Imagine for a moment you are holding onto your favorite instrument. You have dedicated your life to learning how to play it. Making beautiful music is your passion.
This particular day, your music teacher has given you a song to play straight out of his personal library. It’s a new song, one you have never heard before. At first glance, you can tell there is something unusual about it. Key changes in the weirdest places. Major chords mixed in with minor chords. Nothing about it makes sense.
You ask your teacher to explain. He simply responds, “Play.“
So, you play your part, occasionally glancing up at him, searching for reassurance in his eyes that the notes you are playing are actually correct. You are lacking in confidence that anything beautiful can be made from the rather unique sounds that fill the small space you are occupying.
But you press on, fully trusting in your teacher, knowing he only composes the finest songs.
After you finish, you slowly lift your head from the music. Your teacher is smiling. A single tear runs down his check. “Would you like to hear the whole song again?” he asks. You manage to shake your head yes, full of anticipation and curiosity.
He presses the playback button.
Immediately, the room is full of the most glorious sounds. It’s not just you on the recording but hundreds of others, all together playing the most breathtaking song you have ever heard. When the song ends, you reached up to touch your face. Your checks are wet with tears that fell uncontrollably, a physical outpouring of an internal, overwhelming emotion. The only words that manage to escape your lips are “thank you.”
On February 13th, this was my day.
To be continued…
