170908 NEWS

///// JAPANESE CULTURE - ZENTAI /////


Yesterday's lecture at Sing Sing (although there was a huge sign on the top floor that said "Zing Zing") was quite hm, I must say it reminded me of those workshops that I used to go to when I was a resident assistant at college. They gathered all "leaders" from all colleges in Baltimore and had lectures about how to be good leaders.

Here are some tips from HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL

Back then when I was attending these courses I was really bored and sleeping most of the time, but I am slowly really understanding how leadership skills become crucial for not only business people but artists.

Art business is really a people business. Fundamentally it's between the artist and the audience - and in most cases the number of the latter is larger, quite significantly. You, as an artist, are trying to convince that mass and yeah, I think that's where the "leadership" comes in. The better you are at receiving respect or the attention, the more you are likely to step the first difficulty as an artist: getting attention. The word leadership, sounds so outdated, overrated and somewhat school-like, and most of the things usually make sense on their own, but take a look at the list of points on this website and think through them a little bit! O-ye, I feel like a teacher now!

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Apparently, because I just found out about it recently too, The International Air Guitar Championship takes place in Scandinavia - in Oulu, Finland, as a part of the Oulu Music Video Festival! I think it's a very interesting concept, although this air guitar has been around since the 70's. the period when the rock music really took over the world.

Here is the video clip of the 2008 champion, Craig "Hot Lixx Hulahan" Billmeier.


There are definitely some moments, when I think "oh, where did the guitar go?" but I guess this is the best of the best quality of air guitar, at least for this year. I wonder if the participants can really play the guitars. I think being able to play the guitar could really add to the performance of air guitar, but if you could play, why would you do the performance without a real guitar? Why on earth would someone pay so much to put together such a competiton!? These competitors are going all the way to Finland to compete (and yes, in the last 2 years the champion was Japanese) - and considering the flight expenses and all I think with that money you could easily buy a decent guitar, for sure. But that's coming from the materialistic side of me. I think it's beautiful that people are competing using "nothing but imagination." Perhaps internet was as abstract as this when it just started? I guess I will just have to go there next year to see.

Oh a side note, there was the second annual Air Sex Championship in Japan...I wonder if it has to be x-rated, g-rated or r-rated or whatever...well these people are wearing clothes and they are just "imagining."


I of course respect entrepreneurs that have created a greater good for the world and are making a lot of money, but I also really like people that are just pushing their passion, regardless of how the society views it, and spreads it to a bigger audience! I guess you cannot really be successful if you don't believe in it! Good lesson, considering it's coming from my free time observation of air guitar on youtube!



*SONG OF THE DAY // "Fantastic Fanasy" by COLEMONIKHA*