International Coach Federation

November 2-3, 2007 | Long Beach, CA

After Face The Music’s program at the 2006 ICF conference in St. Louis, they called us back and said that our program had gotten some of the highest marks they’ve ever seen, and that the performances of the Face The Music groups at the Gala dinner were well received and got high kudos from participants—can we come back and do it again? Heck, why not? The coaching crowd make great participants, on the whole they are creative, outgoing, introspective, and like to have a good time.

Saturday night was Gala Night at the 2007 International Coach Federation Annual Conference. Over a hundred tables in a big ballroom, and it’s time to eat well, have a few drinks, and make a party of it. In 2006, after our Face The Music breakout session, we were at the gala talking to the organizers, and told them, “You know, we’re here already, everybody seems to know us and like us, why don’t you have us play for the gala, too?”

Well, we’re known for our interactive songwriting sessions, and helping people get at their business issues in new and innovative ways, so it doesn’t always occur to our clients (especially if they haven’t visited our website) that we can do a dynamite job as a dance band. They said, “Hey, let’s go for it.”

Following the after dinner speeches and awards, the MC introduced Face The Music, and Paul got up to the podium to talk about what we had done in the afternoon. Four groups from the breakout session were chosen to play at the gala, so out they came to sing their coaching blues. The performances were a big hit with the crowd, as they cheered, sang along, and gave standing ovations to the groups. The song that was half in Japanese, and half in English was a particular hit. By the end of the performances the place was buzzing⎯now it was time to cut the rug.

The ICF members are enthusiastic dancers, and the floor couldn’t hold everyone as the dancers spilled out in between the tables. Rock, Blues, Motown, Disco, Classics…the band played them all. At one point, about eight women came on stage to sing backup to “R-E-S-P-E-C-T”. The celebration went on well into the night. There was a lot of good feedback from the participants on the energy, enthusiasm, talent, and the authentic feel of the band. Three sets after starting, we were almost sorry to pack it in.