Completely magical meeting with The Zanders – a mood report

“I would also like to thank you very much for the intense time with you in Boston. I felt that it had a height and a depth that I have not experienced since Hawk in Module 3. I arrived home with ‘shining eyes’ and a load of energy. Thank you for your openness and for your comments, approach and presence helping me on my way.”

At the end of February, 10 Captains were in Boston to meet Benjamin Zander, conductor of the Boston Philharmonic, and participate in an intense, three-day workshop with Rosamund Zander, Ben’s wife. This turned out to be a completely incomparable and very spectacular experience – so special that the Captains Network subsequently chose to sponsor a musician in the symphony orchestra.

After four days with constant shining eyes it is difficult to extinguish them again. It becomes a mode of existence. The meeting with Ben was perfect, but it was Roz who was the real hit – as a female and older version of Hawk(!).

Ben, oh Ben
Firstly, it was fantastic to confirm that Ben is just as energetic and animated as in the videos we always show on Module 1 – e.g. the one about ‘shining eyes’. We experienced two Mahler concerts and before, during and after the concerts Ben stood among the audience in the foyer and greeted everyone, provided little loving comments and took it upon himself personally to lift the atmosphere to new heights.

Before both concerts Ben – of course – did his famous pre-concert talks where he vividly described the concert, his interpretation of the work and little anecdotes about the musicians – everything contributed to giving us pegs on which to hang our perception of the work. After the Saturday concert Ben invited us back to his place and there the talk continued about music, life, leadership – and everything associated with it...



Photo: From left: Michéle Gundstrup, Benjamin Zander and Christer Gaardmand Zäll. Note the ‘stereo system’ on the right of the picture.

Super Roz
Roz and Ben are not actually married – they have been separated for 25 years. But they live very close to each other – each in their own villa in Cambridge, Boston. Roz has been to all of Ben’s concerts in all the time they have known each other – she has not missed one single concert. At each concert she sits a couple of rows back in the auditorium and acts as a beacon for the conductor. Ben says he can feel her presence during the entire concert.

During the meeting with The Zanders it became clear that Roz is behind everything Ben does. Or rather: She is really the one who thinks of everything and he then realises it. Roz is the stroke of genius behind Ben. She is the one who comes up with the ideas when Ben reaches a deadlock like when his students become so competitive with each other – and themselves – that it ruins his teaching. Then Roz is the one to come up with the concept of awarding an A from the start to shift the focus from competitiveness to the individual student’s development of growing into that A. A huge responsibility – because then it is suddenly about teaching the person based on what that musician potentially will be rather than what that person is today.

From the moment we stepped into Roz’s living room (because that is where the workshop took place), it was like coming home. In her whole charisma and more or less discreet way of addressing important issues she reminded us of the warrior/victim concept, the responsibility for our own lives and the responsibility for how we react to our surroundings. Roz’s presentation and manner were in many ways a continuation or new dimension of the thoughts we work on in Module 3 and Natural Leadership. So fine, so genuine and with so much humour. We laughed, we cried, we were very moved, became happy, energetic, relieved – and in between we listened to first one and then the other Mahler concert. Mahler’s 9th symphony – a beautiful, beautiful opus about life and death, love and hate, frustration and clarity. About life. And everything it entails. Magical.

We are seriously considering organising a special Master Class in Boston for all Natural Leaders – i.e. Pathfinders who have taken the Natural Leadership course. Read why here:

“Thank you for everything – it was huge! I have been full of energy since we parted and am still experiencing a vibrating, happy kind of energy.”

“Our Pathfinder experiences exceed each other every time – how will it end? Your stories made a big impression and will provide inspiration in your daily lives both at home and at work. I was inspired by Ben’s passion, spirit and will – that man can move mountains. The experience with Roz was very strong and gave a good impetus for the future.”

“Thank you for four wonderful days. It has been a great privilege to be surrounded by eyes that over the four days became shinier and shinier. Thank you for all your stories and experiences which have been such an inspiration and source of understanding and learning for me. It is in every way a wonderfully sunny spring we have come home to.”

“Also from me a warm, open-hearted and happy thank you for these fantastic days in your presence and hearts. It has truly become spring inside me and we succeeded today in making the sun in Copenhagen have shining eyes.... oh, no, wait, I probably can’t take credit for that.”

“I really don’t know what I can add to what has already been written…it was huge, it was fantastic, SO interesting and rewarding in a dimension that I am still deeply moved by.”

“Incredible with all that energy that being in Boston with you has given me. I enjoyed every second and didn’t just learn a lot, but took a lot of POSSIBILITIES away with me – those possibilities were probably there before, but now I can suddenly see them and that gives me joy, energy and the courage to do so much. Sooo, when Ben looked me in the eye and said: “After this weekend your lives are not going to be the same,” after which he smiled and laughed happily that Thursday before the concert, well, he was right – great gift to get……”