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Quest Quote

“I think it's important to learn how to play the guitar. To play music is one of the greatest things. To create something from nothing is one of the greatest feelings, and I wish it upon everybody.”

- Prince

Quix Pix

Every month we will share some of our currently favorite books, music, movies and TV shows.

Movies

Air Guitar Nation – A Documentary of the 2003 US and World Air Guitar Championships – hilarious and gripping at the same time, proves we can take the most ridiculous things seriously…kind of.

Music

Heart of the Forest – The Baka Forest People are hunter-gatherers from the central African rainforest. This is amazing music, especially the water drumming, and is a ticket to transporting yourself out of any petty worries that may be plaguing you.

Pocket Poem

Small enough to fit in your pocket, big enough to be of use.

He Whistles When He Walks
by Rufus Collinson

I always know when my colleague is approaching.
He whistles when he walks.
He says it is genetic…I’m not sure he realizes
the appeal of his traveling gladness.

So in celebration of him today
whistle, wiggle, waft,
crinkle, jingle, sway,
clap, hum, cluck,
rub your hands together,
don a fragrance,
sing your heart out.

In whatever way you can,
let yourself be known.

From the Founder

Louis Armstrong said, “What we play is life.” In our music team building programs such as Guitar Heroes, Play the Blues and Rock Band Inc., we help people to play music and then forge the link between playing music and ‘playing’ work. I’ve seen people perform at their best when they allow a sense of musicality and rhythm to interact with the many challenges they face.

As the summer nears, I invite you to approach this month a little more musically and also with a sense of playfulness. Remember the pleasure of impending summer vacation? Perhaps you can allow that spirit of fun and relaxed exploration help guide the symphony of your day and the song of your life.

On with the quest,
Rob Fletcher

“I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear…each one singing his…each singing what belongs to her and none else.” – Walt Whitman

Take a moment to search with your ears to the sounds around you. It may be helpful to close your eyes – sound is noticed more fully when the eyes are closed. Take in your office symphony, the symphony of your day. You may hear people in the cubes next to you or elsewhere in the office talking on the phone, the click of a keyboard, people walking by, the ding of the microwave in the office kitchen. Perhaps you’re at home, out on the deck with a cup of tea, hearing birds and distant traffic. These sounds are part of the symphony created for you today, the symphony you’re part of.

There is a commonality in playing this symphony with your co-workers, with other commuters on the road or in the train, with your family at home. We’re all part of this day’s symphony and... Click here for the complete Topic of the Month.

Guitar Heroes is a music team building program where you learn to perform classic rock songs together on guitar and bass guitar in two hours – even if you’ve never touched a guitar before! Here’s your chance to live the fantasy when our rock and roll facilitators lead your teams through this exciting and memorable musical experience.   

Each rocker on your team learns enough technique on a guitar or bass to perform several classic rock tunes. Guitars are tuned in an innovative tuning that makes it easy for your team to rock out.  Bass guitar parts are designed to sound good, yet be easy to play. And we keep the energy high with fun activities, such as our air guitar competition and speed picking ‘note-off’.

By listening and playing together, your team forms a solid foundation of communication and mutual appreciation that allows for true teamwork and a common rhythm... For a complete program description, please click here.

Listen here!

I live on a busy city street corner in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Every evening, I like to sit on my stoop and watch the stream of humanity pass by – pedestrians, drivers and passengers. One cold night, I was nestled into my usual perch, watching and dreaming.

Across the street, a teenaged boy suddenly grabbed the hand of his giggling girlfriend and began skipping down the sidewalk. They were in perfect skipping synchronization.

Within two minutes, I felt as though I was watching a scene from a movie, probably a foreign film. A mother and daughter behind the skipping couple reached for one another’s hands and began skipping too. Two small boys on my side of the street, giggled and imitated the skippers across the way. Soon enough, every configuration of twos imaginable were holding hands and skipping toward the boulevard around the corner. A few feet from me, an elderly man skipped in place as his wife lifted her walker up and down in time with the rhythm of the crowd.

I leapt up from the stoop and joined the throng, amazed by the transformative power of one exuberant action. We skipped together until we reached the boulevard above the harbor. There was a tiny moment of silence and then, each by each, we took one another into our arms and hugged. I walked home slowly, immersed in the blessing. I still am.

Take a quick break from your work and try these yoga poses right at your desk. Click here for Seven Helpful Yoga Hints.

Try both variations. Each provides a different benefit. Decide which gives you the most benefit.

Move away from back of chair.

A – Place left hand on outside of right thigh. Place right hand on back of chair. Inhale and open spine upwards. Exhale and turn to the right.

B – Variation: Place left forearm on outside of right thigh instead of left hand.

Repeat on other side.

© 2009 Quixote Consulting, All rights reserved.

Quix Tip

Make Your Own Music

1. Shuffle, skip, whistle, hum.

2. Tap on your coffee cup or your steering wheel in time to music.

3. Sing along to the radio at work, in your car, in the shower.

4. Sing wherever you feel comfortable, and try some places where you don’t.

5. Experiment musically with Louis Armstrong’s quote: “What we play is life.”

Statisticity

Q. How many guitars were sold in the US in 2008?*

1. 1.496,734
   
2. 2,014,652
   
3. 2,991,260
   
4. 3,428,779
   

Panza's Proverb

"Hope is always born at the same time as love."

Sancho Panza, Don Quixote’s squire, was famous for his proverbs.

Spread the Word

This is your monthly word challenge. Identify the correct definition for the following word. Once you know the definition, spread the word!

Palilogy

1. Study of language theory
   
2. Fear of sleep
   
3. Fascination with root meanings
   
4. Emphatic repetition of a word

Good News

Take a break from the bad news headlines to experience the Baka Forest People. It may be helpful to remember that they are living this music today at the same time as the headlines of economic worries.

Have you read some good news lately? Send us a link and spread the good news!