Here is a secret I understood through thousands of hours of composition: creativity emerges naturally when the routine is designed for it.
Most of my days in L.A. start with an espresso and the view.
I like to be ready before sunrise, to watch the spectacle happening in front of me. I love the feeling of a new day arriving, and the sensation of being awake before the city.
Then comes the piano.
For a long time, I trained eight hours a day. After years of that process, when I felt I knew my instrument enough to reach the next step, I changed my approach. Now I only go to the piano when I feel a deep desire inside.
On days of show I do not play the songs I will perform at night. I want to feel excited and fresh to play them in front of the audience.
When I am composing, I am a lion in a cage. I walk around the piano, I think, I absorb. The piano is close, always ready, but I do not sit down without the perfect desire. This way of composing has shaped all my travels.
Wherever I go on tour, I ask for a piano in my suites. It always needs to be near me, ready to capture sudden bursts of inspiration that often arrive at night. I can go from not playing at all to playing as if my life depended on it. I love to feel my fingers burning with the heat of sculpting the keyboard.
Once the passion is there, I can spend hours searching, trying, failing, finding. If everything flows, I keep pushing. If my mind becomes blurry, I stop forcing.
When an idea comes to me, I record it immediately on my phone. A few notes, a chord, a sketch. Later, I listen back to those ideas. I love doing it outside, while hiking at Runyon Canyon for example. I climb while listening to my unfinished melodies. Changing the environment around me is another key to keeping clarity on what I am doing.
At the end of the trail, I often stop for a smoothie. It became a ritual. Rituals are a key pattern for creativity. Associating moments and tastes with creation has a real impact on my brain.
If I do not go hiking, I train on the terrace. A daily workout with the view over Los Angeles. Creativity comes easier when the body feels strong and sane.
I like meeting great people in curated restaurants. I often end up meeting artists I know that I did not expect to see. Singers, stylists, actors, comedians. We talk about what we are working on. Those conversations feed us in different ways. Creation lives between isolation and encounters.
In the evening, I watch films connected to the themes I am exploring. I try to watch one a day. Cinema is a huge part of my inspiration. A story, a color, a moment, a silence, anything can unlock a feeling, a melody, a direction. I’ll write you a full letter on this. I have so many films I would love to recommend.
At night I often go watching the Ocean in Malibu or Santa Monica. Every time I sit in front of infinite nature, I feel the album settle inside me a little more.
Through that process, a world of people, arts and landscapes finds its way into my piano.
Sincerely,
Sofiane Pamart
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Sofiane, thank you for sharing this beautiful letter. Reading about your creative rituals and the way you protect inspiration feels like being invited into the heart of your music. Your words carry the same sensitivity and intensity that I feel in your compositions.
I admire you deeply, not only for your talent, but for the discipline, honesty, and soul you put into everything you create. I had the chance to meet you in Boston, and that moment stayed with me. Your presence offstage reflects the same warmth and depth that your music holds.
I was so sad to miss your concert in Bordeaux recently, I was there, but everything was already sold out. It felt like the universe teasing me. But it only made me even more excited for the next time. I can’t wait to experience your music live again and to listen to your next album. Your work has truly become a part of my life and my travels.
Thank you for creating a world we can step into.
Merci pour ces moments de partage et votre histoire musicale