How Classical Pianist Chloe Flower Collabed with Cardi B, Meek Mill, Babyface and Built Her Career
The New Music Business with Ari HerstandShow Notes
This week on the New Music Business podcast, Ari sits down with acclaimed pianist and composer, Chloe Flower. Born in Pennsylvania, Chloe began playing piano at age two, later studying at the Manhattan School of Music’s Precollege and London’s Royal Academy of Music. A classically trained pianist turned genre-bender, she calls her unique style “popsical” (a fusion of classical, pop, and hip-hop). She has collaborated with major artists like Céline Dion, Babyface, Nas, and Cardi B (whose 2019 GRAMMY performance she helped elevate). Beyond performing, Chloe is a passionate advocate for music education.
In this episode, Ari and Chloe dive deep into Chloe’s artistic journey. They discuss everything from her rigorous classical training to the lessons she’s learned from merging two distinct musical worlds. In this episode, you’ll learn about label strategy, collaboration with big-name artists and producers, and maintaining authenticity while scaling. Chloe shares invaluable insights on building a personal brand (both musically and visually), empowering women in the industry, and how she sees the future of genre-fluid music.
https://www.instagram.com/misschloeflower
05:00 – The Holiday Album and Women Composers 10:30 – Understanding Public Domain and Classical Music Rights 15:45 – YouTube Covers, Metadata, and Going Independent 19:00 – Meeting Babyface and Blending Genres 25:00 – The Viral Grammy Performance with Cardi B 29:30 – Evolving Sound and the Role of Collaboration 33:00 – Running an Independent Label and Revenue Streams 36:00 – Pros and Cons of Major vs. Indie Labels 47:00 – Music Education and Inspiring the Next Generation 54:00 – Performing with Orchestras and Conductors
Edited and mixed by Peter Schrupp Music by Brassroots District Produced by the team at Ari’s Take
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