Part 2: Pete Orta On Creating A Pure Music Brand
Part 2 of 2. An exclusive interview by frequent Hypebot contributor Kyle Bylin. Read Part 1 here.
Pete Orta is the Chief Creative Officer at marketing and branding firm Orta Universal, but is known more famously for the role he played as the guitar player for the Christian rock band Petra. During his career as a musician he was awarded such honors as three Grammy nominations, leading to a win in the year 2000.
Q: Artists, just like brands, have to not only know their identity, but they have stay true to who they are. What are the problems you’ve seen in artists that built false belief systems and weren’t authentic?
Orta: Nobody can do you better than you. Not being the real…
you makes it impossible for you to utilize all your strengths. Like
a fish trying to fly, it can be done, but not for long. Your blue print
is perfect. But the real issue is rooted in self-hate, which I see
everyday in the entertainment business. You wanting to be someone else
and not yourself proves you are not happy with who you are. This issue
is deeper, and I wish we had more time to dig in.
Q: We’ve learned that you can’t pick your tribe and you
can’t try to convert pagans or members of other tribes. Although it
may take time, do you think if you make change and set of a beacon that
your tribe will find you?
Orta: Kyle, Absolutely. That’s how this interview is happening right now. It was inevitable we would meet.
Q: If you are an artist and you’ve taken the time to build a
tribe like following. Why now more than ever must you make the choice
to lead them?
Orta: People are like living water, and if they chose to
flow your way, you have the opportunity to either create the Nile River
or just stand still and become the Dead Sea. Both bodies of water are
connected, but only one can contain life. Cut a deep groove in the
earth with your message and lead people through your journey. Bring answers and create even better questions. Life is only once.
Q: If you had an artist come to you that knew who they were, had build a small to mid-size following, and wanted to work toward the next level, what advice would you give them?
Orta: Focus on the fundamentals, never look at the score board. When you focus on the score board and you’re losing, the current result beats you up to the point that you’re defeated before the whistle blows. It’s almost impossible to pull out of. And if you’re winning, the fear of losing your position is paralyzing. Now you’re playing not to lose instead of playing to win. Have you ever watched a ball game when a team was way up in points and starts to play it safe? They almost always end up losing.
Q: What message would you want to get across to those at the top of the Music Industry, Billboard Top 100, or otherwise as we speak?
Orta: Expect to be de-throned at some point by the people that crowned you. Don’t grow bitter, get better. Don’t lose heart, it’s all part of the purifying process. This devastating event will force you to reinvent yourself if you choose to keep moving forward. If you’ve learned the great lessons of success the next "You" will shock the world.
