On August 8th, 1997, Steve Jobs and Apple Computer introduced the world to Apple's new (and iconic) slogan, "Think Different."
Originally inspired by Dr. Suess-esque's poem, the commercial (and subsequent campaign) went on to be among the most iconic ever created. The text of the ad is as follows:
Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status quo.
You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can't do is ignore them.
Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius.
Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones, who do.
I have long been a fan of all things Apple and, to an extent, Steve Jobs. And while he was, at times, an unkind and unpleasant person, he reminds us that in life, all things are possible and that boundaries are made to be broken.
When asked about the campaign during an interview on PBS, Jobs responded with the following:
"When you grow up, you tend to get told the world is the way it is, and your job is to live your life inside the world. Try not to bash into the walls too much. Try to have a nice family life, have fun, save a little money.
That's a very limited life. Life can be much broader once you discover one simple fact, and that is - everything around you that you call life, was made up by people that were no smarter than you. And you can change it, you can influence it, you can build your own things that other people can use. The minute that you understand that you can poke life and actually something will, you know if you push in, something will pop out the other side, that you can change it, you can mold it.
That's maybe the most important thing. It's to shake off this erroneous notion that life is there and you're just going to live in it, versus embrace it, change it, improve it, make your mark upon it. I think that's very important and however, you learn that, once you learn it, you'll want to change life and make it better, cause it's kind of messed up, in a lot of ways. Once you learn that, you'll never be the same again."
Never be the same again!
I have heard the words "never be the same..." time and time again in recent days, and while the words are the same, they have a very different meaning for music educators.
Education will never be the same again?
My question is, when was it ever the same?
When did we ever get to have the same kids, march the same drill, or play the same music? When did we ever get the same judges, at the same contest, give us the same score? When did we ever have the same amount of rehearsals, with the same limited interruptions with the same level of focus?
Next time someone asks you, "When will it return to normal?" your answer should be, "I NEVER THOUGHT IT WAS!"
Yes, these are turbulent and uncertain times for us all, myself included. The impact of the pandemic is real and we don't know boundaries. Things are changing in big and small ways on a minute by minute basis, including your classroom.
And because of this, we as (music) educators are faced an unexpected paradigm shift of having to deal with online instruction and distance learning, despite having no training, experience, or resources. WOW.
I wish I had all of the answers. I want to solve all of your problems. I do. But, I don't, and I can't. But what I do know is that no one is better equipped to deal with it than YOU! Change is your constant. Challenge is your middle name and SUCCESS is the only outcome you will accept.
So as we navigate through this, let us also pause for a moment and be reminded of the lesson taught to us some twenty-three years ago that perhaps now is a time to THINK DIFFERENT... "Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do!"
This Friday, at 1:00 p.m. EST, Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser and I will be hosting a webinar on this very subject. If you are interested in being a part of this unique online experience, click on the button below. Space is limited to the first 300 participants.
In the meantime, let's all try to THINK DIFFERENT.
p.s. If you haven't also checked out my FREE online leadership course at Leadership University, you should. It is real curricula, delivered in real time to make a real impact. Did I mention that it was also FREE. Be sure to share with your students.