Can a musical speaker make a corporate event better? Yes, definitely. Is using music just fluff, a non-important add on? No, definitely not. Those are two strong statements. And I’m making them with the hope that you’ll read on to learn the how’s and why’s of music’s role in reaching and holding an audience. What Is A Musical Speaker? A speaker who is focused on music is more than just a performer. Of course,…
The Importance Of Music For Work
As I got off the phone after a conversation with the CEO of a Fortune 100 company I was both surprised and pleased. Surprised that this busy executive would spend thirty minutes talking to me about songwriting, and pleased that he understood the importance of music in corporate life. Music is such an integral part of all of our lives. Most of us have favorite playlists or songs we turn to when we…
Songs About Team Work
I was just reading a list of Top 10 songs about team work and I hadn’t heard any of the songs on the list. Then I checked another list and found titles I knew, but the songs weren’t really about team work. It occurs to me that when people come up with their ideas for songs about team work, they’re first and foremost looking for songs that will inspire them and resonate with them…
Finding a Conference Keynote Speaker Who Won’t Put You To Sleep
I snuck in the back of a ballroom to hear a conference keynote speaker yesterday and noticed that most of the people in the room were restless. Those who weren’t restless seemed to be focused on their smart phones, rather than the speaker. I was at the conference getting ready to lead an interactive song session and even my client, who had hired the speaker, was complaining about the yawns in the…
Executive Team Building
Should executive team building be different than team building for other members of your workforce? I don’t think it should be different in the sense that one is better than the other. But, a team building program for your executives should be tailored to the attributes and goals that leaders generally share. We’re typically asked to facilitate executive team building when something is changing at company. This could mean a…
Music and Memory
I’m not great at memorizing a speech. In fact, it’s really hard for me. But I can sing the lyrics to hundreds of songs with ease. And if there’s a new song that I like, I’m usually able to sing the lyrics after hearing that song just a few times. I bet you can too. Music and memory have a powerful link that enables us to internalize information that would otherwise be…
How To Build The Best Teams
There was a fantastic article in the New York times recently about Google’s efforts to build the best teams. It’s worth reading if you’re hoping to improve your corporate culture and continue striving to understand how to build the best teams. In my opinion the strongest take away from the article is no surprise. It’s that emotional interactions, dialogue, who we are and how we treat each other are vital. Have your leaders…
Unblock Your Writer’s Block
I’ve had writer’s block and I’ve been procrastinating a lot lately. I’ve also been a bit of a hypocrite because I’m not practicing what I preach. I often talk with my clients about the importance of practicing creativity every day. I counsel to them, “Don’t wait for inspiration, it’s important to show up and do something…anything.” As Picasso said, To know what you’re going to draw, you have to begin drawing. But yesterday, I realized the…
Top Tips For Coordinating An Internal Event
A wide range of different departments and experts can coordinate meetings and events. For example, coordinating an internal event at one company may mean an entire events department handles it but at another company, a sole administrative person may be assigned the job. The job assignment can vary depending on resources and the scale of the internal event but if it falls to you, you will need to know how…
How To Inspire Creativity When You Are Simply Not Feeling Creative
Let’s face it, some days you just can’t get off the ground. Especially in the cold winter months, it can seem a very daunting task to muster any level of energy and creativity. With post-holiday work pressures mounting, cold and flu season nipping at your heels and a host of detractors fighting to reduce your creative potential, it is no wonder you might have difficulties getting creative when you need…
Can Events Help Seasonal Affective Disorder In Employees?
January can be a tough time for employees. From coming back to a new grind after a long holiday to continuing to muster energy and excitement during a dreary winter season, employees face tough challenges to stay on task at work during the first month of the year. While we aren’t claiming to be psychologists or experts in seasonal affective disorder in employees, we do have the benefit of having…