Concert Review Free Essay Example, 1000 words

Concert Review: A Review of Regan Siglin’s Junior Piano Recital al Affiliation The October 31st concert by Regan Siglin had beenhugely anticipated by students and lecturers alike, as it would be a convenient opportunity to gauge the performance of a fellow student against my own private performances (Bennett, 2012). At 4:10 P. M Regan approached the stage from the backstage, and the audience gave her a round of applause before she began actual performance, and from stage she bowed and waved back to in acknowledgement. The mood was expectant and the audience waited with bated breath, and thirty seconds later she assumed her seat and began playing a variation of the epic fantasie. This paper shall review the concert and her performance on stage during her piano recital, as the greatness of a pianist can only be reviewed by a fellow pianist (Bennett, 2012). The great Mozart, Beethoven and amongst others was only declared great after a consistent review of their performances by f ellow artistes. This was one of the best compositions from Schumann expressing a forbidden love between him and Clara Wieck (Bennett, 2012). We will write a custom essay sample on Concert Review or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now Her movement during the performance was impressive, as the slow consistent movement had tact. The first key pressed must have been a chopstick, then the tempo of the recital picked up but within the constant cadence (Bennett, 2012). I was lucky as I sat within reach of the performer and I could actually watch the movements of her fingers methodically dancing around the keyboard picking the keys on the Piano (Froehlich, (2004). The assured performance by Regan could portray one important point that she was being moved by the song, in a manner which could echo Schumann conversing with her. The slow performance rthymic performance captured the gape of the audience quite fittings, as a look glance around the Kimbrough Concert Hall showed positive approval of her performance. The six minute cameo recital in mid performance began floating emanating rich, grand and delicate rhythm (Froehlich, 2004). Without doubt the song through the mid performance began to convey the message for which the dong had been composed the gentle throb of the combination of black and white key could never be ignored and forgotten. In fact this paper is quite a frank resonance of the sound that was heard in the concert hall. The sound was stimulated my brains, and frankly it was simply deep within the performer and somatically transferred the sensation to the audience. It is common knowledge with the academic music discipline that indeed music is one if the external factors that stimulate the brain.

The Evolution Of Human Evolution - 1103 Words

Human evolution according to research started over 6 million years ago. The outcome of the evolution process is the current human beings. Scientific studies have revealed over the years a remarkable affinity between the chimpanzees/Apes and human beings. Even though this reality is not a definitive prove that human beings evolved from apes, it does show that the human beings are in one way or another related to other primates. Scientists suppose that the humans and the primates shared a common ancestor. The subject of what makes humans what they are and their origin has been the exclusive purpose leading to many scientific studies globally (Coolidge Wynn, 2011). Studies believe that Africa was the origin of evolution millions of years ago. Fossil remains have been discovered in different parts of Africa as well as other regions of the world. Different hominins have been discovered around the world in the last 1 million years. Thus, the different discoveries have led to comparison s between the various species of hominins to clarify on their similarities as well as differences. This essay seeks to explain whether they were distinctively different species or regional versions of the same species. Homo erectus The hominid also referred to as the upright man was discovered in various parts of the globe including Lake Turkana in Kenya, Spain, and Java in Indonesia among other places. They are estimated to have lived over 1.6 million years ago (Coolidge Wynn, 2011).Show MoreRelatedEvolution And Its Impact On Human Evolution910 Words   |  4 Pages Humans have gone through many stages of adaptation, allowing for great expansion and our unrivaled dominance of the earth. So it could seem as though humans have reached the peak of evolutionary development. Evolution is often thought of as a natural process, and were it not for humans, this might be true. However, evolution, in the strictest sense, is a change in the genetic structure of a population (Jurmain, et al., 5). While natural selection is a major contributor to the process of evolutionRead MoreEvolution And Its Effect On Human Evolution1826 Words   |  8 Pages It is the key to our evolution is very much correct. Beneficial mutation can be a next step of human evolution as people get more adapted to their environment, greatly increasing their chance of successfully reproducing. Evolution is the process of the characteristics of an organism changing over a long period of time. There are two types of evolution: micro, where gene frequencies are shifted within the population, and macro, where a whole new species arises. Evolution occur through naturalRead MoreConvergent Evolution Of Human Evolution972 Words   |  4 Pagesinstance of human evolution has been detected among the peoples of East Africa. It is the ability to digest milk in adulthood, conferred by genetic changes that occurred as recently as 3,000 years ago, a team of geneticists has found.The finding is a striking example of a cultural practice — the raising of dairy cattle — feeding back into the human genome. It also seems to be one of the first instances of convergent human evolution to be documented at the genetic level. Convergent evolution refers toRead MoreEvolution of Human3142 Words   |  13 PagesHuman evolution is the biological and cultural development of humans. A hu man is any member of the species Homo sapiens, meaning wise man. Since at least the Upper Paleolithic era, some 40,000 years ago, every human society has devised a creation myth to explain how humans came to be. Creation myths are based on cultural beliefs that have been adopted as a legitimate explanation by a society as to where we came from. The science of paleoanthropology, which also tries to create a narrative aboutRead MoreHuman Evolution2755 Words   |  12 PagesHuman Evolution Human Evolution, the biological and cultural development of the species Homo sapiens, or human beings. A large number of fossil bones and teeth have been found at various places throughout Africa, Europe, and Asia. Tools of stone, bone, and wood, as well as fire hearths, campsites, and burials, also have been discovered and excavated. As a result of these discoveries, a picture of human evolution during the past 4 to 5 million years has emerged. Human Physical Traits Humans areRead MoreThe Evolution Of Humans And Humans978 Words   |  4 PagesHumans have existed on Earth for approximately 3.4 million years. The oldest known human ancestor is Lucy, an Australopithecus. Over this extensive period of time, humans have evolved significantly. Homo Sapiens have grown from 3 to almost 6 feet (average), lost most of the body hair, became leaner and adapted to walking. Humans have come a long way, from Australopithecus to Homo sapiens, from living in trees to living in cities. Slowly, through hundreds of thousands of years, we mutated over andRead MoreThe Evolution Of The Human Body989 Words   |  4 PagesThe evolution of the human body can be observed from studying the intermediates found in ancestral organisms. Shubin proposes that every attribute that makes us human can be traced back to a time that showcases its importance for survival. Every single trait in the human body has been selected for through multiple mechanisms of evolution, natural selection being one of them. This theory is intriguing because not long ago it was unheard of to relate humans to fish, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, andRead MoreThe Evolution Of The Human Race1681 Words   |  7 PagesFaith Vs. Fact The universe is a vast and endless portal of knowledge and experience whose origin and creation is not fully proven. There are two ideologies that the human race has adopted into giving reason for our existence as well as our evolution; this being, religion, and science. Science and religion have been in a conflicting battle against each other in discovering truth about the universe and their main ideas disregard the other making them ultimately incompatible. Throughout historyRead MoreWhat is Human Evolution?674 Words   |  3 PagesHuman Evolution What is human evolution? Human evolution refers to a process in which human beings developed both physically and emotionally throughout centuries, evolution is mainly influenced by environmental factors, and sometimes people’s diet would also interrupt the way human beings evolve. Normally, human evolves for survivals, in order to get used to the climate, it is necessary for human beings to advance. Throughout millions of years, human beings have developed from the earliest hominidsRead MoreThe Evolution of Human Communication1217 Words   |  5 PagesTechnology started out as a way to help the human population make life easier on humanity, but once it becomes smarter than us will it really help or hinder our way of life. The definition of technology is â€Å"machinery and equipment developed from the application of scientific knowledge†, according to Google. When you pick up your smartphone do you ever really think that it may be hurting the human race? Once your chi ld sees you doing this action every hour of every day they will want to also do what

Mission and vision literature review free essay sample

Mission and Vision statements tell others who we are and where we want to go as an organization. Through the literature review, this paper aims to examine the importance of an organizational mission and vision statement. This paper outlines the details to show how business experts and practitioners have suggested that creating and communicating mission and vision statements are a critical part to the success of an organization. In addition, it also addresses the differences that exist between a mission and a vision. In 1997 during an interview with Leader to Leader Journal the social philosopher and management scholar Charles Handy was asked, â€Å"How do leaders find meaning to their accomplishments? † To which he replied The companies that survive longest are the ones that work out what they uniquely can give to the world—not just growth or money but their excellence, their respect for others, or their ability to make people happy. Some call those things a soul (Handy, n. d. ). That soul that Handy refers to, can be found in an organization’s mission and vision statements. When establishing a Mission and Vision statement for an organization, one must be careful and particularly attentive in choosing the appropriate words. However more important than the words used in a mission and vision statement is that an organization must truly believe in what it is saying and be able to live up to their statements. Only then will an organization be able to define with precision and rigor what their mission and vision is and provide clarity to the sometimes over used trendy words. The success or failure of an organization could be attributed to an effective or flawed mission and vision statement. This essay will address the purpose and importance of establishing an effective mission and vision statement. Additionally it will discuss what consideration should be taken when creating mission and vision statements and the difference between the two. Discussion Despite the ambiguities in what a mission vs. vision is, experts have established many reasons why organizations should have a mission and a vision statement. Whether you are a fortune 500 company or a non-profit organization, a mission and vision makes people internal and external of the organization know who you are and where you are going. As a part of the strategic planning process of any business, establishing a mission and vision will design the future of the organization. The direction in which the organization intends to go will define these two elements. Organizational change can be a difficult process but incorporating and making employees a part of the process can make change less painful. Involving employees as part of the change can be articulated through the organization’s mission and vision statement. Many businesses have delighted in success for many years because they developed clear and well-conceived missions and visions as their foundation. However, what makes up these two elements must be more than just some fancy words put together to sound good; it must have feeling, meaning and support the core ideology of the organization. These values are essential and long lasting visions of an organization and they are what bonds people together inside of an organization without needing external justification, it â€Å"Provides the glue that holds an organization together through time†. If an organization is careless in developing their statements and attempts to use fanciful, inadequate words such as ‘stakeholders’, ‘proactive’, ‘value added’, ‘outside the box’ as an attempt to make themselves sound important or canny, they may find that people are irritated by use of such business speak â€Å"When one digs through the jargon to discover the heart of what is asserted, one finds the piece either (1) makes no real sense, (2) states something more obvious than it pretends, or (3) is a patent absurdity†. When creating the mission and vision statement it is important to remember that the statement is intended to be used, not just framed and hung on a wall or stored away in the organizations handbook. It should be relevant and a key ingredient to the organizations daily activities. Many organizations use mission and vision statements as a tool to reward their employees who uphold them (Johnson, n. d. ). If an organization does not take the mission and vision creation  process seriously, it is at risk of losing opportunities to build an organizational culture and undermines the ability to engage and retain workforce talent. The results of a study conducted by Bain and Company indicate that organizations with well-defined mission and vision statements have outperformed those without one (Rigby and Bilodeau, 2013). On the other hand, this is opposite of what Pearce determined in a study conducted in 1987, he indicated â€Å"present findings do not suggest that the inclusion of desired components in a firms mission statement will directly improve organizational performance†. This may be an indicator that today people are paying more attention to mission and vision statements of organizations. Mission and vision statements have both an internal and external purpose. Internally, it assists in defining an organizations performance standard and by providing focus on common goals it inspires employees to become more productive and aids in establishing a structure for ethical behavior. Externally, it can be used as a public relations tool to increase relations with customers, strategic partners and suppliers . So, if all we have to do is choose the correct words, align those words with the core ideology of an organization and then live up to the statements, it should be easy to create a mission and vision statement, right? Well, the answer is â€Å"yes†, but only if you really know everything about your organization, its strengths, weaknesses and environmental challenges and opportunities. In order to establish effective mission and vision statements, one must know and be able to honestly answer the following questions: What does my organization do? Who are our customers? Why do we do what we do? Where do we want to be in the future? How are we going to get there? And this is just the beginning because an important aspect of creating an effective mission and vision statement is to be able to distinguish between the two (Lewis, 1995 p. 24-25). What? You mean there is a difference between a Mission and a Vision? The answer is a resounding â€Å"absolutely†! The Mission and Vision Difference Brian J. Lewis explains that many firms are confused regarding the different types of statements, and as he indicates some firms even have a â€Å"smorgasbord of vision, mission and objective† (Lewis, 1995 p. 25) all bundled in one. The following is what the research says about the two elements, how they are differentiated and what goes into each one. Mission The mission statement talks about the present state and purpose of an organization. Its primary target is internal (Bain Company, 2013). It should be written in one or two clearly defined sentences to help engage and give employees a perspective on how their job contributes to achieving the mission. When organizational changes arise, a clearly defined mission statement will help employees understand the reason for the changes and lessen resistance and conflicts in the organization (Mission and Vision Statements). Another important aspect of the mission statement is that organizations can modify it from time to time depending on their economic certainties or customer response. Although the mission statement may change, it is still possible to adhere to the vision (Kariyawasam, 2013). Take for example the mission statement of Advanced Auto parts: â€Å"It is the Mission of Advance Auto Parts to provide personal vehicle owners and enthusiasts with the vehicle related products and knowledge that fulfill their wants and needs at the right price. Our friendly, knowledgeable and professional staff will help inspire, educate and problem-solve for our customers† (Fortune 500 Mission Statements, n. d. ). This Fortune 500 company states who they are â€Å"Advanced Auto Parts†, who their customer base is â€Å"vehicle owners and enthusiasts†, what they provide â€Å"vehicle related products and knowledge at the right price†. The use of the words â€Å"fulfill their wants† is captivating because every car enthusiast wants their needs fulfilled when searching for products for their prized possession. Finally, they indicate that they will accomplish the above with a â€Å"staff that is knowledgeable, professional that will inspire and solve problems†. Commendably, Advanced Auto Parts successfully accomplished a clear mission statement in two paragraphs. Vision According to Helen Keller, â€Å"The most pathetic person in the world is someone who has sight but no vision† (Helen Keller, n. d. ). The vision statement talks about the desired position of an organization in the future. Its primary target is external potential customers and investors, but internally  it communicates direction, inspiration and expected behavior to the organizations employees (Bain Company, 2013). It should be written clearly, lack vagueness and express realistic and achievable aspirations. If written in line with the organizations purpose, values and principles; living up to its words should be a relatively easy task. Many mission statements refer to the environmental or social responsibility role of an organization (Mission and Vision Statements), therefore highlighting their concern for the community. Because it communicates what an organization represents and not just what it does, the vision statement should try to remain intact. If an organization experiences dramatic economic or market changes, then the vision must change as well. It should consist of â€Å"a 10-to-30-year audacious goal plus vivid descriptions of what it will be like to achieve the goal† (Collins and Porras, 1996 p. 73). A well rounded vision statement example is that of PepsiCo: â€Å"Our vision is put into action through programs and a focus on environmental stewardship, activities to benefit society, and a commitment to build shareholder value by making PepsiCo a truly sustainable company† (Our Mission and Values –Pepsi, n. d. para. 2). In their vision statement, Pepsi indicates to their investors that they will lead them to financial success while positively impacting society and the environment. Interestingly, the use of the word â€Å"sustainable† could have an important internal and external impact meaning that PepsiCo provides a secure future. Employee Involvement Typically the creation of a mission and vision statement has a â€Å"top-down† approach, meaning that it is created by the senior managers of an organization. However, because mission and vision statements are worthless unless they are fully supported by the employees, some organizations may desire a â€Å"bottom-up† approach. By fostering employee involvement in the creation of the mission and vision statements, an organization can achieve greater commitment and understanding from the workforce (Mission and Vision Statements). It is important to remember that if an organization chooses the â€Å"bottom-up† approach, the length of time that it takes to create the statements will increase relative to the size of the organization. Also, if management does not agree to adopt the inputs from the employees, it could limit the shared views and ideas aspects that mission and vision statements are intended to have. Ultimately a consensus is the desired output for an effective product (Mission and Vision Statements). Communicating the Mission and Vision As stated previously, a mission and vision statement is worthless unless it is learned, adopted and lived. How the mission and vision is communicated throughout and organization and externally to potential customers and investors is vital to its existence. If not disseminated properly and adhered to a mission and vision statement may become what Kotzee cynically refers to as â€Å"Bullshit†. Kotzee indicates that if the communications of the statements are inept, they become â€Å"vacuous phrases over walls and websites in order to appear effective and smart, but definitely not because they really care about values† As Argenti illustrated, Starbucks Coffee Company developed a mission statement with visionary guiding principles that sounded good â€Å"people first and profits last† (Argenti, 2013 p. 142). However prior to the meeting with Global Exchange, Starbucks was either turning a blind eye or unaware of their operations overseas. Farmers in developing countries were being exploited because Starbucks was paying too little for beans and in some cases farmers were involved with child labor on their farms. This is a clear example of an organization not living up to their words and failing to uphold what was being advertised. When exposed, organizations can be perceived as being dishonest and damage their reputation causing great financial losses; as would have been the case for Starbucks if Global exchange proceeded with the national boycott threat. Unless everyone in an organization adopts, commits and lives the mission and vision it is only an empty dream. The mission and vision is transmitted internally and externally by three different means; Communication, Networking and Personification (Nanus, 1992). For the purpose of this essay we will focus only on communication. Whether its dialogue, memorandums, public speeches, radio, television, etc. there are several mediums that leaders can utilize to communicate the organizations mission and vision. Since communication is fundamental and based on a process of information and meaning, the message always starts and ends with the originator. Through feedback, this allows the originator of the message to determine if the message was received as intended and to clarify any misunderstandings (Argenti, 2013). For leaders who have good emotional intelligence traits, it may be more effective to use the dialogue option. Since emotionally intelligent people have the ability to effectively identify, understand and manage relationships with others, dialogue permits these types of leaders to observe and evaluate the persons reactions and emotions to what is being communicated (Kramer, 2006). Emotionally intelligent people have the ability to persuade and convince people to see things as they do. This was pleasantly illustrated by the meeting Burt Nanus had with Mr. Helmut Kohl, the vice-president of Univac Corp. Nanus walked into Kohl’s office looking for help with many problems and walked out of the meeting with no answers but new direction, a new agenda and feeling good about it (Nanus, 1992 p. 136). Mr. Kohl used his emotional intelligence to sympathetically listen to Nanus, sensed he had a desire to help the company, and was not just complaining. He then incorporated Nanus’ concerns to the overall vision of the organization and gave him direction to solve his own problems. In contrast, use of impersonal mediums of communication like memorandums or e-mail are not necessarily wrong but can send the wrong message as was portrayed in the Westwood Publishing case (Argent, 2013). Although Linda Bosworth was loyal to her employees, she lacked the emotional intelligence to face them during difficult times. Because vision statements provide internal branding for the workforce, it should also be clear that visions must change as the times change and as previously discussed a vision statement should encompass a10 to 30 year range. For Westwood Publishing, technology was advancing rapidly and their vision did not adjust appropriately after 16 years in business. In order to effectively communicate the mission and vision, leaders must be the example; they should live the mission and vision by ensuring that their actions and behaviors are consistent with them and create a sense of passion and determination in its attainment (Nanus, 1992). Identifying the Zombies After the mission and vision is communicated, the workforce should feel inspired and be engaged in accomplishing a common goal. It is of utmost importance to identify those in the workforce that are resistant and not aligned to the organizational mission and vision. Those individuals can be like a cancer to an organization and destroy it from within. (Hacker, 2010) says that these workplace zombies are not connected to the overall mission of the organization; they lack devotion, loyalty and are simply there to collect a paycheck. â€Å"When life’s purpose and meaning aren’t clear, people are at risk of zombie-ism† (Hacker, 2010 p. 27). Left unchecked with low expectations from an organization and without poor performance criticism, these workplace zombies are left to their own contagion and will infect others. Since they threaten the overall success of an organization, workplace zombies should be dealt with immediately and dismissed if they do not change. By changing the interview process, hiring for attitude as well as skills can stop a problem at the door. Additionally, mangers should be the bus drivers getting the right people in the right seats on the bus and getting the wrong people off the bus as soon as possible (Collins, 2001). Conclusion Experts and researchers have a common belief that there is value in having an organizational mission and vision statement. An effective mission and vision can correlate to the overall performance and success of an organization. Organizations can ensure mission and vision will be shared by the workforce by taking the time and careful steps to develop clear and understandable statements. Communicating the mission and vision is another key aspect to make sure that it is known by all the internal and external constituents. As the use of social media increases, the adherence or disregard of an organization’s own mission and vision statements can be quickly disseminated, causing profits or damage to its reputation and image. Therefore it is recommended that organizations create mission and vision statements that not only the workforce can assimilate but also ones that upper leadership can live up to.