How Networking Helps Develop Musician Career - Conrad Doucette

In Chapter 16 of 19 in his 2012 Capture Your Flag interview, musician Conrad Doucette answers "How is Your Network Helping Your Music Career Develop?"  First, Doucette notes how meeting people opens new doors to play with and be inspired by different people, different bands.  Second, he notes how playing in different groups or ensembles helps develop musician skills.  Lastly, making connections opens doors to unexpected opportunities.  Doucette shares how playing with The National opens doors to joining them in a Headcount sponsored concert with Bob Weir and select Brooklyn musicians. 

Conrad Doucette is a Brooklyn musician and the drummer for Takka Takka, which released its 3rd studio album, AM Landscapes, in late 2012.  He has performed with Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead, The National, Alina Simone, and many other leading acts.  When not performing music, Doucette is the communications and brand director at music licensing and publishing startup Jingle Punks.  Doucette earned a BA in History from the University of Michigan.

Conrad Doucette on Getting to Play With Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead

In Chapter 17 of 19 in his 2012 Capture Your Flag interview, musician Conrad Doucette answers "What Did It Mean to You to Get Asked to Play With Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead?"  A longtime fan of the Grateful Dead and Bob Weir's rhythm guitar playing, Conrad sees a dream come true when asked to join The National and play Grateful Dead songs with Bob Weir for the Bridge Sessions in March 2012.  The preparation for the performance gives Doucette a first-hand view of watching a master, Weir, rehearse for a show and direct the band.  Conrad Doucette is a Brooklyn musician and the drummer for Takka Takka, which released its 3rd studio album, AM Landscapes, in late 2012.  He has performed with Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead, The National, Alina Simone, and many other leading acts.  When not performing music, Doucette is the communications and brand director at music licensing and publishing startup Jingle Punks.  Doucette earned a BA in History from the University of Michigan.

What Performing With Bob Weir Teaches Musician Conrad Doucette

In Chapter 18 of 19 in his 2012 Capture Your Flag interview, musician Conrad Doucette answers "What Did Bob Weir Teach You When You Played With Him Earlier This Year?"  Doucette gets to play with Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead in early 2012.  Bob Weir shows Doucette how he directs a band and puts an improvisational structure in place.  Weir gives Doucette and his bandmates lessons on how listening can feed improvisational music moments.  Additionally, learns Bob Weir is as much a master musician as he thought but also that he is as human as anyone else playing in the band. 

Conrad Doucette is a Brooklyn musician and the drummer for Takka Takka, which released its 3rd studio album, AM Landscapes, in late 2012.  He has performed with Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead, The National, Alina Simone, and many other leading acts.  When not performing music, Doucette is the communications and brand director at music licensing and publishing startup Jingle Punks.  Doucette earned a BA in History from the University of Michigan.

Matt Ruby on How Childhood Independent Play Develops Imagination

In Chapter 1 of 19 in his 2012 Capture Your Flag interview, standup comedian Matt Ruby answers "What Childhood Experiences Have Been Most Fundamental in Shaping Who You Are Today?"  Ruby talks about why being left alone to play encouraged his imagination and creative development. 

Matt Ruby is a standup comedian and comedy writer based in New York City.  He produces a video comic strip at Vooza.com, co-produces the weekly show "Hot Soup", co-hosts the monthly show "We're All Friends Here", and writes a comedy blog "Sandpaper Suit".  Ruby graduated from Northwestern University. 

Matt Ruby on How Family Supports Creative Career Aspirations

In Chapter 2 of 19 in his 2012 Capture Your Flag interview, standup comedian Matt Ruby answers "Where Has Your Family Been Most Supportive in Your Career Development?"  Ruby found support in his Mom, an artist and arts supporter, who encouraged him to perform.  He also finds family comfort with leaving each other alone a positive in fostering his imagination and creativity.  Matt Ruby is a standup comedian and comedy writer based in New York City.  He produces a video comic strip at Vooza.com, co-produces the weekly show "Hot Soup", co-hosts the monthly show "We're All Friends Here", and writes a comedy blog "Sandpaper Suit".  Ruby graduated from Northwestern University. 

Matt Ruby: How to Go From Good to Great in Standup Comedy

In Chapter 4 of 19 in his 2012 Capture Your Flag interview, standup comedian Matt Ruby answers "How Would You Assess Your Progress To Date as a Standup Comedian?"  Ruby notes that starting out in comedy, he had rapid learning cycles.  As his experience grows, he notes how the the improvements in his comedy work become smaller and less frequent, forcing him to work harder.  This process takes him down the path of killing his own ego and becoming more vulnerable and open on stage. 

Matt Ruby is a standup comedian and comedy writer based in New York City.  He produces a video comic strip at Vooza.com, co-produces the weekly show "Hot Soup", co-hosts the monthly show "We're All Friends Here", and writes a comedy blog "Sandpaper Suit".  Ruby graduated from Northwestern University.

Matt Ruby on Taking Comedy Skills Beyond Just Being Funny

In Chapter 5 of 19 in his 2012 Capture Your Flag interview, standup comedian Matt Ruby talks to Erik Michielsen about honing his comedy voice and improving his skills over time.  Ruby notes that he has more work to do being vulnerable on stage and giving himself greater stakes to make a difference to the audience on stage.  He notes that his work is becoming less about just trying to be funny all the time and instead taking charge of what he wants to talk about and then layer the humor in that work. 

Matt Ruby is a standup comedian and comedy writer based in New York City.  He produces a video comic strip at Vooza.com, co-produces the weekly show "Hot Soup", co-hosts the monthly show "We're All Friends Here", and writes a comedy blog "Sandpaper Suit".  Ruby graduated from Northwestern University. 

Matt Ruby on How to Rebound From Rejection

In Chapter 6 of 19 in his 2012 Capture Your Flag interview, standup comedian Matt Ruby answers "How Do You Deal With Rejection?"  Ruby, a self-appointed rejection expert, offers tips on how to get through those moments.  He learns along the way that putting up with the bad parts helps you get to the good parts.  He notes the importance of having a positive self-image that is grounded so you understand why you are getting rejected when trying to hit your goals. 

Matt Ruby is a standup comedian and comedy writer based in New York City.  He produces a video comic strip at Vooza.com, co-produces the weekly show "Hot Soup", co-hosts the monthly show "We're All Friends Here", and writes a comedy blog "Sandpaper Suit".  Ruby graduated from Northwestern University. 

Matt Ruby on Learning the Realities of Working in Comedy

In Chapter 7 of 19 in his 2012 Capture Your Flag interview, standup comedian Matt Ruby answers "How Are Your Comedy Career Aspirations Changing as You Gain Experience?"  As Ruby gains experience performing comedy, he gets more exposure to what life looks like working in comedy.  Experience allows him to look beyond the glamorized life of a working standup comedian.  He learns the costs and benefits of the standup lifestyle and begins finding new options - writing, directing, producing - that emerge as he builds experience. 

Matt Ruby is a standup comedian and comedy writer based in New York City.  He produces a video comic strip at Vooza.com, co-produces the weekly show "Hot Soup", co-hosts the monthly show "We're All Friends Here", and writes a comedy blog "Sandpaper Suit".  Ruby graduated from Northwestern University. 

Matt Ruby on How Personal Priorities Change With Age

In Chapter 8 of 19 in his 2012 Capture Your Flag interview, standup comedian Matt Ruby answers "How Are Your Personal Priorities Changing as You Get Older?"  Ruby notes how personal connections are becoming more important to him as he gets older.  Also, he notes how before he wanted to experience a lot of little things and now he prefers to do big things while getting things done with his work.  He talks about how mortality is a motivator and Matt Ruby is a standup comedian and comedy writer based in New York City.  He produces a video comic strip at Vooza.com, co-produces the weekly show "Hot Soup", co-hosts the monthly show "We're All Friends Here", and writes a comedy blog "Sandpaper Suit".  Ruby graduated from Northwestern University. 

Matt Ruby on How Confidence Can Make You More Creative

In Chapter 9 of 19 in his 2012 Capture Your Flag interview, standup comedian Matt Ruby answers "How Is Your Creative Toolbox Changing?"  Ruby speaks to the instinctual skills he uses to twist jokes on stage and take the audience on a journey.  For Ruby, the confidence that comes with having more control on stage allows him to ultimately perform at higher levels for his audience. 

Matt Ruby is a standup comedian and comedy writer based in New York City.  He produces a video comic strip at Vooza.com, co-produces the weekly show "Hot Soup", co-hosts the monthly show "We're All Friends Here", and writes a comedy blog "Sandpaper Suit".  Ruby graduated from Northwestern University. 

Matt Ruby on How to Use Deadlines to Achieve Writing Goals

In Chapter 10 of 19 in his 2012 Capture Your Flag interview, standup comedian Matt Ruby answers "How Are You Learning to Better Manage Your Time and Commitments?"  Ruby acknowledges he spends too much time responding to other people - for example using social media - that doing his own thing.  To be more productive, Ruby uses deadlines to achieve his writing and comedy performance goals. 

Matt Ruby is a standup comedian and comedy writer based in New York City.  He co-produces the weekly show "Hot Soup", co-hosts the monthly show "We're All Friends Here", and manages a comedy blog "Sandpaper Suit".  Ruby graduated from Northwestern University. 

Matt Ruby on How to Break Out of a Comfort Zone

In Chapter 11 of 19 in his 2012 Capture Your Flag interview, standup comedian Matt Ruby answers "What is Your Comfort Zone and What Do You Do To Break Free of Living In It?"  Ruby notes how his comfort zone is actually being in an uncomfortable place.  His life is always about doing new things, moving to new places, trying new stuff, and hanging out with new people.  After performing comedy for over five years, Ruby finds himself trying to stick with things more often and more fully embrace who he has met and what he has done. 

Matt Ruby is a standup comedian and comedy writer based in New York City.  He co-produces the weekly show "Hot Soup", co-hosts the monthly show "We're All Friends Here", and manages a comedy blog "Sandpaper Suit".  Ruby graduated from Northwestern University. 

Matt Ruby on How Fear Can Be a Motivational Tool

In Chapter 12 of 19 in his 2012 Capture Your Flag interview, standup comedian Matt Ruby answers "Where Did You Learn Your Work Ethic?"  Ruby finds fear motivates him to practice enough to perform at levels that meet his expectations.  He notes how a string of bad shows, where he is not doing as well as he could be doing, pushes him to compare his performance and push himself to succeed.  He notes how technology can be a negative influence on his productivity and how unplugging is important for him to stay on track and produce and practice new comedy material. 

Matt Ruby is a standup comedian and comedy writer based in New York City.  He co-produces the weekly show "Hot Soup", co-hosts the monthly show "We're All Friends Here", and manages a comedy blog "Sandpaper Suit".  Ruby graduated from Northwestern University.

Matt Ruby on Finding Meaningful Work Expressing Yourself on Stage

In Chapter 13 of 19 in his 2012 Capture Your Flag interview, standup comedian Matt Ruby answers "What Makes Your Work Meaningful?"  Referencing what he shared in his 2011 Capture Your Flag interview, Ruby defines meaningful work starting with the truth telling and story telling elements.  He adds that, at a deeper level, being able express himself on stage gives him a pulpit to share.  He follows up that moment of expression by reflecting on what he has done and learning from the experience.  Ruby talks about the flow state he is able to enter working the room. 

Matt Ruby is a standup comedian and comedy writer based in New York City.  He co-produces the weekly show "Hot Soup", co-hosts the monthly show "We're All Friends Here", and manages a comedy blog "Sandpaper Suit".  Ruby graduated from Northwestern University.

Matt Ruby on Adapting Standup Comedy Writing to Screenwriting

In Chapter 14 of 19 in his 2012 Capture Your Flag interview, standup comedian Matt Ruby answers "Which Standup Skills Are Transferable to Comedy Web Series and Which Are Not?"  The transferable comedy skills Ruby sees as most relevant are writing skills.  He shares how character writing is very different between stage and script.  Screenwriting allows for more non-verbal character setup whereas standup comedy character development is personal and mainly verbal. 

Matt Ruby is a standup comedian and comedy writer based in New York City.  He co-produces the weekly show "Hot Soup", co-hosts the monthly show "We're All Friends Here", and manages a comedy blog "Sandpaper Suit".  Ruby graduated from Northwestern University. 

Matt Ruby on How to Improve Comedy Writing Over Time

In Chapter 15 of 19 in his 2012 Capture Your Flag interview, standup comedian Matt Ruby answers "How Are You Improving How You Write Comedy?"  Ruby shares how he is improving how he writes by getting tighter or more precise in his words.  He adds he has developed a better filter for what is appropriate.  Additionally, he notes how he is able to take material in new directions, a development he calls going from "A to C" instead of "A to B." 

Matt Ruby is a standup comedian and comedy writer based in New York City.  He co-produces the weekly show "Hot Soup", co-hosts the monthly show "We're All Friends Here", and manages a comedy blog "Sandpaper Suit".  Ruby graduated from Northwestern University. 

Transcript: 

Erik Michielsen: How are you improving how you write comedy?

Matt Ruby: I think I’m getting tighter, like in the amount of words that I use, which helps, like the shortest distance between 2 points is a good idea in comedy or in any writing. I think also what do I wanna talk about knowing that. Sort of like knowing what to throw out or what’s just not gonna fit in with the other stuff that I do. You know, just sort of this filter of knowing what’s appropriate or not. I don’t know, when I was starting out, I think a lot of times, like, I would go from A to B with a punch line and I’m getting better at going from A to C, like A to B is just like: oh, yeah, yeah, that’s funny-ish and that’s exactly where people would expect it to go. Whereas A to C is like: oh, I thought it was going in that direction, but I didn’t realize it would go that far, or that twist or that thing. And kind of giving that extra spice or, you know, like a little bit more of like—to me that’s the difference between like a good joke and a great joke is like when it’s like: oh, there’s a little twist that you know you didn’t see coming and it was funny all along the way and then there’s something else on top of that that’s even better, and then that’s I think when you get something delightful.

Erik Michielsen: Could you give me an example of a couple of pieces in a routine that you might use, you know, A to B versus A to C?

Matt: Okay, so I have a joke about how girls will drop the boyfriend bomb on me, and how fast it comes, and so I’ll be like, you know, when I’m talking to a girl, I’ll be like, “Hey, how’re you doing?” And she’ll be like, “My boyfriend says I’m fine.” And that’s A to B, you know. Like that’s fine, it’s funny, it gets a laugh. And then, you know, what I’ve added on to that is like, “Okay, can I get a foot-long chicken teriyaki, please? It’s a really judgmental Quizno’s we got here.” That to me is the C, or the taking it and giving it a twist of like that one extra line that’s, okay, it was a perfectly fine joke, but now to me that’s a more interesting or intriguing, or another layer to it that as opposed to just like a quick in and out sort of like meat and potatoes joke.

Matt Ruby on Why to Work With Teams on Comedy Projects

In Chapter 16 of 19 in his 2012 Capture Your Flag interview, standup comedian Matt Ruby answers "What Do You Enjoy Most About Working With Teams?"  Group comedy writing, performance and production not only provides Ruby a collaborative feeling but also creates an optimistic creative energy that can be positively reinforcing as material gets created and shared or performed. 

Matt Ruby is a standup comedian and comedy writer based in New York City.  He co-produces the weekly show "Hot Soup", co-hosts the monthly show "We're All Friends Here", and manages a comedy blog "Sandpaper Suit".  Ruby graduated from Northwestern University. 

Transcript: 

Erik Michielsen: What do you enjoy most about working with teams?

Matt Ruby: I mean I enjoy hanging out with other people so I think that’s just a constructive aspect on it just from a personal or emotional level I think it’s good to hang out with other people and to work on stuff together, I think, you know, comedy can a lot of times be sort of a lone wolf sort of thing so it’s nice to feel like there’s a group working on something. And then also, you know, it’s just nice to have like a group point-of-view to have like, “oh did you think about it this way?” Or like to have one person come up with an idea and you bounce it off them and then they’re like, well, what if we tried it this way or — like, they’ll take things in a direction that you never would’ve thought of and it could be really like cool and surprising and sort of like an interesting twist to an idea that you had but you never would’ve taken it there. 

And I think it’s, you know, you got more juice behind you. I don’t know, it’s more like being a gang than just a vigilante, you know, there’s more of a group effort and you feel like you can accomplish more and do more, you know. At the very least, there’s this group of people who believes in what you’re doing and is excited about it, so that’s to me like more indicative that other people will be excited about it as opposed to like sometimes when you’re just on your own trying to come up with ideas, like you just don’t — you might think it’s good, but you don’t really know until you release it to the world, and you have to wait, you know, until that happens. Whereas like when you’re producing stuff as a group, at least you’re, hopefully, like pleasing each other or entertaining each other along the way and so you’ve got some clue that you’re on to something.