This past Wednesday as I walked through a parking lot on my way to play for children at an after-school program for kids both on and off the spectrum, a woman stopped her car next to me, rolled down her window and said, "Whatever you're gonna do with those instruments, be amazing!" and drove off just as quickly as she'd arrived. It was a the sort of random act of kindness that keeps me going and makes me realize in my bones that musical instruments are magical objects: they have the ability to summon a power that is at once joyful and mysterious. (Even when the music is as simple as "The Itsy Bitsy Spider") That chance encounter spurred me to do exactly what she'd said: be amazing. Based on the children's reactions, I'm pretty sure it worked....for all of us. Thank you, kind lady, for taking the time to spread some happy in this world: we sure need it!