What Playing Music Taught Me About Shipping

Music has always been a big part of my life.

Since first picking up a guitar at 12, I’ve spent much of my life playing music in bands. I even almost pursued it as a career! After recently returning from a week’s vacation in Spain, eating, relaxing and playing music with friends, I’ve come to realise that the influence of music extends far beyond the rehearsal room.

Our passions are more than an interest, they shape who we are.

They influence how we see the world, how we solve problems, and how we connect with others. Whether it’s music, fishing, art or any other passion, there is a lot more crossover between your passion and your work than you may think.

In this post, I explore how the concepts of music apply not just on the stage, but also in the workplace, and even to the shipping industry itself.

CONNECTION & COMMON GROUND

Not long ago, I was talking to a colleague of mine. We had never really worked together, and we didn’t know each other well. Then the subject of music came up. He mentioned he used to sing, and said if I ever needed a singer to call him.

So I did.

Two weeks later, he stood, mic in hand, alongside my band mates in the rehearsal room. I watched as Matteo Valdes from HR transformed into a lead vocalist right in front of me. He absolutely killed it. I saw a new side of him, and we connected on another level — all because of music.

Here’s a photo from a concert last Friday where Matteo joined us on stage:

But it’s not the first time a colleague joins our band. In 2019, a few colleagues decided to create an MSC band for our annual company dinner. I would say that our performance was pretty average, but at least it was an employee team effort.

It also meant that I got to see my colleague Francesca Molteni in a new role, as a fantastic singer. Earlier this year I asked her to join our band — and she said yes!

Here’s a photo of Francesca performing with us a few months ago:

Shared passions bring us together. They provide a common ground, and an opportunity to connect on a deeper level. They help us transcend the work persona, and see the person behind it. Too often we curate ourselves in the workplace, but being our authentic selves allows us to form more meaningful connections.

I can recall countless times in my career where I’d be talking to someone in the industry, and we started talking about playing music. You discover you’re both musicians and the connection instantly deepens.

You bond, not only through a shared interest, but also through the philosophy, language and mental models that come with it.

LISTENING TO WHAT THEY’RE PLAYING / SAYING

Every musician knows the importance of listening.

To play well together, you have to listen. The better you listen to your fellow players, the more in sync you are, and the better the song will sound. It’s not enough to be a great player, you have to play well together.

As a bass player, for example, I may want to show off my skills, when all the song needs is a simple groove. When you listen, you hear the song as a whole, not just your own part.

This same principle applies in the workplace.

When we listen to each other, we work better together. Instead of thinking about what we want to say, we can listen and seek to understand each other. Just as in music, this helps us see the bigger picture, and better understand the role we play in bringing it to life.

JAMMING AND EXPERIMENTING

You cannot play music without a willingness to learn, to experiment, and to make mistakes.

When you jam (improvise), you won’t always hit the right notes, at the right time, and in the perfect way. The same applies when you’re learning a song. It’s not always perfect, but you keep on playing regardless.

Without the willingness to experiment and make mistakes you won’t create anything at all.

The same is true as we pursue innovation in shipping.

Innovation projects require a lot of new paths and methods. No matter how we try, not everything will work immediately. We have to experiment, be willing to learn, and keep playing until we find the right notes. Each step forward is an opportunity to learn, and this openness and curiosity is how we end up creating something great.

STANDARDS SET US FREE

Music is a language, and just like any language, we need to agree on the basics. If I’m speaking French, and you’re speaking Spanish, we can’t communicate.

When playing a song, musicians have to agree on the key, chords and tempo — the basics. Then from within those basic standards, creativity can flourish. True communication can begin.

I believe this is a perfect analogy for communication standards in shipping.

The sooner we can agree on the standards for communication, the sooner we can get to the fun stuff. If everyone is playing in a different key or tempo, the song will sound terrible. Before we can start playing great music, we need to agree on the basics. When we have that in place, well, then we can really start to jam!

My passion for music influences my work, but whatever your passion, you might find it has more influence and positives than you thought.

So what’s your passion? And how does it apply to your work? What can it teach us about shipping? Let me know in the comments!