Tuesday, August 2, 2005
Local spotlight
Creative entrepreneur juggles his priorities
John Lamb focuses on balancing moneymaking and nonprofit ventures in bid to refine his talent.
By Maureen McDonald / Special toThe Detroit News
ROYAL OAK -- One night John D. Lamb is strumming his guitar with a backup
band at Memphis Smoke, next night serenading vegetarians at the opening of
a yoga studio and the next day assembling nationally known writers for a
fall retreat.
"Every day I've got to remember who is paying me, what do I have to complete
and how do I stay focused with everything I'm juggling," Lamb said.
Lamb is an entrepreneur who balances a nonprofit writing endeavor with for-profit
guitar gigs for a steady income and a chance to do service for the creative
community. Friends and clients say focus is what helps Lamb -- whose real
name is D'Agnillo -- produce enormous amounts of appearances and events that
reflect quality and forethought.
He recently celebrated 18 years as a singer-song writer in the vein of roots
or rockabilly music. Enrollment already nears the 90-person capacity for
his 7th annual Walloon Writer's Retreat in late September. People are signing
up for the 11th annual songwriter's retreat in November.
Between ventures, he hosts poetry nights and songwriter showcases under the
venue of his nonprofit organization, Springfed Arts, www.springfed.org.
"I've been to a lot of retreats but Walloon Writers has a definite flow,
you feel warm and welcomed from the moment you get there till the moment
you leave," said Rebecca Vlasic of Birmingham. Participants pay $360 to $600
for a four-day retreat with nationally known writers.
Vlasic plans to return for a fourth year in the fall to the rustic setting near Boyne City.
If Lamb hasn't generated a six-figure income yet, he has intersected with
a national trend. Richard Florida, author of the "Rise of the Creative Class"
(Basic Books, $15.95) said enterprising business people are a promising wave
of today's economy:
"People are striving to be themselves, to find meaningful work and to live
in communities that let them validate their identities and live as complete
people," Florida said in the preface to his book.
For Lamb, it isn't enough to express creatively, he hopes to encourage students
and volunteers to refine their own talent and spread it around.
"I not only learned more about the craft of poetry, I took on a poetry student,"
said Christine Rhein of Brighton, a two-time attendee of the Walloon Writer's
Retreat.
Vlasic said she initiated a fund-raising team to help subsidize the retreat
because many other writer classes are sponsored by universities. Filmmaker
Michael Moore and his wife, Kathleen Glynn, are large contributors.
Lamb started out pursuing a journalism career. While attending Central Michigan
University, he began playing gigs at a nightclub and found a natural talent
as audiences grew. He met his wife there as well.
The bar band business flourished until the children arrived and he sought
some ventures that would give him more family time. He produced a weekly
variety show for several years at the Magic Bag Theater, then shifted to
retreats.
"What I teach my song-writing students is what works best for me - writing
and performing is 10 percent inspiration and 90 percent perspiration," Lamb
said. "You may be inspired to write but it isn't a gift from the heavens.
You still have to put it aside, look at it again and again till it reflects
your very best work."
Maureen McDonald is a Metro Detroit freelance writer.
John D. Lamb
• Specialty: The Royal Oak entrepreneur combines creativity and business
skills to play 160 music gigs a year, coordinate three writer's conferences
and provide a showcase for poets and songwriters around town.
• Employees: Lamb hires up to 15 people for retreats and recruits band members
for performances. He recruits a band of volunteers and sponsors for a variety
of activities.
• Contact: www.jdlamb.com or www.springfed.org