Guest Lecture: Chris Tait
By Scott Green (EBM Student)

One of the many luxuries of being a student at Metalworks Institute is that on any given day we are treated to a guest lecture from a significant player in the music industry. This was the case on September 30, 2008, when Chris Tait of Pirate came to speak. Many people know of Chris Tait from his days as lead singer of the band Chalk Circle, who had success with songs like April Fool and This Mourning.

Although Chris is still involved in his own music (he had a solo album in 2001 and is currently working on a follow up), these days he is focusing his effort on Pirate. Formerly Pirate Radio, Pirate has subsequently evolved into a commercial marketing firm for television as well. With offices in Toronto and New York, Pirate has developed radio and television commercials for some of the most popular brands today. Chris was kind enough to gives us a taste of some of the work that Pirate has done through a wildly entertaining and impressive reel (visit www.piratetoronto.com, to see for yourself).

There were many aspects that stood out through the lecture, including the fact that Pirate hosts their own creative writing department. It was fascinating to hear that they have very accomplished writers who are coming up with concepts regularly and building commercials from the ground up.

Another aspect of the lecture that stood out was the power of a television or radio commercial and how it can benefit an artist as much, or more, than a number one song. Chris cited artists like Feist (1, 2, 3, 4) and Jet (Are You Going to be My Girl) as examples. Five or ten years ago it was the marketing companies going to artist for songs, but these days it is the other way around. Chris mentioned that some days he feels like an A&R Director, as he’s constantly getting demos from artists, asking if their music can be used in commercials produced by Pirate.

In an industry that is constantly evolving, Chris Tait and Pirate have found a way to not only use music as a marketing tool, but have also helped others (and themselves) become more successful.
For more on Chris Tait and Pirate visit www.chalkcircle.ca and www.piratetoronto.com.