Thriving in Volatility
The City of Chicago finally announced the change that we all knew was coming; summer 2020 is going to be different. Since 2005, Chicago’s Grant Park has played host to Lollapalooza. A Midwest music festival founded by Jane’s Addiction singer Perry Farrell, which unites a spectrum of people across all genres of music. Lolla, as it is affectionately called, is now a 4-day concert offering 300,000+ music-lovers an opportunity to experience an eclectic mix of rising stars, legends, and flavors-of-the-week. Yesterday, Lollapalooza was cancelled. In place of Lolla this year, the festival promoters plan to offer a weekend-long virtual event that will share music from around the world and include archival sets from past musical performances.
One such performance happened back in 2015. On a Saturday night in August, Metallica headlined the Samsung Galaxy stage and did not disappoint. Over the years, their music has been labeled heavy metal, speed metal, and thrash metal, but whatever you choose to call it, and whether or not you’re a fan, their artistry is undeniable. Metallica has been writing songs, playing music on their own terms, and living their dream for the past 34 years and they are still going strong.
Metallica’s history is a little bit of a Cinderella story involving an unknown teenage band making noise in a garage before becoming rock icons. However, Metallica has faced its share of challenges in a volatile marketplace. Not many people think of a band as a business, but it is exactly that. The same drive, passion, and leadership necessary to make a business successful are the same characteristics needed to withstand music trends and fickle fans.
Metallica experienced several band-threatening challenges along the way, including the devastating loss of Cliff Burton, the Napster suit, and a potential band-breakup following Jason Newsted’s departure. Collectively, they worked hard to make music that mattered and continued to grow as individuals. They refused to settle for the status quo. They allowed their convictions to drive their creativity. They did not fear being different. They were not discouraged by traditionalists, and through it all Metallica thrived.
The music industry is not alone in its volatility. Higher education, like many other industries, is experiencing tumultuous and chaotic times right now, unexpectedly brought about by a global pandemic. While some institutions continue to resist innovation, students are looking for ways to thrive in a changing world. Politicians are debating and revising regulations to reform education and institutions are struggling to understand how they can adapt to a new normal that may require them to pivot quickly yet again. Students continue to question whether to return to school in the fall or find other solutions that meet their needs.
Master of Puppets: After the departure of Jason Newsted, attributed to long-standing issues and health related matters, Metallica took a hard look into their band culture. They realized that their commercial success was no longer driving their professional happiness. It was time for them to “face their music” and determine the band’s future relevance within the music industry. Now is also higher education’s time to “face the music.” The way things have always been done are either no longer possible or desirable in the current circumstances or into the foreseeable future. We have grown complacent over the last several years and now need to use this time to adapt. It is a chance to rethink how education can be effectively delivered and focus less on seat-time and memorization. Higher education can promote flexibility and emphasize creativity while continuing to provide a supportive environment that clearly communicates its ongoing relevance. It is not only higher education that will look different, but so will the students who need to recover from the economic impact and adjust to a different way of life.
Wherever I May Roam: As part of its success, Metallica did not limit themselves to just their US fan base. Over the years, they have continued to win over new fans by ignoring cultural boundaries and touring internationally. Metallica continues to grow its followers and make music that is identifiable with people across all walks of life.Technology offered a solution for higher education to continue serving students and identify solutions given the restrictions imposed by the global pandemic. While the shift to online education was a short-term fix for some institutions or part of an accelerated strategic plan for others, students were able to continue and complete their degrees. Not only did technology allow institutions to change, but emergency regulations were put in place to support this quick transition. The higher education community came together to offer solutions that several months ago most people would have thought impossible. The question becomes, what we will do to continue breaking down the barriers for students to access quality education now that we know we can? We need to seize the opportunity.
The Struggle Within: Before Metallica could continue as a band, there came a point when they needed to confront their demons. They needed to embark on a journey of self-discovery to assess their needs as individuals and as artists. They needed to work on themselves before they could continue to create music that could connect with others. Higher education is experiencing a similar internal struggle. The traditions of the past seem to conflict with the needs for the future. The old-University elitism is becoming less desirable in favor of accessibility for the masses. The way to affect the equitable and meaningful change we all want to see begins by removing barriers to students’ success. Rigid regulations, inflexible schedules, expensive textbooks, and high tuition costs are no longer viewed as a badge of honor, but as a barrier to better opportunities. Before higher education can begin to meet the needs of the future, it needs to confront the traditions of the past that are crippling its ability to implement solutions for a world changed by an unanticipated global pandemic.
Higher education is faced with a choice, to thrive in an unpredictable world or to crumble into chaos allowing external pressures to drive change. Predictability and stability lead to mediocrity. Higher education has an important window of opportunity disguised as a challenge--to look beyond what was and see what is now possible. Relevance can never be taken for granted but needs to be earned every day.
“…open mind for a different view, and nothing else matters.” ~ Metallica
