MUSIC DIRECTOR
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
“The music business is really a people business as much as it is a music business.”
Qualities of a Music Director
To be the music director means to take the reins of the entire performance, and make critical decisions about hundreds and even thousands of details that may either make or break the mood of the audience. Directing music, concerts and musical events are all about experience you create for the listener. Even as an artist, it is never just about your skill, charisma nor even your music, it is all about how the reaction and experience of the listener. Sampsa Lopponen has studied human mind and behavior, as well as studied related fields in concerts settings and understands what it takes to intimately involve each audience member in the performance. This adds amazing depth to his music director skills, abilities and insights.
“There are thousands of very good music directors and music producers available, musically speaking that is. However, directing music is only a portion of the job of a succesful music director as a whole. Your ability to work with people is equally as important. It took me many years to understand that, and for a long time I focused only on the music. After studying human behavior and the human mind, I was able to connect the missing pieces. After all, being a music director is connecting with people, first on stage and then with the audience. The music business is really a people business as much as it is a music business.”
“This also translates to the artists and performance. What lot of bands and artists don’t realize is that the audience is not there just to hear the music. They are there to experience something unique, something that will touch them personally and they will remember. It is vital to create a song list that builds that interest and excitement. Many bands and artists make the critical mistakes when they plan their song lists, stage choreography and performance overall. Especially if you have new crowd, you will often lose the audience right in the beginning, during the first two songs. There is a certain way all people react in concerts, therefore building your song list and music performance accordingly is very important so the right musical elements appear in the places where the audience is ready to receive them and react emotionally as well. Also, planning stage movements down to the fine details from when to use a microphone stand and when not to use it and how to pace the contact with the audience, are just a couple of examples of areas where most artists and bands don’t have enough knowledge, understanding or skill. Often non-musical matters block their musical careers and opportunities. To prove my point, why are some artists and bands who are musically not strong at all selling millions? The answer is, they have the skill to move people and their emotions.”
Sampsa Lopponen’s Music Director Experience
Sampsa Lopponen held his first music director position at the age of 12 years old. Since then he has been blessed to serve in music director position for many artists and some mega churches in America. In addition to Sampsa’s “golden” set of musical ears, his understanding of the rhythm section, horn section and strings as well as in depth understanding of vocals will guarantee top-notch musical results. Sampsa’s ability to consider and calculate a large number of items simultaneously, such as audio matters, stage presence issues, singer’s challenges, musician needs, the concert producer’s requests, in addition to all musical and artistic matters, makes him an extremely skilled and able Music Director.
Music directing comes naturally to Sampsa. He understands that the audience must be engaged in a significant way or regardless of how perfect each note was executed, the performance was a loss. Interaction with the individual audience member is the measure of success of any music performance, and with Sampsa’s music director approach, the audience will meet the stage in a powerful way.
The Benefits of Having a Great Music Director
Loving yet demanding, patient yet insistent, Sampsa will reach deep into the core of each artists musician and bring forth the excellence out of them. As a music director, he is very innovative, and has the heart of a visionary. Sampsa’s versatile musicality and ability to multitask make him a natural at the music director position.
Sampsa’s approach to the demands of a music director is fresh, imaginative, and inspiring. His personable spirit, always open to a challenge, causes those around him to step out of their comfort zones as well. His constant drive to seek the truth in all he does translates to his directing by empowering everyone with his uniquely persuasive style. Artists and musicians never feel manipulated by Sampsa, they always feel motivated, empowered and inspired to reach their full potential, and go deeper into their musicality than perhaps they ever had prior to working with him.
Sampsa Lopponen is a music director who will bring the best out of musicians. He is a mentor, an artist developer, and a musician/producer himself, so his heart is for the musician and for the artist. Your event, organization or project of any size will greatly benefit by having Sampsa Lopponen as the music director.
“Life is all about motion and emotion. Emotion follows motion. This is very true and very powerful in music as well.”
- Music Director Sampsa lopponen
- Music Director Sampsa lopponen
