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Archive for January, 2012
Thursday, January 26th, 2012
We are about to pass the one year anniversary of the inception of the Marching Roundtable Podcast, and as I take a moment to reflect, there is one main point that strikes me the most.
Everybody's Great!
It hasn't mattered who we have talked to, they have just been wonderful! Our activity is full of passionate, talented, enthusiastic people who are doing amazing things! From band directors to show designers to students to corps directors to composers to instructors to administrators ….everyone has been wonderful!
It's easy to gripe or get frustrated with things in our activity. We all care so much, and can get angry when things seem to be interferring with our enjoyment or the growth of our artform. In fact, this sense of frustration was one of the main catalysts for us starting the podcast adventure in the first place!
But now after a year of talking with people and getting to know them, I am much encouraged and excited by what everyone is doing. These designers and teachers and marchers and parents REALLY care about our marching activity. And many are doing super-human things that have impressed us over and over!
So thanks to everyone who has been a part of our podcast so far, and we're excited to talk to all those who we will interview and speak with in the coming year. Really…everybody's GREAT!
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Sunday, January 22nd, 2012
"The Artist" is unlike any movie I have ever seen. Brilliant, engaging, surprising, and gorgeously filmed, this movie is an example of creativity and ingenuity at its best.
It's a silent movie! The images are striking and the music throughout is perfectly suited to each scene. (What a monumental feat it was to score this movie, where there is no dialogue and the music must portray the mood and guide us through the story!)
I think that one of the reasons that this film has such an impact is because it's a quiet film in a very noisy time. We are all constantly bombarded with stimuli and information everywhere we go. Video screens flash and scream at us in stores, on billboards, even in restaurants. So along comes a simple but brilliant film with no talking and it's like a breath of fresh air!
It's no secret that I've been frustrated the last few years with overwriting on the marching field. It seems that every moment in every show must be busy, noisy, and built for the shortest attention span imaginable. In some of the worst offenders, nothing seems to last more than a few seconds or contain any development. This is exhausting and, worst of all, all too often NOT interesting. At least to me….
I just completed an 886 page novel about Van Gogh. Although it taxed my patience at times, the accumulated effect of that slow read was a huge understanding of the man when I was finished. The amount of information and the repeated stories of his failures and difficulties (and occasional triumphs, of course) left me with a profound sense of the man's genius and the huge distress of his problems.
But many marching shows today are not even short stories! More like a series of tweets.
It would be my sincere desire that every single DCI or Marching Band designer would be required to see "The Artist" and experience the wonder of a beautifully paced but quiet film that packs a huge impact. It's really a clinic in what's possible. Here's hoping! (and….go see the film! You'll love it!)
Posted in Music | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, January 17th, 2012
Sometimes I wonder what it will take to convince people to get to the gym. As we all get older, we need to "keep moving" and include resistance exercise into our fitness regime to stay healthy and feel better. Numerous studies have proven that workouts, along with some sort of cardio fitness, have tremendous benefits and help us achieve a greater quality of life. And healthy meals with logical portion size will keep our body fueled and free of excess fat and waste.
So it's depressing to realize that despite these numerous clear benefits, most people in our society refuse to do this. Certainly, it's a lifestyle that has to be diligently followed, at least until it becomes a habit. But many people have proven that this new habit can be acquired and kept…to great result!
 But so many resist and refuse to follow this advice. So I am offering another possible incentive… This picture!
I am a huge believer in "visualization" and the power of having an image of what we want in our mind. If you know where you want to go, you have a better chance of ending up there. I suggest that anyone working toward a certain type of physique find a PICTURE of someone to use as an example of what you want to look like, and put it in a prominent place. This can be on the bathroom mirror, or on the door of the refrigerator. It just needs to be somewhere that you will see it daily to remind yourself of your goals. The power of an image can be profound.
As a bodybuilder who is also getting older, I find the picture in this post incredibly inspiring. Find a picture that inspires you, and keep it in a place where you will see it!
If you want to drive a certain car, put a picture of that car at your desk. Want to live in a certain kind of house, or in a certain location? Put that picture up also. Some people go so far as to create "Vision Boards" where they put images of all of these things. But for me, as someone who loves to work out and has goals for achieving a certain level of muscularity and fitness, I have pictures of these physiques in my house.
Consider putting images as reminders in important spots. Then you'll constantly be reminded of your goals and will keep making choices that benefit your progress. If you see a picture of washboard abs on the fridge, you are less likely to reach in and pull out a piece of pie! Good luck, find those images, and keep reaching toward your goals!
Posted in Fitness | No Comments »
Sunday, January 15th, 2012
It’s tempting to play it safe. If we dream big, we might fail miserably or fall really hard. But as you live your life you learn that there are much worse things than trying and failing. Like NOT trying at all and living with the regret.
 Take a look at this incredible set of pictures. This is bodybuilder Nick Trigili, one of the nation’s top amateur competitors who is sure to join the pro ranks in the near future. The pictures on the left are Nick “before” at 170 pounds. The picture on the right is Nick TODAY…at 280+ pounds. Here is a young man with a passion, a drive, and a dream come true.
What’s really amazing about Nick is that he has made this transformation in 2 1/2 years! Of course, I understand that there are many of you reading who don’t want to look like Nick today (heck, he didn’t look so bad at 170!) or may not appreciate this extreme level of development. But my point in this blog post is simply to point out what is possible. Here is a great example of someone who has worked tremendously hard and realized a dream. A man who has gained over 100 pounds of muscle in 2 1/2 years time!
On the Marching Roundtable podcast we have recently been in touch with a lot of young performers who are marching drum corps for the first time in 2012. All of these students had a dream to march on the DCI field, and are making it a reality. There is no doubt that for every single student and their family, a great deal of work and sacrifice will be involved. Marching is not cheap, takes a lot of time, and is extremely demanding on many levels. But, of course, the rewards for these marchers will be memories and experiences that will shape the rest of their lives.
So take a moment and look into the mirror. It’s still early enough in January to stop and take stock of your life. What are your dreams? What are your goals?
My wonderful friend Mary White gave me a plaque which I have at my desk which says “What would you do if you knew you could not fail?” I have to admit that the first thing that immediately came to my mind is, in fact, something I have NOT done and may never do. But having this reminder in front of me HAS given me the courage to pursue dreams and take chances.
The launch of the Marching Roundtable, and the somewhat stressful marketing campaign we are just completing, has been quite a daring adventure. There is much to lose, from time and money to reputation and self-esteem. But I can’t imagine NOT taking the chance. We wanted to DO SOMETHING to help out, to make a difference, to start conversations, and by all appearances we are doing just that!
So rekindle that dream, let yourself imagine what YOU truly want. Then start moving in that direction. Nick Trigili is pointing the way, with a very large and powerful arm. Make it happen! Imagine what is possible!
Posted in Fitness, Music | 1 Comment »
Sunday, January 1st, 2012
 January 1, 2012! In reality, just another day. But culturally, the start of a brand new year…and a whole new beginning.
At the end of the year, we are given the opportunity to reflect on our lives the past 365 days, to look forward to the next 365 days of our life, and to reflect on where we are. It’s very healthy to take some time to consider our lives and how we’re doing. Many “success gurus” suggest that we take some real quiet time to do some thinking at this moment in time.
Each year at this time I sit down with my calendar from the previous year and slowly walk through the year day by day. I remember all the appointments, dinners, movies, trips, challenges, events, and disappointments. It’s good to look at it all, reflect, and consider.
With the challenges, I am most interested in how I reacted to these moments. What came from these issues, and how did my life change or improve in response? It has been said that the importance of negative events in our lives is how we react to them.
 I also take time to look over last year’s list of “goals for the year.” I’m not a fan of resolutions, as they tend to carry the baggage of something that is broken often. Instead, I access my personal and business goals and write them down. It’s interesting to see where my focus was 1 year ago, and then to decide what it will be for the coming year. There is great power in writing them down, and I suggest you take time to do this also.
Realistically, we are given the opportunity to “start fresh” every single day. Each morning when we wake up, we are given the chance to live our lives differently, with a different focus or context. But this can be hard to remember in the busy day-to-day struggles we encounter. So take a moment on January 1 to give this special attention, look back, look forward, and write a few things down.
I wish everyone a Happy New Year, with countless opportunities to grow, expand our good, and make our lives exactly what we want them to be. Get excited about the possibilities, and then make them happen!
Posted in Fitness, Music | No Comments »
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