Convincing a client is much more difficult! Those 20 thousand people are not going to a concert to give you tips and instructions on the best way to play music. As for clients...

In fact there isn’t much of a difference. The advantage of a fault is that it happens once but (usually) it does not compromise the whole concert. The bug is generally more annoying and recurrent and we can’t just look the other way and pretend it didn’t happen.

The perfection of a song is something that usually doesn’t last long. There are many songs that we did, and when we listen to them now, we would change a few things. I guess the same works for technology: we deliver the most perfect project considering the time (and inspiration) available.

There is a sentence from a Portuguese Philosopher that says: “I am not interested in being original. I am interested in being true.” In music, such as in any other field, we are inspired by the work of others and that is of course reflected in what we do. For example, HMB’s song “Não Me Deixes Partir” (Don’t let me go), which was thought to be a tribute to one of D’Angelo’s song- an artist that we really appreciate. The song itself is not a copy of D’Angelo’s but there are a lot of elements that lead to it. And as the Bible says in the Ecclesiastes book, “There is nothing new under the sun”. So, we might want to be original but there will always be someone that has already done something similar.

What certainty coming from Engineering?! I think it’s easier to predict how a concert is going to be than how an Engineering project will end!

I think sanity is the main thing I take from music to Engineering! It really helps me see colleagues and clients in a tri-dimensional and human way, and not only as means to reach an end.

The other way around, I guess pragmatism is one of the most important things that I take. Especially when we’re in a studio, it’s easy to get stuck in the process and lose sight of important goals, such as a CD’s launch date, or having a single ready in a certain time in order to get it to the press, etc. Engineering has brought a goal-oriented mind-set to my musical side, which is absolutely fundamental.

THANK YOU!