This week’s guest artist was Chris LoPorto, lead singer and creator of the band Can’t Swim. Chris had been interested in music from a young age and started his musical career as a drummer. He discussed how that experience taught him how to work well with others and compromise, which is very important when working in a band. The creation of his band was very interesting to me because he recruited members after getting a record deal. This process ended up working in his favor because he got to be more selective with who joined as more people would be willing to since he already had support from a label. He also spoke about balancing his financial and creative needs. Many musicians worry about record labels controlling their style, but he said that with a few strong-worded emails here and there, he can maintain creative control and meet his financial needs. Chris showed that it is possible to  make money as an artist without forsaking your creativity. Overall, it was wonderful to hear his story and see someone from around the area (New Jersey is pretty close to New York) succeed as an artist.