The dance of joy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Have you seen those social media videos where a small child hears a piece of music and just starts singing or dancing? You know, the ones where they\u2019re just going for it \u2013 the joy in their hearts written all over their faces. Not a care in the world, right? When you see that, how do you feel? I\u2019ll bet that those videos make you feel wonderful inside. You may even think \u2013 just for a moment \u2013 about how long it\u2019s been since you felt like they do. And you\u2019re not alone. Those videos go viral, shared by millions of people, because they touch something that we\u2019re all born with, but somehow lose along the way. What those videos capture are tiny little humans expressing themselves authentically and fully, without worry about what anyone will think if they misplace a note, don\u2019t keep perfect rhythm or mispronounce a word. They are moved (compelled) to sing, or dance, or play \u2013 right there in that moment. It\u2019s how they were created and they just need to get it out. The result of their unreserved, natural expression is nothing short of joy and happiness, not just for themselves, but for their audience as well, and that is the essential basis for what we call Play Out Loud.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I can\u2019t begin to count the number of hurried commuters I\u2019ve encountered whose days were made just a little bit brighter by some guy on the street having the time of his life, grinning ear-to-ear, drumming on his paint bucket like he was Buddy Rich. Or, the trombonist whose amazing tone reverberated for what seemed like forever along the long, white-tiled tunnels of the subway station. Sure, they were busking for dollars, but man, they sure looked like they were having fun. I spoke with the trombonist one cold, NYC morning as he was between songs, just to let him know how much I enjoyed what he was doing. I asked him where else he played, as he clearly had big-time professional chops. Unexpectedly, he shared that he was third trombone in the Symphony Orchestra. I asked him why he played in the subway and he very matter-of-factly responded, \u201cIt\u2019s fun, and people like it.\u201d Play Out Loud.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Sometimes, as performers, we chase perfection but lose the purpose and meaning of the art in the process. Dr. Wayne Dyer<\/a> is famously quoted as saying, \u201cDon\u2019t die with the music still in you.\u201d While the word \u201cmusic\u201d is used figuratively, the statement is profound in its potential impact for performing artists. Have you ever found yourself playing it safe instead of taking a chance on stage during a live performance? Have you written a piece of music and never performed it live for anyone? Have you recorded original music and not shared it because the mix isn\u2019t right? I\u2019m guilty of all of the above as, of course, those two little shoulder demons are very persuasive little communicators. But the impact of those decisions was really brought home for me when a business colleague of over ten years who didn\u2019t know that I was a musician heard me tooling around on a keyboard. The conversation went something like this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n T. \u201cWait\u2026 whoa. I didn\u2019t know that you played.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n R. \u201cYup. I\u2019ve been playing since I was seven years old.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n T. \u201cI can\u2019t believe I didn\u2019t know that. Why doesn\u2019t everybody know that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n R. \u201cI guess it just didn\u2019t come up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n T. \u201cWhat is that song you were playing?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n R. \u201cIt\u2019s an original piece I\u2019ve been working on.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n T. \u201cDude, it\u2019s beautiful. Do you have more?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n R. \u201cOh yeah. I have a bunch of stuff, but it\u2019s just not ready for prime-time yet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n T. \u201cWhy are you so selfish?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n R. \u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n T. \u201cWhy are you keeping that music to yourself? You\u2019re depriving us of joy. Don\u2019t do that \u2013 it\u2019s selfish.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n BAM! There it was, like a slap in the face, awakening me to the realization that not sharing my music with others was indeed an act of selfishness. And the worst part about it was that neither my colleague nor I (nor anybody else) was getting any benefit from that course of action. Nobody was happy about it. What was I holding on to? What was I hoping to achieve? What was I afraid of? This deeply impactful 30-second conversation with a colleague (now, a close friend) awakened me to the realization that if I didn\u2019t change my thinking, I very well might die with my music still in me \u2013 literally. There is a teaching found in the ancient Indian Rig Vedas<\/a> that says, \u201cAll that is not shared is lost.\u201d It\u2019s a profound assertion, but it speaks to the responsibility we all have to pass things along \u2013 to pay things forward, so to speak. As artists and performers, we\u2019re blessed with a gift. But the real value in this gift is realized not by keeping it, but by sharing it, as it is<\/u><\/em>, so that others can benefit from it as well. Play Out Loud.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Last winter, during the darkest days of the pandemic, I did a few Holiday livestreams on social media, mostly for friends and family, where I played solo keyboard and did some storytelling about my relationship with the songs. But going into it, I did have many reservations that I could pull it off. It would be live, and I was a total newbie to livestreaming. How would it look and sound? (Doubt)<\/em> What if I pressed the wrong buttons on this new keyboard I\u2019m just learning and it\u2019s a train wreck? (Need for safety)<\/em> And these are new musical approaches to songs people are familiar with. What if they think they\u2019re strange? Heck, what if they think I\u2019m<\/em> strange? (Need to belong)<\/em> I definitely had enough reasons to put it off until next year, but by now, I\u2019d been embracing the Play Out Loud<\/em> mindset and was determined to live in the moment and deliver the best version of myself possible, in that<\/u><\/em> moment. As hoped for (need for approval<\/em>), the friendly audience offered many positive comments but most significantly, the majority of comments weren\u2019t at all about my playing, or the arrangements, or my stories, or the sound and lighting, but about them<\/em> \u2013 how the music made them feel. How the intimacy of the experience gave them comfort. How the hour we spent together brought them joy at a time they really needed it. And despite my many musical and technical flubs (I\u2019m still highly self-critical), as the performances came to a close, I was really \u2013 no, profoundly \u2013 happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And that\u2019s the point of why we challenge performers to Play Out Loud<\/em>. When you Play Out Loud<\/em>, you\u2019re expressing yourself authentically, boldly and confidently. No holding back. No playing it safe. No self-judgment. When you Play Out Loud<\/em>, you\u2019re letting your audience not just see and hear you, but feel<\/em> you. Your art is expressed, not calculated. It comes from that place inside you that compels you to let it out. When you Play Out Loud<\/em>, you create unforgettable moments etched in time, shared between you and your audience, bringing each of you joy, contentment, and yes \u2013 happiness. That\u2019s the best gift of all. Share it. To do anything less is, to quote a friend, selfish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Do you Play Out Loud?<\/strong> Tell us why and you could win $5,000<\/a> in QSC gear (US residents only).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n We\u2019re incredibly happy to announce the premiere<\/a> of our latest Play Out Loud<\/em> artist video, featuring drummer and percussionist Kenny Galbraith<\/strong>. Kenny\u2019s journey led him from Nebraska to Huntington Beach \u2013 without a job or a home – just because \u201cSurf City\u201d sounded like a cool place to live. We follow Kenny\u2019s story from busker, to playing in a local band, to becoming a recording and touring musician (with a hysterical rebuke from none other than Howard Stern thrown into the mix). Kenny\u2019s boundless joy and passion for his art will surely move you and inspire the Play Out Loud<\/em> spirit within.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n See our first Play Out Loud<\/em> video featuring songwriter and vocalist, Cedrice<\/a><\/strong> – a top contender on the NBC TV show, The Voice<\/a>. Hers is an inspirational story of overcoming personal struggles by discovering and sharing her musical gifts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Perfection is overrated<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Stare-down your fears<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Sharing is caring<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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