The power of practice

When we all give our best, our individual talents can shine

The other evening was a special one. In town for an important family occasion, we were also blessed with the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) in town too and in full force for a spectacular concert with the wonderful Michael Tilton Thomas. MTT as he is affectionately known has had some challenges of his own in recent years, undergoing treatment for an aggressive brain tumour. In a performance of the same symphony a few days ago, he suffered a bout of confusion when he closed his score and got up to leave partway through the concert. He turned cheerily to the audience and thanked them for listening to an extended rehearsal. The mezzo-soprano soloist and some of the orchestra members nearby gently reminded MTT where he was and after a short delay, he regrouped and continued with the last movement of the symphony.

The LSO have long been one of the world’s best and favourite orchestras. They had a reputation in times gone by for being harsh with conductors they did not like. But also for their excellence, ability to move people from all walks of life and wide repertoire. As a teenager I spent most of my Saturdays in the junior department of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, which lives next door in the Barbican Centre. One of the many feeder streams for the great river that is the LSO, the Guildhall looks for and develops young musicians of talent to become the masters of tomorrow. I was encouraged to take up a new instrument from the one I played to be accepted at the Guildhall, with the stellar aspiration of joining the LSO. Life had other plans for me and I sadly dropped the music beyond something I might occasionally do for personal pleasure. My training and a love for wonderful performances have however stayed with me always.

The performance we were treated to was nothing short of astonishing. The Hall was completely full, as was the stage with the extended orchestra and 2 choirs required for Mahler’s extravagant 3rd symphony. Seeming to span the entire experience of being human, the choice of this programming felt prodigious given all that is happening in the world today. Majestic and powerful, especially in the hands of a maestro like MTT, the score took us on a musical adventure that we will not easily forget. Even as a musician in my younger years, I had no idea I could be so moved by the dulcet tones of a trombone. The woman playing it received two standing ovations.

In the final episode of series 1 of The Pocket Dojo podcast which we shared on Monday, we talked about leadership and teamwork as practice. We described principles, qualities, frameworks and stories from the field about using them.

One of the many things that struck a deep chord with me at the Mahler concert was how these excellent musicians, some of them just children (in the boys’ choir), all played an important part in the wonder that was the evening. Taking responsibility for their own practice and skill, being present in the moment with a quality of attention that only perhaps comes through the sustained discipline of a lifetime of showing up for rehearsals and concerts. Making an effort with how they dress and behave because after all, there is no performance without the audience, and then giving their all for an amazing evening that made the public want to come back as soon as they can.

And the deeply moving, beautiful performance emerging from the interactions of all the members of the orchestra, not just excellent soloists. With everyone bringing the best of themselves, all the orchestra members were given an opportunity to shine. As a result, the overall experience was far more than the sum of the orchestra’s parts. I don’t think musicians do it just for the money, because if they do, they are probably in the wrong game.

“For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them.”
― Aristotle, The Nicomachean Ethics

Sadly, our last day together this weekend, was marked by the antithesis of quality and lifting one another up. We had booked a serviced apartment in the City, which looked great on the website. Not for the first time in London, it did not live up to expectations, although the location was ideal for our needs. At the allocated check-in time there was a long queue outside the building and one small lift which seemed to be timed to respond to whoever called first, rather than a sequenced series of movements that would have eased congestion at the entrance. Few of the staff spoke English well enough for foreigners to understand and our apartment was not ready so we were given another one. It was larger than the one we had booked and furnished basically, not as a former corporate let. In short, it felt like a safety buffer for late check-outs (paid of course) and lack of cleaning staff. The block had 16 apartments on 4 floors and 8 on the other 2. Staff would have been key.

There were also staffing issues at two eateries we mistakenly chose on our last morning in town. First we went for breakfast at a restaurant in the heart of the City that had good reviews. A tea-stained cup arrived and when we asked for it to be changed, the waitress told us it was clean for her but she would change it anyway. We waited the best part of a half hour for food which was then the wrong order, brought by someone who indicated with his complete cluelessness that he was clearly out of his depth. Thankfully a more experienced waitress took some items of the bill to rectify the situation, and we had the sense it was not the first issue of its kind. As to her point, it was first thing on a Monday morning.

With a couple of hours to while away before departure, we took a walk through a lovely London park and stopped for refreshments at a well-known bar inside the grounds. These staff were worse, and numerous to boot. The guy on the cash till had little idea how to work it, less about what on earth a scone was and next to zero about allergies to the jam available. His ‘manager’ took over and suggested that I take all my purchases over to where the trays were at the end of the serving counter, rather than do his job. I actually asked him if he knew what service means.

I wonder what people’s experience of their ‘menial work’ and life in general would be if they chose to show up the way the members of the orchestra did at last week’s concert. They don’t get paid very well either, even in the LSO. They sure as heck have a different attitude and create a whole other experience for those whom they interact with. There is only so long the hospitality trade in London can blame its high prices on Brexit, the cost of living or on occasion, even climate change. The truth is there are a lot of people investing (dirty?) money in getting what they can while they can, employing people with no skills and even less interest to do the crappy jobs for very little money and not giving a monkey’s about the quality of product or service. If it doesn’t come with a QR code and can’t be swiped left or right, or doesn’t give you a fast, easy return on your investment, who cares?

Where I live, people do care. Food and service are considered things of value, to be appreciated and done well, especially if you want people to come back for more. They require attention and practice. They are not seen just as a transactional opportunity or a burden or a colonial imposition on your race and underprivileged background. Choosing to be a slackarse, to dress like you just got out of bed, or respond badly to people who are giving you money because you’ve been educated to believe the world owes you something are just that - choices. I don’t think it has anything to do with education or social class or wealth. In fact, it cuts across society.

It’s about personal and collective values. The chances that life offers us and the choices we make about them. I’ve done some crappy jobs in my time, and we were grateful to have them. Leadership is also a choice and a practice. We can all lead, and we can all follow. It’s up to us.