I like to look at this blog as a place of introspection and discovery. When I write a review or share an opinion on a subject, I’m simply sharing the thoughts of a fellow music lover, for those of you who may be interested in the thoughts of someone who spends a lot of time around music. I don’t consider myself an expert or even an authority. I’ve just always loved talking about music and this is another way to do it. This week, my thoughts have turned to the idea of legacy and the immortal nature of music.

There is a clear disconnect between our relationship with musicians and our relationship with their music. Although we may occasionally put a little effort into learning some personal facts about the artists we love, we often don’t go much further than the small amount of information we can find on the internet or magazines. We are satisfied, or sometimes disappointed, with what a couple of clicks will reveal. We can go back to nurturing our relationship with the music, and I’m sure the artists prefer the relationship continues in this fashion. I believe the immortal nature of music is a result of that disconnect. We require nothing of our favorite artists, other than what they have already given. We are happy when they deliver more, but it is not expected of them, and they expect nothing of us. We briefly forget this arrangement when an artists passes on. I won’t argue that the death of an artist isn’t tragic and that the world hasn’t lost something very important. But ultimately, our relationship with that artist doesn’t change. Perhaps for a brief time, we will spend more time with them, but eventually we return to our previous arrangement. This is what is beautiful about the legacy of a musician’s catalog of work. It lives forever. We don’t mourn for musicians who are long since passed. We simply celebrate their suspended state of creativity and youth. When we listen to their albums, we don’t think about what might have been, nor what was. We think about what is. Great songs are not flashes of brilliance. They are eternal torches. They will continue to entertain, to evoke emotions and, maybe most importantly, to inspire.

How strange that music is one of the only things that isn’t made more beautiful by it’s impending death and demise. It doesn’t grow old or lose its luster. It is one of the only constants. Perhaps it’s true purpose is to be the one escape from the fleeting nature of our lives, and how beautiful it must be to be the one who creates such a thing.