„It still doesn´t feel like I´m going to work“ – The daily routine of a Metal Head

United POP in Bremen. Lounge area. It´s the year 2016. An authentic guy is sitting in the corner, shredding on his guitar in between the lessons. Wild hair, a long beard; one thing becomes clear immediately when looking at Emanuel Knorr: That´s a real Metal Head with heart and soul. Since his young years, the 24-year-old is under the spell of his guitar, which is why he studied at United POP. Probably nobody expected that, a couple of years later, he would return to the academy as a teacher; but the POP graduate loves his work. His secret? Variety! In an exclusive interview, Emanuel reveals what else keeps him busy, and how on earth a Metal Head ends up in public service. 

Another Round of UPOP, please!

From student, to BA graduate, to teacher - Emanuel has seen the academy from all possible angles. The Bremen man decided for United POP because he didn´t want to "sit in a conservatory and analyse Bach scores. I wanted to do the whole thing more practically". After his diploma Sound Engineer, he quickly chose the academic path. The BA (Hons) Music Technology Specialist was followed by the Master in Music Performance at the UWL.

With his career, the young guitarist quickly qualified for a teaching position. Currently, he teaches in the music- and marketing area at United POP in Bremen. 

„Sometimes it´s weird. Not that long ago, I was sitting on the other side of the classroom" 

But exactly this point of view provides valuable insights: Emanuel understands how he has to teach, in order to „create a good balance between experience and empathy“.

Professionalism + Passion = Dream Job

The thing that keeps many people from pursuing a creative career are dowdy presumtions á la "you won´t be able to do anything with this in life". Emanuels career, however, proves that these assumptions are outdated. And not just since yesterday. There are many career options in the creative sector, you just have to know where to look for them. 

Next to his teaching position, Emanuel is an endorser for music products (e.g. Ibanez Guitars and BluGuitar Amps), does content marketing for Kloppmann Electrics and Tonepedia, works as session musician and also is the Lead Guitarist of the successful metal band Majesty (multiple placements in the top album charts, twice with Emanuel). The assumption that a creative education doesn´t lead anywhere is disproven; the combination of (academic) education and passion sent Emanuel straight to a creative career. 

 „The certificate opened many doors for me and has a huge value, academically, as well as in the job“

A tip for arriving at your dream job: be open, and prepared for anything. The studio musician in Emanuel adds: "I´m not supposed to say this in case any Metal Heads are reading this, but I also recorded Schlager once. Because I understand the music, I am able to play anything for any genre". 

The POP lecturer is very happy with this kind of variety: "I´m doing this so I don´t slip into a routine". That´s how the Metal Head found himself in a public service job (yeah, he also does that). Here, Emanuel works as teacher and content marketer for the county of Diepholz. The Bremen-born is a pretty busy guy; his conclusion: "It still doesn´t feel like I´m going to work". Exactly this variety is the beautiful thing about working in the creative industry: "It´s a bit like learning a new instrument. The more I learn, the more I realize that there are no limits". 

Everything is connected

Being someone who works in many different areas, Emanuel recognizes the value of networking: "Through the collaboration with students from other areas I developed an understanding for the greater whole. Somehow, everything is connected".  In other words - try publishing an album without your manager, your designer or your sound guy. „An environment like at United POP is perfect, because all areas are coming together at once".

You should take in as much as you can, because you never know which effect the things you learn will have on your own career; the young musician is absolutely convinced. 

„I acquired many skills during my time at the POP. Skills that allow me to stand out in a completely overcrowded business“

Finally, a question directed towards the musician in Emanuel: Which moment will always stay in your memory? 

Emanuel:  „2015, I just finisehd a math exam. We were playing a festival tour. After many consecutive gigs you get a sort of tunnel vision, I had no idea where I was. Suddenly I realized that I was standing on the mainstage at the Summerbreeze. 40.000 people were waiting for me to perform my art. That´s when I realized that the art is bigger than the artist.".

United POP in Bremen. It´s the year 2021, back in the lounge area –  Emanuel, now a teacher, is sipping on his coffee. Right now, a tour with Majesty won´t be possible, but there is plenty of work. If you want to see which direction a creative career can take, just look at the case of Emanuel. Everything is possible, and with the right tricks and the right attitude, work isn´t going to feel like work. Sounds like a dream, right? And let´s be honest - don´t we all want that? 

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