Tiberghien Brings a Deft Touch to Chopin

Monday, September 28, 2009

 

Chopin may be a ubiquitous presence on piano recital programs, but too many pianists are willing to rush him off his feet, or emphasize structure over feeling. At his Kennedy Center Terrace Theater recital on Saturday afternoon, Cedric Tiberghien took his time with Chopin's Four Ballades, and the result was exquisite.

I am not quite as generous. I liked the Chopin, was even enthusiastic about it. But the Ravel and Debussy left me unmoved.

Have to Score to Win, Cleveland

My overall exposure has been limited to the few teams I've seen, but I have would have to say with great bias and pure self-deprecation that if I had to pick one team in the NFL to deem "most likely to go winless in 2009," my own beloved Cleveland Browns would have to be my choice as having the most realistic chance. There's really only one reason, and it reared its ugly head again on Sunday: this team simply cannot score on offense. Forget scoring, they struggle to get first downs. They mustered only 11 against Baltimore (1 via penalty), and most came in the second half after the Ravens were comfortably ahead by 20+ points.

The Browns defense is mediocre at its best; they can stop the run early in games with fairly consistent success, and their secondary -- while largely suspect -- can usually keep teams out of the end zone. It's been classic bend-but-don't-break. However, since the offense can't run the ball with any kind of consistency and has little pass protection on the right side, it can make for some very short drives. Combine those two factors with the fact that Brady Quinn is attempting to cut his teeth running the sometimes-beguiling playcalls of rookie Offensive Coordinator Brian Doboll, and you have a recipe for offensive ineptitude the likes of which I haven't seen since the Browns were in their first and second years as an expansion team.

This guy is a Browns season ticket holder. Follow the link for the whole sad story.

WorkLifeSuccess: Monday Morning Magic

BY FC Expert Blogger Seth Kahan1 hour, 20 minutes ago

This blog is written by a member of our expert blogging community and expresses that expert's views alone.

At the beginning of every work week there is an opportunity to set goals for the five days ahead. But, there is also an opportunity to raise the bar on your own performance. Want to put a spring in your step, a twinkle in your eye? Then, find a special area to focus on that will improve your personal performance, bringing inner satisfaction and better results for your life.

Here are four areas to focus on:

1.     TimeCraft – Each one of us gets the same amount of time as everyone else: 24 hours in a day. What you do with it and the competencies you develop are yours to profit from.

2.     MindSet – Your most important asset is the quality of mind you bring to every day actions. It will help you in challenges and opportunities, large and small.

3.     SelfPromo – Learn how to let others know what you have been up to in ways that are tactful, inviting, engaging, and helpful. When it comes to looking out for yourself, no one else can do the job quite as well as you.

4.     ValueGeneration – Creating benefit for other people is a skill unto itself. Mastered by few, it creates demand on your participation. This is the very lever you pull to advance your position.

So, pick one of these and set yourself a goal to make visible progress by Friday.  This little project becomes a personal edge that you bring to every engagement. It will make you shine and improve your performance over the long haul.

Seth Kahan helps put a positive spin on Mondays

Making it stick: Be concrete

24/09/2009 in Uncategorized | Tags: Chip Heath, concrete, concreteness, Dan Heath, Daniel Kraft, Made to Stick, memorable, presentations, Schlitz, Speech, TED

This is Part 4 of a seven-part series on making speeches and presentations memorable.  It is based on the book “Made to Stick” by Chip and Dan Heath.

Today I want to talk to you about planned initiatives to streamline functionalities in inter-departmental communications, thereby capitalizing on synergies and maximizing shareholder value.

Wait a minute.  Stop.  Rewind.  Play. … What?!?!?

Have you ever listened to people who talked this way?  Did you understand their message?  If so, more power to you, because it is incomprehensible babble to me.  The words are so amorphous, so vague, that listening to them is akin to trying to grab a cloud.

Part 4 of John Zimmer's series on making your presentations stick. This one is especially valuable because I recognize the the problem that's tackled in my own speaking. Another convincing video illustration from TED.

Size Matters – Shaping Your Speech To Match Your Audience

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Speakers Need To Tailor Their Speeches To The Size Of Their Audience

Have you ever heard the expression “one size fits all“? I’m not sure what this phrase was invented to describe, but I can tell you that it sure wasn’t public speaking. Something that too many public speakers don’t realize is that you need to create different speeches for different size audiences. There is no such thing as the one-size-fits-all speech.

Here's advice on a topic that may be unfamiliar for many of us, making your presentation appropriate to your audience size. From The Accidental Communicator.