88keys.communications

Listen to the recent podcast produced in collaboration with Hyperion Records, featuring Marc-André Hamelin and his celebrated Feinberg recording. Listen here: http://bit.ly/2WSQGBY "Needless to say, music offers such solace in times like these, and Hyperion's recordings have long been integral to that special fulfillment." Robert Rimm

a lack of transparency: stained glass Why is transparency within the realm of all types of communicationfriend-friend, parent-child, husband-wife, manager-employeeso consistently elusive? Why must the ego so quickly approach the greasy fast-fed drive-thru that values expediency and quick profit over healthy dialogue? Whay do so many start with perfection as the baseline, from which there is no room to breathe? ... Imagine almost any type of scenario. You’ve borrowed a friend’s or parent’s car and have had an accident that was your fault; does the car’s owner not far more appreciate an immediate admission and pledge to do whatever it takes to right the situation, rather than an elusive answer and possible insurance or courtroom fight? You’ve missed a Friday deadline at work to the detriment of a client relationship; does the client not far more appreciate an immediate call and pledge to work through the entire weekend to right the situation, rather than an elusive excuse and possible contractual fight? Elusive/fight? Transparency permits the kind of freedom and relationship growth not possible by any other means. Genius-level intelligence, fierce discipline and sky-high aspiration can no more reach perfection than those who live under the clouds. Must looking good from every angle trump (as it were) clear and direct communication? All of us are ultimately accountable, so why not settle the mistakes when they happen rather than let progressively harmful circumstances eat away at the conscience? In just one of countless examples to which this question could be applied, Connecticut’s Department of Children and Families asked the state’s highest criminal law-enforcement agency to investigate whether employees at Choate Rosemary Hall failed to report multiple allegations of sexual abuse that by law they must do under such circumstances. This then caused other institutions over the past several years to come forward for fear of such reprisals. With mistrust more abundant than smog over Beijing, built up over years of deception and cover-ups, how many more generations will have to live and die before seeing lasting progress? Stained glassas intricately constructed as a corporate or political cover-up and equally difficult to see throughmay appear indelibly beautiful to the eye, yet relationships and communications viewed through Museum Glass, with inevitable flaws and imperfections unable to be hidden, can be far more durable. Embrace transparency, and leave the thousand-year-old guile of stained glass to the craftsmen, not the crafty. Robert Rimm Managing Director

making the most of meaningful opportunity: flew shot How many times are you confronted with meaningful opportunity in a day, a week, a month? Are you receptive to the signs, willing to pursue them, eager to take your best shot? Doing so may take you out of your comfort zone, may involve some risk, may expose you to criticism and/or failure. But weigh the consequences of inaction, and you may well be confronted by mediocre work, by unsatisfying relationships, by an unforgivi...ng calendar, by less money, by by by. Often buried within the kaleidoscopic responsibilities that each of us must maintain to live on our 21st-century planet is the plain fact that our time here is ever brief. Given that, how can anyone reasonably choose to waste it? To be sure, an entire week spent by the ocean, sleeping late, eating just-caught seafood, making love, cellphone and sweat a world away, can be just as sustaining as a solid week of 16-hour office days. Ambition manifests itself in endless ways, yet it returns time and again to making the most of our gifts, our resources, our time. Are you in your 20s, 30s or even 40s, thinking that the calendar proffers an endless number of months? That all of those pending decisions can wait awhile? That what’s the difference, you’ll be fine? If that’s the case, then take just a moment to think about how a lack of preparation will manifest itself in your 50s and 60s. Time flew by and what have you got? What have you done with the self-same life that decades earlier was taken blithely for granted? Enough retirement money would, of course, be quite nice, but the equation transcends bank balances and 401(k) plans. Will you be able to look back with quiet satisfaction, secure in the firm knowledge that you made the most of the time with which you were graced? Don’t let it all fly by. Take your best shot, then reap what you sow. Managing Director Robert Rimm

the calendar's relentless progression: autumn leaves The latter part of September perpetually hosts the first day of falla time of moderating weather, heavier work schedules and looking ahead. During one’s teens, 20s and even 30s, this annual period typically seems full of hours and days, its farewell comfortably in the distance. Yet into the 40s and 50s, those selfsame hours appear ever briefer, ever more precious. As much as the numbers themselves do not change, our percep...tion of them moves ever faster. While not able to slow the calendar’s relentless progression, making the most of each 24-filled gift basket goes a long way in mitigating it. This applies to finding fulfillment in work and career projects, to spending dedicated time with family and friends, to enjoying vacations and travel, to lifelong learning. Writer and BBC broadcaster Claudia Hammond’s book, Time Warped: Unlocking the Mysteries of Time Perception, takes a fascinating and colorful picture of how we respond to time within a kaleidoscope of scenarios. Its chaptersThe Time Illusion, Mind Clocks, Monday Is Red, Why Time Speeds Up As You Get Older, Remembering the Future and Changing Your Relationship with Timehelp to put the perpetual questions that most of us eventually ask in context, and is yet another reminder that perception governs so much of our activities and responses. Key societal yardsticks may well be useful but end up being narrow by themselves. Increasing the size of bank accounts is nice, easily measurable and offers life-experience options that may be unattainable otherwise. Yet how do we put those monthly statements to use? Are we building and building with little enjoyment of the house itself? Are we looking beyond ourselves, vis-à-vis how we can make a positive contribution to our communities? Are we nagged by ongoing questions of whether we’re doing all that we can? Are we focused on one goal above or to the exclusion of others? These questions may well be difficult to answer, but the results of such serious queries may well include achievement, contentment, gratitude and humility a lifelong process. As September has eased into the past, it remains ever helpful not to regret its passing, but to ask if the most was made of its time. If the answer is less than it could be, to implement meaningful changes then makes September’s empty pockets anything but wasted and unproductive. Why not actively pursue those changes? Autumn leaves all too quickly.

For 34 years, Arts Commons has been one of Canada’s largest and most vibrant arts centers. Located in the heart of Calgary’s Cultural District in the downtown core, the center occupies a full city block and is home to five theatres and the world-class Jack Singer Concert Hall.

the result of indecision: bad whether In Measure for Measure, Shakespeare makes clear that our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win by fearing to badwhetherattempt. Over four hundred years later, these measured words are as relevant as ever. Must indecision continue to rule the centuries like some perverse King Henry loop? After President Trump fired FBI Director James Comey in a way that was initially presented as decisive action, its gestation a...nd subsequent reporting had more back-and-forth lobs than a championship tennis match. The business world rarely has so much at stake (though, to be sure, untold lives have perished due to mercenary decisions and cut corners), yet reckless overspending, massive layoffs and criminal conduct routinely hit the headlines. At the same time, nimble organizations that can decisively weather crises, adapt to changing circumstances and wear the non-stretchable fabric of integrity not only survive but thrive. A willingness to invest in the future has shown throughout history to be a key link, not only to overcome very real problems, but to continue moving ahead. In 1929, on the cusp of the Great Depression, Marjorie Post’s Postum Company made a large acquisition, paying $22 million for 51% of Clarence Birdseye’s General Foods Company. The following few years were spent on stabilizing its business but then it quickly expanded, buying the rest of General Foods, the Sanka Coffee Corporation and others, all while its competitors generally retrenched. Those decisions resulted in countless jobs created and huge wealth generated. The resulting company is today worth more than $50 billion. Yet while that is a positive number benefiting lives worldwide, lasting measures of success based on the pillars of methodical decision-making take myriad forms, from the community nonprofit that provides food and shelter to the orchestra that offers resonance and fulfillment. Once all of the relevant facts are in place, indecision becomes a corrosive trait destined to rust and ruin. Is there a risk in most decisions? Of course. But add prudence and experience and they become educated risks. The calendar continues its relentless progression whether growth or stagnation mark the days. Look outside, weigh the whether, and decide. More often than not, we control the forecast.

Podcast: Managing Editor Robert Rimm talks with Opera Philadelphia’s General Director and President David Devan. Their mission is to deliver outstanding productions of traditional and new repertoire that engage the public and propel the genre forward. By presenting innovative programming that speaks to the multicultural Philadelphia region, they broaden and diversify the opera audience. They also identify extraordinary artists, both established and emerging, and provide opportunities for them to create their most imaginative and inspired work.