Costa Rica Black Eyed Peas & Lessons From Hip Hop

Likely the coldest night in memory for Costa Ricans, thousands lined up  last night outside a San Jose Stadium to catch the Hip Hop Music Magic of the Black Eyed Peas --  AKA "Let's Get it Started" fame.    Barry and I had VIP Tickets with our friends, which still meant a line longer than the one my husband remembers to see Frank Sinatra, but there  we were in the moment amidst the  frigid frenzy of an outdoor concert.
Yea! We might not have done it much in college, but at midlife, here we were at a Hip Hop Concert in  Costa Rica. So we complimented each other on still being young at heart.

A few things have changed since our concert days at Penn State and the University of Delaware.   Now, for example instead of lighting your bic lighter as a symbol of solidarity,  you click on the illumination from your cell phone.  Hey, I never knew an  outdoor stadium with moving cell phones could be so  moving,  but sure enough it was.

And some things stay the same--like the power and energy of music.
I watched  one young man in front of me , who was so  joyful and full of optimism, I wanted to bottle up his radiance.  If you have thought  the  new generation to be listless, lazy or  disenchanted, you would have changed your thinking in a heart beat, watching last night's youthful audience so filled with the vibrant energy, spirit and music of the Black Eyed Peas.

As a professional speaker and trainer, I also learned a great deal from watching the Black Eyed Peas in action.

*Brilliant in their stage presence, energy and audience interaction, The Black Eyed Peas know how to work a room by showcasing their individual talents and band diversity.
They are the "Non-Brand, Band"and their individual strengths all come together in remarkable band synergy.

*Mind-Body Connection with the Audience---Remarkable! 
Okay, I'm thinking to myself  how do I give a leadership keynote and simultaneously do a back flip?  Tricky business but I'm on it.

*The Black Eyed Peas work because of their diversity.  It works in bands, it works in teams.  Diversity works period.

*Finally, the importance of advance set-up and testing:  The only failing of the concert was a few sound problems that could have been easily avoided.  I see no reason for sound checks in front of a filled audience stadium, brimming with energy.  The Black Eyed Peas are  too good to suffer a black eye from lack of attention to the details.
Lesson:  If you are giving any presentation to a small group of 5 or a stadium of thousands, don't you or your team futz about in front of an audience with technical setup.  It takes the magical quality away from your performance.

So in closing, thank you Black Eyed Peas..........for your energy, your talent and making me feel like 18 again.  Costa Rica really is a warm country.  I imagine the cold snap came into the country because of how hot you are.

Keep Getting us Started!