Making-Original-Products-presentationzen

The art of musical performance and the art of
presentation share the same essence. That is, it’s
always about bridging the distance between the
artist and audience to make a real connection.
If there’s no connection, there can be no
conversation. This is true whether you’re pitching
a new technology, explaining a new medical
treatment, or playing at Carnegie Hall.
To Tom Grant, performance is not an
exhibition—I perform, you listen. Tom clearly feels
it’s a two-way encounter. Here’s what Tom said in
an interview in Smooth Vibes in 2005: “There is
joy in music for the player and for the receiver. I
play music because it is my calling in life. I hope
it conveys a joy and benevolence that people can
apply to their own lives and thus improve, if only
in the tiniest way, the quality of life on earth.”
Photo of Tom Grant by Owen Carey.
Are not presentations about the player (presenter) and the receiver (audience)?
A good tip to always remember: It’s not about us, it’s about them. And about
the message.
Jazz, Zen, and the Art of Connection
There is a line of thinking that says if I tell you the meaning of Zen, then it
wouldn’t really be Zen. The same could be said concerning the meaning of
jazz. Of course, we can talk about them and label them. With our verbalization,
we get close to the meanings—and the discussion may be interesting, helpful,
and even inspiring. Yet we never experience the thing itself by talking about it.
Zen is concerned with the thing itself. Zen is about the now—right here, right
now. The essence of jazz expression is like this, too. It’s about this moment.
No artificiality, no pretending to be anything you’re not. No acting. No wishing
at this moment to be anywhere or with anyone except where you are.
While there are many forms of jazz, if you want to at least get close to the
essence of the art, then listen to the 1959 album Kind of Blue by Miles Davis.
The liner notes for this classic album were written by the legendary Bill Evans,
who plays piano on the recording. In these notes, Bill makes a direct reference
to one of the Zen arts, sumi-e. Here are just a few lines from his notes:
232 Presentation Zen