Posted by BJ
While driving the other day my wife and I were discussing the first music either of us had purchased. As is usually the case for us, we had music playing (for those interested in such things, the song on at the moment was Eric Clapton’s version of Crossroads.)I fondly recalled the first album I ever purchased, at the ripe old age of 11. It was Gary Lewis’ This Diamond Ring. (Those who are old enough to remember this tune, definitely before Jon’s time, may well recall the song, and the lyrics might come easily to mind. In my case, they didn’t, which, as those who know me will tell you, is VERY unusual for me.
Now, sometimes having music on while trying to recall another song can be helpful. Other times, the music playing can be extremely distracting. That was the case while I listened to Eric Clapton play the blues and tried to recall the words to this 60’s pop tune.
So I tried an experiment.. I decided to leave the music playing and see if I could recall the lyrics, which I once knew well and which I was sure were in my memory banks somewhere. I tried for the several minutes of the Clapton tune to recall the lyrics without success. Then, as soon as the song stopped, the lyrics almost immediately came to mind.
I think this is something that happens within proposals. There’s a tendency to want to present multiple and often somewhat disconnected messages and/or themes and more rather than less information.
All of this vies for the reader’s attention and makes it difficult, perhaps impossible to discern a clear message and theme (the melody), let alone remember it (the lyrics) after the review has been completed.
Sticking to one tune and keeping things simple is definitely the way to go.
While driving the other day my wife and I were discussing the first music either of us had purchased. As is usually the case for us, we had music playing (for those interested in such things, the song on at the moment was Eric Clapton’s version of Crossroads.)I fondly recalled the first album I ever purchased, at the ripe old age of 11. It was Gary Lewis’ This Diamond Ring. (Those who are old enough to remember this tune, definitely before Jon’s time, may well recall the song, and the lyrics might come easily to mind. In my case, they didn’t, which, as those who know me will tell you, is VERY unusual for me.
Now, sometimes having music on while trying to recall another song can be helpful. Other times, the music playing can be extremely distracting. That was the case while I listened to Eric Clapton play the blues and tried to recall the words to this 60’s pop tune.
So I tried an experiment.. I decided to leave the music playing and see if I could recall the lyrics, which I once knew well and which I was sure were in my memory banks somewhere. I tried for the several minutes of the Clapton tune to recall the lyrics without success. Then, as soon as the song stopped, the lyrics almost immediately came to mind.
I think this is something that happens within proposals. There’s a tendency to want to present multiple and often somewhat disconnected messages and/or themes and more rather than less information.
All of this vies for the reader’s attention and makes it difficult, perhaps impossible to discern a clear message and theme (the melody), let alone remember it (the lyrics) after the review has been completed.
Sticking to one tune and keeping things simple is definitely the way to go.