10 Pearls of Wisdom From Tom Waits

10 key insights for music creators from iconic American singer, songwriter, musician, composer, and actor Tom Waits.

With this trademark growl, his incorporation of pre-rock music styles such as blues, jazz, and vaudeville, and experimental tendencies verging on industrial music, Waits has built up a distinctive musical persona and has influenced lots of songwriters. His most widely known songs have been covered by popular artists: “Jersey Girl”, performed by Bruce Springsteen and “Downtown Train”, performed by Rod Stewart. He has been nominated for a number of major music awards and has won Grammy Awards for two albums, Bone Machine and Mule Variations. In 2010, Waits was chosen to be inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011.

He has worked as a composer for movies and musical plays and as a supporting actor in films, including Down By Law and Bram Stoker’s Dracula. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his soundtrack work on One from the Heart.

In this video we cover key points from Tom Waits interviews in which Tom discusses the creative process, songwriting, production, writing for film and much more.

This video was created for educational and inspirational purposes.