[phcorrigan]

Paul McCartney once said "We all started with three cords."

I've been playing a couple of open mics on a regular basis for the past year or so. One of the pleasures of this is watching my friends (these people have become my friends) get better. Not just in music, either. One of the players was very closed in, wearing a hoodie and playing and singing very quietly and tentatively. By playing, and being encouraged, his personality has changed dramatically. He plays and sings with conviction, and he is much more friendly and outgoing.

This, to me, is the power of music. It can change lives. For me, I have developed a whole new circle of friends and I have greatly improved my playing and singing. For my friend mentioned above, I believe it has changed his outlook and, outwardly at least, it has changed his personality.

In other words, sometimes it's not the destination--it's the journey.