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"Imagine" - A New Song Around the World, by Playing For Change

Here is something worth sharing for the holiday season and new year. It is a video of different musicians, playing around the globe, combining their talents to create a new version of of John Lennon's classic, "Imagine".  Here is the video.

 

Imagine from Playing For Change Foundation on Vimeo.

Here is a link to "Stand By Me".  And here are more Playing For Change videos. 

Song Around the World.

It toook almost a year for the Playing For Change crew to complete John Lennon's "Imagine." Like other Song Around the World productions, it is played by various musicians from around the world.

Creating this piece took the crew from the favelas of Brazil to the shrines of southern India, from villages in Nepal to the glittering urban landscape of Tokyo and New York, and beyond.

The filmmakers asked musicians to record their version of the song by themselves. The finished project combines these performances to create an a "music video" of these artists playing together.

The Playing For Change Foundation and Yoko Ono joined together to launch the Power to the People campaign. The campaign seeks to advance John Lennon’s vision of peace by engaging artists and audiences to contribute to music education programs worldwide. Proceeds raised will help build music schools, support teachers and music programs, purchase instruments, and connect schools for cross-cultural learning and conflict resolution across borders.  As they say "Music IS the power: Power to the People."

Find out more at Playing For Change.

Related Articles

• John Lennon's 10 Best Songs, as chosen by Yoko Ono (current.com)
• Playing for Change Connects the World Through Music (abcnews.go.com)
• Playing For Change Foundation and Theatre Within Advance John Lennon's Vision for Peace With POWER TO THE PEOPLE Campaign (prnewswire.com)
• Street Musicians From Across The World Play For Change (npr.org)

Laurel and Hardy Meet Santana

This video has virtually nothing to do with business or trading, other than being creative.

Still, smiling is good  ... and laughing is better.  Hopefully, you will enjoy this as much as I did. 

Watch Laurel and Hardy dance with Santana's "Oye Como Va" as the music track.  It fits surprisingly well.

 

 

Inspirational Video from Facing the Giants

"If you think you can do a thing ... or think you can't do a thing; you're right."

-    Henry Ford

I love football season, and I'm a sucker for plot devices like this.

Here is a clip from the movie "Facing the Giants".

 

 

There are times in life when it is hard to imagine finding a path to victory.

So often the answer is as simple as committing to the outcome desired, showing-up, playing full-out, and giving your best until there is absolutely nothing left.

Related Articles:

• Learning to Inspire Yourself (blogs.hbr.org)
• Movie 'Facing The Giants' Review (lockergnome.com)
• What movies inspired you as a youngster? (ask.metafilter.com)

 

Too True Video: It's the Dad Life

It may be a little after Father's Day; but it still seems like a good time for a video like this.  Tongue in cheek, a little faux rap, and fun ... Watch Dad Life.

Hat tip to Ken Dennard.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Your Father's Day Leadership Lesson (kevineikenberry.com)
• Clips from the Sh*t My Dad Says Pilot [VIDEO] (mashable.com)
• The Jetpacks Are Coming! The Jetpacks Are Coming! (thebigmoney.com)

Iron Man 2 is Good Mindless Fun

Have you seen it yet?  It is certainly generating some "buzz" and box-office traffic.

My recommendation: let go of your expectations and simply enjoy the spectacle.

Even Freud has to agree, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar ... and sometimes, a movie is just a movie.

Iron Man 2 was a fun and action-packed movie that I'm glad I watched on a big screen.

Does It Live-Up to Its Hype?

Before its release, there were a number of very negative reviews and predictions that it would be "unwatchable". Nonetheless, audiences are watching and, according to Rotten Tomatoes, enjoying the movie.

I had fun seeing it with my son this weekend. It was good enough in virtually every way.

The story held together well enough that I didn't think much about the plot (not that there was much of a plot to think about).

The graphics didn't "wow" me, the way that Avatar's did; but they were good enough that I didn't think about them (even though many of the special effects had to have been computer-generated). 

Here is a Trailer so you can see it for yourself.

Here are more videos.

Related articles by Zemanta

• 'Iron Man 2' Has $52.4 Million in Sales as Summer Season Opens (businessweek.com)
• Cameron: Don't Watch Avatar on Your iPhone. Or Laptop. (mashable.com)
• Flixster Users Name Iron Man 2 and Inception the Summer's Most-Anticipated Movies (eon.businesswire.com)

A Bohemian Rhapsody in Three Parts

Compare the original to the Muppets' version and a parody. Some things are classic. Some things are good enough to stand-up no matter who performs it.  You be the judge. 

A Little Background.

"Bohemian Rhapsody" is a song written by Freddie Mercury, originally recorded by the band Queen for their 1975 album A Night at the Opera.

The song is a parody of a rock opera and has a very unusual musical structure for a piece of popular music. Its three different sections have no chorus but both a cappella and heavy metal arrangements. Despite this, it was released as a single and became a huge commercial success, marking a decisive point in Queen's career.

The single was accompanied by a groundbreaking "promotional video", which helped establish the visual language of the modern music (and helped make the music video a must have accessory for any performer).

Muppets - Video of Bohemian Rhapsody:

The Muppets have created their own version of Queen's classic song and video.  This version has very quickly gone viral, as people around the world flock to see it.

The Muppets released their version of Bohemian Rhapsody as a funny and endearing tribute marking the 18th anniversary of Freddie Mercury's untimely death. 

While there will never be another Freddy Mercury, neither will there be another Gonzo, Fozzie Bear nor Miss Piggy.  Here is their attempt at rock opera:

Bohemian Bankruptcy - A Tragedy by Drag Queen.

This, completely different, take on the classic is a witty parody of our economic times.

The Original: I Saved the Best for Last.

Here is the original.  After all this time, it still speaks for itself.

Here is a link to that video with the lyrics superimposed.

This Video Made Me Smile

Watch a soldier being greeted by his dogs after returning home after 14 months in Iraq.  I suspect even cat people will be touched by this.

I learned something from the dogs, and the man.  Hope you enjoy it too.
 

"Stand By Me" Music Video from the Playing for Change: Peace Through Music Project

I saw this and thought it was worth sharing.  It is a video of different musicians, around the globe, combining their talents to create a worthwhile version of of the classic "Stand By Me". 

Here is the direct link to the video.

"Playing for Change: Peace Through Music" isn't really a documentary as much as a global concert film, recorded on the streets of New Orleans, Barcelona, South Africa, Tibet and elsewhere.  The filmmakers (Mark Johnson and Jonathan Walls) traveled across the globe, finding musicians to record versions of "Stand By Me" and Bob Marley's "One World" by themselves, and without any of the individual musicians ever having met each other. The finished project combines these performances to create an a "music video" of these artists playing together on these inspirational songs, as well as playing their own music.

The purpose of the project is to help impoverished people in the areas visited, and to show how music brings people together regardless of their cultural differences.  Find out more at Playing For Change.

Doing What Works - Insight Happens in an Instant

Colin Powell said that "There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure." 

On the other hand, I've found that insight often happens in an instant. 

In Kung Fu Panda, an overweight,  seemingly uncoordinated panda transforms into the unlikely hero of the story who battles evil and saves his village.  The turning point?  His teacher recognized that during a quest for a snack, nothing could keep our hero from his food.  By integrating that in the training routine, a star was born.

OK, that was a Disney movie.  Maybe you want a real-life example?

My youngest son, Zach, is learning to drive.  Currently, I am working on improving his mental map of where he is, where he is going, and how to get there.

My early assessment was that he did not have much of a sense of direction.  This was making our time in the car together either existentially funny - or stressful - depending on my mood.

"What comes next?" was often followed by a blank look or a head shake. The answer to "Which way do we turn?" was a seemingly random "north," "south," "east," "west," "right," or "left" -- or sometimes several of them.

Apparently, I was asking the wrong questions.  He has an encyclopedic knowledge of where restaurants are, and an uncanny ability to get there.  We just have to plot his course with the right milestones (fast-food, pizza and ice cream).

He explained to me, "hey, I just do what works."  And that makes a lot of sense; I'm just glad he found something that works.

A Brief Look at Ideas Worth Spreading

I enjoy the TED website, whose tag-line is "ideas worth spreading." They host one of the "cool" conferences for thinkers and doers. Recently, they opened their content vault and offer a wide range of free videos on technology, business, science, culture, and global issues.

This video is of a presentation by Jill Bolte Taylor. She shares a powerful story about how our brains define us and connect us to the world and to one another.

Jill is a neuro-scientist who had an opportunity few brain scientists would wish for: One morning, she realized she was having a massive stroke. As it happened -- as she felt her brain functions slip away one by one, speech, movement, understanding -- she studied and remembered every moment.

I found it interesting and inspiring, and hope you do too.