COVID-19 is our shared reality, the most common experience for the greatest number on the planet. I tend to find myself giving everyone as much space as they desire, while trying my best to stay in touch and communicate about reasons for joy. One of my great musical pals and a true gem of a human being took his life during the pandemic, the cultural and social moment proving too exhausting after years of anxiety and depression. I was shocked in more ways than I can describe, as I know all our friends were. What I found most shocking was something I feel we all take for granted. I am endlessly thankful for the interior wonderland that is afforded from musical comprehension and play within the soul. I firmly believe that this can be a continually renewing experience (Copland once called it an ‘endless fount on renewal’). Angelo had this in spades. His joy in the moment of music making was infectious. He had perfect pitch, could sing, could write for orchestra, was a brilliant improviser, a composer, etc. He even started a secondary career (that seemed to have taken the majority of his time) as a successful voice actor, most likely narrating a book that you’ve listened to. At any rate, to know that someone who exhibited such a fruitful interior love with music, could find themselves unable to be renewed from it, has shaken me, and proven all too clearly, the serious reality of our society’s mental health predicament. He checked off all the boxes of ‘wellness’ to his peers, colleagues, and friends. I hope his despondent end can be a reminder to all of us of the need of tenderness and sincerity. Lastly, I’d like to draw attention to the extreme courage of his parents. They were clear and direct with those who loved Angelo and the public about the realities of mental illness. You can read a great article about Angelo: here. And here is a video of Angelo playing a tune of mine with some dear friends many years ago.