Knowledge Through Awareness & Creativity

This is the topic of a keynote presentation I will be co-presenting with Elizabeth Monroe-Cook of Monroe-Cook and Associates to the DuPage Executive Network on November 20, 2007, at the College of DuPage.

Liz and I will combine our professional experience and training to present this overview of two major approaches and tools that assist individuals and organizations in transition. The attendees will be introduced to two models: Barry Johnson’s Polarity Managementâ„¢ model and the Osborn-Parnes model for Creative Problem Solving. With Polarity Managementâ„¢, one looks at situations through the lens of interdependent factors or values that work together, e.g., change and stability. The Creative Problem Solving method is centered around divergent and convergent thinking (another polarity) as the key elements of deliberate creativity. These two models combined can help one think and act in ways that use one’s existing thinking skills and suggest some ways to enhance those skills as one faces ransitions in life. This keynote presentation will serve as an introduction to a week-long workshop coming in the early months of 2008.

For more information, see the web site for the DuPage Executive Network (DEN).

I attended the Creative Problem Solving Institute Conference at Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, GA, last week. I had the opportunity to present my Orchestra of Life workshop as a Nite Flight presentation. I also presented music during the Springboard CPS class throughout the week. For those who attended, I am posting the music presented below.

Orchestra of Life Nite Flight presentation:
1. Prelude to an Afternoon of a Faun by Claude Debussy. Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Sir Georg Solti, Conductor.
2. This Majestic Mountain by Michael Hoppe from the album, “Solace.”

Springboard Class “C:”
1. Homeland Theme from the album, “Homeland,” by Michael Hoppe.
2. This Majestic Mountain from the album, “Solace,” by Michael Hoppe.
3. Circles from the album, “My Romance, an Evening with Jim Brickman,” by Jim Brickman.
4. Dear Father from “Jonathan Living Seagull,” from the album, “The Nature of America, A Musical Impression.” Cincinatti Pops, Erich Kunzel, conductor.
5. Canon in D Major, by Johann Pachelbel.
6. Shenandoah from the album, “The Nature of America, A Musical Impression.” Cincinatti Pops, Erich Kunzel, conductor.
7. Theme from “Dances with Wolves,” from the album, “The Nature of America, A Musical Impression.” Cincinatti Pops, Erich Kunzel, conductor.
8. Theme from “Lonesome Dove,” from the album, “The Nature of America, A Musical Impression.” Cincinatti Pops, Erich Kunzel, conductor.
9. Feather Theme from “Forrest Gump,” from the album, “The Nature of America, A Musical Impression.” Cincinatti Pops, Erich Kunzel, conductor.
10. The Magnificent Seven, from the album, “Round Up.” Cincinatti Pops, Erich Kunzel, conductor.

I decided to give life (again) to a series of workshops I presented while in St. Louis titled, “Orchestra of Life.” In these workshops I would lead students through a series of processes using music as a catalyst for transformation. In these workshops I would use classical music, meaning orchestral music (not the classical era of music) to bring about heightened creativity, productivity, or emotional balance to those attending.

It has been my experience that a direct relationship between orchestral music and the human body exists. Stephen Halpern has been the vanguard researcher in this area. He has shown that a relationship does exist between music and the body. I choose orchestral music because I know it so well. However, I am quite aware that many many other types of music can be just as effective.

I look at the choice of instrumentation and the harmonic processes a composer uses. Through the workshops I led in St. Louis, I found a consistent response to my theories within the attendees, and now I would like to formalize some of the research and its application. I also teach the principles I use to choose music, and students become more aware of what they are listening to in their immediate environment.

As an example, I am offering my readers this suggestion. Go to iTunes or your favorite music store and get a recording of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No.2. Another choice would be any of the J. S. Bach Concerti for Four Harpshichords. Play the recording while doing your work today – these should be excellent choices for heavy thinking. Would like to hear/read your comments on this!

I changed the name of my blog in order to more accurately reflect who and what I do. “From the Podium” reflected my training in music and conducting, and was a play on the idea of standing on my “soap box” which for a conductor is his podium.

There still may be more changes coming, but for now, this feels like a good fit for me.

There is a new kid on the block – at least new to me. It is called Ning. Yes, that is right, Ning.

I will let the people at Ning give the best description of what they are: “Ning is the only online service where you can create, customize, and share your own Social Network for free in seconds.” It is like MySpace and Google or Yahoo Groups and You Tube all rolled into one.

“Ning is a platform for creating your own social networks. Our passion is putting new social networks in the hands of anyone with a good idea. With Ning, your social network can be anything and for anyone.

You start by choosing a combination of features (videos, blogs, photos, forums, etc.) from an ever-growing list of options. Then customize how it looks, decide if it’s public or private, add your brand logo if you have one, and enable the people on your network to create their own custom personal profile pages.”

Ning is truly innovative, which is why I love it. I have not explored it yet – I just saw it today – and intend to use it. What the people at Ning have done is create what they call a platform, or collection of technologies that keeps expanding and is unlimited to its members. I and other members can create what I define as a social network as I perceive and desire it.

I am excited about this opportunity. They do provide businesses the opportunity to create a branding of a social network. It will be interesting to see how this develops.