Dear Humans,

I used to pay $10 each month for a service that would stream nearly any song that’s ever been recorded directly to my phone. And that seemed like a pretty cool thing. Anything I could think to ask for was there at my fingertips.

And though I noticed I was playing a lot of songs, I wasn’t really listening to them. Or at least I wasn’t listening very deeply. They’d play in the background. And if you’re not really listening, music all starts to sound the same. 

So this weekend I ended my subscription and started listening–really listening–to my old CDs.

When things are easier to get they become less valuable. That’s a proposition that has proved pretty hardy throughout human history. And it’s especially true for music and art–things that are best seen as a gift from one person to another, not a commodity.

Sincerely,

Mr. Curt