A couple of weeks ago, I had a nice article written on my team in Alaska. The best pull out quote was when I said , “You know something’s important to the Army when an Army Band is there.”

It is about service and building team. This can be tough work if you aren't prepared...

You ever heard of a "Diva". This can be a very bad stereotype for a musician or a person( I remember the recent Snickers commercial with Aretha Franklin and Liza Minnelli) I figure this talented individual is missing something in their life that doesn’t allow them to give of themselves to others. The Army can’t be effective with a bunch of “Diva’s”, so each of us has to watch for this outlier attitude and “nip it in the bud”. We always need to focus on enhancing our individual strengths while remaining an effective member of the team.

Teamwork means a lot to me. I have to be firm in the foundations that make me who I am if I want to be effective. If someone is whining, backbiting, yelling, angry, bitter, etc,… they might need a little help or something in their lives may be out of balance.  We are all prone to doing the wrong thing if not checked. 

The Army has a term for this.  It’s Comprehensive Soldier Fitness(CSF). In short it deals with our individual wellness. CSF is important and the Army provides a wide variety of programs to ensure we have what we need to succeed in life. This program makes sure we have the tools to identify our social, emotional, spiritual, physical, and family well-being. Consequently, it allows us to act on our deficiencies and fill these needs when we might need help.

I was thinking about my Comprehensive Soldier Fitness as I was watching one of my favorite musical groups, Ernie Haase and Signature Sound(EH&SS) perform tonight by way of TV.

As my mind wandered, I thought of my CSF and also how I am filled as a musician. I was struck by how I gain valuable insight and musical motivation from others. I quickly thought of past teachers, friends, and my Soldiers who motivate me daily by their performances.

Good musicians always motivate me and allow me to evaluate the joy I have in serving with music. I love taking good things from others that know more or have found success. This gets me filled and ready to serve again.

The quick things I saw from EH&SS tonight was how they had a true passion and a love for what they do; how they stay on message and within their personalities; how they uphold traditions and still add something fresh; how to have fun and not be obscene; how to present a positive image by what you wear, how you look, and how you speak;  how to make an old song(to you as the performer) exciting to a new audience every night; and how to make a special memory for the audience.

Tonight was a nice musical boost that will keep me going for a while. That is cool and I hope each of you had a moment like that today.

What were you inspired/motivated by today?

Until next time…Arctic Warrior, Arctic Tough

 CW2 Jeff Price