Tag Archives: music team building

American Corporate Idol Music Team Building Fun

By Rob Fletcher | Published: May 6, 2011

The Game Who has the X-Factor on your team? Corporate America’s got talent and here’s your chance to show yours! Teams rewrite the lyrics to famous songs and perform them in an unforgettable team building activity inspired by the hit TV show American Idol – American Corporate Idol Music Team Building Fun! American Corporate Idol Music Team Building Funconnects people’s universal passion for music with your conference or dinner in a fun, risk-free environment. No musical ability needed. Designed by Quixote Consulting founder Rob Fletcher, American Corporate Idol Music Team Building Fun is specifically designed for music-related team play and team networking. American Corporate Idol Music Team Building Fun lets everyone play by leveraging people’s passion for music without anyone playing an instrument. Here’s how it works: Groups of eight people form ‘bands’. Each ‘band’ creates a band name. Each band selects a song to rewrite the lyrics to, creating a whole new song. Songs are Top 40 songs from the 60s to today that will be recognized by all members of the band! (See below for some examples) Words can be rewritten with your conference’s theme, to emphasize a new product or direction or to celebrate the company or team’s accomplishments. Band members decide which roles they would like to take on – there’s something for everyone! Roles can include: head songwriter, lead singer, back-up singers, percussion players, dancers, stage crew, hair and makeup, band poster design, costume design, and sound and light technicians. Background music tracks are provided for each band so they can rehearse for their big performance.  An exciting assortment of professional costumes (wardrobe) are also provided to make the grand performance unique and memorable! Quixote Consulting’s costume trunk includes: wigs, boas, scarves, sunglasses, Blues Brothers hats, capes, hats, gloves, masks and a whole lot more. This live look at the exciting world of performing on stage is sure to give your group a new appreciation for each other – and stir up some big laughs! Let’s Go to Hollywood! Ryan Oceancrest hosts the performance. On stage and under the lights, teams perform for the judges. Which three do you want selecting from: Simon, Randy, Paula, Stephen, Jennifer, Kara and Ellen? The judging will be based on creativity of lyrics, presentation, visuals, group involvement, band poster and more and includes hilarious comments from the famous characters. And who’s your dream guest star judge? How about your CEO? American Corporate Idol judging is a fun way to involve senior leadership. What Are popular American Corporate Idol songs? Here are the top 20 (in no particular order) perennial favorites of American Corporate Idol Music Team Building Fun ‘bands’: 1.     Born to Be Wild (Steppenwolf) 2.     Build Me Up Buttercup (The Foundations) 3.     Bust A Move (Young MC) 4.     Come Together (Beatles) 5.     Crazy Little Thing Called Love (Queen) 6.     Dancing Queen (Abba) 7.     Daydream Believer (Monkees) 8.     Down Under (Men at Work) 9.     Happy Together (The Turtles) 10.  I Got You Babe (Sonny and Cher) 11.  King of the Road (Roger Miller) 12.  New York, New York (Frank Sinatra) 13.  Puff, the Magic Dragon (Peter, Paul and Mary) 14.  (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction (Rolling Stones) 15.  (Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty (K.C. and the Sunshine Band) 16.  Stand by Me (Ben E. King) 17.  Sugar, Sugar (The Archies) 18.  Tomorrow (from Annie) 19.  We Are Family (Sister Sledge) 20.  Whip It (Devo) Got Customization? No problem, we love to customize the song choices! Do you have a specific era or musical style you want to focus on? Let us know – we’ll be happy to oblige. Or do you have a specific theme you’re working with in your meeting? Communication, change, movement – these are just some of the themes past clients have asked for. What’s yours? Debrief Name That Tune! Music Team Building Fun for Everyone can be just for fun or can include a debrief around leveraging passion and play by a trained facilitator. The debrief can be customized for your group’s goals. Minimum/Maximum Group Size 8-500 Program Length Approximately two hours (but can be less if you don’t have two hours). The program is perfect for evening entertainment and can also be part of a full day of teambuilding or incorporated into a day or multi-day program using work-style assessments such as MBTI and Strengthsfinder. Space Requirements Enough room for each team (approximately eight people per team) to sit at a round table and a performance space. Large groups will need a stage (or at least a riser). Take Homes, Extras Fun, silly prizes can be awarded to top-performing teams and people.

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Four Steps to Sing Your Own Special Song

By Rob Fletcher | Published: May 6, 2011

American Corporate Idol Music Team Building Fun encourages teams to rewrite the lyrics to famous songs and perform them in an unforgettable team building activity inspired by the hit TV show American Idol. Here’s your chance! “You’ve got to make your own kind of music, sing your own special song.” Mama Cass 1.     Select a song that you love. 2.     Recall how it makes you feel or addresses your specific life situation. 3.     Create your own lyrics to the chorus or the whole song. Select new words that are about you and your life. You can usually Google the words to most popular songs as a template. 4.     Sing your own special song! You can buy a karaoke version of most popular songs for 99 cents on Amazon or just sing loudly over the original version. What Songs Are Popular? If you can’t decide what song to use, here are the top 20 (in no particular order) perennial favorite choices of teams that have enjoyed [American Corporate Idol] Music Team Building Fun: 1.     Born to Be Wild (Steppenwolf) 2.     Build Me Up Buttercup (The Foundations) 3.     Bust A Move (Young MC) 4.     Come Together (Beatles) 5.     Crazy Little Thing Called Love (Queen) 6.     Dancing Queen (Abba) 7.     Daydream Believer (Monkees) 8.     Down Under (Men at Work) 9.     Happy Together (The Turtles) 10. I Got You Babe (Sonny and Cher) 11. King of the Road (Roger Miller) 12. New York, New York (Frank Sinatra) 13. Puff, the Magic Dragon (Peter, Paul and Mary) 14. (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction (Rolling Stones) 15. (Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty (K.C. and the Sunshine Band) 16. Stand by Me (Ben E. King) 17. Sugar, Sugar (The Archies) 18. Tomorrow (from Annie) 19. We Are Family (Sister Sledge) 20. Whip It (Devo)

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“There’s gonna be a big hootenanny…” Bill Byrne on Collaboration, Music and Having a Top 40 Hit

By Rob Fletcher | Published: April 29, 2011

Bill Byrne is a renaissance man: a lawyer, judge, mayor (of Morgantown, West Virginia) and musician with a Top 40 song. He’s packed a lot of living into his life. He also tells a great story. I caught up with Bill at a Hero’s Journey Foundation weekend retreat where we played a lot of music together. Listen below to learn how Bill was able to move from competition to collaboration in law and politics, what it’s like to have a Top 40 hit as a teenager, what it’s like to be the family musician, and simply enjoying the act of playing music. You can also hear Hootenanny – his Top 40 hit from the summer of 1963 with his band the Glencoves – both the original version (thanks to YouTube) and a special solo acoustic version recorded just for you. The words are also below if you’d like to sing along. Listen and enjoy the Mayor of Morgantown’s musical story! Listen here: The journey from competition to collaboration Bill’s Musical Journey “It’s always brought out a better part of me” – On being the family musician Letting Go of Perfectionism and Just Enjoying the Act of Making Music Hootenanny solo acoustic version Check out the songs on YouTube: Hootenanny Here are two other songs by Bill’s band The Glencoves: It’s Sister Ginny’s Turn to Throw the Bomb Devil’s Waitin’ (On Bald Mountain) Sing Along at Home! Here are the words to The Glencoves Top 40 hit Hootenanny: There’s gonna be a big Hootenanny, hootenanny Everybody’s gonna come along All join in at the Hootenanny, hootenanny Sing a hooting, hollering song Put on your hat Put out the cat Bring a little money Cause you might need that Throw out the blues Kick off your shoes Sing a little, sing a little Make a little love a little Bring a little honey to The hootenanny, hootenanny Everybody’s gonna have a date Hurry hurry, hurry to The hootenanny, hootenanny We don’t wanna be late You get the girls I’ll get the car Bring a banjo and an old guitar Get out the spoons You know the tunes Hey diddle diddle with A fiddle in the middle If you can’t fiddle At the hootenanny, hootenanny Play a little paper and comb Once you get to the Hootenanny, hootenanny You’ll never wanna go home You get the girls I’ll get the car Bring a banjo and an old guitar Get out the spoons You know the tunes Hey diddle diddle with A fiddle in the middle If you can’t fiddle at the Hootenanny, hootenanny Play a little paper and comb Once you get to the Hootenanny, hootenanny You’ll never wanna go home You’ll never wanna go home You’ll never want to go home

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DIY Name That Tune – Quixote Consulting’s Music Team Building Fun

By Rob Fletcher | Published: April 18, 2011

Name That Tune! Music Team Building Fun for Everyone is Quixote Consulting’s latest music team building activity. Here are three ways to play on your own: In your car, press the scan button on the radio and see how many songs you can name. Set your computer music player program (iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc.) on shuffle, put one finger on the pause button, another on the next song button. Close your eyes, start playing the song. Pause after a few seconds, make your guess and then go to the next song. Double the fun, double the challenge – Pick a friend with music on their computer and challenge each other! This is a great way to energize a meeting. Let everyone with a laptop play the beginning of a song. Two minutes of fun goes a long way.

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Name That Tune! Music Team Building Fun for Everyone

By Rob Fletcher | Published: April 15, 2011

The Game: Designed by Quixote Consulting founder Rob Fletcher, Name That Tune! Music Team Building Fun for Everyone is specifically designed for music-related team play and team networking. Name That Tune! Music Team Building Fun for Everyone lets everyone play by leveraging people’s passion for music without anyone playing an instrument (unless they want to). Name That Tune! Music Team Building Fun for Everyone connects people’s universal passion for music with your conference or dinner in a fun risk-free environment. No musical ability needed! And everyone can play, all at the same time, no matter how large your group is (500 people? No problem!) or small (actually, if you have less than two people we may have a problem). And, there are lots of opportunities to win. Here’s how it works: The core of Name That Tune! Music Team Building Fun for Everyone is the classic Name That Tune game. Teams guess the names of songs and the artists that sang them. The songs are fairly evenly spread out over five decades: 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, and the 2000s. This allows for maximum contribution by everyone on the team (especially important if you have diverse ages participating). Some songs are easy, some are hard – all were famous in their era and beyond. Each team gets to guess the name of each song at the same time, which means everyone is involved and having fun from start to finish and there are lots of chances to win. But that’s not all… Here are some of the other fun music-related challenges that can be part of Name That Tune! Music Team Building Fun for Everyone: Music-themed icebreakers energize your people and get them up and moving around, while learning fun interesting trivia about other members of the team. Name Your Band and Fill Out Your Contract Rider – Want only green M&Ms in the dressing room? Finish That Tune – Did they get the next line right or didn’t they? Name That Tune Speed Round – The songs come fast and furious! Crossroads-Style Air Guitar-off – All ready for you to set it to ‘11’ and rock out! More Cowbell! – How are your cowbell chops? Triangle Solo – If the Foo Fighters can have one, why can’t you? Kazoo-Off – Check out Stairway to Heaven on the kazoo! Rename That Song – If they wrote that song about your team, what would it be called? And for the Grand finale… ‘We Are the Champions’ Name That Tune Head to Head Grand Finale! or The Ultimate Music Game (optional grand finale) Teams compete on a giant game board, answering music trivia and completing music-related challenges. What an exclamation point! Got Customization? No problem, we love to customize the song choices! Do you have a specific era or musical style you want to focus on? Let us know – we’ll be happy to oblige. Or do you have a specific theme you’re working with in your meeting? Communication, change, movement – these are just some of the themes past clients have asked for. What’s yours? Name That Tune! Music Team Building Fun for Everyone is great for networking, at dinner, in the evening, or situations where teams can’t move around much but you want to do something fun and interactive that energizes and builds team work. High Tech or Low Tech – You decide. Name That Tune! Music Team Building Fun for Everyone can be part of a multi-media experience onstage at a conference or through a sound system outside at a company picnic. We work with the space and technology you have available. Whatever your situation, we come with fun musical and costume props. You talk and we listen! Name That Tune! Music Team Building Fun for Everyone came from a client request. What a great idea! As Quixote Consulting’s music facilitator Lou Manzi always says, “Let’s have some fun!” Debrief: Name That Tune! Music Team Building Fun for Everyone can be just for fun or can include a debrief around leveraging passion and play by a trained facilitator. The debrief can be customized for your group goals. Minimum/Maximum Group Size: 8-500. Program Length: 1-2 hours. The program can also be part of a full day of teambuilding or incorporated into a day or multi-day training and team building program using work-style assessments such as MBTI and Strengthsfinder. Space Requirements: Enough room for each team (approximately 8 people per team) to sit at a round table. Take Homes, Extras: Fun, musical prizes can be awarded to top-performing teams and people. Outcomes: Leverage people’s passion for music in a risk-free environment Networking Celebrate and have fun Getting to Know Each other Communication

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Music Team Building Trivia Challenge

By Rob Fletcher | Published: April 15, 2011

Here are some fun music trivia questions from our Name That Tune team building program! Scroll down to find out the answers. The Questions What song did the FBI determine is unintelligible at any speed? In which Madonna song were her vocals pitched up to make her sound younger? (She was 26 at the time.) What song was written after the lead singer and his friend, Marty Jones, got drunk at a bar and were too chicken to talk to a couple of girls (before the lead singer was famous)? What is the name of the duo featuring the brother of Dan Seals, who was “England Dan” of England Dan and John Ford Coley? What was their most popular song? What song made Eminem want to give up rapping? What was the orginal song from which Sesame Street made a version called “(I Can’t Get No) Cooperation” about a school kid who couldn’t find anyone to play jump rope or seesaw with? What song was used in commercials for Bud Light beer in the 90s, featuring 4 guys dressed up as women to take advantage of a promotion at a bar? What song was inspired by the German singer Nina Hagen, when the lead singer of the band came across one of her jackets that he liked? She insisted he take it, explaining that giving stuff away creates good energy. What song did this band’s record company not want on their album because they thought it was too long and that no radio station would play it? What song has a video that is the fifth most viewed in You Tube history? The Answers Louie Louie by the Kingsmen Borderline Mr. Jones by Counting Crows Seals and Crofts, Summer Breeze Ice Ice Baby by Vanilla Ice (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction by The Rolling Stones Ladies Night by Kool and the Gang Give It Away by Red Hot Chili Peppers Free Bird by Lynyrd Skynyrd One Time by Justin Bieber

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“You Might Make a Mistake But That’s What Makes It Yours”: Bruce Schneider Learns How to Play the Bass

By Rob Fletcher | Published: April 12, 2011

Are you looking for a story to inspire you to begin a change, and to bring passion, play, purpose and persistence together? Meet Bruce Schneider, Doctor of Chiropractic. He lives and practices in New Paltz, NY. At 57, Bruce started playing the bass guitar. Listen to his story and read excerpts below. It’s full of inspiration to bring something you’re passionate about more fully into your life and leverage delight to persist in your passion. “At 57 I can really see the end of the road. I’m definitely mortal. In the time I have left, how do I want to use that? “The bass is very simple and direct. It’s speaking to me…Life is calling me to simplify. “The love of this instrument is allowing me to get out of my way and let music come through me without judgment and without fear just because I love it so much.” Delight Trumps Struggle: The Joy of Persistence “In other parts of my life there’s a lot of sweat and struggle with getting it right. But there’s so much love in it [for playing bass] – for the instrument and the music. There’s a curiosity and fascination with it. It’s like this toddler falling down, getting stunned for a second, getting up and saying, ‘wow, this is pretty cool!” “It’s a whole new world. It’s my heart’s longing. There’s so much joy and heart in it – that’s what’s driving it. So even if I make a mistake it’s no big deal. My son said, “you might make a mistake but that’s what makes it yours.” (On playing the same phrase over and over again) “Rather than that being a task it’s exciting every time. I’m going to fall on my face and I’m going to get up and get this right.” From the Bass to Life “It’s giving me a whole new relationship with how I approach tasks and in a way, live my life. If it’s something that speaks to my heart, then the doing of it is just a curiosity and an excitement rather than an effort.” Time vs. Timeless “If I use effort, time is compressed. With this it feels like it’s timeless. There’s nothing to get right. If I practice something a thousand times, eventually it’ll settle into something. There’s no time in it because it doesn’t matter.” Bruce’s First Public Performance “I just felt so connected with the band and the music…the energy of the audience was feeding it, rather than them being judging specatators.” What Speaks To You? “[The passion for the bass] helps me grow the seeds I want to grow. It’s helping me select. It helps me track what it is I’m passionate about. Music Cuts Through All Boundaries: Passion, Purpose and People “It’s such an absolute joy playing with people. I love music but what really makes it for me is the relational quality of it….me with the music [is wonderful] but more importantly me with other people and the music. It opens my heart in a way that is absolutely direct. I feel that music cuts through all boundaries…it’s just this joined passion.” Endnote: Bruce’s passion is spreading! He’s now also working on his first novel. Want to bring the passion of music to your team? Quixote Consulting has many music team building programs! We help you learn how to play the harmonica in Play the Blues, play the guitar in Guitar Heroes and play percussion in Bang On My Drum All Day. Also check out Sing the Blues, Rock Band Inc. and Junkyard Music Wars!

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Listen to the small moments for big clues

By Rob Fletcher | Published: August 30, 2010

“Listen to your life. See it for the fathomless mystery it is. In the boredom and pain of it no less than in the excitement and gladness: touch, taste, smell your way to the holy and hidden heart of it because in the last analysis all moments are key moments, and life itself is grace.” -Frederick Beuchner from ‘Now and Then’ We can wait until some magical future arrives that perfectly fits our vision of what life should be like on a grand scale. Or we can realize that ALL moments are key moments. Purpose, the connection with contributing to something or someone other than yourself, happens right here, right now, with the bed unmade, spilled coffee, messy desk, unanswered emails. This moment is the path to your passion. What you’re doing today, the “difficult life you own” (as poet Mary Oliver said) holds the promise of you putting one of your innate talents into play to help things along. Saying yes to what you’re already experiencing, even the boredom and pain, is the key to this hidden heart of things. I know from my own life much of what feels bad comes from pushing against and rejecting the unpleasant bits. My wish instead is to become fully alive and that includes being fully alive to the boredom and pain as well as the moments of beauty. Listening well is a concept that is a cornerstone in Quixote Consulting’s True Communication and Play the Blues music harmonica team building, among others. You can use these programs to help you listen to your life around you. Listen to your life. Listen to the small moments for big clues. And let your life itself be grace.

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“It Feels Like Love” – Jason Gordon’s Passion for Music

By Rob Fletcher | Published: June 8, 2010

Serial entrepreneur Jason Gordon is the Founder and President of the Alchemical Courtyard. In this interview he talks about simplifying his work and his blossoming passion for music. He started playing guitar four months ago and it’s the thing he finds most exciting in life. Click here to listen to the interview. Listen with an ear for clues to the gifts that passion can give you and how to make your passion grow, just like Jason is doing. “It’s under my skin…I don’t pressure myself to play, I don’t get on myself about not playing well or the pace I’m progressing. I pick it up and the second I’m tired …I put it down. I don’t make it something I have to practice, and it’s just going to be the rest of my life.” “The patience I have with it, the easiness I have with it, the lack of pressure I put on myself with it, the pure joy I get out of it – these are all things in my life I’m noticing everywhere – as opposed to someone who’s a perfectionist or driven. It’s been a mirror for me – there’s a lot of compassion and a lot of joy.” “The process and the relationship with the guitar is pure pleasure. But also the music that comes out of it…that communication with people is beyond pleasure. That takes me to a whole other level.” Here are six clues I heard in Jason’s story to what grows passion. It’s something that calls to him. For whatever reason, it captivates him like nothing else on earth right now. If you feel that way about something, whatever it is in your life, you’re in the land of passion. How he describes it – The words all speak the language of passion – love, joy and ease for example. He’s going for progress, not perfection. Perfectionism kills passion. He’s listening to the unique current of his passion and is courageous enough to stop when the current of interest in that moment has run its course. Fear is absent from this equation. Listening to the ebb and flow of the current of passion is within the context of a long term commitment – one of the key principles of persistence. He’s leveraging this gentle approach to learning by applying it also to a larger story – other areas of his life. What did you hear? How would you like Jason’s story to spark your passion today? Jason holds a business degree from the University of Michigan, as well as two Master Degrees in Chinese Medicine and Medical Qi Gong. One of Jason’s passions is the marriage of the business world and the healing world. Jason’s story is part of an ongoing series of stories of people whose lives have benefited from playing music. This passion for music brings together two key areas of Quixote Consulting’s work – strengths-based team building and training and music team building.Quixote Consulting’s strengths-based training programs include At Your Best, Strengths At Work, and StrengthsFinder. Quixote Consulting’s music team building programs includeGuitar Heroes guitar team building, Play the Blues harmonica team building, Rock Band Inc.and Bang on My Drum All Day drumming team building.

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How I learn a song – Twelve Paths of Persistence

By Rob Fletcher | Published: April 26, 2010

I’m always working on a new song. There are so many that I love that I want to play, it’s the happy task of a lifetime to take one at a time, learn it, and perform it for others. I share this feeling with many others. In Quixote Consulting‘s Play the Blues harmonica team building program, Rock Band Inc, Guitar Heroes, and other music team building programs, people really like learning how to play an instrument. But, they love to learn a song they know on that instrument. Here are some things I noticed about the process of persisting in learning a song: Past experience counts – if I’m familiar with a song, the genre or style, it’s easier to get it in my brain, fingers and voice. If I don’t, there’s a “get acquainted time” that must be done. Passion helps – I learn it faster if I like it (This may seem obvious, but sometimes I need to learn a song for someone else that’s not my favorite) Time with the song in different ways counts – singing, playing the chords, just listening, all give me a deeper internal experience. Figuring out the chords and writing down the words help – Sometimes I have the sheet music to a song, which I appreciate. But, I do learn a song more fully if I have to figure out the chords and melody myself. The more time the better – the more time I spend with a song, the closer I get to mastery. Repetition and persistence really works. It helps to have the song repeated in the background again and again for me. It gets into my temporary DNA that way. (I wear earbuds, for the sanity of those around me) The preamplifier for microphones ensures the sound the mic picks up is just as loud as the other sounds. If I get sick of hearing a song, I’m on the verge of knowing it well. There are different layers of learning, of getting inside a song. First, I might be able to sing along with the singer. Then I might try singing along with a karaoke version. Then I might try just playing the chords along with the song. Then I’ll try to play the chords without looking at the sheet music. Each step towards independence gets me closer. If I can sing along to the karaoke version without thinking about it, I’ve got the melody and pretty much have the words. For example, I was learning Buddy Holly’s “True Love Ways” and had the karaoke version playing repeatedly while I was roller blading. After a half hour I was singing along without realizing I was – the words and melody had been internalized. The song has to be broken down – the challenge made easier or lesser. I’ll break up the songs into segments to learn, isolate one instrument or slow the whole song down. I need to revisit songs over time, otherwise the leading edge of remembering is lost and I have to backtrack. Best of all, every song I learn makes the next one easier to learn. It’s a cumulative process. And I get deeper into the magic of music overall. I can hear things in songs better than I did ten or twenty years ago. And there’s always room for more. For example, I’d love to be able to pick out multiple vocal harmonies while they’re being sung, but I can’t yet. Perhaps someday. What helps you learn a song, or anything you learn?

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