Sanctuary stories
News, Stories, Updates and Musings from the Minnesota Songwriter Sanctuary
Staff Spotlight: Ezra Cayman Crowley
Ezra grew up deep in the woods of Northern Minnesota before hopping a train west at 17 with nothing but a guitar and a duffle bag full of clothes. In his early 20s, he opened his first recording studio, working with Grammy-winning artists and producing music that topped the CMJ charts and premiered on MTV and BET. In his 30s, he launched Ezra Cayman Bespoke Couture, designing custom garments for rockstars and billionaires, while earning a degree in management science and graduating summa cum laude from Stanford University (where he served as president of the Stanford Audio Engineering Society and on the KZSU board of directors). After returning home to Minnesota in 2020, he founded Minnesota Songwriter Sanctuary, where he now serves as Executive Director and lead engineer, blending entrepreneurial vision with hands-on creative leadership.
Reading List: The Creative Act by Rick Rubin
One of our favorite rooms at the Sanctuary is the library. Tucked away from the studio, it’s filled with books on music, recording, songwriting, and the creative process. In this series, we’ll be sharing some of our recommendations — the books that challenge us and inspire us. One favorite is Rick Rubin’s The Creative Act: A Way of Being. Part meditation, part creative field guide, Rubin’s book is less about making hit records than learning how to listen more deeply — to yourself, to the world, and to the work as it reveals itself. It’s a thoughtful reminder that creativity is not reserved for a chosen few; it is a practice, a way of paying attention, and a lifelong relationship with curiosity. For songwriters, producers, artists, and anyone trying to bring something honest into the world, The Creative Act is the kind of book you can return to again and again.
