in 2008, I heard about a musician named Esperanza Spalding. I was in New York City, trying to discover what was important to me, nursing a very broken heart. I was 27, a vulnerable age. I was invited by an old friend to a gig of Esperanza’s and we went and I sat in awe of her talent, her uniqueness, her wit. she was just 23. after the gig, my friend, who happened to be Esperanza’s friend, invited us to supper with Esperanza. we went to a tiny Japanese restaurant and sat and talked and laughed. a year or so later Esperanza was playing at the White House and the year after that she won her first Grammy. but that hot summer night in New York City, when I first heard Esperanza Spalding play, I had a genuine stirring in my soul. it was the beginning of my understanding of what was real and true. I saw a young girl on stage doing the thing she knew how to do, and doing that thing best. it reminded me of why I do what I do and till this day, that gig is significant to me and continues to remind me.
so, remember moments. remember the things that made you believe in love, in goodness, in YOURSELF. keep those things close. few experiences will be more important than those moments.
tonight, Esperanza plays in Singapore for the first time. tonight, with my friends and fellow musicians in a room full of dreams, we make more moments.
the Truthsayer strikes again 