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Photo credit: Emily Assiran
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In an era dominated by streaming playlists, algorithm-driven hits, and formulaic song structures, the modern music industry can sometimes feel like a conveyor belt churning out indistinguishable pop products. Yet within this landscape, “cultured” artists—those who immerse themselves in a wide array of artistic disciplines, historical traditions, and global perspectives—stand as vital catalysts for innovation. By drawing on literature, visual art, dance, anthropology, and even gastronomy, these musicians infuse their work with depth, nuance, and unexpected textures, reminding us what true creativity can sound like.
The Role of Cultural Literacy
Cultural literacy begins with curiosity. A musician who studies Renaissance poetry, for example, may discover new approaches to storytelling in their lyrics; another who researches West African rhythms might transform their drum programming with polyrhythmic layers. This breadth of knowledge not only broadens an artist’s palette but also sharpens their ability to synthesize disparate influences into a singular voice. In contrast to artists who lean solely on current trends—or worse, data-driven “hooks”—cultured musicians build on centuries of human expression, forging connections between the past and present that feel both fresh and timeless.
The Creative Drought of Mainstream Music
Several forces have contributed to a homogenized pop soundscape:
The result is a paradox: despite unprecedented access to diverse musical traditions online, much of what bubbles up into the mainstream feels eerily uniform.
Bridging the Gap with Cultured Creativity
When artists invest time in cultural exploration—visiting galleries, reading philosophy, collaborating with poets, studying world music—they gain a reservoir of ideas that can’t be replicated by focus groups or spreadsheet analytics. Consider how:
These practices don’t just enrich the artist’s own oeuvre; they ripple outward, challenging peers and industry gatekeepers to rethink what mainstream music can be.
Cultivating Your Creative Ecosystem
For emerging musicians eager to break free from cookie-cutter conventions, the path forward is clear:
By weaving these elements into your creative practice, you become not just a musician, but a cultural conduit—one whose work inspires new conversations and sets fresh benchmarks for artistic integrity.
ABOUT CARRIE ABLE
Carrie Able is an internationally renowned multidisciplinary artist, musician, creative thought leader, and AR/VR pioneer whose expansive practice immerses global audiences in the intersection of original music and digitally native extended reality artworks. In 2022, she debuted her solo exhibition DALL’ANIMA at the European Cultural Centre’s Personal Structures: Reflections during the 59th Venice Biennale—an innovative blend of interactive XR works, live performance, and traditional media that drew over half a million visitors. Recognized by Forbes as a leading XR art pioneer, Able frequently delivers keynote speeches on creativity and emerging technologies at major international events. Musically, she broke new ground as the first alternative rock artist featured in John Legend’s Web3 project OurSong and headlined the first live music performance at the Microsoft Garage in New York, while her band, Carrie Able and the Aura, continues to integrate VR experiences into album releases and live shows. Across oil painting, sculpture, poetry, music, and interactive technology, Able’s visionary fusion of analog and digital techniques positions her as a key voice in the evolution of interdisciplinary art and the metaverse, inspiring both artists and audiences to explore immersive creative worlds.
Our guest today, Carrie Able, is cultured in many ways. As an internationally renowned multidisciplinary artist and AR/VR pioneer, her work spans oil painting, sculpture, poetry, music, and immersive XR experiences—making her the perfect exemplar of how deep cultural engagement reshapes the music industry.
In an era dominated by streaming playlists, algorithm-driven hits, and formulaic song structures, the modern music landscape can sometimes feel like a conveyor belt churning out indistinguishable pop products. Yet artists like Able—who immerse themselves in a wide array of artistic disciplines, historical traditions, and global perspectives—stand as vital catalysts for innovation. By drawing on Renaissance poetry to craft lyrical narratives, sourcing West African polyrhythms to enliven her compositions, and collaborating with visual and performance artists, she infuses her work with depth, nuance, and unexpected textures, reminding us what true creativity can sound like.
Several forces have contributed to a homogenized pop soundscape:
The result is a paradox: despite unprecedented access to global music online, much of what rises to the top feels eerily uniform.
Carrie Able bridges this gap by investing time in cultural exploration—visiting galleries, reading philosophy, attending dance performances, and traveling for site-specific residencies. Her 2022 Venice Biennale exhibition blended interactive XR works with live musical performance and traditional media, drawing over half a million visitors. Musically, she became the first alternative rock artist featured in John Legend’s Web3 project OurSong and headlined the inaugural live music showcase at Microsoft Garage in New York. Her band, Carrie Able and the Aura, continues to integrate VR experiences into album releases and live shows, setting fresh benchmarks for what a concert can be.
For emerging musicians eager to break free from cookie-cutter conventions, Able’s example is instructive:
Cultured artists like Carrie Able remind us that music is not merely a product to be optimized but a living dialogue with history, society, and the human spirit. If there are creators willing to learn, explore, and innovate beyond the confines of trending metrics, the spark of creativity will continue to ignite—and the music industry will be all the richer for it.
INTERVIEW WITH CARRIE ABLE AND GUITAR THRILLS MAGAZINE
Guitar Thrills: Your work spans music, visual art, poetry, and immersive XR experiences—how do you decide which medium best conveys a particular creative idea?
Carrie:
It doesn’t feel like a decision as much as it is listening and being open to the universe. One thing that’s interesting about working with VR is that it so seamlessly combines art, music, sculpture, and tech. Friends have told me my VR work feels like stepping into my brain.
Guitar Thrills: Can you walk us through your creative process when developing a new XR-enabled musical performance?
Carrie:
First, I like to imagine with analog materials what I’m envisioning, and then I figure out what tech I need to learn or use to make that possible. My work usually starts with a vision and a pencil and paper—a sketchpad, a watercolor drawing, a guitar. Poems on a page.
I recently created my first VR art music game as an invitee to the first-ever Meta Horizon Worlds Creator Academy. Here, I incorporated elements I had created as VR sculptures and my original music to create a gamified experience. In some scenes, you hear an original song or poem when you touch the sculpture. I will continue building these types of experiences for this platform.
Another recent XR music project I did involve four immersive experiences where I and my two dancers appear as holograms performing the song. It feels like you are with us inside a surrealist world, which I painted by hand in the air while wearing a VR headset. It took me a couple of years to complete. I first started with lyrics for each song, then added guitar, and gradually added other instruments—playing each instrument as I recorded myself in layers and built the produced version. Then my collaborators in dance, Pink Supakarn and Kate Griffler, choreographed dances to each song while I simultaneously worked on the VR paintings in the air while listening to the completed songs. After we had rehearsed the performances enough, we did a volumetric capture, which was then juxtaposed into the VR painting. .
Conclusion: Keeping the Flame Alive
For rock luminaries to avoid dimming their lights, they must embrace a mindset of perpetual growth and authenticity. Rather than resting on past triumphs, they need to continually challenge themselves—experimenting with new sounds, collaborating across genres, and seeking out fresh artistic influences. Equally important is nurturing their well-being: creative burnout can be as destructive as market shifts, so carving out time for reflection, physical health, and non-musical pursuits helps sustain passion over decades.
Inspiration often lies just beyond an artist’s usual orbit. Immersing themselves in visual art, literature, film, or dance can spark ideas that reignite their musical vision. Traveling—whether to distant cultures or local scenes—introduces new rhythms, stories, and perspectives to weave into their work. Engaging directly with fans through intimate performances or digital platforms also feeds creativity, reminding luminaries why they first picked up an instrument.
Ultimately, enduring success in rock isn’t about chasing trends but about leading them. By balancing the lessons of their legacy with an open curiosity for what’s next, rock’s brightest stars can ensure their lights continue to shine—illuminating the path for generations of artists to come.
“With every chord and crescendo, Sierra Levesque fuses technical mastery with unbridled passion—her performances don’t just thrill the ear, they seize the soul.” – Guitar Thrills Magazine
Guitar Thrills: How did your exhibition at Palazzo Bembo during the 59th Venice Biennale shape your understanding of audience interaction within digital art?
Carrie:
I felt my instincts were confirmed—that people love high-level creative experiences that are interactive and make them look at the world differently. When art, music, and tech collide, the cutting edge becomes more palatable. It’s only effective when it comes from the soul.
I realized that having these juxtapositions also engaged a broader audience. Kids enjoyed the physical art more when there were digital art ties, and a more mature art audience appreciated the digital more as it was tied to media and context they already understood. Since there was a hologram of the performance we did at the exhibition opening, I used to joke that we were tired from performing every day for seven months. It was such an honor to have a solo exhibition that incorporated all of my disciplines: VR, AR, painting, dance, music, poetry, and performance.
Guitar Thrills: What were the biggest technical and artistic challenges you faced doing the first music performance at the Microsoft Garage?
Carrie:
This was fun to do because I also had an exhibit of VR headsets with my original art that people could experience before going to see the set. I performed with my two dancers, Kate Griffler and Pink Supakarn, in front of VR projections. Afterward, the Director of the Microsoft Garage, Mike Pell, did a surprise Q&A with me for the audience about art and music tech. Probably the biggest challenge was setting up the sound because there wasn’t a backline, so I had to bring all my speakers and mixer for the sound engineer. It was an honor to be the first musical performance there.
Guitar Thrills: How was your experience being one of the few Creators invited to the first-ever Meta Creator Academy?
Carrie:
It was such an extraordinary experience. I got to spend three days with about 100 innovative VR creators from all over the world. I was thrilled to learn so much and publish my first game that uses all my original art, music, and poetry. I have now started creating clothing and jewelry for avatars that are available for purchase, inspired by my VR art music experiences.
Guitar Thrills: How do you balance the spontaneity of live performance with the precision required by interactive projection mapping and motion-capture technology?
Carrie:
For in-person live shows, you have to treat the visuals like having another band member. Even if you created all the visual elements, no audience wants to see the vocalist fiddling with potential technical glitches. For live performance inside VR, you can mostly create everything in advance. My full band, “Carrie Able and the Aura,” is relatively new since the start of this year, so it has been a fun shift doing some shows that just focus on perfecting our sound and live performance. Arts or tech-focused venues tend not to have much of a backline or sound system, so in those cases, the visuals are top-notch, but I have to do more preparation myself to facilitate the sound. Some of the best visual performances I’ve done required me to bring all my sound equipment to the arts space—almost akin to setting up a busking set outside.
Guitar Thrills: As someone who visits galleries and studies dance, how do non-musical art forms inform your songwriting and stage design?
Carrie:
I am most inspired by science. I typically carry around some type of science nonfiction book. I think the marvels of the universe are so spiritual and humbling.
Guitar Thrills: What advice would you give to emerging musicians who want to incorporate cutting-edge technology into their practice without losing emotional authenticity?
Carrie:
Everything should start with an idea. Start with a pencil and paper, and let your imagination go wild. Then figure out what you need to learn or source to bring that vision to life. I am very pro-human-led creativity first. I think a lot of people misinterpret using AR/VR technology as having AI create derivative art or music for you. Of course, it’s all interconnected in some ways. The most common misconception I get from people is when I talk about extended reality with my art and music, and they immediately start talking about AI because it’s in the mainstream consciousness.Everything I write, sing, and paint came from my brain. When you understand how AI gets trained, you realize starting there is likely the worst thing you can do—because your output will be derivative. I am all for artists using and experimenting with technology, but you have to always make sure you are using the technology, and that it’s not using you.
Conclusion: The Future Sounds Cultured
In an industry that too often settles for the lowest creative common denominator, cultured artists are the true innovators. They remind us that music is not merely a product to be optimized but a living dialogue with history, society, and the human spirit. If there are artists willing to learn, explore, and collaborate beyond the confines of trending metrics, the spark of creativity will continue to ignite—and the music industry will be all the richer for it.
“Carrie Able’s seamless blend of raw, poetic songwriting and groundbreaking XR artistry doesn’t just push boundaries—it shatters them, inviting audiences into a living, breathing world where music and technology become one.”
— Guitar Thrills Magazine
