Last week I stumbled upon the new concept album by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Eisa Davis. It is based on the 1979 cult-classic movie Warriors. Those familiar with the movie may recall the iconic line, “Warriors come out to play.”
The plot involves a respected gang leader who calls all rival gangs to a meeting in the Bronx in an attempt to achieve a peace treaty among them all. He is assassinated and the Warriors are wrongly accused. They must now flee to their home territory in Coney Island while all the rival gangs try to stop them.
It is a story of loss, love, justice and redemption.
This project has been ruminating within Mr. Miranda’s mind for decades. The album pulses with energy and conviction. In listening to it, you feel as if you are one of the Warriors fighting to make your way home. Confused, conflicted yet committed.
The first concept album was Woody Guthrie’s Dust Bowl Ballads, released in 1940.
The first concept car, The Buick Y-Job, was shared with the public two years earlier in 1938.
Concepts, by my definition, are ideas that are developed enough that others can see your vision. They are often a collection or curation of other ideas re-imagined or advanced in ways that create something new, novel, inspired and exciting.
The path from concept to reality often requires others who are drawn to your vision and eager to collaborate in its development.
Concepts are often long-term passion projects whose creators are content to develop them at their own pace and are less concerned with their public reception and more with the private satisfaction of seeing their vision come to life.
I’ve been fortunate to work on several such projects, my role in them varying.
Recently, a few of us had the concept of Social Mobility Lab at City College – learning what drives mobility with the explicit purpose of translating that knowledge into ways to create more of it. It launched in April.
Last week, I was able to play a small part in bringing a fascinating series of Unscripted conversations on the Future of Research that was born out of the mind of a visionary communications officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
I have several other concepts in the long winding road of development. One is a screenplay and the other is a collection of personal essays. Both are works-in-progress that may never be realized. Yet I find joy each and every time I work on them – which is part of the point.
Perhaps that most important concept that we are all working on is our concept of a good life. This is both an individual and collective project – driven by our own values and those of societies – which are not always aligned.
Versus other concepts, we don’t always stop and check in to see how we are progressing on our concept of a good life. Perhaps we haven’t articulated it well to ourselves or others – which is critical. The idea of having a clear concept of a good life and sharing it with our family, friends, and colleagues allows them to join us on our journey and contribute to it.
Imagine your life was a concept album? What song titles would be on it – either real or imagined. What values would drive your selections? Who would want to jam with you or sing along? It’s a fun mental exercise. One that not only focuses you on your vision of a good life but can also shut out all the noise that makes its realization more difficult.
Recommendation of the Week. Speaking of noise, check out this article on how the Boston Celtics coach dismisses pressure to repeat as National Champions. It is such a refreshing and healthy take on the toxic pressure we too often put on ourselves and others.
Share this email with a friend. Or better yet share your concept of a good life with them.