The Gratitude Soundtrack From Apple Music
I was browsing Apple Music recently and found this gem of a playlist celebrating gratitude. The music spans genres and generations and has me tapping my feet and feeling thankful for the many creative artists who make our lives brighter with their music. If you are on Apple Music, give it a listen here.
If you’re looking for music to help you focus, I recommend this.
Weekly Quote: Coleman Hawkins on Making Mistakes
This week’s quote, by the jazz legend Coleman Hawkins*, reminds us that if we aren’t stepping out of our comfort zones, we’re probably missing out on opportunities to grow.
Mistakes are the language of growth. Starting a new job, shipping a new app, building a new team, being in a relationship, being a parent, so many things are hard to do. You have to stretch, and you’re going to mess up. It’s what you do with the experience that matters. I’ve written about getting it wrong before, and how learning from that is essential. It’s a universal concept and one that is worth remembering.
It’s also important to know that it’s okay to be cautious. Maybe it’s a high-stakes situation, or you’re at a point where you need to slow down. That’s okay, embrace it and know that when you’re ready to try something new, you will, mistakes and all.
*Go check out Body & Soul by the Hawk, it’s a great collection of his work.
Pure Focus
As I’ve been working on this site, I’ve been looking for a wider variety of music, particularly in the form of curated playlists that I can enjoy while I write and edit posts. With that spirit, I started exploring what Apple Music has to offer and found Pure Focus.
The playlist comprises some really beautiful and moody songs, which Apple refers to as “electronic soundscapes.” That description is apt because each piece does evoke a different sense of feeling and place. Of course, some more than others. Right now, Snowfall by Gideon Matthew connects with me. There is something hopeful and yet wistful in the composition; it’s beautiful. The playlist is also updated, so new surprises await.
As we enter the weekend, I encourage you to listen to something new. Ask a friend or colleague or your kids what speaks to them. Experience it with an open mind and an open heart. It may not click, or you may come away delighted and more deeply connected with those around you and have something new that brings you joy.
David Bowie Knew the (Internet) Future in 1999
Recently, I came across an excerpt from this 1999 BBC Newsnight Interview featuring David Bowie chatting with Jeremy Paxman. I found the entire video and thoroughly enjoyed it, and I wanted to share a few thoughts:
1999 was 23 years ago. Yeah, 23 YEARS AGO!
Bowie always had fantastic hair. I know it's required when you are a rock star, and he nailed it. He rocked the stilettos, too.
There is some insightful talk about his career, creative process, sobriety, and, later, "Cool Britannia," which I had to look up.
At 7:03, Bowie starts talking specifically about the Internet. Remember, this is the 1999 Internet; when the RIAA sued Napster, Microsoft was the tech giant, and dial-up was still the way most people connected.).
At 7:19, Bowie says, "Forget about the Microsoft part; the monopolies don't have a monopoly." Now, social media companies (irony not lost on me that I likely saw this video initially on, I believe, Instagram) have a lot of the power, balanced by the likes of Apple and Google's app stores and their ability to de-platform an app.
Bowie references how music and society will fragment even further than they had at this interview (he references Hip Hop and Girl Power as popular subgenres).
At 10:46, he suggests that society hasn't yet seen the" tip of the iceberg" and says the "potential of what the internet is going to do to society is unimaginable."
Wow. So, yeah, David Bowie pretty had a good idea of what would happen to the Internet and how fragmented things could get.
I did not realize until I began researching that today is the sixth anniversary of Bowie's death. I think I'll reach out to a couple of friends who are much bigger Bowie fans than I am for some recommendations for a new playlist to celebrate his work.