Music Stars Making A Social Impact: Why & How Conny Conrad of CoCo Records International Is Helping To Change Our World
An Interview With Edward Sylvan
In May 2010 I founded the song project for children’s rights — ROCK FOR YOUR CHILDREN — with well-known artists from all over the world (www.rockforyourchildren.de). To this day, we have been able to support many campaigns, events and companies for children in need, especially from german charity organisations like broadcasting “SWR Herzenssache” to the Hänsel and Gretel Foundation to children’s cancer clinics or school campaigns. That will continue to happen, with additional artists, songs and ……. everybody’s help!
As a part of our series about music stars who are making an important social impact, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Conny Conrad.
Conny born in 1958 in Schoental/near the Black Forest/Germany is recognized as one of the most influential and successful German composers, musicians and music producers. He can look back to over 700 released compositions, about 2,5 million sold CDs, over 500 radio and television appearances and 150 international music- and film awards.
In 2001, he became an honorary member of the International Association of VIPs followed by their greatest award — THE GOLDEN GLOBE in 2008! He is established on the music market for 47 years, graduated by GEMA as extraordinaire composer and writer. He is also a multi-instrumentalist, before all a highly recognized virtuous guitarist and producer.
For example, he wrote the anthem for the athletics world championship 1993, “Hello Stuttgart Go”, the title tracks for the “Starclub-musical” in Hamburg performed by the Rattles 1997, the Anthem for the German Olympic Team Sydney 2000 nominated by the German Sport Aid, “Welcome to Australia”, the worldwide released instrumental series “Dreamworld”, “Dream Spirits” and many more — all in all, 130 released CDs on more than 2.5 million units plus millions of streamings/downloads.
His passion is orchestral heavy-art-prog-rock. First example: his long play “TROYA Project” 1988 and second: “C.C.´s ARENA/The battle of overmoun (1994)”. Last but not the least, his English-German band DARK OCEAN (from 1999 to 2009).
Most of his commercial success comes from instrumental releases, also used for movies, TV, Video, special marketing and broadcasting.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us a bit of the ‘backstory’ of how you grew up?
When I was 4 in 1962 I heard the Beatles (“Love me do”) and I knew: “That´s my way”. As an autodidact, I learned to play the guitar (and later other instruments like all keyboards, string instruments, percussion and drums). In the Sixties, I also saw the Monkees on TV and knew they play similar chords than I do, haha… 🙂
In the Seventies, I had my first school band but the end of the Eighties I exactly knew that working alone as a composer, musician and producer will be the best for my inner balance.
Except for my English band “Dark Ocean”, which was an exception and a story of its own, that’s me until today.
Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?
I am born and I will die as a musician. The guitar is a part of my body. I play guitar since I was 4. I‘m 62 and very thankful for living this life. In 1978 I released my first single with my school band. Until today I had some major deals but all in all I was independent. Since 2001 I have had my own label: CoCo records internationally. Being authentic was always rule no. 1 for me.
Can you share the funniest or most interesting story that occurred to you in the course of your career? What was the lesson or take away that you took out of that story?
Of course 🙂 The most interesting story — which most people can´t understand — is my life between 1978 and 2018 because these 40 years I was a quite high-ranking full-time detective at the German police (similar to FBI or CID). Now I´m retired but what I do now has nothing to do with being retired. At the moment I have about 15 music productions simultaneously in work.
Obviously, I’m unique worldwide regarding the fact that there never was a real policeman with such a successful musical output. Some weeks ago was the release of my book “Kriminaltango — zwischen Gitarre und Kripo” (engl.: “Criminal Tango — between Guitar and Police”).
What would you advise a young person who wants to emulate your success?
It is simple and you read/heard it thousand times but that´s it: “Believe in yourself. Don´t change your way if your heart says go on. Don´t be everybody’s buddy/darling.
If you have a goal, you must include the possibility to fail. Don´t be lazy.”
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you explain how that was relevant in your life?
I live several quotes as a kind of life lesson. Just two examples:
- “Think big, because small happens by itself”.
- “Don´t just talk. Do it!”
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
Well, there are a couple of people who supported my success. I’ll mention my father who died much too early in 1987. He was a policeman and he has shown me the right way in time 1978. Without him, I would have tried my luck with my former drummer in school coming over to the USA to start a musical career. No one knows what would have happened if we really did it.
The second person I’d like to mention is Reinhard Kühner. He was one of the most influential German marketing managers in the Nineties. He opened the door for me to compose and produce the anthem for the World Athletic Championship 1993 followed by my song for the German team Football World Championship 1994 in the USA. After his help, I was established.
Let’s now shift to the main focus of our interview, how are you using your success to bring goodness to the world? Can you share with us the meaningful or exciting social impact causes you are working on right now?
More than ten years ago after all my success, I thought about “Born to be wild”. If you hear that song you automatically think of “motorbiking”. In the same way, there should be a song, whenever you hear it, you should think of “children” and “children poverty”. In May 2010 I founded the song project for children’s rights — ROCK FOR YOUR CHILDREN — with well-known artists from all over the world (www.rockforyourchildren.de). To this day, we have been able to support many campaigns, events and companies for children in need, especially from german charity organisations like broadcasting “SWR Herzenssache” to the Hänsel and Gretel Foundation to children’s cancer clinics or school campaigns. That will continue to happen, with additional artists, songs and ……. everybody’s help!
The current song project of hope “Send me a little light” as part of “Rock for your children” will again be accompanied by patron Michael Theurer, a Member of the German parliament.
Meanwhile, we have about 20 different versions of the song, from german, English up to Portuguese languages/lyrics. That´s amazing!
Can you tell us the backstory about what originally inspired you to feel passionate about this cause and to do something about it?
As a father of 3 children (meanwhile adults, too) I was/am always interested in supporting children and young people on their way to a good life.
It´s not all about money. It´s also important to support their kind of thinking.
For example — if you help, you will be helped.
Many of us have ideas, dreams, and passions, but never manifest it. But you did. Was there an “Aha Moment” that made you decide that you were actually going to step up and take action for this cause? What was that final trigger?
That´s the point — you must do it! My initial point was to see that sometimes people don´t know where their money “for a good cause” will go to. I thought, with a song we´ll succeed twice. First, you think of children if you hear the song (mental support), the second I exactly see where the money from my song licences/royalties go to (financial support) because I can decide which kind of persons/projects/organisations will be supported. All steps are monitored on the RFYC-website.
Can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your cause?
In 2013 I supported a young girl (Suzan) in Uganda by celebrating an unplugged RFYC-concert: http://www.rockforyourchildren.de/?p=731
I used the money plus some of my private money to enable her to start to study in her country. Until today she sends greetings to me. It´s great to see her development.
I cannot save the whole world, but I can show examples of how it works if we all support each other.
Are there three things that individuals, society or the government can do to support you in this effort?
Well, there could be more than three things 😊:
- First — too many “supporters” (event locations, caterers, marketing agencies, promotion companies, and so on…) still expect money for their support. They should do it for free just to avoid that some of the benefit money must be used for paying their bills.
- Second — Radio and TV stations are too much focused on their formatted shows. Example of a radio station: “Oh, it´s a rock song”. Sorry, we just play Europop, country, or whatever”. Me: “Is this more important than supporting children? I can offer the song in Europop, country, or in any other musical style!”
Radiostation: “We´ll get back to you a.s.a.p.”. (Until today no feedback 😊) - Third — to these persons who promise their RFYC-support as long as the TV cameras are working or the microphones are on air — please do it, don´t just use the media for your faces.
Plus — my personal wish is to get in contact with/be supported by US individuals, society or government. The mental “US-feeling” is close to me. They love my music.
That´s why most of the success of my last releases/songs comes from the USA. I am sure ROCK FOR YOUR CHILDREN could also get a great US-success to the health of the children over there!
Fantastic. Here is the main question of our interview. What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or an example for each.
- It’s not important how good you are (for example on playing guitar), it’s important who you meet.
- First sleep a night before you say yes or no.
- Ask the children to listen to your music and what they feel. They don’t lie.
- No matter what step you’ll do, — calculate to fail before you do it.
- Commercial success doesn’t need talent. It needs money. If you don’t have that money, prepare yourself for an alternative life full of highlights without commercial success.
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
RFYC is such a kind of movement. After starting my song project for children’s rights (www.rockforyourchildren.de) in 2010 I always include new benefit songs and new artists for the good cause (children in need). And — I talk about it. It keeps communication between all kinds of people. It is very interesting to see how they react. Most of them just “like” projects like these but they don´t give a bug. That´s why I like to dig deeper just to get analyzed results.
We are blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Politics, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them 🙂
Yes, it would be a great pleasure for me to meet TONY IOMMI (Black Sabbath). He was my greatest influence as a guitar player.
Plus — ROLAND EMMERICH. Like me, he comes from around Stuttgart. I’d like to talk with him about the chance to insert some of my music into one of his next projects because I really like his kind of producing the genre SCIENCE FICTION. What he does for the eyes I think I do for the ears.
Thank you so much for these amazing insights. This was so inspiring, and we wish you continued success!
I have to thank a lot for your important work and your interest in my music! All the best! ❤
Music Stars Making A Social Impact: Why & How Conny Conrad of CoCo Records International Is Helping… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.