Latest news with #LessonsLearned
Epoch Times
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Epoch Times
Teachable Moments: John Michael Montgomery's ‘Life's a Dance'
Roman Emperor and Stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius once said, 'The art of living is more like wrestling than dancing.' However, if you ask country singer John Michael Montgomery what the art of living is like, he'd probably disagree. For him, life is all about the art of the dance, and his breakout hit, 'Life's a Dance,' embodies this philosophical outlook. The classic country song provides moral support while guiding listeners on how to gracefully navigate life's ups and downs. Lessons Learned A detail of John Michael Montgomery's 1992 album cover for "Life's A Dance." Internet Archive. Public Domain In the fall of 1992, Montgomery released the leading single and title track to his debut album, 'Life's a Dance.' The folksy country song with a memorable violin riff opens with the narrator missing out on a chance at young love because he was too scared to talk to the girl he fancied. This missed opportunity acts as the catalyst for the message of the song, which is driven home by the chorus lyrics. Life's a dance You learn as you go Sometimes you lead Sometimes you follow. As listeners follow along with the narrator's journey, a coming-of-age story takes place, with many lessons learned, including how to communicate effectively and embrace adversit y. The longer I live the more I believe, You do have to give if you wanna receive There's a time to listen, a time to talk And you might have to crawl even after you walk. From the Back Porch to the Stage The single's gentle nature and lyrical honesty regarding life's highs and lows resonated with country music listeners in the early 1990s. 'Life's a Dance' climbed all the way to the fourth spot on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart, creating a solid foundation for the performer. Several number one hits followed, including 'I Love the Way You Love Me,' the follow up to his debut 'Life's a Dance' single. Though Montgomery didn't realize it at the time, songs like 'Life's a Dance' were more milestones than stepping stones—ones that would set him up as a performer of timeless country songs, whose specialty is found in the contemplative and romantic ballad. During an Related Stories 5/7/2025 4/28/2025 'I think back to when I was just playing … in Central Kentucky, and Lexington, I didn't have a clue what was going to happen. I knew I was going to be picking and singing the rest of my life, whether that was on somebody's back porch or on the stage.' He continued, sharing how the tune, penned by songwriters Steve Seskin and Allen Shamblin, reflected much of his own life as well. 'I was fortunate enough to be discovered here in Kentucky, and to be able to come up with a song like 'Life's a Dance' to kick the career off, that's pretty much how my life was—my dad was a guitar player and singer, and my mom played drums and sang. … It was a really cool way of growing up.' Included in his musical family is brother Eddie Montgomery, one-half of the country music duo, Montgomery Gentry. In 2017, Troy Gentry passed away in a tragic helicopter accident. Eddie still performs under their band's name in honor of his dear friend and late music partner. A 'Funny Part to the Story' A compact disc insert with John Michael Montgomery's portrait from his 1992 album "Life's A Dance." Internet Archive. Public Domain Despite his unexpected, rapid success with 'Life's a Dance,' there was a time when a fan could hear Montgomery play his hit single for just a few dollars. Even after the song debuted, he fulfilled his show commitments to several modest live music venues in Lexington, Kentucky. He referred to this time during his early performance days as a 'funny part to the story.' 'I had some shows booked off of 'Life's a Dance,' but they weren't until down the road. I've still got to make a living. You could pay five bucks to come in and hear me sing 'Life's a Dance.'' Recently, Montgomery 'I'll never forget the first time I stepped foot on a tour bus for my first show back in 1992, with my first single 'Life's a Dance' just coming out on radio. It was so surreal to me. And of course like any new artist would, I worried about how long it would last and hoped it would not be a 'flash in the pan' career. So every album, every song, and every year of being able to do what I love for so many years, and for the fans who have supported me and my music, I've cherished those moments very deeply.' Whether playing for large arena crowds or an intimate venue, Montgomery views his gifts of making music and sharing it with people as a blessing. 'I'm enjoying my life getting to go up and down the road singing the hits I was fortunate to have, and the fans still seem to enjoy them. I love being on the road picking and singing—that was always my biggest reason for being in the music business and to be able to get up on stage and sing songs for people is something I am blessed to do.' What arts and culture topics would you like us to cover? Please email ideas or feedback to
New York Times
31-01-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
The Chiefs could have been better, five 2025 what-ifs, plus the Giants trade-up possibilities
Inside: Three great stories to read, two prop bets and some big what-ifs for 2025. First, I wanted to shoutout 'The Athletic Football Show' for its Lessons Learned episode. If you want to understand how teams won in 2024, this episode with Robert Mays, Derrik Klassen and old friend Nate Tice is a must-listen. Onward. This article is from Scoop City, The Athletic's daily NFL newsletter. Sign up here to receive it directly in your inbox. Yesterday, James Boyd and Austin Mock took an alternative look at the 2024 season — one in which Jayden Daniels went No. 1 to Chicago, Saquon Barkley stayed in New York and my Bengals had a league-average defense. (A guy can dream!) One that's often overlooked: What if Chiefs WR Rashee Rice stayed healthy? Advertisement It's a distant memory now, but Rice's three healthy 2024 games had him on pace to finish with 136 catches for 1,632 yards and 11 touchdowns. That's a small sample to extrapolate, but Rice was thriving as Kansas City's No. 1 receiver. Amazing that they lost him that early and still went 15-2 en route to winning the AFC. For the full list of what-ifs, read the article here. Inspired by that list, I wanted to look ahead to 2025. What if … The Steelers sign Aaron Rodgers? The Super Bowl window for Pittsburgh's aging defense keeps shrinking, while Rodgers will be another year removed from an Achilles injury and the plethora of minor injuries that hampered him in 2024. Can the 41-year-old pull another Brett Favre? (At 40, Favre led the Vikings to the NFC Championship after a brief stint with … the Jets.) Speaking of Minnesota: The Raiders sign Sam Darnold? Alec Lewis detailed Darnold's free-agent options, noting that of the QB-needy teams, none have more cap space than Las Vegas. The 27-year-old Darnold would benefit from a decent offensive line, TE Brock Bowers and perhaps some time with minority owner Tom Brady. Khalil Mack returns to the Bears? While their offensive line needs most of the assistance, this defensive line could also use help. Chicago allowed opposing QBs the league's second-most time to throw (3.1 seconds). The 33-year-old Mack would meet this glaring need better than any other free agent while building on his four-year legacy in Chicago. The Broncos sign Aaron Jones? This would give Sean Payton the reliable runner he's craved since landing in Denver. Fresh off a career-high 1,138 rushing yards, the 30-year-old Jones can replace impending free agent Javonte Williams, becoming the Alvin Kamara to Audric Estime's Mark Ingram in Payton's system. The Patriots trade for Brandon Aiyuk? Finally! Following his early-season injury in October, and with 2024 first-round WR Ricky Pearsall ready to break out, all while a massive Brock Purdy extension looms, the 49ers' asking price should be cheaper than before. Meanwhile, the Mike Vrabel-Drake Maye Patriots are now more attractive for Aiyuk, who would give Maye a desperately needed No. 1 receiving option. (If not Aiyuk, expect New England to bid heavily for Tee Higgins.) On the latest episode of the 'Scoop City' podcast, co-host Chase Daniel and I dipped our toes into the draft. Chase explained why, if there's a quarterback worth trading up for, it's probably Miami's Cam Ward. And I made the point that the team trading up for him should be the Giants, currently sitting with the third pick. Advertisement This is a make-or-break year for GM Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll. Landing the right quarterback is the best — and maybe only — way they can make it through 2025. I wouldn't be surprised if they made a call to Tennessee, trying to make sure they can get the quarterback they want. Back to you, Jacob. Every Friday, I share three stories from The Athletic that you might have missed. In 2024, Jayden Daniels went No. 2 and outplayed Caleb Williams. Same story in 2023, with C.J. Stroud and Bryce Young. That would've been the best-case scenario for the 2021 Jets, who spent the No. 2 pick on Zach Wilson. But instead of outshining No. 1 pick Trevor Lawrence, Wilson is now competing with Denver's scout team. Don't give up yet, though — Nick Kosmider explains why the 25-year-old free agent still looks like a starter. Upon returning to the NFL last month, some Lions teammates referred to Teddy Bridgewater as 'Coach Teddy.' That's the title he'd earned at his high school alma mater, Miami Northwestern, where days prior, he'd finished coaching a state championship team. Bridgewater's fascinating journey is explained by Dan Pompei. One reader commented: 'Best story that I've read in a long time. Made my day. Thank you.' 'You would think he was a soccer dad or something,' former Chiefs receiver Tyreek Hill once said when discussing the dad bod build of Patrick Mahomes. But Kansas City's quarterback isn't the only superstar athlete changing our traditional ideas of fitness. Rustin Dodd explains what we get wrong about athleticism. Six massage therapists accused Ravens K Justin Tucker of sexual misconduct, per a Baltimore Banner investigative report. In a statement, Tucker called the allegations 'unequivocally false.' Here's what we know. The Skills Showdown was last night, with Jared Goff winning the Precision Passing challenge (seriously). Coverage for the actual Pro Bowl — which now includes a relay race, tug-of-war, game of Madden and punting challenge — starts on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on ABC and ESPN. Here's a full Pro Bowl watch guide. Shifting to halftime bets, I think we see: Next week: Super Bowl matchups to watch, ranking 2025's free agents and the greatest debates of all time. Yesterday's most-clicked: The Athletic's latest 2025 mock draft, in which the Patriots land Arizona WR Tetairoa McMillan. 📫 Enjoyed this read? Sign up here to receive The Athletic's free daily NFL newsletter, and check out our other newsletters.
