I wish I could tell you that I did so at that time with the insight shared by Dr. Stuart Brown in his presentation below…   For me, it was much more fundamental:  I might have been outwardly successful, but I sure wasn’t having much fun – and therefore, wasn’t very happy.  So, I simply rebelled against the establishment.

Since then, I’ve become far more aware of the relationship between Productivity, Creativity, and Happiness – and I’ve come to believe that PLAY underpins it all. It is indeed a strange paradox…  But during times like these, I feel it is more important than ever to embrace this and raise the level of awareness.

The problems that exist in the world today cannot be solved by the level of thinking that created them – Albert Einstein

Unfortunately, this approach is counter-intuitive to many cultures and organizations – the USA being the foremost example.   But the “treadmill” of modern society doesn’t prevent you from making your own choices, from writing your own “life song” so to speak.  Dr. Brown explains how and why this is so important in the video below.   His presentation runs for nearly 30-minutes so I realize that’s asking for a lot given today’s norm; but trust me, it’s worth every minute of your attention.  Besides, it’s the weekend here in “Sunny So CAL” and I’m itching to get out and PLAY!

It is a great pleasure to introduce everyone to Kimberly Sena Moore, MM, NMT, MT-BC.  Kimberly and I became acquainted on Twitter, and I found myself so intrigued by her stated profession – Music Therapy – that I asked her to consider developing a series of guest posts – and she kindly accepted with great enthusiasm!

What is Music Therapy?

“So, what do you do?”

“I’m a music therapist.”

Pause…

“Really?  Music therapy?  What’s that…?”

I have had that exchange hundreds of times, and have gotten pretty good at giving an “elevator pitch” on music therapy.  It goes something like this:

“Well, we use music to help people.  How we help them depends on whom we work with. We can use the rhythm in music to help a stroke victim re-learn how to walk and talk. We can use music and music-based experiences to help a child with autism practice pro-social skills and learn how to communicate. We can use music to help reduce pain and anxiety in cancer patients and to help trauma-influenced children heal.”

Most people, when they hear the words “music therapy” are curious and want to learn more. I feel this is because most of us are touched by music. We have deep emotional connections to certain songs.  Maybe hearing a certain tune on the radio reminds you of your first love.  We have our songs we turn to when we feel angry, sad, or happy.  And music has deep cultural ties for us. What to you think of when you hear “Pomp and Circumstance” or “Here Comes the Bride”?  Most people feel music’s influence and therefore have an intuitive understanding that music can be used as therapy.

So, what can it do for you or a loved one?  Consider the following:

1. First, if you need any type of therapy (physical therapy, occupational therapy, psychotherapy, speech therapy), look into music therapy as an alternative, or complement, to what you are receiving. In the United States, you can find a music therapist through our certification board here. We can use music and music-based experiences to address the same goals other therapists target. It’s noninvasive, safe, and fun! And you do not need to be a musician to be involved in music therapy.
2. Be conscious about ways you can use music in your life. You can make specific decisions on how to use music to improve your overall wellness and quality of life and wellness. For example, listening to music you like can reduce stress. A report came out on CNN recently about a doctor who used imaging techniques and found that listening to music you like opens up your blood vessels, improving circulation and reducing your stress level. Feeling stressed? Turn up your favorite tune!
3. Have kids? Enroll them in some sort of music lessons. This can be piano lessons, band class, choir, or orchestra. Study after study have shown that music training improves intelligence in a variety of ways: verbal skills, math skills, motor coordination, and memory functioning. Want your child to be a doctor or lawyer? Most medical and law schools really, really like having students who received a music degree.

Interested in learning more?  A more thorough definition is available on my blog or here for more technical information Or, feel free to contact me.  Happy listening!

About Kimberly

Kimberly Sena Moore is a board-certified music therapist who specializes in trauma and attachment, neurorehabilitation, special needs, and medical therapy treatment. She has advanced training in Neurologic Music Therapy and is active in the music therapy professional locally, regionally, and nationally. Kimberly manages Neurosong Music Therapy Services,  and blogs at www.MusicTherapyMaven.com.  Or, you can follow her, as do I, on Twitter!

For me, the problem with this inferred relationship between intelligence and musical preference is that intelligence remains relatively static in relation to musical preference(s), which evolve over time.  For example, Jazz is listed on the low-end of the spectrum – but clearly, the majority of jazz aficionados are well beyond an age bracket coping with SAT scores.  And, with all due respect to Beethoven hovering alone in the rare air of north of 1350, if you’re obsessed with Ludwig at this age, you probably need to get a life and savor your youth!   I’m also intrigued by the apparent gap between 1250 and 1350 – how can that be so?   I hope that doesn’t imply being “tasteless” because that’s about where yours truly landed :(

Credit: musicthatmakesyoudumb.virgil.gr

“Never underestimate the power of a million amateurs with the keys to the factory”

Within the realm of music production,  modern technology has indeed democratized tools once only accessible by professionals, and the consequences have been nothing short of extraordinary.  I know for a fact that the power and affordability of modern technology is one of the main reasons I passionately reconnected with music after nearly a 15-year hiatus.   Amateurs like myself do this for the love of it (after all, the word “amateur” is derived from the Latin amator, “lover”, from amare, “to love”).  And, we will continue to play a vital role in the music technology industry because, collectively, we amateurs represent the majority of the market!

All good and well, but what if you’re just getting started, or like me, getting back into it after a long time away?   Where the hell do you begin?  Putting aside the challenges of rebuilding your playing skills, there remains a substantial learning curve to acquire the additional skills and tools necessary for high-quality music production.  Sure, you can go a certain distance with freebie stuff – like GarageBand – but you’ll likely outgrow these before too long, and find yourself swimming in a sea of pro- audio equipment choices…

No problem right?  Just venture into your local professional audio/music retailer and you’ll receive exceptional guidance and professional consultative support, no?  I mean after all, we’re talking about PRO-AUDIO gear, this is a whole different ballgame than the moronic level of service you find inside of consumer electronics superstores, right?   Unfortunately, not!

Here are some vivid testimonials that pretty much illustrate today’s reality:

GearSlutz.com is perhaps the world’s largest online community for musicians and producers alike – here you’ll find everyone from famous Grammy Award winning producers to beginning students.  The common ground: sharing insights about music technology and studio design.  But here’s something else you’ll find if you venture into GearSlutz’s Moan Zone section:  By far, and I mean by a healthy margin, the single most viewed topic and ongoing discussion thread is none other than Stupid Things You’ve Been Told at Guitar Center! This is not the first thread of its kind, but this one has been growing for over a year, and now has over 88,000 views and 873 contributing posts! To put it in perspective, the #2 thread has just over 15,000 views and 305 posts, and that’s just as of this writing.   What this tells me is that my own experience with large equipment retail chains is far from unique.

A slippery slope lies ahead for the impassioned amateur musician setting out to build even a modest home studio.

Take a read through some of these posts and you’ll not only be seriously entertained, but also dismayed.  How is it that the largest music equipment retailer (here in the US) can get away with such dismal sentiments from the most experienced and authoritative segment of the market?  The answer unfortunately is that there’s are a lot more unknowingly ignorant consumers, or even worse naive parents of budding young musicians, than there are “connoisseurs” that comprise the likes of GearSlutz.com.  As entry-level consumers continue to fill the market, large retailers rely less on “upper-end” prosumers.  This trend, of course, begins with the manufacturers; today top-end stuff is more likely to be produced by a niche company, such as Bricasti and Barefoot Audio (two of my indispensable favorites) using niche distribution channels such as VintageKing and powerful word-of-mouth marketing.

While the tools have been democratized, quality has been crapetized

So anyone embarking on this journey must proceed with caution.  Fortunately, you can do lots of homework on sites like GearSlutz, and I would highly recommend everyone begin there.  If you’re reading this post, you’re likely already aware of this “market gap” – bravo!   My additional recommendation is to hire professional help.  In the present economic climate, there’s lot of talent that would gladly lend a hand for relatively modest fees.   Start by following the posts of frequent authoritative contributors and when you find someone with the expertise you’re seeking, write them a “private message” requesting help – more often than not, you’ll be pleasantly surprised!  In my view, there are only two choices: spend money or invest money – they are not same.

The Links section (right sidebar) lists the online forums I frequent – I suggest you try some of them, and if you have any recommendations, let’s discuss!

I am of the belief that modern society (for all its goodness) has imposed a heavy price on our stress levels and our ability to focus.  We have way too many distractions and the sound byte is rapidly becoming our lingua franca.  This does not bode well for the human condition, and ironically, we need creativity and focus more than ever in light of present economic circumstances.

A distracted mind is no place for innovation, problem-solving or creativity – Eoghan McCabe

So what does this have to do with music?  Everything.  Creating music, regardless of your level, is one of very few activities that counteracts this unfortunate societal trend.   One of the things I love doing the most is answering question I get every now and then from a friend, “I want to get (back) into this, but where should I begin?”  Usually, this question means what should I buy first?  Without a doubt, technology is an immutable partner – and a damn essential one in today’s scheme; but returning to the earlier point, having too many choices is a double-edged sword.  I am a firm believer that too many choices can make it that much more difficult to focus your time and resources on the FEW things that really matter; and what really matters will differ from musician to musician depending first and foremost on WHAT you’re trying to accomplish.

My suggestion is to keep things as simple as possible in the beginning.  If your chops are dusty then spend some time reacquainting yourself with the fundamentals.   You’ll have plenty of time to build your sanctuary and trust me on this, it’s a slippery slope; and there will always be a bigger fish!

As for my blog, I will continue, but probably with greater focus on gear and studio related topics merely because my site statistics overwhelmingly confirm this to be the predominant interest.   Fastonkeys.com gets between 2,000-2,500 new visitors per month from across the globe, the majority of which are seeking out the gear-related posts.  And here I was thinking it was all about the fabulous music I’ve created (LOL)…  So I’ll be refining the focus in 2009 and attempt to better cater to my core audience.  Thank you to everyone for your comments, emails, and encouragement!

As a business professional, I’ve experienced first hand the ease at which the ambiguities of intellectual property law can be marshaled to initiate frivolous legal actions.  But Monster Cable seems intent on defining just “how low can you go”…

Cutting to the chase, Monster Cable will apparently be going to trial very shortly as the plaintiff versus defendant Monster Mini-golf for trademark infringement!  Monster Mini-golf is a husband/wife owned small business Child & Family Entertainment Center Franchiser (in Rhode Island, NY) with the concept of indoor glow-in-the-dark monster-themed mini-golf.  That’s right, MINI-GOLF!

Why is it that all of the instruments seeking intelligent life in the Universe are pointed away from the Earth?

Now I don’t mind if people think I’m stupid, but I don’t like to give them any evidence…  I’m willing to risk that, however, by readily admitting that, try as I may, I’m failing to see how Monster Mini-golf could possibly represent a bonafide trademark dilution threat to Monster Cable.

Ironically, I am I was a consumer of Monster’s products – and I must give them credit for being an excellent marketing organization…  For the profit margin they successfully command, I’d be willing to bet they could sell ice cubes to Eskimos!  But here’s a few I things I didn’t know about their apparent business practices, all of which shed greater light on the subject at hand:

1. Monster Cable are well known for aggressive pursuit of trademark and patent infringements within legal and audiophile circles.  To date, they have pursued similar action with lots and lots of other entities – most of which are small businesses.  Just exercise Google a bit, and you’ll see for yourself or better yet, go straight to the source: United States Patent and Trademark Office
2. Newsflash: Most small businesses lack the resources to fend off predatory and/or frivolous lawsuits; hence, the vast majority of these cases have been settled out-of-court.  Most of the small entities that have fallen into Monster’s cross-hairs accede to settlements that involve relinquishing the disputed trademark to Monster Cable, and Monster “licensing back” (for fees) the right to continue using the trademark.
3. Newsflash: Intellectual Property law is not a typical core competency for small businesses.  But here’s a refreshing exception, and it happened earlier this year when Monster decided to mess about with Blue Jeans Cable!  Unfortunately, the Mini-golf case involves a different type of claim (trademark vs. patent infringement) – and the owners of Monster Mini-golf don’t have the benefit of having been a litigator in prior life (as was the case for Mr. Kurt Denke).  By the way, if you have the chance, you must read his response letter back to Monster: Brilliant and better than a John Grisham book!
4. Monster has racked up quite a collection of trademarks over the years, all of course containing the name Monster; these are apparently held in an off-shore holding company (Monster International Ltd based in Bermuda); any of you familiar with international business can presumably put the rest of the pieces together.  Hint: corporations use these types of mechanisms to legally move retained earnings off-shore to reduce domestic corporate tax liability.
5. Monster’s litigation appetite is, well, apparently monstrous, and not limited to small businesses.  Monster has (unsuccessfully) pursued similar actions with the likes of Disney/Pixar, Monster.com, Monster Energy (the drink maker), the Chicago Bears, and the Boston Red Sox to name a few…  But small businesses obviously lack the resources to defend a case like this to judgment, unless they have the necessary background, like Kurt Denke, or simply have brass balls – like Monster Mini-golf!

I want to applaud the principals of Monster Mini-golf for choosing to stand their ground!  As you’ve probably already figured, I was very moved by this story.  I even contacted Patrick and Christina by phone because at first glance, this all seemed too crazy to be true.  But sadly, this is really happening and it’s simply wrong.  Really wrong!

But here’s the thing…  the Internet and Social Networking tools are providing incredible leverage to quickly raise awareness.  Even as I write this, this story is well on its way to going VIRAL, but every little bit helps.  I’ll challenge any of you moved by this to take some form of action…   At minimum, spread the word using the tool of your choice, or visit Monster Mini-golf to find out more.

With all that’s going on in the world these days, figured some levity might be welcomed!

My personal picks: Jordan Rudess and Hiromi.  Of course, there are plenty other equally worthy artists- these are merely my personal favs.

Jordan is arguably the reigning king of progressive/rock keyboards and occupies the post with fellow virtuosos in Dream Theater.  A less known factoid is that he’s classically trained, and perfected his craft at this little school in New York called Juilliard.  Believe me, he can switch to a Chopin Etude in a blink!

Hiromi Uehara, a rising star in international jazz circles, is simply beyond description. A graduate of Berklee School of Music (Boston MA), she’s also been mentored by the likes of Ahmad Jamal and Chick Corea. I’ve been very fortunate to meet both Jordan and Hiromi- they are both remarkable and refreshingly humble individuals, but the best part?  I asked them each to name some of their favorites: in so doing, each credited one another!  So if I’m wrong, at least I’m in good company!

Lots of material on YouTube on each, these are the ones I picked…

Fast-forward to today, one year later, brilliantly performing YYZ.  The musicians amongst you know that this is no cake walk to play – let alone solo!

I’m very curious about the rig – a Yamaha Electone – apparently very popular in Japan -  I might have to get me one of these!

Summary of the Four Killer Mistakes:

1. CD Sales are not the same as record sales. The premise is that the CD created substantial profit margins (because of lower production/distribution costs) in contrast to vinyl and tape, and a “gravy train” effect ensued for several years as people converted their collections to the new digital medium.  After people replenished their collections, the off-the-chart CD sales came to an abrupt end.  The author suggests that the “bean counters” failed to see this coming because they lacked creative insight?  This is a convenient scapegoat, but I’m not sure it’s quite that simple..
2. Longevity trumps the flavor of the week. With shrinking revenues, evil corporate budget constraints ensued, and the labels began aggressive cost cutting, consolidating distribution, and mostly, marginalizing artist development.  This isn’t recent news, so if record labels were the only effective way to develop an artist, we should have, in theory, no worthy talent today… Regardless of your musical taste, that is simply not the case.  If anything, we now have more choices than ever, do we not?
3. Destroying the chain of distribution is death. Here, consolidation of distribution channels are also pegged as causal. According to Balke, “What the suits failed to realize was that the chain of people working on selling music for them was key to making sales. Even now in the age of blogs, people still listen to what others suggest when it comes to buying music. Prior to the Internet, those people included DJ’s and record store employees…”  So here’s my question: How would have the retention of traditional distribution channels prevented the author’s acknowledged evolution in consumer behavior brought about by the “age of Blogs and the Internet”?
4. Killing the DJ. The argument here is that the radio DJ was “killed off as the primary link between the listeners and stations”. Centralized programming, again in the interest of profits, ended the variety and the relationship between DJ and listeners. The record industry didn’t cause this per se, but they indirectly benefited because it cut their promotional costs down significantly.  I think the most preferred and sought after relationship has always been between the artist and consumer, no?

I was intrigued by the warm reception of this article, but try as I may, I do not agree that the above were causal to the record industry’s demise. I should preface that I am not an “industry insider”, but I was a partner at a major international consulting firm during the time this supposed blind incompetency was occurring; and many of the marquee record labels were our clients – this experience taught me to honor the words of Arthur Schopenhauer:

All truth passes through three stages: First it is ridiculed; Secondly, it is violently opposed; third, it is accepted as self-evident…

So here’s my take. First, there is a long list of seemingly unaccountable failures in once dominant organizations and industries; this is not a phenomenon unique to the record industry. Sears Roebuck missed the advent of discount retailing and home centers and let Visa and MasterCard usurp the enormous lead it had in retail credit cards; IBM dominated the mainframe market but missed the emergence of minicomputers; DEC then dominated the minicomputer market but missed the personal computer market; Xerox missed the desktop printer/copier market; then there is the American steel and auto industry …

But consider this: Just as with the record industry, the decisions or indecision that lead to these failures were made when the organizations and leaders in question were widely regarded as among the best in the world! So, it’s either the case that these once successful companies and once dominant industries succeeded with very poor management, OR there’s something more to the story, and I believe there is.

In my opinion, this is best understood by studying the “Failure Framework” proposed by Clayton Christensen of the Harvard Business School. The key concept in Christensen’s work (The Innovator’s Dilemma & The Innovator’s Solution) is the distinction between sustaining vs. disruptive technology, and its implications.  Christensen, presents compelling evidence that good managerial practice is, ironically, the reason that sustained growth is so difficult to achieve. Why? Because well-managed companies follow a strict set of rules: They listen to their best customers, invest aggressively to provide these customers improved products and services, carefully study market trends and allocate capital to innovations that promise the best returns.

I like to think of “good management” as being akin to classical music: Wonderfully essential, but stringent.  Managing “disruptive innovation” is more like playing Jazz! It’s more about breaking the rules! And, yes, there are times when you need to break conventional management rules, and NOT listen to your customers! There are times when you need to invest in developing lower-margin, seemingly nascent markets with lower performing products. Christensen’s body of work codifies these ALTERNATIVE RULES and the changing market conditions that mandate their application.

So what happened to the record industry? The record industry viewed its product as MEDIA, not CONTENT. Each successive format (from vinyl, tape, to CD) was all about “sustaining” a business that required the consumer to buy media in order to get content – music.  As computers became more powerful, content such as music and video was no longer confined to physical media, and growth of the Internet spurred new delivery methods. All of these factors were significantly disruptive to the entrenched record industry. Consumers no longer needed to buy a CD to get what they wanted in the first place:  a few good tunes.

As Christensen’s “Failure Framework” suggests, these early adopters did not represent a very profitable segment. They weren’t even customers!  They were “criminals”, reckless kids and teenagers stealing intellectual property! The record industry went on the defensive by treating this as a problem, instead of recognizing it as disruptive innovation. It attempted to do what Christensen labels as defying a slippery slope. But, was this because record industry executives were arrogant and incompetent? Not entirely. They were rightfully following good (conventional) managerial practices by attempting to protect the profitability of their core business.

Christensen presents this paradox: Disruptive technologies enable new markets to emerge, BUT these markets are usually too small, or even non-existent, to satisfy the growth needs of large companies even if logic says they might be big someday.  The investment process in “well managed” companies demands quantification of market size and financial returns before entering a new market, and for this reason, it’s very rare for incumbent leaders to seize a first-mover advantage.

Apple was not in the music business at that time, but they understood the principals and application of disruptive innovation.  They also understood (and still understand) the difference between selling media vs. selling content, and they eventually made customers out of these “renegades” – and lots of them!   The overwhelming success of iTunes proves that “illegal downloads” was never the real problem – It also proves something else: businesses are rewarded more so for brilliant execution than fabulous technology!

So rather than playing Monday morning quarterback with the battered record industry, I suggest we recognize what happened as being neither unique nor unprecedented. Scores of outstanding companies that had their competitive radar up, listened to their customers, and aggressively invested in new technologies still lost their dominance.

In my opinion, the best defense for business leaders is to recognize when to play classical and when to play jazz! Embrace creativity as much, if not more so than conformity! It will help you recognize these sorts of conditions, convert threats into opportunities, and give you the gumption to apply alternative rules.

“I can’t give you a surefire formula for success; but I can for failure: try to please everybody all the time” – Herbert Bayard Swope, first winner of the Pulitzer Prize

As for the perceived lack of quality in today’s music? I fail to see how the demise of the record industry can be linked to a supposed degradation of music quality. I think it’s more the case that the Internet has opened the flood gates and we now have so many choices that finding (one’s own definition of) quality has become the “new problem”.

But when it comes to my music, the second question I’m usually asked is: “What are you intending to do with it?”  Meaning, do I aspire to make money from it.  Answer: No.  You’ll have to forgive my friends for giving my so-called potential far more credit than deserved…  But from these conversations, I grow increasingly concerned about the dismissal of developing and maintaining personal creativity.

So no, my hobbies are not just about enjoyment, and they are definitely not about chasing dreams; nor are they about making more money…  Music and golf, my lifetime mistresses, are my creativity sources – and I wouldn’t trade these pursuits for anything – especially more education.  Besides, academia – the pursuit of knowledge – is highly inflated these days (even a lazy guy like me managed to earn two degrees).  To be clear, I’m not encouraging anyone to abandon education; but I am challenging you to consider its relevancy in the grand scheme.   And yes I believe creativity is equally as important to, if not more so than, literacy for developing long-term success and happiness.

Imagination is more important than knowledge – Albert Einstein…

Creativity requires two things: time and the absence of fear.   Yet, the rhythm of modern society not only robs us of our “free time” (which, by the way, you need in order to think), but moreover instills fear of failure.  So is it any wonder that innovation, the product of creativity, suffers?   I trust you can connect the dots to appreciate the broader social and economic implications…  But just in case, I wanted to share a presentation from one of my favorite authors and cultural visionaries: Sir Ken Robinson.

Thankfully the sponsors of the TED Conference both encourage and permit the sharing of this video.  Highly recommended viewing for over bearing parents and/or stressed-out over achievers…

If ever there was time when creativity was necessary for the survival and growth of humanity, it is now!   So if any of you get similar questions about the time and energy you devote to your craft(s)…  you can either direct them to Sir Ken Robinson for a very dignified explanation, or continue to respond with the most convenient “Verbal Chord Progression” – in the key of F – of course!

But it’s different for those truly “blessed” with prodigal talent, right? Well, consider the words of Isaac Stern:

“I was enormously lucky to have a teacher who let me learn how to learn. He did not make me play the way he did”. Said to his students: “I am not here to teach you how to play. Learn to think for yourself, to have WOW moments. Joint the art with the mind to move from a possibility to a certainty”.

It has been well documented that self-discovery is the best road to any long-term learning, where firsthand personal experience and learning go hand in hand. Useful instruction is not about giving people the right answers, it is more about helping people learn to ask the right questions.

“Learn the means to education, not things” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Using a “how to” list is looking outside yourself for answers, where self-discovery looks inward to where long-term learning is born. I’m not suggesting that one can entirely bypass musical theory for this curriculum is non-negotiable; but what can be made more effective is our approach for learning it.

For example, should one Learn to Play or Play to Learn? Numerous studies have shown that during True Play, we exploit the freedom to investigate and interact with our instrument and decode musical theory into a personalized form. Playing is what makes it relevant, and playing the music (genre) you enjoy makes it even more so. Said another way: Honor thy Jam Session – both in music and in life!

The best thing about today’s world is that modern technology can bring the experience of learning music to the masses! There is so much technology now available that promotes self-discovery and at very affordable prices. So any of you that have that desire to take the plunge, by all means there has never been a better time. I’ve been putting my beliefs to the test by having recently started with my first string instrument: the bass guitar. It’s a strangely fascinating experience to have, on one hand, the musical background, but on the other hand, limited skills to play a new instrument… Well actually, I have limited skills in BOTH hands for the moment, but I am pleased to say that I’m DISCOVERING how to play my new instrument little by little. And, I truly believe it is helping me with the piano – an added bonus!

It is indeed a paradox that some things are learnable, but not teachable…

Check it out: How to Become a Rock Star