This post is part of a series I’m writing about things Music-in-Canada can learn from Hockey-in-Canada.

• Lesson #1: Hockey Brings People Together
• Lesson #2: Hockey is Anytime, Anywhere!
• Lesson #3: Hockey is Spontaneous
• Lesson #4: Hockey is Simply Structured
• Lesson #5: Hockey Creates Feedback Loops
• Lesson #6: There are No Undergraduate Degrees in Hockey
• Lesson #7: Hockey Supports Connection and Feedback

Hockey is Spontaneous

Spontaneity makes hockey exciting; you never know how a game will unfold.

A goal could be scored anytime, anyhow.  A body check could happen anytime, anywhere, anyhow.  A player could suddenly show superior skill and undress a defender.  Maybe a fight will break out!

These things and many more make hockey fun to watch and fun to play.

Compare this to music:  Most music performances are heavily scripted.  I was recently booked for a performance in 2012, over a year from now.  The organizers asked me to provide a program, piece-by-piece, of everything I plan to perform that day.

When you attend a symphony performance, every piece is thoroughly rehearsed, programmed and performed note-for-note as written in the score.  Nothing is left to chance.  Do you know what would make classical concerts more exciting?  Genuine, unscripted events.

Televised music performances, of any genre, suffer from this too.  When you watch award ceremonies, every performance, every beat, every commercial, every speaker, every camera angle and every special effect is rigidly structured.  Again, nothing is left to chance.  When you separate out the hype and the glamour from the performances, these shows are actually very bland and unexciting.

This is why American Idol enjoys so much success.  Not only are the competition results unscripted, but also, while watching amateur singers perform, audiences know that anything can happen!

That creates excitement, just as Don Cherry does.  You never know what he’s going to say, not even the TV network!