Dahle Communication

How early is too early for Christmas Music?

One thing I like about co-working with everyone at Meso is the relaxed, yet get your work done, atmosphere. What I have learned over the past couple of months is that it has the relaxed feel of a coffee shop, but the people here all have things to do and are not here just to get coffee and chat. Its the perfect mix of coming to work, yet being able to banter from time to time.

Part of that relaxed atmosphere is the music we decided to play. Its not the typical 92.5 music (Sioux Falls people will know, for those of you not in Sioux Falls, think light pop music from the 80's, 90's and today - we all have them). I've created a station of mostly alt-country acts on Slacker Radio including Wilco, The Jayhawks and Ryan Adams that we listen to sometimes. Overall, its a different mix of music that adds to the atmoshpere.

This morning however, my ears heard something that I didn't expect to hear for at least another 10 days - Christmas Music! Don't get me wrong - I love Christmas music, especially the songs done by greats like Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra! But a week before Thanksgiving?

So, what do you think? When is it too early to play Christmas music? When do you start singing along with the radio to all of the songs you know by heart because you hear it every year? Is today a little too early? My co-workers don't think so - some of them I'm suspecting probably have their trees up already.

How do we classify music - why U2 is not classic rock

Last week a friend of mine made an intriguing comment on Twitter "Not sure how I feel about U2 being referred to as "classic rock" on #Glee" I understood her feeling, but I did comment that U2's Boy came out in 1980, over 30 years ago - however, she felt that the song 'One' really isn't classic rock. That got me thinking about music and how we classify things. On this point I had to agree with her: to me, U2 (especially Achtung Baby and albums that followed) should not be considered Classic Rock.

It comes down to how we classify things. Music has always been classified into different genres - Alternative, Grunge, Hair Metal, Pop, Country, etc. What becomes complicated is when we try to break it down by an age or time divisions. Things such as "classic rock" or "old-school rap" because who decides if something should be considered in those divisions?

Let's take Classic Rock for example. What standard should be used for determining what is and what isn't classic rock? Is it a certain age? If so, then do we just put any type of musical genre after a certain amount of time into that category? If that is the case, then we are really starting to bunch things up.

Let's take a look at three different albums from about the same time to see this example at work: R.E.M.'s Out of Time, Pearl Jam's Ten and Poison's Flesh & Blood. All three albums came out between 1990 and 1991, yet you couldn't find three different genres as these three. However, if we use age as the determinant for something, they can all be considered "classic rock" now and that just doesn't seem right.

Maybe I'm just getting old and still think classic should just be bands like Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and anything between 1965 and 1980 - because before 1965 is more Oldies and after 1980 is well...80's music.

My point in all of this rambling is that we have to be cautious when we label things. Communication is all about the language that we use. That is why you should be careful when you label something. I'm sure Glee didn't mean anything by it, but I am sure there were a lot of people my age and older who don't consider U2's one as classic rock. However, to someone in high school, it might sound like an oldie. Such is the problem with age I guess.

One Year Down - A review of my favorites

 One year ago today I published my first post on communication here at Dahle Communication. I wasn't quite sure how much I was going to be able to spend posting articles or what I would talk about all of those times. After one year though, I have realized that there is a great deal to talk about and I don't plan on stopping anytime soon!

With that said, here are my top 10 posts from the past year. They are not the top ten in views or comments, but what I feel are the 10 bests posts. Best can mean a variety of things, but to me it represents a post that was thought provoking, got some good feedback and has continued to attract interest not only from everyone out there, but me as well.

10. Presentations to watch: xBlog: Did You Know 4.0 - I put this post in the top ten because of how good the video from xBlog is. Its a great presentation that has given me some inspiration and has also gotten me to think about the world.

9. Prezi - A Revolution in Presentations or Just Another Program? - Prezi is a presentation application that has made me re-think the way presentation CAN be done. However, much like anything new, its novelty has worn off some for me. However, I think it is still a great presentation tool that can be added to any successful presenters repertoire.

 8. A Good Story Helps Propel Supreme Court Nominee Sotomayor - Justice Sotomayor's profile has decreased quite a bit since she was nominated and confirmed as the most recent Supreme Court justice. Her rise to fame however allowed the Obama administration to show all of us how to use a story to get your audience on your side.

7. Watch the context of your language - why MSNBC should learn slang - The reason I put this up on the top 10 list is that I am a political junkie. I follow politics a lot and like to follow how candidates and activists use communication - either to their advantage or disadvantage. Sadly, a lot of people apparently need to learn slang, because this issue is still around. Besides, this has quite possibly the funniest clip from The Daily Show ever!

6. Macworld 2009 Keynote - Minus Steve Jobs - All of us know how good of a public speaker Steve Jobs is. So when he didn't present at the Keynote address of Macworld people were concerned - about Steve and the status of Apple. Apple is so tied to Jobs and his ability to present eloquently that unless his successor can follow in his footsteps as a confident speaker, Apple might be in trouble.

 5. Pearl Jam Ten Redux CD - Addition by Subtraction - I put this post up simply for the fact that music is a big part of my life and I have used music on several occasions to prove a point. Other posts include one talking about Allison Krauss & Robert Plant, The Watchmen Trailer, Alice In Chains, Chris Isaak and Muse. Music can teach us a lot about communication.

4. Destroying a Brand the Tiger way - This has turned out to be a huge story. What's more amazing is that is it still unfolding in front of our eyes. By the end of 2010, we might know everything - but I wouldn't be surprised if we didn't.

 3. Are things like Twitter, Texting, Facebook and Blogging hurting communication? - This was one of many posts regarding communication and how it is being affected by on-line media. A lot of people have simply forgotten how important effective communication is.

2. Twitter vs Facebook - Why Simplicity Matters - I have posted several times about Twitter because of its impact on our world as communicators and on society as a whole. 

 1. Mantras versus Mission Statements? How about a Passion Statement - This post got a lot of responses from people about the idea of a passion statement. While reading Guy Kawasaki's book Reality Check, I liked his idea of a mantra instead of a mission statement. However, I like the idea of a passion statement even more - which is why you will find one of our pages on our website titled "About Our Passion"

These were just 10 of the 88 posts I had over the past year. I can't wait for the next year and what communication will have in store for us.

Persistence is Key - build a following like Muse did

via muse.mu

Before the days of internet radio stations like Pandora and last.fm and before on-line music stores like iTunes and Zune there were two places where you could go to find new 'non-radio friendly' music: an independent music store or college radio stations. Luckily in 1999, I had the chance to work at a college radio station - KSDJ at South Dakota State University - and had to opportunity to find some new music. One of those bands was Muse.

In 1999, Muse was a little known band that didn't get a lot of radio play. In fact, if you listened to them, you probably thought it was a new album from Radiohead (which is what one of my friends thought when I played him their album). However, Muse continued to play, record, tour and adjust their sound. They were persistent. They continued to play and gain a following. Over the past couple of years they have appeared on the Guitar Hero video games and the massively popular movie Twilight. And most recently, their latest release has been featured on the front page of iTunes. It looks as though their persistence has paid off. Not only that, but their sound has gotten better and their albums are fantastic.

There is a lesson here for people giving speeches and presentations. If you want to become successful, you need to show that persistence. Giving a speech or presentation is not easy - it takes hard work and persistence to do well. If you are not doing well at first, that is okay! Just keep working on becoming better, fine-tuning your presentation and giving it again. If you do that, you can become a great speaker and start getting invitations to speak again and again.

Pearl Jam Ten Redux CD - Addition by Subtraction

I started high school in the fall of 1991. During that school year I discovered the following albums: Pearl Jam's Ten, Nirvana's Nevermind, Soundgarden's Badmoterfinger and Alice In Chain's Facelift (and Dirt the next year). Before that time I listened to my share of hair metal bands like Poison as well as early hip-hop/rap music from NWA, Too-Short and Ice-T. Needless to say, 1991-1992 was an awakening for me regarding music. I am not, however, someone who thinks that the greatest music ever written was when I was in high school. In fact, I'm constantly on the lookout for new music (like Your Vegas and The Parlor Mob which I have found recently). I do still follow Pearl Jam, U2 and Chris Cornell from Soundgarden (except his last album which I thought was awful from the 30 second clips on iTunes). For the most part, they have put out some music that runs the range between good and bad. However, what Pearl Jam has done with their first album, Ten, not only impressed me, it made me appreciate it even more.

The release includes a re-mastered copy of the original recordings - which is nice, I guess, but since I already have the album it isn't a big deal. The second CD is what makes this package great. It includes a re-mixed version of Ten from their long-time collaborator Brendan O'Brien. The re-mixes do more than just change things around so they can make more money from completists.  Rather, they add so much to the recordings as to re-define them. I have listened to the original recordings so much that I know them by heart. So, I could really tell the difference between the two. What I was struck with is how much better the re-recordings are over the originals. There is more intensity to the songs, more clarity, and it doesn't sound like it was recorded in the early 90's. The new mixes have improved Ten so much, that whenever I listen to it in the future, it will be the redux verion that I play.

There is a lesson here if you are in communication and presentations. The original Ten utilized a lot of re-verb and noise in an attempt to make it sound "big." The new, cleaner version got rid of a lot of that abstraction and filler so the actual music could fill that space. The result is a much better album. You should do the same thing when it comes to your communications. Once you think you have finished your presentation, take a break from it. Let a little time pass. Then, later, go back to it and fix all the things you missed before. Are you including things that are just adding noise to your slides? Can you eliminate some things that will actually add impact to your presentation? My guess is that you can. All of us think that we can't go wrong by including too much. In all actuality, it is probably just creating noise to your speech which prevents your presentation from having its full impact.

I was very impressed with the Ten Redux CD and am glad that I picked it up. In terms of simplification, do what they did for yourself and your presentations. Don't just put it together and think it is good enough. Revisit it to see if there is a way you can eliminate some of the noise to make it better. Create a demand for your speeches and presentations.

Travis

Creating a Following -- Chris Isaak's New Album 'Mr. Lucky'

I am a big Chris Isaak fan.  I have loved his music since the early 90's.  One of my top 10 albums of all time would have to include his album 'Forever Blue.'  After a 7 year wait between studio albums (he released a greatest hits a couple of years ago with two new songs) he has finally released his new album 'Mr. Lucky.'  I am enjoying the album as I am typing this blog and it is quite good.  If you like Chris Isaak's music, you should check it out.

What does this have to do with communication you may ask?  Its all about creating a following.  We are all trying to do this.  Whatever business you are involved in, each one of us is trying to be a rock-star -- we want people to come back to our products or services whenever we have something new to offer.  This is what musicians do, what artists do and what successful businesses do.  So are you creating a following, or are you just making noise?  

Sometimes it takes some changes to get that following.  Most people know who Chris Isaak is from his video 'Wicked Game.'  In the video, he is on a island with Helena Christiansen, who is dressed rather suggestively, and they are kissing and running around on the island.  Needless to say, the video was successful.  What a lot of people don't know is that there was another video for Wicked Game before they produced the one everyone knows.  The video and song was not doing well and the CD was not selling.  They knew that the song was good and could be popular, they just needed an effective way to sell it.

Now, I am not saying that you need to add sex appeal to your products.  What I am saying is that if you are struggling with getting your name out there or getting a new product launched, take a step back and see if the problem is the message.  Are you conveying it in a way that is building a following?  Is there something different that you can do?  Just by changing something, you can create a long-term success instead of dragging your feet and constantley struggling.  This is what Chris Isaak was able to do.  He knew that he could be successful, and with a change in his advertising, he was able to develop a large following.

Travis

Allison Krauss and Robert Plant -- an odd couple

In all types of presentations, there are set standards to which people follow.  Once in a while though, there are those who will break the mold and try something different and that person will have great success.  Music is the same way.  There is usually a formula that people follow (especially pop music) and no one strays too far from that process.  However, you do occasionally get those artists who push the envelope and do some experimenting and it just works.  Robert Plant and Allison Krauss did the latter with their Album 'Raising Sand' and last night at the Grammy's they won five awards including album of the year.

If you haven't listened to the album, go to iTunes right now and pick it up.  I have had the CD for almost a year and love it.  It is an interesting combination to be sure: the voice of one of the greatest rock bands ever and the biggest name in bluegrass team up to make an album.  I wasn't sure what to think of the combination when I first heard they were putting an album together, but the results were amazing.

So when you are planning on a project, don't always rely on the same things that everyone else is doing.  Step out sometimes and add something new and exciting.  Do something different -- but be careful!  Doing something different can be good, but you have to know when to use it.  So while I am suggesting that you try something new, be confident enough that you are not going to be burned in the process.

Travis

Combining Music with Imagery -- The Watchmen Trailer

I am not a big comic book fan.  I've bought a few here and there as a kid, but I never got into it.  The same thing with Graphic Novels, it just wasn't my thing.  However, a good friend of mine gave me 'The Watchmen' graphic novel about a year ago and I was amazed at how good the design, the literature, the imagry and everything about it was.  On 3-6-9 (hopefully) they will be releasing the movie version of the graphic novel.

If you haven't seen the trailer that is posted above, watch it and pay attention to the music that is used from about 1:20 into the trailer right up to the end.  The song, from one of my favorite bands Muse, was edited perfectly with scenes from the movie.  The combination of the visual and the music is very powerful and it makes me want to see the movie even more than I already did.  Having parts where the video is slowing down with the type of music playing, the phrase "You'll Burn in Hell" being repeated in the song with the images of fires being started and a mushrome cloud in the background and how it just stops before the last line is the perfect combination of video and music I have seen in a movie trailer for some time.

What does this have to do with communication you ask?  Good question.  What I want people to think about is this: are you effectively using your resources in your presentations?  While the trend has been going towards being as minimal as possible, there are times when an image or a combination of pictures and video or music can put an emphasis on your project.  Is it going to be movie trailer worthy?  No, and it doesn't have to be.  But think about when you are presenting, that sometimes you need more than just simple text and simple graphics.

I will say to be very cautious -- don't go overboard just to be flashy.  It's a thin line to tread, but it is definately worth looking at.

Travis