Vinnie Speech

Hey Guys,

Well first of all let me give you some information. For all you u.kers you may understand this better. I am a head prefect at my school and next week the head teachers want all the head prefects to speak about someone who has inspired us.. I have about 3 minutes to talk in assembly in front of the whole school (1200 people [img]eek.gif[/img] ) and i have chosen to talk about Vinnie as I believe that he demonstrates some very good human qualities and has definetely shaped me as a person through his example. He provides infinite inspiration to me and I want to share it with everyone, I guess it will be my way of acknowledging what he has done for me!

I have many points thought out for this talk/speech as Vinnie is my hero but since there are many here that im sure feel the same way as me so i was wondering what you guys thought i could add.

Basically, how would you use Vinnie and as an example of someone to follow (human charecteristics and attitude, getting what he wants, giving his everything to something he loves etc)

Thanks, i know you guys will be a big help!

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ September 18, 2005 12:47 AM: Message edited by: S.P ]</font>

that's great sp. you should send vinnie a transcript of your speech. i'm sure he'd be honored to read it.

hey thanks shedder! It's a great honour for me to able to speak about him and specially to so many people and to let everybody know how i feel about him and if its possible to let him know too, that would just be the ultimate!

I'm going to get a powerpoint presentation going with some pictures and quotes. I'll post up what i've got so far soon!

Any ideas you guys think should be on there or that are important to mention, please say so!

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ September 12, 2005 10:03 PM: Message edited by: S.P ]</font>

I wouldn't bother with Powerpoint for a three minute speech. Apart from my personal belief that Powerpoint is the greatest barrier to communication ever invented, you want people listening to YOU and not reading the slides. Spend time crafting the words you have to say, and make them resonate with people, let them feel how much they mean to you, instead of searching for pictures and pull-quotes.

I have to speak to large audiences pretty regularly as part of my job, and although I may use Powerpoint to provide a "corporate backdrop" it never has any of my material on it. At my last keynote (45mins), my first slide said "The good news is you've now seen half of my slides."

If you want something to make 'em pay attention, come on to a short clip of him playing - perhaps something from "Ten Summoner's."

Three minutes is not long. You can probably only explore three "lessons" VC has taught you in that time. Go for quality, not quantity. For the key part of each point you make, pick someone in the audience and look 'em right in the eye.

Your first couple of sentences has to hook people. Spend proportionately more time on them. Make sure they're easy to speak without fluffing and that you can say them without reading the notes.

Gags are remarkably hard to pull off and screw your timing, so don't be tempted to pepper it with one-liners.

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ September 13, 2005 04:26 AM: Message edited by: moosetication ]</font>

Vinnie is committed to excellence, a phrase often heard muttered in the world, but it seldom gets more than lip service anywhere except the arts or competitive sports. Vinnie is both respected and recognized (for his accomplishments) because of his commitments.

To improve one's self, situation or to improve the quality of life for another is the highest human endeavor. Fortunately there are millions of people on the planet who are positive and spiritual and genuine, like Vinnie. Unfortunately they're outnumbered by the kind of clod who will pull out in front of your car, not because he has time to make it, but because you have time to slow down.

It may sound sappy, sentimental or be oversimplifying the case but it's true: Being a great drummer can get you a good gig and being a great human being can get you into God's country.

The moose said:

Quote:

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Powerpoint is the greatest barrier to communication ever invented.

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I'd like to present moosetication with the Microsoft Telling-It-Like-It-Is Award for the third quarter.


And two cymbal chokes, old boy! [img]wink.gif[/img]

Hey great stuff so far,

I think that my school will probably really like me to do a powerpoint and i'll probably just use it to provide a sort of title page, just a picture and maybe a short video clip or something, i wanted to show his trading in chicks blue note tokyo video in humpty dumpty but thats 3 minutes in itself.

I'll have to introduce him and tell people what he does but i wont start with that and that will be a couple of lines, i want to really focus on what he has done for me and explain how the audience can apply this to guidelines of how to live their lifes (vinnie gives his all, he is honest, he is a people person and not just for the sake of being a people pleaser as he says himself, he is a one of a kind example in self-control and discipline (you gotta be disciplined to get that good) and he has good work ethics and he's just overall an amazing human being...i really hope this turns out well and that Vinnie manages to inspire someone who was listening to me speak. I also want to make sure that i convey what he means to me really really clearly.....

everything has to be so consice.

Well, while people here can give you little clues of what general topics to discuss, the majority has to be personal and coming from your own head. I am sure you know that, but here's an idea from me:

You know how Vinnie doesn't use a manager, but rather manages his schedule himself? Maybe you could mention that this it is an important quality in life to take things into your own hands and not sit around and expect to be spoon fed by everyone around you. What do you think?

Hey man,
Congratulations for the prefect award! Good stuff man!!!

Try to let people know what Vinnie means to you. Let them know how much he has inspired you to become a better drummer and therefor a better, more committed person.

His inspiring you (far aside from his own brilliance on the drumset) is more than enough to talk about for thirty minutes, let alone three. I think Moose is on the money when he says to play something of Vinnie's. Maybe something accessible so people can appreciate it without being blasted by drums - at the expense of understanding it...

Maybe play a few seconds of a tune, then turn it down and have it playing in the background whilst you make the rest of your speech.

Good luck my man, this is the first of great things, I'm sure! Rememeber to post a transcript of the final piece!!!

MP

Hey Guys,

Well I finished the piece today, i may change it as the days go by. The rehearsal for the assembly is on tuesday and the actual thing is on friday so i have plenty of time to add or change stuff.

There are so many feelings involved for me when i talk about Vinnie that its almost impossible for me to articulate them into a flowing, well written speech. All these words describing my feelings just want to burst out of me and i could go on for hours and hours, so 3 minutes is much harder for me in this situation then going up there for a few hours, i could do that with no problem due to the huge amount of stuff that i could say.

Anyways, here it is:

Vinnie Colaiuta: Inspiration

? To focus on a higher ideal and to really, really stay focused, because we are continually prompted to compare ourselves to others. For the benefit of learning, that can be great. But it's not good when it discourages you. You have to respect who you are because, at the end of the day, you are you - no matter where you go, how many different clothes you wear or how many new drums you buy; all of those things are just cosmetic - you're still there. So face it and deal with it. Because if you build your whole thing on being someone else, the floor could fall right out from under you at any moment. Play because you want to play, Love it and have fun doing it?

When session drummer Vinnie Colaiuta was asked in an interview, what advice he would give to someone who wanted to follow a career in drumming that was his reply. To me, in this response, Vinnie gave more than just a bit of career advice.

There have been so many things that I could say about him, and the inspiration he has provided me, that it would take a few more than the 3 minutes I have been given today. So, I am going to focus on what this quote has showed me, probably only scratching the surface of its meanings.

I believe this answer describes in a way the pop culture that exists today. Everybody is trying to make a statement through cosmetic elements, and not through themselves. Vinnie has taught me to take the positive things from everyone. To learn from and be inspired by people who you might usually feel threatened by. For example, I have always loved Vinnie?s playing, but during my early years as a player, Vinnie?s playing wouldn?t encourage me, when I listened to it, it would only discourage me and I would sit there thinking ?what?s the point in trying, I?ll never be as good as he is? But, as I read more about him through interviews he taught me to accept that it was impossible for me to be Vinnie, because we are all like waves in the ocean, every one of us is different. So I took a different line of thought and basically changed the way I looked at drumming and the way I approached life. Vinnie?s playing no longer discouraged me, it inspired me to practice more so that I could ensure I was the best I could possibly be.

Vinnie has also allowed me to see different aspects from a different perspective. When I first started playing drums, it was a hobby. Then I wanted to make it a career but I had decided not to due to its instability both financially and in terms of the lifestyle it may offer. But now I have realised, thanks to the last line of the quote, that this is what I really want. I HAD to play simply because that?s I wanted to do, and not on the variable of money. I now can?t imagine doing anything else. I have differed the time I spent worrying about if I would make money or not into practicing and worrying about my playing, and then I believe the rest will take care of itself. I have learnt to respect who I am and that I have to do what I most purely and honestly want, and not what will offer the most stable financial lifestyle.
Thanks to Vinnie I have learnt that it is best to have no regrets, to try and be the best that I can in everything, because in the end that is what will bring the most positive results.
To finish off I just want to say that everyone says that life is short, but if you?re unhappy I?m sure it can get very long, so choose something that you want to do and as Vinnie says ?love it and have fun doing it!?

By Daniel Sempere Pico

EDIT: i just changed a few words and phrases to make it flow a bit more! nothing big, not worth reading it over again
<font color="#a62a2a"><font size="1">[ September 18, 2005 11:56 PM: Message edited by: S.P ]</font></font>

<font color="#a62a2a"><font size="1">[ September 19, 2005 11:14 AM: Message edited by: S.P ]</font></font>

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ September 23, 2005 11:16 AM: Message edited by: S.P ]</font>

Quote:

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Originally posted by S.P:
...I could go on for hours and hours, so 3 minutes is much harder for me...

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">"I apologise for the length of this letter. Had I more time, it would have been shorter."

(Blaise Pascal)

haha nice quote moose and thanks for the compliments ebbz!

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ September 18, 2005 02:47 PM: Message edited by: S.P ]</font>

Yeah! S.P

That's beautiful!

You write... man.. You're hitting the spot!

SP

That for me is very good!
Have you Copyrighted it yet!! [img]wink.gif[/img]

Only Kidding
Good Work.

Thanks guys! really means a lot to me since this is coming straight from my heart. I still feel the writing style lacks a tiny bit of flow or just a little bit extra something but i would be happy to leave it as it is if i don't find what is wrong with it!

Btw, i realise it was slightly stupid of me to ask for advice on what to write about him because it should and it did come from my heart, but sometimes i feel that people here are very good at articulating what i feel about mr colaiuta in words which i often find so hard to do, so that was my reason for asking!

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ September 19, 2005 02:29 AM: Message edited by: S.P ]</font>

NICE WORK!! GOOD JOB!!

Good job, S.P! I think Mr. C. would be touched by your writing.

Man,

Thanks for posting that! You make a very elloquent and pointed argument about why we look up to people like Vinnie...

NICE JOB!!!!


MP

thanks guys, your approvals of what i wrote really mean a lot to me!

I started checking out Vinnie due to his playing but in the end as the months went by, i discovered that he was also an amazing human being and a great example to follow or at least to be inspired by!

Hey Guys!

Well i did the speech this morning. Had 2 powerpoint slides...one with vinnies point of view on of his own kit with the quote on it and then another collage of pictures.

It went really well, the principal afterwards made a point to emphasise what i had brought up in my speech (and nothing from the other head prefects [img]tongue.gif[/img] ) She said that specially now a days the point Vinnie had in his quote which i talked about was very important. To be true to yourself, respect who you are don't just do things because of what you think others will say or think of you.

Not to blow my own horn but after assembly and throughout the day i was congratulated by many teachers and was told that i truly inspired them. One of them even asked me if i would send him the quote! lol

So yeah, I'm not even happy for me man I'm happy for Vinnie because he's finally getting some recognition outside of the drumming community and he deserves it from being such a great human being. At least with this quote. I did this all for him, its my kind of way of paying tribute to him and to thank him and acknowledege what he has done for me!

Thanks Vinnie!

That sounds great. Congratulations. Glad it turned out well.