My Speaker List
Find Your Speaker:
Speakers By Topic
Speakers By Type
Speakers By Topic
Speakers By Type
"{{ovation.quote}}"
-{{ovation.company}}
The Improbable Story of One Shining Moment
Over the last 36 years, many millions of viewers have watched the fabled video montage that ends the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship. It features the song "One Shining Moment" with all the emotion and drama that has made March Madness an unofficial holiday in America. The composer and original performer, DAVID BARRETT, explains the improbable backstory how many charmed coincidences led to the song’s unlikely journey to CBS Sports and then out to the world. Mr. Barrett has gone on to write many award-winning songs, scores and instrumental themes for various networks, and in doing so has developed a unique talent for conveying a lasting emotional message to listeners. He is dedicated to helping you find your own message as well.
Music, Athletics, & Academics
As an Emmy Award-winning composer and songwriter, a college athletic Hall of Fame member, and Phi Beta Kappa student of philosophy, Mr. DAVID BARRETT has a unique window into how these areas relate to each other. His song "One Shining Moment" is a testimony to all three. Oddly enough, the title and idea for this song originated from his study of linguistics. Mr. Barrett walks you through his experiences and helps you explore how these different intelligences working together can raise the bar for any student, musician, or athlete.
"One Shining Moment" as a Metaphor for… Life
Each day, DAVID BARRETT's Google account sends him the various uses of the title "One Shining Moment." It began with the obvious sports uses, but quickly evolved to include inspiration, heartbreak, and all manners of success. It would seem that our culture has taken the phrase "One Shining Moment" to heart. It has come to mean for many the joy of dreaming, committing to your dream, gaining confidence, getting up after you fall, and performing at your best during the most critical times. Failure is not the enemy…not trying your best is. It took years to understand this simple truth, and in discussing this song, David Barrett not only shares his failures, but also shows how they have led to his most meaningful successes.
His song "One Shining Moment" has been sung by Grammy Award winners Jennifer Hudson, Luther Vandross, Teddy Pendergrass, Ne Yo, as well as David’s original vocal performance. After 35 years of network broadcast, the composition has become iconic in the American songbook. The story of its creation is utterly unique and inspiring, not only musically, but what it has come to represent.
David has composed for the Olympic games. He has written Emmy Award-winning scores for PBS documentaries. His television themes have been broadcast nationally on CBS, ABC, PBS, and the CBC. David also toured at length as a performer with the legendary Art Garfunkel in addition many others.
As an in-demand producer of records as well as commercials for Hallmark, Disney, and McDonalds, he has touched many musical bases along the way. Mr. Barrett uses his years of experience to inform, relate, and motivate. He mixes practical insights born out of his own life about the muse of inspiration. His unlikely story of "One Shining Moment" serves as a reminder that anything can happen regardless of where you begin. It is where you end up that matters…
As he wrote:
In One Shining Moment, you reached for the sky
In One Shining Moment, you knew
In One Shining Moment, you were willing to try
In One Shining Moment…
{{formatCrumb(term)}}
