FastCo: Is Jazz School the Next Innovation Incubator?

In 2016 I wrote an article for Fast Company that built our confidence we could write the book that became Two Beats Ahead. It was essentially a day-in-the-life of our Berklee College of Music course, “Creative Entrepreneurial Mindsets,” which at the time, was still a prototype. Something I didn’t dig into at the time was why Panos felt strongly that we needed to teach off-campus in order to take our students out of a classroom mindset and put them into an innovation mindset. The first classes were held at a co-working space across from IDEO, and by the second semester we moved them to the IDEO Cambridge studio a block away.

Never underestimate how environments shape your perspective. Artists do this all the time: It’s why Radiohead has repeatedly rented abandoned mansions for recording, why Bowie went to Berlin in the 70’s, and why the Stones went to Muscle Shoals. Every space has it’s own history, vibe and purpose and therefore affects how you approach your work. You probably know this already if you’re working from home during the pandemic. How you set up your space can make all the difference in whether or not you have a creative day.