High Notes

High Notes
February 2013

Real estate is one of my many passion interests.  I recently met with a Realtor to discuss marketing for a parcel of family land and some potential changes that we wanted to review.  Of course, we analyzed all the variables!   I smiled today as I pondered the meeting because the "take it apart" analysis has been a part of my strategy repertoire for a long time. 

One of my first applications of this process involved the choosing of music for the CD, Hello! Come Fly With Me.  My goal in this writing and music project, which I have spoken of before, was exploring the concept of transformation.  People change.   Circumstances change.   Life changes.  In writing the essence of the book, I had already found (in my imagination) Abigail the Butterfly and Timothy the Dragonfly, who both portrayed friendship characters.  The story had unfolded.

So, when it came time for the music, I made a very long list of all the musical sounds, phrases, feelings, songs, and associations that came to me when I thought of wings and flight.  I ended up with grace notes, triplets, glissandos, trills, and long flying finger runs up and down the keyboard.  At one point I even thought about rockets and space ships and found a Bach Invention, ultimately played as a duet with one of my sons, that represented super fast flying fingers.  My closing piece on the CD was a Mozart Sonata that had fast fingers in some parts but was chosen primarily because it reminded me of the mood that is set by a pilot who announces in a gentle voice that we have reached a 37,000 feet cruising altitude.   He hopes we will sit back and enjoy the flight!   Enjoyment and inspiration was my hope for the music listeners...listening to the CD and in life. 

One of my favorite memories is the process of transforming the music and story into a black light staged production, used in churches and this time at a school program for 900 students.  Two students were dressed in black and animated the characters, which had been built by graphic artist Randy Herget.  While the music played, trained voice over theater people, my son and a friend, told the story of Wings to Fly which we had recorded.   Thank you Michael and Molly.   The story, Wings to Fly, is really about believing in yourself and embracing differences in others as you find your way through life.

Of course, at the meeting with Andy the Realtor this week, he offered me paper when I reached for a napkin to jot my notes.   But I really love napkins as an awesome way to collect and take apart ideas in all directions, whatever is being discussed.   I have been cautioned by friends about using a napkin in my pocket for a sneeze because they know I may have some treasured idea written on it!  It is likely that somewhere there is a napkin with notes about wings.

As you know from other newsletters, this process is called divergent thinking and is the absolute balance to convergent thinking.  I say it a lot.   When making decisions, take the idea apart in as many variables or dimensions as you can think of or tolerate!   Then build a process, which represents your values, to make your choices based on your divergent thinking.  The process will lead you to a level of wisdom that brings satisfaction and enjoyment.

Circling back to the CD, after I made the list of types of sounds that would reflect wings and flight, I needed to make music choices with these reflections.   I knew what I was looking and listening for!  When it was all done I had the satisfaction of engineering the process as well as the enjoyment of the music.

I know the product was packaged because of what I needed to do and learn at that time.   But creative work always touches somebody somewhere somehow.   I am grateful.

It's all amazing.   I love the thought of sharing the joy.