Jacob Collier: The One-Man Band and Vocal Group

SHORT BIOGRAPHY

Jacob Collier (1997) is an English singer, composer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist who has captivated audiences worldwide with his profound musical talents. At a fairly young age, he has definitely made his mark on the music industry.

When he was 17 years old (in late 2011), Collier began sharing music videos on the Internet from his at-home music studio. Most of his videos consisted of a grid arrangement which allowed each vocal and instrumental part of a cover to be displayed, and this was definitely a good way for him to show off his various talents.
What makes Collier different from other musical artists is his flexibility in the domain. He can play an astounding ten instruments (not including vocals and harmonizer): piano, keyboard, melodica, double bass, bass guitar, guitar, mandolin, ukulele, drums, and percussion. In addition, Collier is considered a crossover artist -- he plays around with different musical genres such as jazz, a-cappella, classical music, gospel, soul, improvisation, and many others. Because he is capable of playing all of these instruments and harmonizing, he typically performs on his own with multiple instruments surrounding him.

Though Jacob Collier is technically not a prodigy (he didn't start his musical career until age 17), he nonetheless reached many milestones which earned him the title of "jazz prodigy". In 2016, at the age of 22, he received two Grammy awards for his distinctive arrangements of Stevie Wonder's "You and I" and The Flintstones theme song. By 2018, he had toured around the globe for over 2 years.

ANALYSIS OF JACOB COLLIER'S CREATIVITY

Of course, Jacob Collier can be considered a creative individual, not only because his covers of various songs are so exceptionally unique, but also because he possesses the traits that many psychologists deem creatives to have.

Allow me to start off with the following quote: "Creative individuals have a great deal of physical energy, but they are also often quiet and at rest. They work long hours, with great concentration, while projecting an aura of freshness and enthusiasm" (Csikszentmihalyi, 1996). Jacob Collier meets this description -- he is known to be very vibrant onstage (he actively engages with the audience, which is why so many fans adore him), but is truly hardworking when he is not performing. In fact, in an interview, he actually described himself as a "bedroom introvert musician". Evidence of his work ethic includes an ongoing four-volume project, two volumes/albums of which have been released within 2 years.

Another thing to note is that Collier cares about his audience's opinions of his music, but he simultaneously isn't afraid to share his own tastes in music. Howard Gardner emphasizes the importance of "the surrounding field that renders judgments about the quality of individuals and products" (1993). Collier admits, in the aforementioned interview, that he "[cares] a lot about how [his music feels to people... [but he] also [thinks] it's of paramount importance that artists who are starting to create things maintain their own tastes and have the courage to bring those to the forefront".

All in all, I would consider Jacob Collier to be a pro-C creative for his contribution to music's greatness. However, he is not necessarily a big-C creative yet -- he hasn't quite made a revolutionary impact on music altogether -- but he seems to be on the right path.

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References
Image source: https://onblackheath.com/music/jacob-collier

Donelson, M. Artist Biography. Retrieved from https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jacob-collier-mn0003449375/biography

Jaremko-Greenwold, A. (2019, Jun 18). Dodie Clark vs. Jacob Collier: Bedroom Introvert Musicians. Retrieved from http://floodmagazine.com/62845/dodie-clark-vs-jacob-collier-bedroom-introvert-musicians/

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1996). Creativity: Flow and the psychology of discovery and invention. New York: Harper/Collins. - Chapter 3

Gardner, H. (1993). Creating minds: An anatomy of creativity seen through the lives of Freud, Einstein, Picasso, Stravinsky, Eliot, Graham, and Gandhi. New York: Basic Books. - Chapter 1