Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Crank it up!!!

Worldly respected architect Frank Lloyd Wright sits in a well decorated extremely rich in taste room with his grandchildren and wife listening to a song…instantly; he falls deeply in love with the even flow of harmony mixed with an orchestration of instruments not often sharing the same stage. The song plays through before the arm of the turntable lifts straight up then over and in that time Frank’s smile seems to be soothed by an often unseen soul…something worth sharing, so much so, he asks his wife of many chapters written to softly lift the diamond needle up from its resting place and start the music again.



Sitting back, he prepares to welcome the piece of music in a more calming way…a slight lean on the right arm in a chair that’s held his dreams for years. The machine carrying the sound from a thick flat layer of vinyl is set at a one time acceptable speed of 78; tiny scratches can be heard but become part of the landscape his brilliant imagination creates seemingly melting into the vibration of each musical instrument as if to say, “You belong with us.”



Once the song was fully completed, the sharply accused of being out of touch, yet far reaching hardworking architect readjusted his body, then asked his grandchild to quickly step up and play the music once again. The sweet essence of the first note inspires his right hand to step from an avenue of normalism, turning a well crafted window designer and building maker into a single man standing before a large orchestra, arms raised as if to greet the wind instruments while slowly skating across open space to give permission to the strings to seep into the constantly moving picture.



What was perfectly timed out to being three minutes forty five seconds felt more like twenty two seconds to Mr. Wright. “Again!” He shouted, “I want to hear it again.” This time, he laid down, his eyes gently closed, not as path leading toward sleep but to envision what the producers might have been seeing. Frank had become so mesmerized by the music, he spiritually placed himself in positions that allowed his inner visions to be a fly on the wall, to reenact the French horns being called upon while an ancient cello handed through three generations kept pace with a bass beat resembling that of an echo, as if to remind those who became lost in the music of they might have missed.



A single piece of music so captivating its energy pulls you toward its presentation rather than sends you to a dance floor to give it away to a passerby seeking to do the same. A sliver of genius shared with another artist, resembling that of Frank Sinatra who was deeply inspired by the group Chicago that he sent handwritten letters offering ideas and advise on how to heighten the end result of their songs. Music so power that it takes the shape of Elvis Presley meeting Liberace backstage. The famed pianist calmly walks toward the undiscovered artist and compliments his stage appearance while offering him the jacket off his back, “Wear this the next time you play…showmanship is everything.”



His grandchildren beginning to get restless, his wife the same, Frank Lloyd Wright seemed endless on his desire to keep listening. Three times became six, then seven and eight. Finally Mrs. Wright demanded the song to be put away. Without skipping a beat the creator of unforgettable business fashion with a desire to protect nature and its multitudes of light replied, “If you want to make a difference in the world…you must use your voice.”



Say it to yourself: If you want to make a difference in the world…you must use your voice.



He didn’t borrow from John Mayer who penned, “Waiting for the world to change.” Nor did Frank Lloyd Wright crank up Diana Ross and the Supremes, “Someday we’ll be together.” Linda Ronstadt’s “Somewhere out there,” remained out there and forget about Paul McCartney singing, “Maybe I’m amazed.” Because he was…there was no maybe about it.



If you want to make a difference in the world…you must use your voice.



Two weeks ago hundreds of thousands of peaceful citizens staged a tea party protesting our nation’s taxes. They wanted to be heard. So did the millions who marched against a possible U.S. invasion of Iraq…but were they heard? Richard Nixon heard John Lennon but not in the way the former Beatle had hoped. Lennon wanted to give peace a chance. Nixon heard chants from wild college crowds and wanted the Englishman lifted from American soil. In November of 2008 we heard, “Change…yes you can!” So we did.



What was the message yesterday when Air Force One sent thousands of scared frantic people to the streets of New York City who didn’t receive the email that promotional pictures were going to be taken during the height of a normal business day? I live nearly a thousand miles from the Big Apple and for eight years I’ve never taken my eye off a big, small, twin or jet soaring above or nearby. What was the average Joe thinking, feeling, fearing then sharing on cell phones and any other method of texting or communication? A voice was heard yesterday but it was delivered so loud the echo reverberating against the planet has made many deaf.



If you want to make a difference in the world…you must use your voice.



A local newscaster once said to me, “Arroe, you might want to think twice about stepping across the radio lines into television…I am nothing more than a professional reader. You might see an image of me on the television screen but every word shared has nothing to do with the real me.”



Interestingly enough…success is based on our ability and or inability to pull off a stage and pony show. Vaudeville is back, its just one act and there’s always free tickets at the door. Why are we being moved to a HDTV television presentation? The old method didn’t seem broken. My mother still has a rotary phone, no computer and types on an old black beat up machine while refusing to let a calculator do math for her! The age of digital pictures guarantees one thing…frozen scenes…rebooting cable boxes and larger than life screens that could’ve easily accessed by moving the sofa closer to the tube. Just tune mom and dad out when they shout, “You’re going to go blind sitting that close!”



45 million people voted on American Idol last week. If you want to make a difference in the world…you must use your voice.



I swear I’m in a great mood! I promise I’m laughing and smiling! We live in an age when those who want to make a difference are labeled a jerk. Let your voice be heard!



Steal my art…



arroecollins@clearchannel.com

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