Ain’t it the Gospel Truth
Life
Saying Goodbye to the Wild Days of the Web
Dec 4th
Fitting I would choose this subject as my 100th blog posting. Forgive me for playing loose with logic and prose.
Just as the west was won with barbwire, the internet has been tamed by the large corporations like Google and Facebook. But unlike the old west which was divided up into homesteads, the maturity of the Internet has been marked by the tearing down of walls and obstructions.
When I started my media business over 6 years ago, the Internet was still very much the domain of the nerd. Around 2000, Bill Gates proclaimed that there were two types of businesses: Businesses with websites and Businesses that were going out of business. That was true then, but as we draw this decade to a close it’s become true for the individual.
Now there are two types of people: People that are involved with Social Networking and the hold outs.
Less then 10 years ago, it was not uncommon to meet people that didn’t have a regular email address. Only the most technically inclined would dare build their own website and building a web gallery was something that required a patience and a bunch of html table tags. The word “blog” was yet to be invented.
Lest you think this posting is just a reminiscence into what has changed in the last 10 years, let me assure you, there is a point.
As the web becomes easier to use, it also becomes ever more prevalent. At first I was very much anti-Facebook (as I was anti-MySpace and started an MS profile as a lark), but now I think more than 50% of the people I know and communicate with in real life are Facebook Friends. That milestone is striking to me.
No longer can I compartmentalize the web from my “real life”. No longer can I be one person online and another person offline. The barriers between these worlds are crumbling fast.
I don’t know that I’m sad to see the blur between the two. On one hand it has improved my own offline personality – it’s made me more sociable (strangely enough). On the other hand, the deception of “privacy on the internet” has never been more… deceptive. You can’t just blog about a bad experience with someone lest that someone actually tracks you down and reads that bad post. Sure that’s always been the case, but since you can link up your blog with your Facebook and automatically tweet about your latest anger filled tear down – tracking down the bad blood has never been easier.
But then, maybe you should just throw caution to the wind sometimes. Then again, as a freelancer who lives and dies by my reputation, maybe not.
And no, I don’t have the need to rant about someone right now.
Popularity: 3% [?]
The Human Element
Dec 2nd
Well I just uploaded a brand new spanking theme and now I’m going to celebrate it with a little bit of blogging. Truth be told, I really neglected this site for a while while I did a lot of other things including getting Simply Cooking With Sue and continuing to work on FilmmakerIQ. Although I’ve been crazy busy, it’s always good to keep a bit of the blog going just to practice a little writing and to get out some thoughts out there.
So in celebration of a brand new look and site, I thought I would start out by writing a little something about the Human Element.
DOW Chemical’s had an advertising campaign talking about the importance of the human element – that rather predictable yet amazing thing that can make or break projects. It’s a nice campaign although the cynic inside me questions whether a corporation like DOW really believes that. I’ve worked with and seen companies that treated people like cogs in a machine – taking that Ford assembly line approach to modern business.
It just don’t work.
And quite frankly I myself was taking that viewpoint toward my work and the musical groups I play with. I seem to be under the impression that any person, so long as they claimed to wear a certain hat, could fit into the role and perform as expected.
I know it sounds stupid as I type this out, but the truth of the matter is I simply didn’t value the “human element” as much as I should.
Going back to my days at Der Greenestag… they had a nasty practice of “hiring” interns to perform a lot of crucial functions. Interns would always be in and out working on different events. And when it came down to the actual event date and there was a problem, the first question always was, “Where’s that intern, it’s his job to do XYZ”.
Cogs – non-individual workers who aren’t given responsibility nor any expectation of success. Just another nameless and faceless person to perform a repetitive and mundane task.
DMV workers essentially.
But that’s certainly not what a modern business needs. A creative endeavor, like what I’m trying to do, needs that human element.
The fact of the matter is: One person is not the same as another. Each person brings a whole host of plus and minus to the game. And if you start taking the attitude of having “interchangeable personnel” – well then the whole thing is going down in smoke.
Popularity: 17% [?]
Off on a Cold Lonely Iceberg
Sep 16th
The subject of this lil’ rant is old people.
I hang around with a lot of old people. I play in bands with them and talk to them a lot. I’m used to it – my Dad was 56 when I was born and I spent almost my entire childhood hanging out with him as a senior citizen. I’m used to creaks of groans of the elderly. And throughout my life I dealt with the impending reality that old people are not long with us on this earth. I’ve learned to have a deep patience and understanding with them because soon they’ll be dead and gone.
But sometimes……..
I’ve been invited to play lead trumpet in a college jazz band. For those of you who don’t know, lead trumpet is a very demanding and precise role. If you’re off tune in the upper register (where the lead resides), it’s painful to listen to. Today was my second week. I’m a bit late. I get to the room and I find myself sitting next to a white haired man probably in his late 70s with a funny habit of saying the word “fuck” in every sentence. A salty dog if there ever was one.
Then we started playing. This man wanted to “double” with me on lead. Okay, fine. At first I was diplomatic in my playing – relaxed, trying to match his intonation. But as the time went by it got worse and worse. He played like a hyena. It was loud, out of tune, and generally the wrong note.
When you’re trying to be precise in tone and attack and the guy next to you is blowing louder and about 30 cents flat – you’re ready to put your horn away. Stuff like that exhausts you and makes it almost impossible to perform.
Then he tells me about his story about playing in the so-and-so band (actually a recognizable name, but I’ll leave it anonymous) and I’m thinking… yeah right!
Again, some level of patience must be given to the elderly. I don’t know how I will behave at that age -loosing my physical abilities and coordination. Will I try to capture the old glory days by forcing my terrible tone on others – especially capable players.
But it’s not all about the age. My mentor was 67 when he passed away and he was still blowing as strong as anybody.
There must be a dignified way of letting the next generation carry on when you reach that age. Some guys manage it I suppose. Some don’t. When you’re screeching the wrong note in my left ear… maybe you haven’t found that way quite yet.
Popularity: 1% [?]
Email: The destroyer of people
May 28th
Okay so I sent off a couple emails to the band regarding Saturday night’s performance and the negativity that it involved. The emails did involve something that if read improperly would be considered a rather harsh criticism. I did my best to tread softly as a I could but there is absolutely no garuntee that people won’t read into it what they want.
I’ve been involved with Email battles before – with two bands that dissolved because irreconcilable differences. Even one that drove some very bad feelings – the community band having a huge battle over what ties they should wear. I still maintain that that battle was by far the most ridiculous thing ever – Ties are ties – who cares.
Anyhow, the other bands that dissolved over email were brass quintets (5 members). I still have scars from these. The emails I just sent off are awakening deep dark ghosts from my past.
When the first battle occurred I had trouble sleeping. I would dread – ABSOLUTELY DREAD – that little noise that indicates new email. My arms would shake clicking over to read the message.
The second major battle occurred with another quintet. I did my best to stay squash it but it wasn’t enough.
Now I’m really nervous about these last couple emails. I tried being as positive as I could – I know it can go ugly but I don’t want to get involved in email fist fights. So why did I do it?
I don’t know. Maybe because I’m way too honest with myself? Maybe I’m one of those guys that internalizes everything and then let it all out when it gets too much – instead of speaking my mind all the time and letting it as I go along? Maybe some people agree with me and are afraid to speak up?
Maybe that’s just me - I like to talk. Why am I writing this blog in the first place?
Well, I guess I’m writing this to try to calm myself and reassure that I did the right thing. Still those ghosts from previous battles really haunt me.
I just have to be mature about it. If it gets out of hand, pick up the phone.
Popularity: 1% [?]
On Social Energy
May 24th
Even though this header reads “Music” this could relate to any leadership situation.
So I played a rather disasterous gig tonight. The funny thing was it wasn’t that bad musically. It was bad because certain tempermental individuals in the group allowed negative energy to ruin the experience.
The first couple of sets went off okay – nothing terrible. But then we had some vocal charts that got way off and needed to be reset from the top (in other words, stop and lets go back to the beginning). In all fairness though, the band had maybe played through these pieces once or twice so the piece had not yet reached the “comfort zone” yet.
Then the conductor started down the road of negative energy and started lecturing the band about musicianship. Now we enter the cycle of negativity and the performance becomes worse and worse.
I’m not a new age guy. I don’t believe in the power of crystal skulls or measuring vibes… but social energy is a very real thing. When a director is coaxing out a performance (especially from not-quite professional musicians), he simply can’t start giving off negativity. A director needs to create a positive environment for people to feel “safe” to perform.
And this extends way beyond music. This is something absolutely essential when working on a set – especially with non-actors (and even with actors as well).
I left out a very important detail. Not only is sending out negativity bad for the performers – it’s picked up by the audience as well. Every body watching can get a vibe – if the band’s having fun, they’ll have more fun.
So much of this stuff seems so damned obvious but I guess it’s got more to do with someone’s personality. I don’t know – I think I might be one of the easiest going guys in the world sometimes – but I like who I am. I wouldn’t trade it in for the tempermental edgy personality…
Popularity: 1% [?]