Turning the tanker

At a recent project meeting, we had a presentation on what things looked like employment-wise in the high-tech sector. Yes, there were the usual sad statistics about how few young people were looking for jobs in technology and engineering, and how difficult it was to get kids interestend in math and science. That's nothing new. What was sort of new -- at least in a way -- was the presenter's plea for a broader-based education. It seems one of the most common complaints of employers is that their new-hires are seriously lacking in interpersonal skills. In other words, they know very little about anything other than what they know technically, and they have as good as no idea about how to get along, let alone work, with others. Isn't that surprising? I thought so.

OK, I'm not surprised like "yikes! where did that come from?" No, in light of the persistent pleas for employability somebody apparently overlooked the fact that understanding other people and communicating clearly and effectively are just as essential in the workplace as knowing what you are doing on the job. The question that popped into my mind, of course, was why were these skills no longer part of the curriculum.

When I went to school (granted quite some time ago), those were precisely the things our English (or fill-in-you-own-native-language) instruction. We read stories that were about how people did or didn't get along, about what made life worth living and we learned (or at least our teachers tried to teach us) how to form a coherent thought in a sentence and to take just a little bit of pride in being able to spell correctly.

The last thing I want to do is turn back the clock, but I do think it's time we re-thought some of the things we have decided aren't so important in the meantime. To many, art, literature, and music may have seemed like a waste of time, but they were anything but. We saw that there were multiple ways of expression, that words, pictures and tones could stir feelings ... right, feelings. Not just sensibilities that are too easily offended, but feelings that we had ourselves and that others had as well. We at least had the chance to learn that others weren't really all that different from us.

Even in that hard, cold world of work and business, it would seem that there is recognition that we really can't just make everything about money.

Collophone March

So, here are the muses from last month:

Allman Brothers, Eat a Peach;
Steve Earle, Train A'coming;
Jay Farrar, Stone, Steel & Bright Lights;
Green Day, Dookie;
John Hiatt & the Goners, Beneath This Gruff Exterior;
Chris Issac, Baja Sessions;
The Killers, Hot Fuss;
Lifehouse, Stanley Climbfall;
Sarah McLachlan, Fumbling Towards Ecstasy;
Julie Miller, Blue Pony;
Bob Dylan, Highway 61 Revisited.

Those are my long-tail recommendations for March. As you can see, not all your usual fare, but every one of them does come highly recommended. Enjoy.

Just a reminder for you lexicographers: the collo- part is from "collection" and the -phone part is, well, obvious. Therefore, it is a collection of music that is listened to for a particular purpose, such as marking assignments, writing blogs, or watching sunrises/sets (depending on your inclination).

Collophone February

The muses from last month:

The Shins, Oh, Inverted World;
Fleet Foxes, Helplessness Blues;
The Flatlanders, Wheels of Fortune;
Indigo Girls, Poseiden and the Bitter Bug;
The Hooblers, I Hate Folk Singers;
Tracy Chapman, Collection;
Kacey Anderson, The Reckoning;
Dave Mason, Alone Together;
Fred Eaglesmith, 50 Odd Dollars;
Arthur Dodge & the Horsefeathers, Nervous Habit;
Bob Dylan, Nashville Skyline.

Those are my long-tail recommendations for February. Not your usual fare, but all come highly recommended. Enjoy.

Now for all you pedants out there, I'm sure you are wondering about the title of this entry. You won't find that word in the dictionary. I made it up. Yes, I took the liberty and just made it up. That's how language works, if you want it to.

For those of you who may be compiling a dictionary: the collo- part is from "collection" and the -phone part is, well, obvious. Therefore, it is a collection of music that is listened to for a particular purpose, such as marking assignments, writing blogs, or watching sunrises/sets (depending on your inclination).

An example: say, you're marking papers and pacing yourself with some tunes. You'd like to let your students know what was moving you while you were marking, so you want to give them the list. Instead of entitling the list something like "This is the Music I was Listening to while Marking Your Papers", you could use something much more efficient like "Collophone: Assignment 1".

It's a labor-saver, I know. You're welcome.

The tune of life

Why is country music, alt country, pseudo-country, and wanna-be country music so sad? I know that one comedian after another, Southern or not, have taken jabs at it, from my woman done left me to she killed my dog, too ... and there's lots of whisky drenching it all. When you listen a little closer, you side with her anyway: he didn't deserve the woman or the dog and nobody knows how he affords the booze.

No matter. Apparently it speaks to a lot of people. There must be a lot of folks who shouldn't own dogs. A lot of guys anyhow. And a lot of women who know they shouldn't have pets either.

One of the reasons I think about this is because a lot of Germans I know tend to like it. I'm not sure how many of them understand the lyrics, but I'm also not sure that's what's important anyway. I think they like it because if any instrument can cry, it's got to be a steel guitar. Oh, sure, it can be silly, faux happy, but behind it is a simple melancholy that is as much a part of life as birth or death.

I don't think we listen to instruments enough. We get into songs and forget who – what – is getting them to our ears. I really don't care what you music you listen to ... it's not the style that really matters. Find out which instrument is speaking to you, and you'll have a friend forever.

Music reaches deep. Deeper than we may like to admit. Of course, you have to stop just having it on in the background. Take a moment ... just listen.