These TikTok duet creators prove remote collaboration can actually be fun — blog.dropbox.com


 
 Of course, one of the biggest challenges is brainstorming over Zoom and Slack. Accurately reading reactions and body language over a screen is next to impossible. And it’s difficult to nurture the spark of an idea into a flame with people you may barely know. That’s why establishing trust and building rapport on video calls has become a whole new skill set. As the founders of Thinking Outside The Blocks—an online education platform and community hub for songwriters that helps musicians break through their creative blocks—Allie Moss and Bess Rogers are full-time advocates of the idea that you can break out of a rut by sharing your raw ideas with your peers. “Collaboration is one of the best ways to grow as a songwriter and musician,” says Moss. “It allows us to see how others work. It’s a chance to let go of control and become a better listener.” And some creators are showing us how to do just that. They’re starting their creative process by casting a wide net into the unknown and coming up with remarkably strong co-creations. Take Ellen Hinton (AKA @ellenonceagain), for example. At the start of lockdowns, this gifted Dallas-based singer/songwriter/music teacher began using TikTok duets as a way to invite other musicians to harmonize with her.  “A lot of the venues had temporarily closed, and everyone was just at home,” she recalls. “So TikTok was a great avenue to create duets. They were performances, but they were very natural, because you're at home in front of your keyboard. I just missed the connection that music brought and this was a way to continue to do that from the comfort of home.” At a time when a lot of musicians were doing solo livestream shows on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, Hinton found that TikTok duets gave her a chance to send out musical invitations like little ships in a bottle. She discovered that they often sparked conversations that inspired her next idea for a duet. “On TikTok, they also have a livestream available,” she explains. “A lot of times, before I make a video, I'll go on for about 30 minutes and talk to whoever's on. I'll have people say ‘Hey, can you check out this duet?’ I'm like, ‘Of course.’ I love it. I can be a part of the duet they created.”  Hinton says some of her more memorable duets happen when she provides a foundation for others to build upon. “Some of the duets I've created lately are ‘Sing the melody.’ I'll play the piano and do the harmony, then people add their own melodies. Some of them are directly from the song and some artists take a lot of creative license. They’re just absolutely beautiful. I love watching them.” 

Read More