As I write this I am listening to music. It is very beautiful and complicated.

How can it ever exist? Many musicians are playing together and at different times. They are all playing slightly different but complimentary music. It all seems seamless and effortless. To simply try to comprehend this being done is almost mind-boggling and yet it is happening.

When listening to such a wonderful piece of music I am often reminded of remodeling projects.

You are probably now thinking, "What is this man talking about? There is no similarity between music of any kind and remodeling. This makes no sense!"

Let's take a look at how music and remodeling might be similar.

Vision

Beautiful music starts with a vision on the part of the composer. Without that occurring there is no way that the music could ever exist. The composer is the one who translates that vision into something that can be realized, into a system of notation that allows the ideas to be communicated to those who will make it live.

A good remodeling project starts with someone's dream, someone's idea. Before that it never existed. Usually this process starts with the client. The client might recognize a need that should be addressed or the opportunity to make a given situation better.

Collaboration

Unlike the many music creation processes the client is not usually the composer working alone. The composer in a remodeling project is typically the client and someone the client feels can help "compose" the plan. This might be an architect or a general contractor.

You might say that the client and his trusted friend work together the way a song writer and a lyricist do, like Rodgers and Hammerstein did. The beauty of the process is that the collaboration produces a plan that is better than if either person attempted to do it by himself.

Pre-performance planning

When the music is composed it doesn't really live until it is performed. But, before it is presented to the world, there are usually rehearsals. The time is taken to make sure it is right, it is as good as it can be. Different musicians might be considered, it being recognized that different musicians all have different talent levels.

When a general contractor is responding to a project plan the same activities take place. Is the plan as good as it can be? What does the electrician have to say about the electrical layout? Does the plumber think it will be possible to plumb the sink in the location that has been chosen?

Who is the best supplier for the windows that have been specified? How will it be best to sequence the work? Does the site permit storing all the materials before the job starts or will they have to stored elsewhere? And so on.

Much thought is given by the builder to how to make the plan come to life before the project starts. Once the job starts there will not be the opportunity to rework the plan without much cost and aggravation.

The performance

Opening night arrives. No more rehearsal is possible. This is it. It is time to perform.

The musicians will know how good the piece and their performance were when they finish playing and when they read the reviews in the newspapers tomorrow.

With a building project the big day to commence arrives also. Now is the time when everybody involved will be given the chance to see if all the choices have been made as well as they wanted them to be.

Will the plan work? Will the general contractor be done on time and in budget, with the project quality being as good as what was promised? Will the client's needs that make doing the project seem necessary be met?

No one will know until it is all finished.

Post-performance analysis

With a building project reviews do come before the project is completely done. This is because the project is days or weeks long with many rests and pauses. All parties involved are constantly checking to see that all the different parts are in harmony.

Unfortunately, a bad musical can close on the road while still in previews but a project which is going badly must get done.

This is where the comparison between a piece of music and a construction project does not hold up.

However, when the music is beautiful the feeling one gets listening to it is very similar to that engendered by the remodeling project that is well-planned and executed with care and attention to detail.

On that happy note I wish you the best of luck in creating beautiful music as you remodel!

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