Interview: EREN YAGMUROGLU of WHEN YOU BELIEVE MORE YOU SLEEP LESS - PT. 2 at Heminngway

Futurization expert and business strategist Eren Yagmuroglu graduated as a Bachelor of Management of Information Systems. The İstanbul born innovator founded Maxfield & Parrish in Los Angeles and Heminngway in Istanbul to futurize artists' & organizations' branding and marketing concepts by using his own methods. In the same year, he participated in the HBX CORe program at Harvard Business School Yagmuroglu joined the Recording Academy Grammy's / Los Angeles as an Academy Member. Let along he is the humblest, kindest and most dedicated human being I ever had the pleasure of meeting.

OAK

From what you have said, there is actually globalization that breaks down certain boundaries. In this respect, what perception does this situation creates on both as an artist and as a human being? In your previous speech in Northern Cyprus, you have mentioned the correspondence you had with a big music company and the effects of this.

EY

The word globalization can be a bit critical because it can be loaded with other meanings. Globalization is not in the sense of spreading the monopoly around and create a modern way of slavery. We are shifting from that concept. With the introduction of the high level of connectivity via the internet in our lives, the world had become so connected that we can be aware of every event and development at any moment. This renders the press manipulation affectless. Now we can speak the truth over the internet. Of course, false news can also emerge, events can be revealed in many other ways, yet we can still be aware of the truth and understand each event sincerely. For example; a person in Hawaii or Turkey can pick up her phone and talk about things, talk about local problems, talk about the disasters that happened and the world can't keep quiet even if it wants to. This is great. Our generation, and even every generation after the baby-boomers, all generations that have grown up with the internet; are in a libertarian structure. In the end, they will understand that these pressures do not work on people and so that people should live however they want. There is also a very gentle generation, and there are people who try to do their job very well, people with a high level of awareness. This is promising and especially future generations are even more liberal and intelligent than us.

OAK

In particular, there is a change of perception within the youth community.

EY

Exactly. That's why we pay attention to cooperate with young people. We're trying to get their ideas. We have to sit and talk; there are things that our generations are missing and they warn us. Otherwise, we cannot develop in any way. Most of the people I work with are older than me and they value my ideas. People who have brought their businesses to magnificent levels, whose missions are important and who have influence in the world, come and ask a young person on various issues and get the idea; at this time, how should we behave, how do you think we should communicate, how to address the young people... In order for this beautiful development to continue, to be sustainable, I must behave in the same way as I am treated and even grow gentler on it. We must constantly hand the flag to the new generations and the young people needs to be motivated and willing to make a change.

OAK

What is the most important point of art?

EY

The world will change as art reaches everyone. This is already our main mission and the use of instant communication tools in this sense began to play an extreme role. Art centers were formerly regarded as elite, were the places where everyone become very formal. Of course, those people should also go formal in the same way, but as a serious problem that exists in every part of the world; young people cannot be reached in this way.

OAK

Nevertheless, there have been recent developments.

EY

Yes, but most are not sustainable. For example, popular movie-related classical music productions are produced, playing movies in the background and the orchestra performing in front. It's a great system for attracting young people, but I don't believe it's sustainable if we rely on it. I am never against these productions, and I sincerely believe that they should exist since they are fantastic. But we should be able to tell the youth; take your girlfriend out, put on your daily clothes, go to the concert half an hour before for a piano recital, watch Broadway shows, listen to a symphony in a beautiful hall, visit an art gallery, go to comedy shows, participate in book reading sessions. Do these, then go to the Metallica concert the next day, then go to a dance club. Taste life in every aspect of life. These habits need to be reminded to the younger generations.

OAK

How do the Internet and universality change the way your work and art change?

EY

What we're trying to do is to use the internet as a tool to remind them of those habits. This is the biggest change that the Internet made. There is also the subject of censorship, of course, in most countries, we can share the content we want without being exposed to censorship in any way, no one is in control but our own self-control. Everyone can use whatever they want in a responsible way. Therefore, the impact of the internet is huge. It is a pity that, especially in my work with young artists; we always observe concerns. Since we're in a complete transition period, everyone gets confused. -The Internet, that way, another way, how to attract a big record label, I'm very young, nobody cares about me, I send hundreds of e-mails but no one responds back and many more others. -

OAK

Is it really as difficult to create public awareness for an artist even with the influence of the internet?

EY

In fact, using the internet, with very small operations, reasonable budgets, we can do big things in a very comfortable way by reaching certain goals. Companies, organizations that we could not get the response from, will have to get back to us. There are many examples that we have experienced. Even though we have tried to communicate many times, no one is interested, and when we have achieved a mathematical success in terms of business, we immediately start to draw attention. However, we do not want anyone to discriminate against us. We don't want to hear if we are too young, gay, female, fat, African American and so on tags. We react because we are a generation that has a justified susceptibility when exposed to those decompositions. We can do something using the face of the Internet. No one can say that you can't play guitar after this age to me. I can just browse the internet, set up my page, present my product properly, people who like me will follow me. Then I can create an economy that sustains my needs. As a false perception, millions of people do not need to follow an account to accomplish goals. If there were five thousand people following us; if they follow us because of who we are, for the art we make, for the words we write, for the content, for the mission, and they contribute with a very small budget; serious figures can be reached. We're talking about five thousand people in four billion. This can be done, even we have achieved many times with different artists. They can create their own economy, generate serious revenues and live their lives comfortably. As a result, artists can become more independent and I believe that the internet has a serious impact on this.

OAK

Would you like to talk about your work with Fazıl Say?

EY

I have been working with Mr. Say for about eight years now. I have been taking part in projects, productions, works on the internet and content production. We have a great and very talented team. We run a global operation. Our goal is to convey music and art to people and to raise their awareness to a certain point. We aim to create more kindness, more beauty and perhaps motivate them to do more for themselves. It is an honor for me to be in this work with Mr. Say. Receiving this energy of Mr. Say not only increases motivation but also creates a great desire for development. For this reason, you always have to advance, always have to develop and challenge yourself. For example, I had to attend that program at Harvard because I needed more information and desperately looking for technical answers to my questions. There are broad vision and fantastic goals. In order to make this sustainable, I have to constantly improve myself. Therefore, if we talk about Mr. Say, making his art to meet with people in an interdisciplinary form, with people who love him or with people who may potentially want to listen to him; it is one of my biggest goals and a part of my mission.

OAK

There was also a concert in Mount Ida.

EY

It was wonderful. Mr. Say's love for nature is already observable in his works and we have reached an incredible audience at Mount Ida. There were moments of tears. People also had beautiful energy. There were those who came from long distances, everyone was very emotional. There were really great moments.

OAK

Aside from the works with Fazıl Say, you are also working on other global projects.

EY

Yes, I work with various performing arts organizations like orchestras and concert halls in the United States and Europe as well as artists on a global scale. I recently started working with the Seattle Symphony and held a workshop. My aim is always to add as much diversity as possible to the halls and events. When they will convey arts to more diverse groups of people, they will serve our mission again. This is how we work in Germany as well. Another great project I work on is StillArt in Finland where I work as a brand manager. Supporting performing arts organizations and offering them solutions. You see; one orchestra in the city, might have problems to reach more people but when we solve those problems they will have an opportunity to organize children concerts. Children and families start to come to these concerts, and the children's orchestra can be established with the earnings. We can observe the change of the city and the reversal of that cultural deformation. From the statement of "halls are empty, people with habits come only" to a statement of "children and youth are listening to music in the halls" which will ensure those nice people will be growing. I found exactly what I wanted, exactly how I wanted.

OAK

You also conduct interviews in schools.

EY

Lately, I performed at the Eastern Mediterranean University and Anadolu State Conservatory. I call them as shows. Such as "Metamorphosis", is a show developed on the concept of the term. We're trying to see if we can flicker that spark. We're talking to young artists at the conservatories. We are trying to tell them that they can accomplish something big with their minimum means. For this to happen, everyone needs to take responsibility. Orchestra, people like me are from the field of business management, the person who prepares the program, the person who writes the show, the teacher at school and many others. We all believe that if we take responsibility, the world will be a better place. I will be in New York in mid-October to attend a graduate lecture at Columbia University as a guest speaker.

OAK

There was a sentence you said before: "When you believe more, you sleep less."

EY

Actually, not my word, I was in Las Vegas about six years ago, and when I walked down the street, I saw it on a building. It's a great saying because even very fundamental things don't matter if you're really passionate about your mission. We can think of sleep as a metaphor. That's why I like that sentence that much. That doesn't necessarily mean we need to sleep less. Sleep as a metaphor states when one believes in her missions, she can forget anything else. That's why I used it.

OAK

Finally, is there anything that you want to say to our readers?

EY

Obviously, everyone should think in an ageless, colorless or genderless way. There may be ten or five hundred parameters can be created, but I am in favor of denial of those parameters. When I see the excitement in the eyes of a fifteen-year-old, I immediately believe that a person can achieve something. In fact, if there is a forty-year-old person in front of me or a twenty-year-old person, not so important... We are so disconnected from preferences, identities; I feel like we are a generation above the ideologies. I think we are a very sensitive generation that thinks of humanism, the development of economic issues in social life and their environmental effects. In particular, I believe that what young people say needs more consideration. That would be the most important message I would want to give to the readers. I believe that they should take young people seriously, under all circumstances, give importance to their ideas. I believe that young people should be promised, given the right to speak in the direction of technical opportunities, and as much as possible in the state administrations, in the determination of cultural policies, in the production stages of various works of art reaching to the public. Young people are going to change things, and we should create space for them. That's what I feel, in a sincere way.

OAK

Thank you very much for your time.

EY

Thank you for this fantastic interview.