Some people are like bamboo trees, bringing balance to our environment and serving positively in numerous ways. Creative Soul, Eddie Kopp, is such a bamboo to boast about, and he’s here to add invaluable resources to the creative world and make us all feel wonderstruck by his ingenuity.
Eddie Kopp is the Founder, Director, and Editor of Sugarshack Sessions.
He is also the founder of Five Oh Films and Five Oh Photos, his personal brand of professional film and photography.
Eddie found his love for music in the drums. In elementary and middle school, he was part of the school band but his most desired musical instrument was never available, so he had to opt for the trumpet or the horn. When he got to high school, the situation with the drums was the same prompting him to drop out of the school band altogether. To make his dream come true, Eddie saved money and bought his first set of drums, and taught himself how to play them.
Throughout high school and college, Eddie joined garage bands landing with one that almost took them to the stars, but unfortunately, the band was dissolved. He then dropped out of college and joined the military for 6 years (Thank you for your service, Eddie!), playing with bands here and there, balancing his love for music and life’s responsibilities. Eddie is currently the drummer for Sprout, a local Alternative Reggae Rock band, he joined in 2021.
Videography and Photography are Eddie’s second passions. He started venturing into shooting professional videos for skateboarding films, real estate commercials, weddings, and more. Just as a music band had requested Eddie to shoot a music video for them, Eddie was unpacking boxes in his new home in Bonita Springs, Florida.
Eddie thought it was a good idea to shoot the music video on the wood deck of his home, the “Sugarshack,” as Eddie and his friends named it, a 1940s cozy spot in perfect harmony with the flora and fauna of the town. As the camera captured the band playing and the ocean breeze danced around the jamming tunes, with the sun softly caressing the deck, Eddie had an Eureka moment that was about to change his life forever.
Since the era of MTV Unplugged, Eddie had a fascination for live music shows. With such a perfect setting, the right skills, and an undeniable hunger for self-actualization, Eddie gave birth to Sugarshack Sessions.
Uniting his love for filmmaking and music, and an entrepreneurial spirit bursting with great ideas, Eddie, together with four of his friends, put together an offering to give music bands the opportunity to play at the “Sugarshack”, for free, receiving in return top-notch music videos, and the chance to get exposed to their growing community. They started with local musicians, and since 2014, they have been consistent with their vision, officially incorporated in 2017.
“It was a nice way to share great content with musicians,” Eddie is glad he decided to turn his home into a creative space for musicians to share their music. Sugarshack Sessions is the first of its kind in the state of Florida, and it has made a positive impact not only on the music community but on Bonita Springs, a must-visit spot.
Sugarshack Sessions offers an array of options for artists to benefit from, including professional conceptual development, video and audio production, photography, graphic design, and creative and production services. They currently have different departments such as Sugarshack Records, and Sugarshack Music Channel, a membership YouTube channel to access videos before they go live. They also offer their innovative and newly added, Sugarshack Experience.
Over 2700 people are on the waiting list to attend the Sugarshack Experience, a golden opportunity to visit Eddie’s house and experience firsthand a special transcendental mist. It is a way for fans to hang out with their favorite band or discover new ones. They get to witness the production process, have a healthy meal, enjoy the open bar, and simply be encapsulated in the magic of it all. People fly from all over the world to join the Sugarshack Experience, and Eddie and his team are curating something special to give their guests and musicians the best accommodations.
Since their inception, musicians have been stopping by for the day and hitting the road right after their Sessions. Now, Sugarshack has partnered with Shangri-La Springs, a holistic and historical resort located in the heart of Bonita Springs. The resort’s amenities include an organic spa, garden, and restaurant, and Sugarshack provides a golf cart shuttle to and from the resort.
Currently, Eddie’s focus is on the Sugarshack Music Channel, publishing riveting music videos 5 days a week. The next chapter for Sugarshack Sessions includes a Music Venue with a capacity of about a thousand to host concerts, and it will include restaurants, retail stores, and much more.
Eddie is fascinated at how it all has turned out. It wasn’t just about having the right soil to grow, but also the right attitude, attention, and determination to prosper, and Eddie has persevered through obstacles and sacrifices. He now has a team of 11 and growing, and he’s grateful to be providing a way of life for his crew and family, as well as a safe space for artists to be discovered and have a memorable experience.
It takes several years for a bamboo tree to break ground before shooting upwards, and Eddie’s unstoppable creative force keeps growing at the speed of light. He has become a field of infinite possibilities with a commendable heart, helping others grow as well, irradiating the true meaning of doing good things with good people for good reasons.
FUN FACT – You know right away it’s a Sugarshack music video when you hear the distinctive intro instrumental. Here’s a fun fact about the track:
“I recorded that 3-chord diddy on my iPhone when putting the first episode together. I wanted the series to have a TV feel with that recurring intro that gets stuck in your head. I’m a drummer and those 3-chords were all I really knew on the guitar. We still use that original recording, the same one since day 1.” – Eddie Kopp