I can no longer force myself to watch all of the Grammy Awards. I'm not a fan of Awards shows in general (outside of the Oscars) and this show always seems particularly crass to me.
However, my partner, Lee, did have the awards on and I did pop in for certain performances that I wanted to see. Plus I flash through the DVR recording to see some of the other performances.
What I was struck by this year was that the two obvious stand-out performances were also the two where substance was squarely more important than style or spectacle.
The woman of the hour had to be Adele, and rightly so. She also gave the night's top performance, which was all the more impressive given the flashy sugary breakfast cereal cavalcade of non-musical moments that surrounded her. Adele looked gorgeous in her simple black dress, and her performance was all about her singing. It was simple, elegant, powerful, and all about her voice. She has enough command and talent to let that BE the show. No half-dressed priests in tattered robes with abs of death were required to dance around her.
Similarly, Jennifer Hudson was thrilling in her very simple and heart-felt rendition of "I Will Always Love You" as a tribute to Whitney. Yes, she looked gorgeous, but it was just her great pipes and a piano …and a spotlight. She let her emotion and talent be the catalyst for the thrill.
Of course, this reminds me of our marching arts arena, where many times a band spends thousands of dollars on props and flags and sequiens and spectacle and forgets to learn to play. I sometimes wonder what would happen if all that money had brought in master teachers to help the students be better musicians. You can distract me by waving a shiny object around for only so long, and then I notice that the emperor really has no clothes.
Mull, people! Find your values and priorities, and then dress them up with style, but don't cover them up and leave nothing inside!
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!
"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!)
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!
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!
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!
One must often be made uncomfortable to grow and improve. In the gym, we all work hard, sweat, strain, and exert ourselves in order to grow bigger, stronger, and healthier. Band rehearsals can be hot, tiring, and mentally taxing in a quest for better performances. And sometimes looking in the mirror and honestly accessing our problems is the best way to move forward and grow toward a more successful life.
I thought of this topic today because I was listening to a story on NPR about an article that was recently written in anticipation of the Iowa caucuses next week. The author had pulled together years of “uncomfortable” facts to “tell is like it is” about the state. Although many great people live in Iowa, much of the state is in very dire straights. As one could predict, everyone is up in arms. How dare anyone bring to light anything unflattering! These “uncomfortable truths” were quickly screamed over by politicians and state officials, and the author of the article is villified to the point of receiving death threats. Yes, death threats.
Unfortunately, what everyone is paying attention to is the upset reaction. It would be nice if instead we might all look at these uncomfortable truths and consider what this means, and what we might can do about it.
Top level pro bodybuilders have been known to crash and burn on stage because before a contest they only surrounded themselves with “yes men.” Rather than giving a truthful assessment of problems or weaknesses, everyone kept building up their ego. What these pros really needed was an impartial truth-sayer to really tell them how they really looked and what they might need to do.
Smart band directors will bring in “experienced eyes” to look at their band and their show design, and then LISTEN and take the advice given. And hopefully the expert behind these eyes will not sugar coat things, but really tell it like it is. This can be difficult, and egos and feelings can be hurt or strained. But if one really wants to improve, one has to be willing to hear the “uncomfortable truths” and react professionally.
We all have seen irate directors at contests who lash out at the judges for “making a bad call.” I sometimes wonder if these directors will even listen to the tapes to see the concerns the judges had with the show. Sure, there are bad judges and bad calls at contests. But more often, the director has been turning a blind eye to some problems, or has been so obsessed with simply getting the show on the field that they have missed some glaring problems.
At the Marching Roundtable podcast, we want to talk about some of these Uncomfortable Truths in our activity — not to hurt feelings or step on egos, but in the spirit of making things better for everyone. We actually started the podcast because we wanted to help create a way for conversations to happen, particularly conversations about things which might be uncomfortable. Rather than just sitting around and grumbling to our friends about things, we decided to try to do something productive.
Sure, there may be times when we push buttons or make folks squirm a little, but like working your way to a 300 pound bench press, sometimes you have to sweat and strain a little to reach your goal. We never want to make our guests uncomfortable for no reason, but we also want to feel we have the permission to ask pointed questions about issues that might be a little difficult to talk about….always with the eye on making things better for everyone.
So watch for upcoming podcasts on topics like the Drum Corps Medical Project, which is a group of health care professionals working to make marchers safer and to prevent injuries. Today’s demanding visual programs are pushing our young people to a dangerous point, and some issues really just need to be talked about.
Likewise, we hope to talk about some design issues, directions of our activity, and trends which may or may not be good for us all. Hopefully this will all be done in a way that’s entertaining and (dare I say) enthralling to listen to. I promise we’ll do our best. We hope you’ll listen in.
I very sincerely believe that all great decisions and opinions take some time. Sure, there are moments when you know in a flash, or react spontaneously in some circumstance. But I try to live my life in a way that I take time to consider things, look at things from different sides or perspectives, and take time to ruminate when possible before reaching an opinion or verdict.
Apparently this is a sure sign that I am a dinosaur.
I find it exhausting and disheartening that we live in an age when judgments and opinions are formed instantaneously. Speed seems to be the most valued commodity, even over accuracy or courtesy.
Almost everything that happens in our world is now reported instantaneously. This is true whether or not what is reported is actually true or verified. Last week we were all convinced that Jon Bon Jovi was dead for at least an hour.
This instantaneous sharing of information is proving to have both positive and negative effects on our world. Movie studios are dismayed that terrible movies no longer sucker in an audience all weekend before the word gets out how lousy the film actually is. Young adults now regularly tweet and Facebook their opinions immediately (unfortunately, sometimes before the movie is even over). This quick judgement on a film might have the consequence of a good film being shunned unfairly, but most often seems to be helping movie viewers avoid crass attempts at their money from a terrible product. (Studios are scrambling to react to this new world of young people actually caring about the quality of their movie viewing! Could better movies actually be an outcome??!!)
The thing that is exhausting about this in most circumstances, however, is that sometimes judgments are made on things which really should take more time to digest and consider. Important issues often have nuance, many possible perspectives to consider, layers of complexity which need to be sifted through before arriving at a conclusion. Of course, taking time to consider multiple perspectives is not in vogue in today’s 24 hour news channel world. It seems that many people would rather have their favorite channel tell them what to think in a tidy sound bite and not have to worry their head with considering facts themselves. (Viewer beware, facts are not always the friend of news channels either!)
I find judging at band contests to be exhausting because decisions and judgments have to be made quickly. Sometimes when driving away from a judging job, I have wished I had put down numbers on the score sheet a little differently. And sometimes shows which our activity judges poorly in the moment later are revered and held up as special once time has passed and we’ve all had time to process and consider.
So I encourage everyone to slow down, identify moments and issues when time must be taken for consideration, and allow yourself to TAKE that time in your life. Listen to an entire Mahler Symphony in one sitting. Read that 800 page book. Watch that 4 part BBC mini-series. And turn off your phone and have a nice long conversation with a good friend.
And when the moment arrives in your life when you need to really take your time and consider the facts, allow yourself that time. Give yourself permission to savor life’s great moments, and to be deliberate on the difficult ones. You deserve this. And our world needs this desperately.
This past year, in addition to my regular work composing & arranging music, and creating shows for many bands around the country, I was part of the team that started the Marching Roundtable podcast. If you’re not familiar, visit www.marchingroundtable.com, or click on the shako to the left of this page.
We were incredibly appreciative of all the support and encouragement we received in our first 10 months, with MANY guests and experts in the field happily taking their time to share their expertise with us and our listeners. In addition, many great companies and friends gave us support so that we could expand our work and reach more listeners.
We have a lot of great interviews and guests lined up for 2012, in addition to some new and very exciting ideas that will continue to bring great advice and information in new and entertaining ways.
On behalf of the entire Roundtable team, I created this short 2 minute video saying Thank You for such a great first year with the podcast. Thanks, everyone.
So only yesterday I wrote a blog post about the need to clean up after yourself in the gym. Today, another post on the same subject. Let me explain:
Today I was finishing up my pre-workout warm-up and stretch, and moved to the ab machines. I went to my favorite machine, one of those where you sit down in the chair, select your weight, and then pull the back of the chair down to crunch your abs. After a number of good reps, as I got going, I leaned back in the chair to stretch the abs a little and go for a deeper crunch.
That’s when the back of my head became completely wet.
This was gross. I had put my head back on the headrest and it was soaking wet. Apparently, the gym member who used this machine before me had sweated all over it, a LOT, and then just walked away.
So I did what he should have done. I walked a few steps to the column with the paper towels and cleanser and cleaned off the machine. Of course, the first thing I did was wipe off my head, a LOT. And after my workout, I was happy to get into the shower and repeatedly wash the back of my head.
Certain people sweat alot, and you know who you are. So carry a towel, or take the time to wipe off the machine with the provided disinfectant. We all share this gym space, and we all have a responsibility to be considerate to those around us. No one should have an experience like I had today. And I’m going to looking a little closer before sitting next time!
