So I’m sitting at a coffee shop in Tempe, Arizona right now listening to a jazzy piano player rock covers of everything from the Beatles and Ray Charles to Singing in the Rain, Moon River, and Somewhere Over the Rainbow– and the whole time the crowd at the place is singing along with sometimes average-at-best lead singers. (the lead singer keeps changing)

The amazing thing:  I realized that I’m genuinely enjoying myself through all of this – a lot! And so is everyone else.  This has become one of my more enjoyable weeknights out in this City. And I’ve been here on and off for 3 years.

It’s festive.  It’s fun.  It’s everything it needs to be to bring people together – to make people feel like they’re part of something – to make this isolating city a more enjoyable place to be for everyone who has the fortune of stopping by… which in my mind, is why quality in something like music is nearly entirely subjective.  Because EVERY piece of music and every performance that has even a little bit of caring and heart in it is not only a worthwhile endeavor, but has the potential to make the world a better place.

Music is magic.