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 […]
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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. […]
Creativity and Innovation: Nature, Nurture, or Location?
Rather than asking “what is creativity?”, Eric Weiner asks the question“where is creativity?” as he seeks the underlying conditions, often unexpected, that make a golden age shine. In a word, in his book Geography of Genius, he explores the question of whether a specific area or region can be an incubator for a culture of […]
Top considerations when traveling with your ensemble, with Patricia Guth
LISTEN TO THIS EPISODE HERE! JOIN CHOIR NATION ON FACEBOOK Show Notes Traveling with your ensemble can be a mix of exciting and nail-biting. For me, it’s always been something to look forward to but I’ve known others who simply dread the idea of going on an extended trip with their ensemble. Currently, I work […]
Make your Life and Work Poetic
I think of innovation as adding poetry to life. To be POETIC requires the expression of feelings and ideas by the use of distinctive style and rhythm. This is what I call innovation in life. In the case of innovation, that distinctive style of living and working “poetically” means doing things differently. Using POETIC as […]
What Does a Contrarian Have to Do with Innovation?
We all have one….and it is usually one….the individual in the group that finds distinction by being the contrarian voice in the discussion. And while the investigation of opposition and a full 360-degree view of a topic is essential to good decision-making, in the social setting of a committee or board meeting, such a voice […]