This is the third installment of a three part series that discussed the creative competition between the Beatles and the Beach Boys in the mid-1960’s.
Please click here for Part One – Getting Better
Please click here for Part Two – The Power of the Individual
It has been said, although I would hardly claim this as an absolute fact, that a person only will need to read a year’s worth of my blog posts to learn, as much, or more than any traditional four year program at Harvard University or Trinity College in Cambridge.
It has been said, although, I have never had the theory tested, that readers of this blog will see their IQs grow by no fewer than 25 points over the course of a calendar year.
Mind you, these are just claims with no definitive proofs. Because we’d need proof. Or so they told Srinivasa Ramanujan. But, alas! I am getting ahead of myself.
(If you missed Part I of this series, you may wish to go back and read it. This passage builds off a central theme of that first piece.)
Sometimes when we hear the exploits or passions of people or groups that are highly successful we think, “That’s great, but that can’t be me.” We often tend to downplay our own impact on others. We doubt our abilities to make a positive difference.
And, bluntly, sometimes that is easier. It is much easier to say, “I can’t” than to go out and try to change the world, or if not the world, something in your own life. Often times, we look at the roadblocks, real or perceived, that will prevent us from working towards a worthy goal.
The following is a true story about how when one strives to be the best, he brings himself, and others, to heights previously unimagined.
Our story begins with the most successful band in the history of rock and roll, the Beatles. The year was 1965. The Beatles were sitting on top of the musical world. In the previous three years they had charted no fewer than 40 songs. 24 songs of those sings reached the Top-40 with 11 becoming number-one hits. In that short time the Beatles released no fewer than six albums that also reached number-one on the charts.
The Beatles “yeah, yeah, yeah” style and sound was a defining aspect of popular music, yet, all of that was about to change…
My son came home from college, and in a discussion with me brought up a Japanese word, Kintsugi, that immediately opened up my mind to many thoughts.
It’s wonderful to find new words, new ideas, and new ways of thinking.
And, just for the record, kintsugi is now my new favorite word.
I like to run. A lot. I like running very much (so I like running a lot). I also like to run a lot of miles (so I like running a lot). (I like when a sentence such as “I like running a lot” can be interpreted two different ways.)
When I run, which is most often on a treadmill at irrational hours of the early morning, I usually listen to music on my iPod. I often get inspired by inspiring songs. (I wonder how many other obvious statements I can write in this passage.)
I find every run, no matter what the distance, to be hard. Every single run presents a challenge.
Continue reading “Running is Hard. Life is Hard. It’s all Good!”
I enjoy music. Most people do, of course. Depending on our mood or purpose for listening, we enjoy different music styles at different times. When I run, I usually like up-beat fast paced music that will energize or inspire me. I look for songs with motivational lyrics or songs with a great beat. (Or songs from the Rocky movies.) Other times, other music will suffice. Sometimes a little Sinatra goes a long way as I complete some of my daily routines.
Over the past few years, I have found that listening to classical music also provides me with a certain peace and tranquility. I have found that the more I listen to classical music, the more I enjoy it.
For much of my life, I tried to enjoy classical music, but a few things got in the way.
Continue reading “What Classical Music Can Teach About Quality Instruction”
I was eight years old. A third grader. Elementary school…
We had to choose an instrument to play.
I picked the saxophone.
The sax is a very cool instrument.
These might be old stories, but they are all worth repeating because they speak to a common theme.
(For added enjoyment, follow the hyperlinks embedded in this post.)
***
The year was 1954. In athletics there was a sense that a human could not physically run faster than a four minute mile. “It’s impossible,” many said. Athlete after athlete trained and tried – and all fell short. The four minute mile seemed to be an impassible barrier.
And then, on May 6, 1954, Roger Bannister did it. Bannister ran a sub-four minute mile! He did something no human being had ever done before. The impossible had occurred – like catching lightning in a bottle. Many thought that Bannister’s feat was fluke, a one-in-a-million occurrence.
Six weeks later, an Australian, John Landy, bested Roger Bannister’s time.
Recently I ran into one of my biggest fears. The week was drawing to a close and I did not have any thoughts or new material for a weekly passage that I write for teachers. (Those weekly passages helped give birth to this blog.)
I am a believer in a theory I termed, “Just Start Writing.” I find that when I start to put words to the page, my creative juices start to flow, the blank page disappears, and a passage (at least in rough draft form) is completed.
What follows is a reflection that I originally wrote for teachers, but I believe the bigger message can be applied for all.
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