His students call him Cantaffa.
Joe Cantaffa is the Music Instructor at Howell High School in NJ and the Founding Director of the RockNRoll Chorus, a touring a cappella choir.
And he exemplifies the art of leading.
I witnessed him in action Saturday leading a performance of the RockNRoll Chorus on their 2016 tour. But Cantaffa didn’t lead these talented high school students from back stage or from the orchestra pit.
He led them on the stage.
Why? Because a choir member was absent. And they needed someone to beatbox. (Beatboxing: vocal percussion mimicking drum machines using your mouth, lips, tongue, and voice, ex: bum-bum-bum-bum-cha-cha-shush-shush).
As evidenced by his career, Cantaffa’s passion for music is indisputable. But it’s his relentless commitment to his students’ success that struck me as remarkable.
- He didn’t care that he was twice as old as everyone else on the stage.
- He didn’t care that he was on stage beatboxing.
- He didn’t care that the spotlight was shining not on him but on his students.
And he left it all on the stage – we could hardly distinguish Cantaffa from his students, or his work from his play.
Are you jumping on stage in a flurry of work and play to help your team be fabulous?
(For more information on the RockNRoll Chorus, go to www.rocknrollchorus.com)