Music and Sport share a lot of similar attributes – They bring out insane levels of passion, fanaticism and much enjoyment to people. They make people’s lives better. Much of our staff actually ‘live and breathe’ music – just like people live for their favourite football team. Both music and sport can also create a lot of controversy and publicity.

Without diversity life would pretty boring. Some people love sports with balls and some with bats… just as some people like metal and some people like pop music. Some people even like all of these.Yesterday most of the company watched John Lennon’s The U.S. vs John Lennon while they ate their lunch. I’m leading everyone on a bit of a John Lennon re-education journey. Here was a guy who was not only one of the most talented musicians around… but he had opinions and he challenged the norm. He was fighting for a world where “love and peace and tolerance” could co-exist. The footage of him and Yoko using art and music in a really clever way to subvert the mainstream is something I really wish we’d see more of. You certainly feel his influence still.

It feels good to say out loud that the staff who work here at EMI love what they do and are in love with music. And that’s why we work with real artists and we try to always push things forward. The world needs artists more than ever. Artists see the world differently, push boundaries, make new sounds and melodies and create the soundtrack to people’s lives. Music is the highest artform. It’s a noble career when you can say you are involved in music – but it comes with a responsibility. I tell my team that if they are bored or not really engaged in what they do… that they should go do something else so that the person out there who would die for a job at EMI can have a shot – and give it their all.

It got me thinking that anyone in the media or the public eye also really has a responsibility to think about what they say.

Seeing the news with a story about an AFL football player saying that he thinks Footy players should stay in the closet “to protect the fabric of the club” is a dangerous message on so many levels. “Coming out” is actually much more courageous and brave than kicking a football. It reminded me that it’s a sad fact that unfortunately, in 2010, that there are people who genuinely live their lives with pre-existing judgements on people because of their gender, their race, their religion and their sexuality. There are people who don’t even see women as equal to men in this world. If I know anything about anything its that life is too short to not express yourself and reach your full potential. And its too short to spend your life worrying about what other people do in their private lives. Get on with your own!

The terms “freedom” and “personal choice” are things we need to remember and fight for more than ever.

The world is a great place because its full of diversity and difference… not because everyone is the same.

So if you are 14 year old or a 40 year old reading this then I hope it inspires you to do something positive. And if you haven’t watched it – then I highly recommend seeking out The U.S. vs John Lennon as an interesting piece of history and a study on “Freedom”.

Flip the AFL Anti-Homophobia campaign slogan (”It’s Not Who You Are.. It’s How You Play The Game”) and you get ‘ It’s not how you play the game, it’s who you are”.

Think about it.