It’s a bright, crisp desert morning. The cloudless sky above is crystal blue and the breeze smells of sage and mesquite. I am at Heritage Park, high above the Las Vegas strip to celebrate the athletic skills of a very dear friend. Nick is 13 years old and plays a great game of lacrosse. We love his family as if they were our own. There are, at this sports complex, about a dozen fields of play from football to baseball and lacrosse. This morning there are a thousand plus young boys and girls all warming up caught between their desire to play ball and their thoughts of their cozy warm beds. It is 7:45 am and the temperature is a brisk 55 degrees. Coaches are preaching and coaching and the youth of America are listening and practicing in preparation for the games to come.

At 7:55am the P.A. system crackles and a ladies voice welcomes everyone to the games and then requests that we stand for the playing of our national anthem. I am of an age where I instantly rise, face the flag and, hand over heart, begin to simultaneously sing and get goose pimples. So do most of the kids on the field in front of me. I’m impressed. The only ones who do not are the unfortunate offspring of parents, and coaches, who never miss a beat with their laughing and carrying on during our national anthem. Kids live what we model… If our nation (and our politicians) are not what you remember or what you wish they might be… Take a moment to look in your mirror and ask yourself, just what sort of a patriot model am I?

More articles like this can be found in “The Desert Wind,” my Monday morning blog series. (See the sidebar.) If you enjoy these inspirational messages, please click here to subscribe to my blog.

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Is this a song title that you know? A dear friend of mine, Linwood Bell, here in Nevada, has just finished creating an arrangement of this song for the great vocalist, Josh Groban. This creation is to be used on-stage, in his current show. An arrangement such as this ensures that the whole orchestra or band, can pull together, play together, and produce a powerful rendition of the chosen song. It’s a huge responsibility, because it takes the lyrics and the music of the original composition and surrounds and supports the emotion of the presentation. A great arrangement can even inspire the performance of the artist. In business, if you work on a team you are also part of a band. If you lead a team you are truly an arranger. How well you work at your craft can be seen in the response of your associates to the tasks at hand; their performance.

If you are a member of a family you are definitely in a band. Nothing makes beautiful music like a family that works together, grows together, and celebrates the dynamics of the music of life. A great parent/arranger learns to create ways to bring and hold the family together in the best of times and the worst of times.

Think back to one of your favorite songs. Pull it out, put on your head phones, and listen to it again. This time, listen for the arrangement and experience how much more there is to a memorable piece of music. As you hear the song again for the first time, ask yourself; do I remember when it rained? The applause at the end of Josh’s performance is the reward for everyone: the performer, the orchestra, the stage hands, and, of course, the arranger!

Let’s make some inspiring music this week…

More articles like this can be found in “The Desert Wind,” my Monday morning blog series. (See the sidebar.) If you enjoy these inspirational messages, please click here to subscribe to my blog.

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