The Crafting of Excellence – My Thoughts
In his quote about Excellence, Ralph Marston said:
“Excellence is not a skill, it’s an attitude. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential… these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence.”
It is a continuous effort, daily a ritual for anyone serious about their craft.
I believe Excellence is more. It is an intangible product that not only can be seen but felt. One knows when they have experienced something phenomenal versus a normal event. Madam Radar’s performance at The Saxon Pub on October 13, 2023, is an example. In all the times I have heard them prior, this night exceeded all other performances. Even though I cannot highlight to you specific aspects of the performance that were notable, it was something I felt.
Therefore, I state that Excellence is not a byproduct of effort but something that is crafted with as much diligence as the music that is being played. It is an actual creation. This I witnessed when I attended the Black Smoke Sinners rehearsal. I saw the following: careful attention to all cable’s mics set up; tuning up of instruments; and conversations about segment of songs to be played. This resulted in them starting later than was planned but they started off on a better footing than if they had not done so.
It was Cari Hutson’s search for an answer concerning the way in which she was to sing her part that caught my attention, resulting in this article. Did they want her to go high or low? A discussion occurred and the next few minutes were spent exploring that question. They sang without instruments and came to a decision. It wasn’t enough to sing well, Cari wanted more. She wanted to make certain she blended in correctly so that the song made its maximum effort to sound well.
Most people see only the performance of the musicians. Few get to witness the efforts prior to that performance. Seven Pillars is honored to have been asked to attend. Another memory in my music museum of my mind.
