“Only a few act – the rest of us reap the benefits of their risk.”
— Wynton Marsalis
I watched a documentary called “Chops” which documented high school jazz bands across the United States, including homegrown bands at Garfield and Roosevelt. Throughout the movie, I was utterly impressed by the teachers and students who were able to put together the cohesion needed to become some of the best jazz bands on the country. As entrepreneurs, and just business people — I think we can learn something about being a team from them:
Learn to play off of each other
In jazz music, you’re constantly listening to your band mates and drawing energy from them and playing upon notes they introduce or even surprise you with. You trust them to do that and join the journey you would have never gone through alone. If you don’t listen and build upon things your team members contribute, you’re missing a the essence of being on a team. It’s all about trust.
Kill it when you get your solo
You’re going to have your moments to shine — and like anyone in the spotlight, you’ll want to kill it. Make sure you do, and don’t forget to draw help from your team. In the documentary, students were drawing inspiration from their fellow band mates, teachers, and even outsiders to knock their solos out of the park. Whatever it is, remember, you’re not on your own island — folks are going to want to help you succeed, it’s just a matter of making it happen.
Don’t forget to play with soul
I love this about jazz — it’s all about giving it soul. Wynton Marsalis mentions in the documentary that soul is something where you listen to a musician play and you just want to stay with them the whole time and relax. There’s a sense of comfort there. If you give your work a bit of tender loving care, it’ll show. Breathe some soul into your work because your team members will notice.
Many musicians create one sound
Bands consists of many different musicians, but in the end they all contribute to one sound. That’s the beauty of music, especially in jazz. This really comes from the leader, whether you’re a jazz teacher or a CEO of the company. It’s important for you to guide your team/band to one sound, one vision.
