable lessons for entrepreneurs, educators, and anyone who's trying to create something new.”
―Hrishikesh Hirway, creator & host of Song Exploder