Stephen Green - ACF Board Member
Stephen serves on the ACF board of directors and the education committee. He is a research and development professional with General Mills and plays saxophone in the company jazz band, The G-Naturals.
Why are you involved with the ACF? How did you first hear about the Forum?
The General Mills Foundation works with our employees to help them find volunteer positions that will help them grow and make an impact in the community. The Foundation, knowing that I am a musician, contacted me to gauge my interest in working with the ACF. After meeting John Nuechterlein and working on the ad hoc marketing committee for a year, I found that the passion that the ACF board and staff have for spreading new and diverse music was quite infectious, and I wanted to be a part of it.
Describe your first musical experience that sparked your interest in music.
My mom listened to mostly R&B and jazz records, but there was one record that really caught my attention. It was "A Fifth of Beethoven", an adaptation of Beethoven's 5th Symphony done in a jazzy/disco format. I must have listened to it a hundred times. I think that set the stage in my mind of how broad and different music could be. Since then, I've always sought out mostly music that is not played on mainstream radio, but I do enjoy particular pop songs too.
What excites you about new music, or music in general?
Music is exciting because it hits the resonant frequency of your mood. If you are happy, sad, moody, whatever, there is a piece of music that can help to amplify whatever you are feeling or what you want to feel.
What are you currently listening to? What's on your iPod?
At this moment, I'm listening to "Love for Sale" by Miles Davis. As for what's on my iPod, almost everything. Pop, R&B, Classical, Jazz, Hindi, Latino, Lounge, etc. There are a lot of experiences to remember, cultures to experience, and moods to enhance. You need a large library to achieve that.
