Discipline is a simple word, but it’s a complex practice. The word is defined as “a system of rules of conduct.” For a performer driven by inspired moments of self-expression, discipline in performance is often viewed as an enemy of creativity. However, the discipline of editing is a fundamental skill that enables creative expression to connect with an audience. Word economy is critical.
This has been the focal point of two conversations. In one, a multi-personality cast declared they should not be held responsible for a planned four-minute segment that stretched over seven minutes because:
The content was just too good. There was so much to talk about.
Never mind that the talk segment was followed by six minutes of commercials, which destroyed the talk/music balance of the quarter-hour. Without the discipline of editing, they disregarded the fundamentals of execution.
The other instance involved a show navigating a format clock with stacked talk elements. A segment was designed to include a short, two-and-a-half-minute game, a quick tease, 30 seconds of traffic, a six-minute commercial break, and a 20-second tease to introduce a talk topic. That’s about nine-and-a-half minutes, which is a long time to be away from music.
But the game took over four minutes, the traffic report was more than a minute, and their tease lasted another four minutes. The show was without music for over 15 minutes (a full quarter-hour) and was more than 65% longer than planned. Why?
Because the conversation naturally and spontaneously ignited.
Again, the balance was destroyed because of a lack of focus on executing the plan. One of the shows was aware of the problem and tried to compensate by playing four songs in a row over the next quarter-hour, but that’s just as problematic. When the listener’s experience is disrupted and expectations compromised, problems follow.
