Why those with a music background often make great CSO's, CIO's, CxO (more than enough empirical scientific evidence as matter of fact)

Contrary to the trending opinion relating to if a music major makes a good CSO, I am going to take the side that they do in many cases. That is not to say, in lieu of significant, IT security experience, strong financial and legal background. I still have my issues with Equifax fiasco in 2017, which as writing this revision, just now received and email that they settled in a class action suit for damages to victims of 125 dollars, and free credit monitoring per victim. That's a kin to asking Mrs. Lincoln how did she enjoy the play, but I want to explain a few things, that you wouldn’t know about someone which such a background, got into IT security from starting in music.

It wasn’t long ago, I was in a room of strangers in Austin, TX – say 20 people totals, all IT Security, CSO, Risk Management folks. Various ages, level of professional achievement. All were asked to go around the room and state aloud, what was your real passion while growing up, what you majored in college? 18 of 20, including myself, said music (in fairness, now that’s not stating the major they graduated in.) Everyone in the room was equally shocked, because it’s not something on a resume, or you talk about in a seminar on data governance. For a serious proof on this matter, read the following, and it really reinforces what this whole paper is about. The names in this PepWear article will surprise you and their open and candor insistence that music as child attributed to them becoming house hold names of the ultimate examples of success outside of music, because of it.

Now I started thinking about why, then remembered a conversation with a colleague a few years ago. I knew and worked closely for my whole IT security career, and what must have been the 100th happy hour with him over the countless meetings and time spent together about ten years and friendship - the same subject came up, how it did is still a mystery, but I mentioned I was a trumpet player, drum major, scholarship NCAA Division I – (means that all 300 of you are really good), jazz, marching, symphony, etc. He responds, “I am actually a bass trombone player, worked with legends, Sinatra, Stevie Wonder, (I am looking for my jaw at this time so I didn’t get the complete list but legends) So I ask him, as long as we’ve known and worked together we find a common genesis, each other that had never risen in countless meetings and happy hours - our common background in music and we both end up successful IT security, technical, risk management, business owners? Asking him the obvious question, "With a resume like that, why didn't you keep going?" His, answer – “How many bass trombone albums do you own?” So that we both giggled at, made a toast. 

My whole life until the day I met the late Dan Carslile, then Director of Oklahoma State's CIS Client Services Division, on the way to - yes band practice - looking for a part time lab monitor job (that’s a whole other book I am about half through) it was music that largely defined me. From that meeting lasting 30 minutes, for the next 25 years, went from music to, as was then and now to IT, IT security, entrepreneur, licensed fiduciary, risk management, "reading the law" learning and adapting / integrating to completely new professional grade skills and knowledge should be very different how does a life as a small child to college, largely devoted to mastering music to rapidly, give one later in life to adapt and lead in other subject matters, in some cases licensed and complex professions that are not on the surface anyway related.

Such as, to people driven human relationship fields of sales and marketing, to otherwise silo fields as medical, medical technology, biology, the hard-core science like physics and gene therapy, technical highly technical, complex specialties such as financial services and insurance, legal, engineering etc., to bold brave pioneers, who come up with a creative, industry changing technology and turn it from back of napkin to the hands down authority in the market place.

How do you get an elastic brain who can synthesize, knowledge, skills, talent successfully - horizontally, measured in some times minutes, weeks or months and yet not years and in most cases a lifetime? Because the fundamental in music's bedrock - the diverse skill sets, discipline, team work, obsessive passion to compete and win, perform in front of large crowds, held to a higher community and social standard. Can that derive from requirements from a life holding a trumpet? Often it is that core, the underpinnings that make you great at anything you wanted or needed of you during the rest of your life that give one the special talent and courage to succeed horizontally or connect the dots, to form a whole new thing.

So, what makes a CSO, CISO, CxO (or any other unrelated successful professional) from a musician?   

Oh, I need to qualify here. This doesn’t include, those (no disrespect intended) that quit in Jr. High, etc. and call that a real music background. You hadn't had to get to the really hard stuff, that happens in high school, division I college, and or DCI.) 

What I mean by this are those from childhood to today were part of large programs competing for state championships every year, made it to the big leagues, (think division I colleges) played in, - corps, DCI, (which is the NFL of what a layman thinks a really good marching band is - its far more than that)  That’s what I am referring to, I’ll add some links later about what I am talking about.

Here are the skills and things you have to have in this tutelage to reach that level of success and performance:

Dedication. You might start at 10 years old for something you just dream about being worth doing 12 years later. During this decade, it will cost you most of your summer vacations, about 6 to 24 hours a day, put you through Hell, you will bleed, you will hurt, freeze, pass out of exhaustion and heat, puke, you will bond, and you might die. Sadly, the last is true and through this matriculation. All of this will become increasingly harder, compounded so, more competitive and you will do this daily, with professionalism, discipline, the hope and dreams of an entire town's pride, it's brand’s equity, (your community, town, university, traditions are on your shoulders, Atlas) and you can’t screw up. (Anyone dare to put that one on a corporate hire requisition for a CSO?)

Time Requirements from middle school to jr. high to high school and college:

Age 10 to 14, about 3 hrs. a day

Age 14 to 18, about 6 hrs. a day

(start at 6 AM, finish 9 AM, change clothes because you stink from the physical requirements of an athlete – normal school day- then PM rehearsals – sectionals) Sleep is when you can get it. On top of requiring by state law, maintaining a minimum GPA for eligibility I think of a 2.75 or greater (that’s all 250 people)

Because sacrifice to the cause, a belief is a core requirement to being a leader in business. You’ve given up half of your summer vacation, memorizing complex moves & music that would be hard enough to play sitting down, more less moving at full speed in a wool uniform. These days are 100+ heat, corporal punishment for the slightest error, and meritocracy is the biggest sin, because someone, somewhere in the same 24-hour day you were given, showed up 5 minutes earlier and stayed minutes longer, they will always win, and you will always lose, and deserve to. This continues from late July to late October, 100+ heat, to minus 10 degrees. It didn’t matter, yet ? of a high school of around 800 graduating 130 ish and always had three of four National Merit Scholars and at least two or three with 1500 on their SAT’s signed up for this punishment, pain, and pride, for four years - that's just in high school ? Why not just be part of the yearbook team or glee club? Also reaching back further to the age of 10 years old to get the chance for all this? So this drive, sacrifice, obsession, daring yet regimented environment, incubated from day one in music, has the ingredients to result in success at any further endeavor, Care to come to a conclusion yet? Don’t yet, I have just begun.

You perform in front of a whole town who came to the game to see you and are broadcasted weekly, live, on a 100,000 watt transmitter to listeners in a tri-state area. (or nationally – no eraser, again, don’t screw up. BTW, this just for one 15-minute show, that you progressively train and perfect for a state championship. 10 years and counting so don’t be the screw up that costs you the prize of shame your whole community is counting on. The salient point for later reference is this whole thing is for one show that you will perform for a state-wide audience, all this months of work is for one show, lasting 15 minutes.

Age, sex, color, religion, social status, etc. did not dictate rank, or opportunity to be the best - music does not discriminate, talent, skill, and will power, work ethic were why as a freshman, you can be sitting in first chair. At any time, a freshman can take on a senior and if he beats him / her, that position is theirs, but now comes with the leadership responsibility that comes with it. These tests were mostly all blind, often involving third parties to rate the scores to eliminate nepotism. This does two things in the mind. 1) It reinforces that anything is possible, that requirements, years of experience, certifications for a job are mostly just guidelines, suggestions, not hard fact and even if it were, that's just something to do, get, rather than a show stopper. 2) That with that leadership and status, come responsibility, you don't get to work less, you must work harder, and this is backed up by our biology, and explained perfectly in Simon Sinek's "Why Leaders Eat Last" - a MUST watch if you've ever wonder what makes us tick and survive and the social contracts that are deep seated in all of us.

Age 18 + College Big 12 Division I Scholarship – Take everything I just mentioned orders of magnitude.

Again, this is what we lived for, everyone was good, I mean bad ass, about 30% of us came from DCI Division I Corps, the lead snare during my tenure was the lead snare of SCV. The trumpet player sitting next to me, just got back from a summer with Phantom Regiment (Sorry if you don’t get this I can’t help you with the acronyms, Google is your friend here) From the age of 10, everything I described above was finally realized. We could punch so hard, it would split your hair back. Everyone were experts, people played and crowds lined up to hear you play or warm up.

Those choosing to become professional musicians go the step further to complete a mastery. A whole level higher. A peer review of juries made up of only - you guessed it, other masters (as scientists and other professionals do) Continuing education requirements, and you’re never done. Try the years it takes to master circular breathing as a brass player. (That’s breathing in though the nose and breathing out at the same time maintain and uninterrupted air stream – holding a note in perfect pitch for minutes) or hitting a triple G on a standard trumpet? And (trumpet players) had a 100+ year old standard yardstick, called the Arban’s book, written by Jean-Baptiste Arban, that is the standard of mastery required to this day. Best recognized in “Variations on the Carnival of Venice" and with truly sadistic technical requirements in the 4th variation” If you can make it through that, you've done something, so just as in business and professionals industries, are subject to certain standards, compliance and time honored yard sticks of competency, by law or regulatory boards and commissions this is something a musical back-grounded person feels natural, as a matter of fact applying this reality to other professions and industries. Remember, you’ve been trying to get here from the age of ten, but at that point, it's anti-climatic, because you are conditioned from that early age, mantra of "if you do these things, this way, this result happens. It's "codified" an equation that largely goes unrecognized as a musician until you find that operating in that mindset in most part ensures the outcome of success no matter the industry" So you move on, you don’t get a certificate, a pat on the back, because you signed up for this, and repeated to do so since a small child, therefor you don’t get a anything, other than onto the next challenge. This mind set is why you find successful professionals in leadership roles working outside of music professionals as what pays the mortgage.

In regards to core skills, and "transference" It has long been recognized the "art meets science" STRONG relationship between math and music. This is no better illustrated in a Jazz piece titled "Giant Steps" by jazz legend John Coltrane" this short informative overview shows the strong math and science relationship as it relates to the most quantum non-conformist genre, as standard rules don't apply to begin with - the field of modern music - jazz and particularly the math and science in understand the how and why things work (hear) the way they do, over-laid with using creativity and innovation i.e., improvisation is in my mind and experience the best example and simply explained relationships between the two. This really enforces why music, translates into non music based industries and world changing leaders.

I will start off with creativity, and synthesis (hallmarks of intelligence) and my support and reasoning why a CxO are leaders that often come from a music background. In researching beyond my own personal experience and observations, I found the following article that I think explains best my views in a consumable 10 point fashion,

Back to time requirements - i.e., time management skills required to be a successful business leader. Remember you are in college and an in my case executive (president) of a fraternity, that is a multi-million-dollar business and has a risk rating south of a toxic waste dump. So, class-load, band, a job, and let’s face it - co-eds! Additionally in my case fraternity life as the newly elected president. Coupled with new freedoms, new chemical and social influences not previously existed in your then life experience.

Summed up best by Kevin Costner and Judd Nelson in the GREAT movie Fandango (their first and one of their better roles) [spoiler] "Here's to us by God.. to us.. and that.. and privileges of youth.. Here's to us and what we were .. ...and what we'll be ... .. and what we'll be..."

... but because you were in band, marching band, jazz band, symphony and the schedule and pressures to perform perfectly as an individual and as a team, this was already status quo. I don't believe you can really learn time management under those conditions at 18, these skills, discipline and mental temperament are wired much earlier in life, through your participation in a high standards music program, and conclude to both succeeding in college, and professional success.

This was recently reinforced from a recently released clip from my old stomping grounds, and as I as an alumnus of the Oklahoma State Marching Band, co-incited with another recent similar event motivated me to further update and revise this paper. (now, admit I was a little critical of modifying the "run on" by not having the full knee to chest kick on every 4th count and running speed down a football field which is amazing physically difficult and more than a little dangerous, so I get the feeling some softening of the standards here)

Report to duty on Aug 20th. For “reconditioning” Everything you would spent a year doing in high school, is now compressed to have to do every week. New show, new music, new everything, so what you did in months before for a full year to perfect, became, a weekly activity, all new, expectations raised. You are only playing in a nationally broadcast live show.

How we did it was this:

Consider this people flunked out of BIG 12 division I school because of over the hundreds of rehearsals something went wrong and in a year, were one second late, 4 times in a year of such, do the math, you’ve been kick out of school by 4 discrete, 1 second mistakes over a hundred or more practices and class in a semester. Translation to IT, data security and risk management, the hacker only has to be right once, you however have to be right every time, all the time. 

Monday – 7 AM on your spot by whistle blow. Again, one second late, after the blowing of the whistle = a - letter grade. (no matter the reason)

Tuesday- 7 PM – Expected memorization of music

Wed – 7 AM – Expected moves and music memorized

Friday - 7 AM – Dress Rehearsal 1

Sat – 7 AM Dress Rehearsal 2

Sat – 11 AM, (or depending on kick off) In the tunnel, with a 2000 lb. horse who has never practiced with you, at full speed doing blind moves to HOPE TO HELL Bullet doesn’t freak out at kill you. This is all after doing the “run on” which is the most physically challenging thing I have ever done.

Sat – All day, play through the game.

Sat – End of the game, to a full reprisal of the show, plus the Alma Mater. First to show, last to go is not an exaggeration at all.

(Oh, and the whistle blow applied to everything, Jazz, Marching, Symphony, etc. You never missed – ever, a letter grade per one second miss, with 15 hrs of credit, with 100 at least practices per semester - and you are a college student, with class loads, new found thing called college girls, and running a business, it was some of the fastest running I’ve ever done to be at attention in exactly the right spot when the whistle blows, so Friday 7 AM and Saturday - depending on game time - were the hardest because of the obvious social requirements of the nights before)

It’s Sunday at this point, and you put your gear up. You smell, so all you can do is walk home and wash off, because the next show practice begins on Monday 7 AM. Repeat and rinse.

I am not giving a hall pass on Equifax, having taken the time this eve to fill out my request for my MAYBE 125 dollars, but I haven’t investigated further enough to pass judgement on the root cause of the breach was that the CIO was a music major, not a "academically" professionally trained computer science and with an MBA in business. So if this was the right hire or not? I also strongly believe in the convergence of medical, legal, cyber, IT security and governance, access management, behavioral based policies, and a background in music with operational time in the field and continue to be at the front of the industry would make for a better leader and executive, than a more traditional academic or industry defined directions and requirements. Ultimately homogenizing and threatening to stale innovation in the industry, especially in IT security. Hackers and others meaning to do you harm are creative, patient and innovative. Having someone with a core built on a music background may inject not only natural skills discipline, mindset, passion, obsession to detail, yet can innovate and recognize context better than others. Lastly if you sleep with dogs, you will wake up with fleas.

Respectfully:

Jason Thomas Razien