Even when I’m dashing between appointments, traveling is an opportunity for me to take a break and do some deep listening and learning. Last week, I heard a Frank Zappa documentary on CBC radio and became immersed in his visionary ideas. He’s out front, on the cutting edge, and believes music is the event, and listening with our full attention is the point. I often listen while multitasking, but I know when I give it my full attention, a whole world opens up. I can focus and connect easily with ideas.
Band members talked of how Zappa would get them to sing, scat, and dance their parts of a song, taking them out of their comfort zone to explore new translations or expressions. He would mark a portion of a song with an X to indicate places where the musician had full artistic freedom. “If you believe there are rules to writing music that can’t be broken…you’re going to be a boring composer,” says Zappa.
His willingness to experiment reminds me to remain fearless when mapping unchartered territory. As my company grows, so do the responsibilities — people depend on me. My time and attention have become even more valuable. What made the X factor work for Zappa was attracting the right musicians and trusting them and the process. I, too, am a composer of sorts, and my team is the band. Our work is often inventive, playful, and trusting because, like Zappa, we won’t settle for boring.
