I use music to shift atmospheres, nothing switches moods faster than music. In the stuffiest of rooms something loosens up and I’m able to get to work on hearts and minds.
I use music to drive my points home. The audience might have just heard my words, but when the music starts, they can literally feel the message because it surrounds them.
I use music to disarm audiences. Everyone comes in the room with a preconceived notion about what is going to happen, what the keynote is going to say. Music keeps people wonderfully off balance, unguarded and able to receive something unexpected.
I’m often in the room with a lot of know-it-all’s! And that’s okay, I love being surrounded by expertise outside of my own familiar areas. Music we have never heard is unknown. Simply realizing we are hearing something new opens us up to the possibility that we might also learn something new as well.
There are other artist-keynotes. We are often asked what makes us different at JMG. Well, other artists tell you their story through their art. I tell you your story and awaken you to your possibility in the process of performing my art.
As performers, if we are not careful we’ll covet standing ovations because they signal we were pretty darn awesome. As an artist majoring in transformation, I covet the standing ovations that let me know YOU feel pretty darn awesome. There’s a difference.
For more articles on the blog and to learn more about my keynotes, head to jadesimmons.com.
