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Music is magic. As someone who has no musical talent, I am perhaps the perfect audience for those who do. I love all types of music -- from Renaissance madrigals to modern electronica -- but -- being a lover of words and their power -- my very favorite music is lyrical. My favorite 20th Century musicians are those who work in the tradition of storytellers and poets -- Kurt Weill, Hank Williams, Woody Guthrie in the early half of the century; Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, and Townes Van Zandt in the latter half. When the work of a poet is wedded to an original tune, the power is that of an incantation, becoming something greater than the sum of words and rhythm, a key to inner doors and to shared feelings across the impossible gulfs that separate us from other people's lives. Music is the soundtrack of our world and, like everything we do, it should be savored and tasted, enjoyed live whenever possible, and cherished. Because magic is rare and we can never get enough of it. |