A Conversation With Scott Klopfenstein: Twitch Streamer and Creative Mentor

On The Shelf has the pleasure of hosting a special guest interview by Diane Schnell

Scott Klopfenstein is the reason I play the trumpet. Ask anyone who knew me  around the time I first picked the instrument up. Scott was all I talked about  and I wanted to be as talented and entertaining as he was. 

The most I can admit to is I learned how to play the trumpet. So, the idea of Scott as a creative mentor or teacher was a welcome  opportunity. I jumped on board that train immediately. He's been my  creative coach and mentor for nearly seven months. In that time, I've  published one book and am in the process of publishing another. I've also  started conducting interviews, apparently. 

I've achieved more success as a writer with his advice and support than I ever  did on my own. I wanted to find out how this happened. I asked my coach,  mentor, and friend to sit down with me and tell me what led to his being a  creative coach and what the impact on his life has been since he started. Scott told me with having a family and children, touring life is more difficult.  He's able to do things like write music and perform, but he's always wanted  to be a teacher as well. He knew he didn't want to teach things like music  theory. "I don't know very much about that; I would be pretending." What Scott does have an abundance of is experience. In his first email to me  about his coaching he wrote,  

"Over the past almost 30 years as a working artist, I have had many  conversations on the who, what, when, where, why and how of the  creative/artistic process. Talking with my heroes and mentors, peers  and “up and comers'', as well as fans; the goal was to take away a  better sense of myself and my artistry. What I refer to as Artistic  Individuation. "

But Artistic Individuation comes later. First is creativity and creativity is  different. Scott completely lights up when he starts talking about creativity.  The hands start flailing, the excitement is palpable. I get the impression that  this is exactly the kind of teacher Scott should be; he has all the passion for  the creative process anyone could ever need. 

His definition of creativity and the attributes of creative people include  everyone. If you're a human, you're creative. He talked about examples in  nature where birds or animals may decorate a habitat or nest, but humans are  deliberately creative in ways that allow us to connect with each other. Even  on a more pedestrian level, making decisions at all is a creative action.

Scott's clients range from writers, musicians, fashion designers, visual artists,  and even teachers. He has a passionate interest in the process of creation,  no matter the field. Dance, in particular, holds a strong appeal for him. He  admitted to taking three years of dance at the Orange County High School  of Performing Arts when he was a teenager, learning techniques from  modern to ballroom dancing. As a member of Reel Big Fish, Scott's dancing  was a memorable part of the stage show. 

"People would tell me I always moved in very particular ways," he mused.  "In the video for 'Everything Sucks' and even 'Sell Out', you can see it." He  described one particular move he was known for doing: straight back leg,  leaning forward, head up. 

"Once I started seeing people in the crowd doing it, I had to stop... I didn't  want to become a caricature of myself." Yet, dance is one of those things  Scott claims not to understand, but he likes that. "It's like classical music.  I don't get it or how to do it... yet." It's the mystery of the creative process.  Scott is somewhat bored by the things he already knows how to do. "I know  the magic trick," he says. But dance is one of those mysterious creative forms  he is still enchanted by. 

Scott's insatiable curiosity and interest in various forms of creative  expression are what make him so valuable as a mentor. "Every client's  coaching is bespoke," he says, describing how he approaches each case. He  wants to meet a client where they are in life, address whatever needs they  have at that moment, and try to push them just over the line from where  they're comfortable. 

In one case, a fashion design client was given an assignment to create a  line incorporating two themes that had some emotional connection to her  experience. He describes this as an "aha" moment for his client; she hadn't  thought she could incorporate her personal feelings into fashion until he  suggested it. 

These "aha" moments are what drive and inspire Scott in his teaching. He  can see his clients progress every time they meet, and that's affirming and  satisfying for him as a creator as well. Many times he reaches these moments  by asking questions. "I love to ask questions," he admits. It is a technique he  learned originally in therapy, he says laughing. He described times when he  would talk himself around an issue until, eventually, understanding would  dawn and he would surprise himself with his own insight. This is a technique  Scott uses to help his clients search for the deeper meaning in their work,  sometimes finding out they were trying to express ideas they might not  have been conscious of. 

Speaking from experience, this process can sometimes make work that feels  complete all of a sudden seem like it might be missing something. Then  it's back to the drawing board to search for the missing piece. It is not at all  about right or wrong, or judgements like good or bad. It is the search for  that moment when it all comes together and clicks. "The work should be fun  and arduous," he explains. There are songs that keep him up at night, songs  that have been demoed over and over again in pursuit of that feeling. He  admits these may be songs no one will ever hear because they aren't quite  right, but that will never stop him from writing and trying to find what he's  looking for.

One of the most important concepts Scott wants his clients to understand  is the impact fear has on creative expression. Every artist feels it and copes  with it in their individual ways. He admits to feeling it himself, but he does  his best to push it away when he's working. Scott shakes his head and tells  me how our brains tell us we're dumb, that our ideas are dumb, that what  we're working on probably sucks. One thing he likes to tell his children as  well as his adult clients is, if even  one person likes what you've been doing, then there are one thousand people who will like what you're doing. "We're not that unique," he laughs.  This isn't about being unoriginal or blending into a crowd. It's about the spirit of community, collaboration, and catharsis Scott believes is necessary for creativity to flourish. It's an important mindset shift, to go from judging yourself or your work, to acceptance that  there is a community out there for you and what you want to create. To have Scott as part of my creative community is a pleasure I've been fortunate to  experience. 

The other major role Scott has played for the last three years is Twitch  Streamer. He streams four times a week: Monday and Friday nights at 9 pm  PST and Wednesday and Thursday morning at 10 am PST. His streams feature  original songs as well as covers. His originals cover Littlest Man Band songs  from their debut album, as well as unreleased tracks.

There are demoes that were performed once or twice. 'Lando's Lament' is a  Star Wars themed song I had never heard before he performed the song on  the stream. Scott told me his song 'Big Bad Wolf' had only been performed once on a friend's public access TV show in New York, but a stream fan  requested it one night, so he added it to his song list. 

There is a page in his Discord for requesting songs for Scott to add to his list.  He says a song has to stick out for him to consider adding it to his available  requests. With a wry chuckle, he admitted there were some songs he tried  to learn but couldn't find a way to make work. I had recently requested he  try the song 'Stay With Me' by Sam Smith, and he said it was an interesting  choice he hadn't considered before. I hope that means he's working on it and  we'll see it as a requestable choice in the stream songlist soon. The stream also features Friday Night Music videos. These are mainly punk  and ska outfits that either have sent in videos or Scott's team has asked for  videos to show. It feeds into Scott's philosophy about an art community  supporting and uplifting each other. Much of Scott's stream audience are  made up of professional creatives that work in film, television, video games,  and music, not to mention other Twitch Streamers.  

For regulars of the stream, we know that moment toward the end of the  stream is when we can expect Scott's "you're doing a great job" speech. Right  before the last song, Scott takes time to acknowledge the people in his life  he is grateful for, and the compassion he has for those that are struggling. He  said it was something he needs to hear for himself sometimes. So he says it  to encourage others and to remind himself that he's doing the best he can as  well.

Scott's streams on Wednesday and Thursday mornings are more laid  back than the Monday and Friday night streams. They're filmed in  Scott's house, and his wife, Teka, and their two daughters will make an  occasional visit. Most often, we get to see Helda, the family dog. She is  a delight and a favorite of the stream. Scott said he's able to focus more  on the music for the morning streams. He likes a big show, and he said  playing for 20,000 people is an amazing experience, but it requires more  mental juggling than smaller, more intimate shows.

The mornings allow him to do his regular routine, meditate, get his coffee, and  then really think about the songs he's playing and how he sounds. It's a guitar only stream, with occassional kazoo. He is often more open to improvising songs not on his already established songlist for these streams as well. I am still trying to convince him to add the entire Green Day Kerplunk album to his songlist (we know you know all those songs!) 

Scott's often repeated mantra of "Patience, Tolerance, Love, and Service" is  the basis of much of his creative expression. He brings this philosophy into  his mentoring and he models it in his live performances. I asked him what  he thought about being a role model, not only creatively but also for those struggling with chronic illness as he combats his Lyme Disease diagnosis. He  said he thinks of himself more as a fellow traveler than a role model.  

Either way, his impact has been felt by so many. And he feels it in return.  He's said that because of the coaching he is always researching and learning,  discovering more about how the brain works and how to encourage his  clients as much as he can. Scott is always working as well, whether that's  writing songs or planning what's next. 

His coaching is our way of joining his creative community, and learning how  to be collaborators, too. We are all artists, and none of us are alone. 

Reach out to klopfensteincoaching@gmail.com if you are interested in Scott's  mentorship. Join us at the stream at twitch.tv/scottklopfenstein. And chat  with us on the discord. Or on all the socials: Threads,Instagram,Facebook.