There’s some merit to unconventional beliefs relating to spirituality and mindfulness, especially in guiding one’s path in music creation and the music business. Much of what steers Netherlands-based producer Tantu Beats - and what has led to much of his success in music - are just that: A level of mindfulness in the creative process. Here, we lay out four concepts of mindfulness that creators should adopt according to Tantu Beats.
In Episode 4 of Pay The Creators, Tantu Beats reflects on early decisions that led to his long-term success as a music entrepreneur who has worked with a roster of global artists, from Cosculluela in Puerto Rico to Higher Brother in China. But unlike many interviews where creators only talk about their influences and creative process, Tantu often referred to concepts of mindfulness throughout the episode. One can conclude that his musical milestones can be attributed to the mindfulness that he implements in his creative process and daily life: Manifestation, intention, energy, and consciousness.
Manifestation
Manifestation refers to an act of calling something that you desire into existence. Think: law of attraction type of vibes. We’ve all adopted a form of manifesting in one way or another, especially when we wanted something to happen. There’s something profound and compelling about the idea that you can make your wishes come true by mentally visualizing them. However, according to Tantu Beats, people tend to misunderstand manifestation as if it’s something you simply pronounce, leave it at that, and then the thing you desire will come. On the contrary, identifying and calling out that thing that you want is just the first step to achieving it.
According to Tantu Beats, here are the things you must also do to truly manifest that goal you want to achieve in music:
You have to feel connected to the goal. Only if there's a genuine attraction to a goal you set, your subconscious brain will help you make decisions that lead you to the manifestation of that goal. Tantu Beats explains, “Me screaming out loud ‘I'M GOING TO PRODUCE A SONG FOR DRAKE’ is not going to do anything if I'm not the biggest fan of his music and really want to be part of it. The energy just doesn't go anywhere.”
You must also think big. When you believe something can be achieved, your mind will find ways to do it. The power of thinking big also plays into a sense of freedom the moment you claim a future that seems out of reach at the moment.
“When manifesting something,” Tantu Beats says, “visualize the path to get to that goal.” He gives an example of producing music for a Pepsi TV commercial: “I’ll create the music utilizing Pepsi products, for instance. I can totally see how I can make that happen. I just have to work through the steps and wait for the right opportunity.”
Lastly, take action towards that goal. He explains that going in knowing the path as well as the struggles you might face along the way will cultivate acceptance which is a part of the process of manifestation. From there, once you take actual steps towards reaching the goal, what you manifested will likely come to fruition in one form or another.
Understand that if you say one thing, you're gonna have to do another thing to get there. - Tantu Beats
Intention
We often mistake intention and goals for being one and the same. However, a goal is an actual object or outcome a person wants to attain. Intention, on the other hand, deals more with your purpose and the journey that you embark on to reach that goal.
When speaking of the importance of identifying your intention in the music creation process, as well as the intention you should have when managing your business as a music entrepreneur, Tantu Beats has this to say: Know your “why”.
When it comes to the creation process, take note of why you’re really doing it, because you’re going to need that “why” to recalibrate when you find yourself getting off course, especially when you step into the commercial world. Tantu Beats points out that this commercial world - the music industry - brings in the importance of opinions, numbers, and monetary gains, placing passion and creativity on the back burner. Social media likes and views are examples of factors that can have an impact on decisions you make in regard to what and when you decide to create.
The more you allow external factors in, the more you’ll drift away from your original intention behind why you’re creating, and at some point you’ll realize one month or even years later that you’re doing something else than what you originally intended to do. So, when you find yourself deviating from your course, revisit your original intention behind creating. According to Tantu Beats, whatever that reason was, recognize that you had the purest intention in mind at that time because there wasn’t an outside world that pushed you into a certain direction.
Energy
Energy is another esoteric concept in this age of woo woo-isms that’s often used to express a vibe - as in positive or negative energy - that’s felt. Energy is like a subliminal component that can make or break a potentially successful process and production. For creators, Tantu Beats explains that energy is imperative when it pertains to your creative work, your work environment, and especially the energy or vibe you have with who you collaborate with.
Tantu Beats' message: Choose the things you put your time into based on how much energy it gives you, which involves your will to do something. If you think of a project or a collaboration that gives you life, Tantu Beats says to get up and do it because it excites you. Think of it as an intrinsic motivation to do or not do something, and to stay true to what your intuition tells you. This leads us to the final concept: Consciousness.
Consciousness
Consciousness, in Tantu Beat’s terms, refers to a combination of intuition, mentality, and even humility - attributes that can help a producer achieve success in the music industry. For instance, being conscious is beneficial for human relations in that creators can adjust to the diversity of personalities and situations in the music industry.
Second, being conscious also contributes to one’s drive to stay consistent, even through difficult times. Such levels of consciousness, Tantu Beats believes, will steer creators back to their “why”. Ultimately, it’s important for creators to be conscious of their physical and mental state, and to know when to take breaks.
Whenever I need to be conscious, life will tell me.
To encourage other creators to stay consistent and avoid the burnout that can occur during the creative process, Tantu Beats developed a physical product, dubbed Tantu’s Timer, a kitchen timer of sorts that puts the Pomodoro technique - a time management method - to action. The idea behind Tantu’s Timer was to help creators stay present, to release dependency on distracting devices, and to reduce mental fatigue. Ultimately, he designed the product to remind creators that they still have the ability to focus on things that they really want to focus on, and sometimes it just takes a little something - like a creator-friendly cube with a kitchen timer built in - to become more mindful during the creative process.
Episode 4 of Pay The Creators featuring Tantu Beats is available on all streaming platforms.
