“I told this Russian professor I wanted to make a seven inch arc of lightening for a photo. And he says, ‘Have you heard of Photoshop?’ And I was like, ‘You’re a ***!’”
Scott McCormick was born in Waukegan, Illinois and started playing the piano at the age of 10. At age 13, he began his 21-year music career by playing gospel churches on the southside of Chicago. Since then, heâs performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, written/scored for ESPN and Disney, and led and performed in the internationally-touring band, Boulder Acoustic Society. Heâs taught alongside Grammy, Tony, and Academy Award-winning artists at Boys & Girls Club of Greater Washington in tandem with Julliard School of Music. However, in 2011, he found himself burnt out and began a new career â starting his company, McCormick Photos & Design. In 10 years, McCormick has photographed, designed, and directed over 350 album covers. Such world-renowned artists heâs worked with include: String Cheese Incident, Railroad Earth, Mandolin Orange, Gregory Alan Isakov, Big Head Todd and The Monsters, and Infamous Stringdusters. Infamous Stringdustersâ âLaws Of Gravityâ took home a Grammy in 2017, and the following year, Gregory Alan Isakovâs âEvening Machinesâ was nominated. In 2016, McCormick won IBMAâs âBest Graphic Designerâ for Infamous Stringdustersâ album âLadies and Gentlemen,â and was nominated again for the award the following year. He also developed the branding for Smithsonianâs Broadway Musical âQadar.â Scott can be found building sets, miniatures, expansive props, backdrops, and elaborate costumes to create a unique photographic vision from real elements. In 2020, he decided to depart from music photography and pursue a career in fine art photography. He is currently working on his featured solo exhibition at Leon Gallery on March 13, 2021 for MCAâs âMonth of Photography.â He works with startups and mid-level companies to define brand aesthetic and assists with marketing. His most recent Denver clients include Atomic Cowboy, Clinica Tepeyac, Swallow Hill Music, and Boost Counseling & Consulting. His photos and art have been seen in Rolling Stone, Vogue, The New Yorker, MTV, Vibe, and in Times Square.
About the speaker
We are joined by Scott McCormick to explore February's world-wide theme of DIVERGENT!
Is life a choose-your-own-adventure tale where we can intentionally take the path less traveled? Or are we set on a trajectory of convention, and just along for the ride?
Think about all of the divergent paths you've come across and avoided during your life. Think about the ones you've courageously taken. Think about the unexpected diversions you can only see in hindsight.
Now, think about all of the possible divergent paths Scott McCormick has taken - some accidental, many on purpose as a creative discipline - on his journey designing visuals for some of the most iconic musicians and brands of our time.
...hear about one divergent path after another, somehow all converging together on February 19th, 2021, as Scott shares his story being a musician, a photographer, a brand strategist, a visual artist, a human, a father, a creative, and narrates an unconventionally creative tale in "choose-your-own-adventure" format.
YOU AS THE LISTENER will direct Scott's narrative, actively choosing various trajectories of creativity and human discovery and noticing what becomes possible at the ultimate convergence of those once random paths...
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