Musicians may be finished with school, but that doesn’t mean they’re finished with learning. As we head into the back-to-school season, we’re taking a moment to highlight how artists continue their education in the music biz, by watching, creating and, of course, speaking with other artists.

The Collaboration Room brings together two artists of different backgrounds to share insight on their perspectives on the industry. In this episode, the up-and-coming indie-pop duo Holychild was introduced to Fitz of the critically acclaimed band Fitz and the Tantrums.

The two artists kicked off their dialogue by exchanging stories on how they became involved with music. Liz Nistico, Louie Diller (both of Holychild) and Fitz all share a common thread in their origin tales: They discovered music at a young age.

“I was singing from the time I came out of my mother’s womb,” Fitz said. “Music was in my bones and I couldn’t stop. I think I drove everybody in my family crazy because I would never shut up. I would just be singing all the time, day and night.”

He more specifically found his voice in his mom’s old car, when he cajoled her into allowing him to put on the oldie’s radio station. It was through that station that he discovered his love for soul music from the ’60s and ’70s and acted as an unofficial backup singer.

Liz also found her passion for music in a vehicle when she was young. Her parents’ car picked up a single station, one that focused on classic Motown. Through it she found her favored sound.

Louie’s aha moment had a little more of a rock star allure. He pinpoints the start to a Rolling Stones concert he attended when he was five.

“The stage went dark, there was a huge explosion and Mick Jagger’s face appeared on this huge screen,” Louie recalled. “And I was just hooked. I was like, ‘Alright, I need to do that.’”

Holychild and Fitz might have had similar foundations, but their subsequent careers have veered somewhat drastically in opposite directions. They still had a few words of advice to exchange, however.

“My approach with producing our music — it’s definitely all about compromise,” Louie shared. “The healthiest collaborations I’ve had I feel like, from start to finish, I’m on the same page with that person. Learning how to communicate; phrasing, language is huge with collaboration.”

Fitz said in return: “I’ve always tried to be the leader of the band and still keep it open enough for those other ideas to come in. I think that was a learning curve for me, as a person that had to learn to trust my instincts.”

To find out what other words of wisdom Holychild and Fitz exchanged, check out the full Collaboration Room video above.

Bonus Footage: Watch Fitz + Holychild Talk About Music Icons

Plus: Fitz + Holychild Discuss the 'Shuffle Generation'

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