Brian Fisher | June 07, 2011

I seldom wax poetic about any commencement address. I’ve sat through too many. Usually in a plastic folding chair, in a plastic academic robe, in the heat- a situation not conducive to receiving the, often, banal wisdom being presented by the featured politician, or, the esteemed-in-their-field guest.

Let’s just say I clicked ‘play’ on Matt Nathanson‘s Proctor Academy address with a certain amount of skepticism.

Nathanson (Proctor Academy ’91) won me over in about 20 seconds.

His delivery isn’t polished; he spoke from notes; sometimes off the cuff; and, he stuck with dress for his line of work (singer-songwriter)- t-shirt and jeans jackets.

But, his irreverence toward convention makes sense and it fits.

Taking aim at popular culture Nathanson draws on how his life works for him. He spoke from the heart and, to the hearts, of his fellow alumni about finding, connecting and pursuing a passion and a craft.

The crucial part, he argues, is identifying the craft and then doing it as well as you possibly can.

“…Just do the work…It’s the thing that’s going to make everything OK….The excellence you’re trying to reach is your potential as a human being…a fulfillment of yourself…you find your passion and you do it excellently…”

In a well crafted argument (he knew his audience), Nathanson made the case for effort and hard work.