IN-Q

IN-Q or IN-Query, is the stage name of Adam Schmalholz, an American songwriter and National Poetry Slam champion[1] from Los Angeles, California.[2] Schmalholz describes his poetry as a reflection of his own experiences and life lessons.[3] Recognized for his ability to bring poetry to pop culture,[4] IN-Q helped establish one of the largest open mic poetry venues in the United States called "Da Poetry Lounge," held at the Greenway Court Theatre in Los Angeles.[5][6][7][8]

IN-Q, IN-Question
Born
Adam Schmalholz
Occupation(s)Songwriter, writer, poet
Musical career
GenresSpoken word, pop, hip hop
Years active1998–present
Websitewww.in-q.com

In 2017, he was named one of the top creatives on Oprah's SuperSoul 100 list.[9] He is the first poet to perform at a Cirque Du Soleil production and as a songwriter, IN-Q has worked with artists like Miley Cyrus, Aloe Blacc, Mike Posner, Selena Gomez and co-wrote the official World Cup anthem in 2014.[2][10]

History

Raised by a single mother in Santa Monica,[5] IN-Q admits his introduction to what is now a well-decorated career happened accidentally, "I definitely had no intention of making a career out of poetry. When I was 19, a friend invited me to an open mic called Da Poetry Lounge in Los Angeles. The talent was absolutely incredible and it was such an inspiring environment that I never left."[1] Initially, Schmalholz's delivery style was that of an a cappella rapper, but he later found that audiences identified his performances more with spoken word poetry and he now considers himself primarily a poet when performing.[4]

IN-Q delved deeper into becoming a songwriter for the music industry after receiving a publishing deal with Rock Mafia.[2] On his songwriting process, Schmalholz says, "With us, every song is different. Sometimes the artist comes in and we write together, sometimes we collaborate with other songwriters, and sometimes we write in studio and get the song placed."[2]

Awards and accolades

IN-Q's songwriting credits include collaborating on Grammy-nominated and multi-platinum tracks for Miley Cyrus ("Forgiveness And Love" on the Can't Be Tamed album), Aloe Blacc ("Ticking Bomb" on the Wake Me Up EP), and Selena Gomez & the Scene ("Love You like a Love Song" on the album, When the Sun Goes Down).[2][11][4]

IN-Q has appeared on Russell Simmons' Def Poetry Jam, performed for Quincy Jones, Hillary Clinton, former US President Barack Obama,[5] and performed a live poetry concert with American musician Mike Posner and indie folk band Magic Giant.[4] Antonina Armato, Tim James, the co-founder of Rock Mafia, and Schmalholz won a songwriting BMI Award for Selena Gomez and the Scene's "Love You Like a Love Song."[12]

In 2017, he was named one of the top creatives on Oprah's SuperSoul 100 list.[9] That same year, he wrote and narrated an ad for A&E as a part of the network's marketing campaign that sought to align the A&E brand with culture and diversity.[13]

IN-Q was invited by renowned non-profit TED to join the panel of speakers in 2017 for an event hosted at IBM that explored the relationship between technology and humanity.[14] His recent videos "The Only Reason We're Alive" and "The Most Important Vote We'll Ever Cast" went viral and have over six million views combined.[1]

Songwriting discography

  indicates an un-credited vocal contribution.

YearArtistAlbumSongCo-written with
2010Miley CyrusCan't Be Tamed"Forgiveness and Love"Miley Cyrus, Timothy Price, Antonina Armato
2011Selena Gomez & the SceneWhen the Sun Goes Down"Love You Like a Love Song"Timothy Price, Antonina Armato
2013Selena GomezStars Dance"Stars Dance"Timothy Price, Antonina Armato
Aloe BlaccLift Your Spirit"Ticking Timebomb"Egbert Dawkins III, Timothy Price, Antonina Armato
2014China Anne McClainNon-album single"DNA"Jonathan Vella, Thomas Sturges, Timothy Price, Antonina Armato
2015Selena GomezRevival"Revival"Julia Michaels, Justin Tranter, Timothy Price, Antonina Armato, Chauncey Hollis
"Rise"Selena Gomez, Timothy Price, Antonina Armato
2016ZhuGenerationwhy"Good Life"Steven Zhu, Georgia Nott, Caleb Nott
2017Foster the PeopleSacred Hearts Club"Doing It for the Money"Mark Foster, Isom Innis, Ryan Tedder
2019TBA"Style"Mark Foster, Sean Cimimo, Rami Yacoub, Alexander Payami

References
  1. "IN-Q: What You Can Learn From A Poet About Career Success". Forbes. Retrieved January 16, 2018.
  2. "Multi-Platinum Winning Songwriter and Poet IN-Q Talks Poetry and How to Break into the Music Industry". HuffPost. January 6, 2015. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
  3. "Official Website". Retrieved January 16, 2018.
  4. "IN-Q brings poetry to pop culture with concert also featuring Mike Posner, Magic Giant". January 12, 2015. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
  5. Ogilvie, Jessica P. (April 27, 2016). "L.A.-Born and Raised Slam Poet IN-Q Performs in Hollywood on April 28". Los Angeles Magazine. Retrieved March 1, 2017.
  6. "The Actors' Lounge in Los Angeles". losangeles.com. Retrieved March 1, 2017.
  7. Johnson, Javon (October 1, 2010). "Manning Up: Race, Gender, and Sexuality in Los Angeles' Slam and Spoken Word Poetry Communities". Text and Performance Quarterly. 30 (4): 396–419. doi:10.1080/10462937.2010.511252. ISSN 1046-2937. S2CID 192233974. Retrieved March 1, 2017.
  8. Romeo, Nick (July 13, 2016). "Ball pits, buskers and 'ninja gardeners': This business conference is a circus". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 1, 2017.
  9. "IN-Q: National Poetry Slam Champion and Multi-Platinum Winning Songwriter". Retrieved January 18, 2018.
  10. "Bio" (PDF). in-q.com. Retrieved January 18, 2018.
  11. "A Vote for Hillary Is Largely a Vote Against Trump, Says This Slam Poet's Hard-Hitting Ad". Retrieved February 22, 2017.
  12. Adam Levine and Top Songwriters Honored at 61st Annual BMI Pop Awards at BMI.com; published May 15, 2013. Retrieved April 7, 2017
  13. Bruell, Alexandra (August 14, 2017). "A&E Launches Ad Campaign to Stand Out in Cluttered TV Space". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved January 18, 2018.
  14. "Why Not?: Ted@IBM". Retrieved January 18, 2018.
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