Curt  Smith

Co-founder, Tears For Fears  

Curt Smith is best known as a musician, singer and songwriter who co-founded the multi-platinum group Tears For Fears, with which he continues to tour worldwide. He also produced and hosted the groundbreaking live music web series "Stripped Down Live With Curt Smith" and pursues his own solo music career. His most recent releases include the single "Perfectly...Still (featuring Universal Hall Pass)," the second song of an album-length project on which Smith is collaborating with artists he meets or discovers via social media, and "This Is Christmas," commissioned for the USA Network series PSYCH.

Smith embraces technology and social media, and has become a sought-after speaker at conferences and programs including TEDxSF, TEDxHollywood, ITVFest, and the USC Annenberg Online Communities graduate program.

Speech Synopses:

1) Into The Deep and Over The Edge: The benefits of pushing your boundaries. As applicable to executives and athletes as it is to creatives, the often intimidating act of going beyond your comfort zone can yield surprising personal and professional success. Curt illustrates this with anecdotes from his own creative journey, as well as with stories of notable scientific, commercial and creative victories achieved by others who dared to push the envelope.

2) Some Rights Reserved: The Argument For Creative Commons. The escalating war between copyright holders and a generation who grew up believing "internet = free" might be most easily settled by a reasonable middle ground. Curt speaks to why he releases his work under a Creative Commons license, and why it's a viable alternative for most (if not all) creators of intellectual property, from music to video to the written word.

3) Social Creativity In The Wild. Social media is all the rage these days, but what can it really do for artists? Curt explains the benefits of taking charge of your own online identity, and how cutting out the middleman can help to build thriving relationships not only with your customers and fans, but with your colleagues and peers as well.