One of the great myths in the history of music is the story of bluesman Robert Johnson and his encounter with the Devil. According to the Faustian myth, Johnson traded his soul to the Devil at a Mississippi crossroads in exchange for exceptional musical abilities, allowing Johnson to achieve success. This story was comically portrayed […]
What Elephants** Teach Us About Innovation
When circus elephants are very young, they are tethered to a pole in the ground for training purposes. One of the elephant’s back legs has a collar around it, attached to a chain, which leads to a pole that is anchored in the ground. The young elephant walks a little ways, but then comes to […]
ACDA Directors Respond to a National Crisis
Tonight I watched and listened as choral directors, each members and leaders within ACDA, led choirs to sing in remembrance of those that have lost their lives in the recent senseless acts of violence in the US. I remain stunned, but somehow grateful, that there are choral directors and choirs available to sing and to […]
Then Comes “Experimentation” on the Journey to Innovation
Who doesn’t know the mission of the Star Trek voyages, narrated by William Shatner in the original series? The mission was stated at the first of every episode: “Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its five-year mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new […]
Making “Way” out of “No Way”: Innovation Means Optimism
Anyone that has had the opportunity to see, hear, or work with Boston Philharmonic conductor Benjamin Zander knows him to be a person of great energy and optimism. I recently prepared the chorus for him in his conducting of Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, Resurrection. The shear magnitude of learning a score the size of this […]
Innovation Begins with Empathy
In my previous blog, I suggested that to live and work with a mindset of innovation is a POETIC way to approach life. POETIC is my acronym for People (empathy), Optimism, Experimentation, Tension, Idea, and Collaboration. This blog explores the People part of innovation, which is about empathy. All educators recognize the name Maria Montessori. […]