Free. Jazz. (or, Sidney & her man Clovis)

May I suggest that you set aside an hour before clicking through to listen to Jason Moran's amazing (and free!) "Live: Time On The Quilts Of Gee's Bend" Suite?

From the NPR website:

Jason Moran, composer and piano
Alicia Hall Moran, vocals
Bill Frisell, guitar
Tarus Mateen, bass
Nasheet Waits, drums

"Good morning Baltimore! Every day's like an open door."

"My ma tells me no 
   but my feet tell me go!"

-from "Hairspray"'s opening song "Good Morning Baltimore!"


Tickets are still available for "Hairspray in Concert" narrated by Mr. John Waters with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra in Meyerhoff Hall, Baltimore, tonight and tomorrow night, plus Saturday and Sunday matinees. Saw the world premier last night at Strathmore; laughed so hard I cried. And how often does that happen at the symphony?


From the BSO website:

Jack Everly, conductor
John Waters, narrator (BSO debut)
Micky Dolenz, Wilbur Turnblad
Beth Leavel, Velma von Tussle
Paul Vogt, Edna Turnblad
Featuring:
Marissa Perry as "Tracy Turnblad"
Julie Kavanagh as "Penny Pingleton"
Nick Adams as "Link Larkin"
Rhiannon Hansen as "Amber von Tussle"
NaTasha Williams as "Motormouth Maybelle"
Marcus Terell as "Seaweed J. Stubbs"
Bret Shuford as "Corny Collins"
Alix Korey as "Female Authority Figure"
Chris Briante as "Male Authority Figure"
Also with: The Divas of Song (Natalie Renee, Nikki Stephenson, and Melissa VanPelt) as "The Dynamites."

"What is it that most people need, but don't know that they need?"

We were talking about Google's six billion dollar bid for Groupon, and she suggested that I think up an online business idea that would make us rich.

"What is it," she asked, "that most people need, but don't know that they need?"

"That's easy," I said, "What most people need is to be slapped upside the head. The hard part is getting them to pay."

Last night in the S. Dillon Ripley center.

Svend-Erik Engh & Thaler rocked the Smithsonian last night!

Just play!

Baris Yuksel, one of my brilliant Improv classmates, shared his Improv-induced epiphany: "It's not about me; it's about getting the work done."

He was talking about writing a document that he had to share with a large group of colleagues, who were sure to offer ample edits, additions, and suggestions for improvement. Baris thought about waiting a couple of days after completing the draft to perfect it prior to sending it out. Then he realized, No, just send it; in two days, the project will be done.

This is leadership. Act at 80%; the last 20% doesn't make much difference - it is, essentially, time spent striving for perfection. Why stress about achieving perfection as a soloist when you are truly engaged in group process? Respect your team's creativity and contributions, and contribute with generosity and a true respect for pluralism: the openness to be changed by anothers' input. Allow every member of the team to own the project. Write the story together.