“Taking Woodstock” – How’d They Do That?

August 2009 marks the 40th anniversary of the Woodstock Music and Arts Festival in Bethel, New York.  Saturday, was also my husband’s birthday and he wanted to see the new release of Taking Woodstock in the theater, so we went to see it.

For those of you who have captured the essence of the actual event in the orginal documentary released in 1970, the movie re-enacts some of the same scenes from the actual footage. Even though I would have liked to hear more of the original music, the new version was very captivating in that it focused on the behind-the-scenes planning and implementation of the event, and how the visionaries managed to pull it off.

Now, I’m not here to critique the movie, or tell you if you should or shouldn’t see it.  Movies are all personal preference; however, if you are going to see it to for the musical flashbacks, you may be disappointed, although I wasn’t.  The point is on the purpose and vision of this event.  The movie was created based on the book by the same name by Elliot Teichberg, a local resident of  Bethel, New York, who was instrumental in organizing the event and obtaining the location.

To make a long story short, Michael Lang, who was 25 at the time and the producer of the Woodstock Festival, had a vision of bringing in a list of the most recognized musicians in the world to perform in front of thousands of people.  The 3-day event of peace and music, would take place on Max Yasgur’s dairy farm in Bethel.

Elliot Teichberg was helping his parents take care of their run-down motel and attempting to save it from foreclosure when Michael and his partners came to town to establish a location for the festival.  Elliot was the head of the local chamber of commerce at the time, and was responsible for organizing his own local rock festivals in Bethel every year.  Having some experience in event planning, he was the perfect person for the task.

Michael, accompanied by Elliot, and his partners and staff, pulled off an event that surpassed the 186,000 tickets sold, and was attended by an estimated 450,000 people.  His vision put a mark in the history books that is still celebrated 40 years later, and is considered one of the greatest moments in popular music history.

How did they do it? A commitment to their purpose and setting goals to achieve success.  Michael and his partners were committed to their purpose of music production and building their business promoting concert events. He and his partners in Woodstock Ventures continue to produce and promote events today.

Elliot’s purpose was that of continuing the tradition of his local music event while attempting to save his parents motel.  His desire was to help them out so he could move away and pursue his own dreams.  Forty years later, Elliot’s recount of his experiences were made into the movie.  Both Michael and Elliot were successful at achieving their goals.

The moral of this story? Don’t give up on your dream no matter how outrageous it seems. Discover your purpose and passion and focus on your goals to make your dreams come true.

What are your goals and dreams for the future? My challenge to you is to define your purpose and set your goals.  Think big and put your goals into action. If you are unclear on your purpose and passion, I invite you to look into my e-book, “Put Your Goals Into POWERDRIVE: 10 Keys to Getting What You Want Out of Life.”

I invite you to leave your comments.  I would love to hear about your goals and dreams!

Warm regards,

Kay L. Fontana, C..C., M.A.Ed.
“The Grandcoach”

P.S. Make sure to read my blog posts, “What Is Your Purpose?” and “The Problem With Setting Goals.”