Music Is the New Black

Church service to club floor, music moves me, literally and figuratively. I feel the beat and it moves my body, mind and spirit in ways that words, much as I love them, do not. And today, as I listen to music today, I am wildly, madly, deeply, fully in love again. 

Today’s music trumpets with a vibrance, bravado, style and energy in a way that mirrors our collective unconscious.  I got a feeling that this is music that can only be produced in times of doubt and downturn, where the soul must shout its will to survive despite a bank account’s assertions.  Creativity that develops during oppression, to signify there is always reason to dance. 

From battered to superspice girl of the world, Rihanna returns good girl gone bad to better with the most anthemic song – barring anything with New York in the hook - and as the most beautiful girl in the world.  Her flaming red is as hot and wild as the pink of the enigmatic amalgam known as Nicki Minaj.  Both express with intelligence, uniqueness, carnality and Caribbean point of view. 

Tailors swiftly sew new suits for today pop fashions, while new Rock royalty the Kings toil until sundown to reveal a whole new happening that’s got us all Gaga.

I can’t help but whip my head back and forth when I think about the ferocity of Willow Smith.  I know grownups working still to attain such swagga (present company abstains from either defending or acknowledging guilt).

Now is the time to blur borders, get ‘high’ and go to "Rehab" with Lacrae, Suzy Rock and Sho Baraka. And, please, leave Justin Bieber alone.  First you love him, then you want to jump him at skate parks.  Let The Bieb be!

Whoever’s on your playlist, celebrate this new season of sound. Emperors everywhere are rocking a fo’ real fusion of stitched ideas and mashup style, all in the name of today’s brand new quilt of coolness.  

Avatar's creativity, 10 industry tips ideal for mega and mini moguls

Blue is in. Avatar blue, that is. With more than a billion in worldwide ticket sales and counting, the Na’vi inhabitants of Pandora have generated a reinvigorating financial bonanza as the movie continues to close in on the number one spot for the most successful movie of all time. James Cameron’s Avatar is a multi-faceted monster of mythic proportions.

Though it is the most expensive movie ever made and employed thousands – it is about more than the movie’s mammoth commerciality.

Though naysayers may take their snarky swipes, Avatar is a testament of integrity, inspiration and adroit storytelling. It is about right against wrong, individual versus groupthink, patience and perseverance, the power of one and, arguably most important, about making dreams come true. Such themes are classic in the world of art and commerce.

Literally culled from a dream he had in 1995, Cameron reminds the entertainment industry to extend the bounds of creativity to realize vision and push forth for breakthrough without compromise.
Such unwavering commitment is required to guide an artistic idea from its conception and birthing process to fruition. Avatar reminds that such commitment is possible and powerful.

Ok, but what if you don’t have a bijillion dollars to make your dream come true?  Regardless of whether your budget is a minute or in the millions, the integrity of your vision should not waver.

Ten tips for how you can stay focused on the creation of your true-blue masterpiece:

1.    Be clear about what you want to accomplish and say with your work. Everything you and your crew do should support this aim. Make a plan and frequently refer to it to ensure all are on board to ensure your primary goals are achieved. Be proactive and consider all possible actions and worst-case scenarios.
2.    Distill your vision to its essence. Despite the scale of Avatar, it is not about the biggest it is about the best. Cameron had the power to greenlight that or any other project at any time but delayed the filming of Avatar until much of the technology was available in 2005 to make the reality of his futuristic movie as real as his dreamed ideal. Be patient and poised for the moment when opportunity dawns.
3.    Focus on making each project a masterpiece. Be clear about what you want from the most sweeping overviews to the minutest aspects of your project. Create and work closely with your production team to devise a detailed plan and timeline of execution.
4.    Allocate funds prudently and actively manage your budget to ensure you have and maintain the means to execute. Assuming you do not have a benevolent investor with deep pockets, spend wisely, not wantonly, to achieve desire effect. Determine select areas where money must be spent and where you have room to economize.
5.    Bring together the best players to assist your vision’s creation. Each player has his or her own strengths, be aware of who makes the most sense – it is not always the loudest talker with the highest profile. Listen and challenge suggestion but also be prepared to accept, or dismiss, someone else’s expertise about execution. Ask questions and take nothing at surface level. Cultivate your intellect but go with your gut not your ego. Like "The Gambler" song, know when to fold, hold, walk away, run or stand your ground – then make your decision.
6.    What you can do yourself without sacrificing quality, keep in house. No need to farm out what can be homegrown. However, when it is time to share, be ready and decisive about opening the circle of inclusion.
7.    If your plan is not working, pause to analyze and reassess. Be fearless to try something new if your current plan is not working. As well, if a team player is not working up to expectations, trim away the dead wood. Be professional about any changes and hard choices you must implement so that you stay focused on the business not drama and poor performers.
8.    If it seems like your idea is veering off course, it is your job to reroute back towards the success you envisioned. Likewise, if you feel your initial goal can be bested, be prepared to amend your path to achieve a greater outcome. A lot of integrity is lost here.
9.    When you need to take a moment, step away to regain focus and maintain objectivity. You must consistently maintain 360 degrees of awareness. Do not barrel through with blinders or without valuable feedback – Pittsburgh is a world away from Pandora.
10.    Keep dreaming and creating.

Lady Gaga: New Dada for the masses

Refreshingly odd and undeniably talented is Lady Gaga. Sneaking into the VIP Room through the dance door, she is a high-voltage current that crackles with the threat of electrocution as she ensnares with the promise of entertainment - all the result of her bona fide chops, musicality, iconic fashion, clever lyrics and distinct point of view.
Recent appearances on the American Music Awards and Oprah show, as well as an unprecedented number of #1's from a new artist debut project and fistful of Grammy nominations, confirm her aim at popular culture has hit the bull’s eye.
Gaga clearly has an ax to grind and is using everything musical, visceral and visual to detonate the dialogue. Whether suspended in all-white while smeared with fake blood, styled in the fearsome armadillo stilettos of Alexander McQueen or banging the keys of a burning piano, you have my attention even if I’m not sure I always fully understand, or perhaps even agree, with the perspective. Regardless, I love a good challenge and the fearlessness of her expression is one of the best to spring from the primordial music industry ooze in quite some time.
At once captivating the collective conscience and collecting friends, Gaga dares viewers to look away while the pulse of her message captivates listeners to keep moving to her beat. For the insatiable and artistic voyeur, she is a feast fit enough to encourage gluttony. An unusual dichotomy, Gaga is simultaneously an artist at peace with controversy and able to promote popularity.
Such is the stuff of legends like Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie, Nina Simone, Madonna, Bjork, etc., who are loved and misunderstood for the ferocity and singularity of their visions. As with all superheated creative kilns, the challenge is to survive being such a hot commodity and not becoming a self-consuming flash fire. Only time will tell if Gaga has permanently wedged open the new portal for substantive expression through popular music and can keep the fires burning while avoiding burnout.