#4 Richard Huntington on finding focus and flow through singing

This Is Why We Sing

This episode’s conversation is with Richard Huntington, who is Chairman and Chief Strategy Officer at advertising firm Saatchi and Saatchi. Richard is evangelical about how singing can help you find focus and flow in everyday life. Having been a self-confessed ‘non singer’ for most of his adult life, we discuss how rediscovering his voice at a singing workshop at the Do Lectures in 2018 had a profound impact on his personal life.

We talk about:

-our relationship with songs as a listener and as a singer (and how these differ)

-Richard’s musical background and why he was ‘agnostic’ about singing

-exploring the relationship between masculinity and singing

-how singing helps us to be fully present and in the moment

-how singing creates the potential for flow

-bringing singing into the workplace for joy and connection

-how singing relates to Cal Newport’s idea of ‘deep work’

-the age of distraction and how singing can help us focus -the joy of the collective experience when singing with others

James’s talk at the Do Lectures:

https://vimeo.com/291831003

‘Sweetest Kick In The Heart’ from the Do Lectures workshop: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDBv6qLgl_E

Richard’s blog post ‘Singing Eats Strategy for Breakfast’ http://www.adliterate.com/2019/03/singing-eats-strategy-for-breakfast/

James’s website:

www.james-sills.com