The Converse All Stars to Forge the Next in Music and Share Their Work with Tyler, The Creator
recently hosted 30 young creatives in Sydney, Australia, for another unique take on their ‘All Star Series’. This iteration brought together creative minds from around the globe to help forge the ‘next’ in music, with the knowledge that at the end of the experience, they would be able to share their work with long-time Converse collaborator,
‘Being selected for this All Star Series is a huge moment for each All Star. If you told me that I was going to be in Sydney, meeting creators from all over the world, collaborating on projects and then showcasing them to Tyler, I would've thought you were crazy!’, says Australian All Star , who’s one out of the 2,500+ members who had the opportunity to apply for the experience. The outcome of the selection process was a lineup of musicians, photographers, videographers and storytellers from varied cultural backgrounds who were invited to a three-day workshop led by industry leaders including Global Creative Director, Ken Leung, multidisciplinary artist Abdul Abdulluh and producer Justin Elwin, who toured with musician Flume.
For this Series, daCosta and his fellow All Stars were split into groups and tasked with creating five original songs and accompanying artwork. ‘You as the musician, you as the graphic designer, you as the photographer, you as the videographer, you as the [storyteller], how are we going to make this a sound project?’ recalls daCosta when he met with his team.
This challenge was ‘nerve-wracking but very exciting,’ states daCosta, who had a simple goal for the experience. ‘To be proactive and open, in every sense of the word. Talk to anybody. Talk to everybody.’ Assigned the role of storyteller, daCosta was tasked with documenting the unique creative process of his group, capturing the intersection of culture and creative inspiration in audio and video format.
After three days of hustling their creative energies, the All Stars were then invited to Tyler, The Creator’s live performance to expel all that energy among an audience of close to 20,000 fans. Performing solo on a man-made mountain with a mesmerising scenic backdrop, Tyler captivated the crowd with fast rap beats, melodic ensembles, nostalgic throwbacks, blazing fire effects and an impressive show of stamina as he jumped, danced and even sprinted from one side of the stage to the other during songs.
On the final day of the Series, the All Stars were then assembled in a private oceanfront residence, with the fruits of their labour on display for the eyes and ears of Tyler, The Creator, who provided every All Star with feedback based on his own real-world experiences and journey of creativity.
Arriving in his signature attire of leopard print, colourful knit, slacks and baby blue Converse Chuck 70 Lows (featuring fat laces from his latest GLF 2.0 sneaker), Tyler captivated the audience with an air of reverence and comfort.
‘If you’re a creative person, it’s easy for people to pigeonhole you,’ said Tyler, The Creator. ‘When you branch out and do something different, even your biggest supporters might not understand as they don’t have the same lens as you. When I’m not in my comfort zone, it pushes me to break out even more. It’s easy to relapse and fall back into your old ways, but sometimes getting out of your comfort level is the greatest thing ever and that’s what this Converse All Star experience is all about.’
Sealing the Series with a final gathering that extended to all local All Stars, Converse showcased the finished tracks and artworks once more at a local venue where various DJs and musicians from the All Star collective manned the decks and mics for an epic finale.
The Sydney All Star Series is just ‘one example of how Converse is furthering its long-standing connection to music by identifying and elevating emerging artists,’ says Andres Kiger, VP of marketing for Converse global partner markets. ‘We have big plans to continue supporting emerging musicians.’
to listen to the final tracks and learn more about the All Star Series.