David Byrne, The Talking Heads, Stop Making Sense, How Music Works in Leadership, Innovation, and Strategy: DeMarco Banter

I recently finished reading David Byrne’s 2019 book "How Music Works”. For those that don’t know David Byrne is a well-known musician, singer, and songwriter, best known as the lead singer and principal songwriter of the band Talking Heads.  In "How Music Works", Byrne shares his extensive knowledge and experience in the music industry and …

What Can the Rock Music Industry Teach the US Military About Innovation?  “Walk This Way.”

“It’s not about standing still and becoming safe. If anybody wants to keep creating they have to be about change.” - Miles Davis Many people probably do not initially see the parallels between the rock industry and the American military, and in fact, one might think they have been at odds with each other for …

Who is Baba O’Riley and where is Teenage Wasteland?

By J. William DeMarco Sitting in the all too warm classroom….staring at the clock…wondering if sixth period English was ever going to end…glancing to my left… I notice Scott's Pee Chee folder with 6000 doodles on it…and a massive Union Jack labeled Teenage Wasteland in thick black Sharpie. A great song to be sure… but in …

Where is My Muse or 5 Steps to Helping a Muse Find You–DeMarco Banter

By J. William DeMarco I am sure there are others out there like me... maybe? Writers with a million notes and thoughts scattered between computers..in word, pages, Evernote, iPads, iPhones, and when there is finally time to sit down and ponder which ideas to pull on... you start looking for your muse. Sometimes it shows …

All Along the Watchtower what was Bob thinking? Heck… what was Jimi thinking?

All Along the Watchtower...can a remake, copy, be as good of better than the original? Innovation is not always about creating something entirely new. This is a great story--when you read what Bob Dylan had to say about Jimi Hendrix and what he did to the original version...two very different artists with incredible respect for …

Neil: Talk to me…. Long May You Run? DeMarco Banter

Wow… who does not love this song? It peaked at #71 on the UK singles chart, and was an elegy for Neil Young's first car, a 1948 Buick Roadmaster hearse. This was apparently a different hearse than the one Stills spotted Young driving around Los Angeles in 1966 which led to the formation of Buffalo Springfield.   Neil's beloved Pontiac hearse, "Mort" (a.k.a. "Mortimer …