www.punchbrothers.com

It is a rare occurrence…to see people living their passion. When you experience that, you are inspired to find your own passion.

While driving on the highway tuned into to NPR this summer, I heard a Performance Today piece featuring Chris Thile of the eclectic musical group, Punch Brothers. Thile’s exquisite mandolin performance in the studio brought tears to my eyes. I listened with such intensity; I had never heard a mandolin played with such mastery and control.

Fast forward to this weekend. While strolling through the music building at Oberlin College (one of our favorite places), I noticed a Punch Brothers poster displayed on a wall. My memory kicked into high gear. “That name sounds familiar. Is that the same musician I heard on NPR?” Yes, it was. The group was in Oberlin this week sharing a series of master classes with young aspiring music students.

My husband and I decided to attend a 90-minute “Listening Tour” conversation on campus with Punch Brothers members Chris Thile, mandolin, Gabe Witcher, fiddle, Noam Pikelny, banjo, Chris Eldridge, guitar, and Paul Kowert, upright bass, along with guest singer/songwriter Aoife O’Donovan. Using their iPhones or computers, all of the performers played a diverse range of specific pieces of music that inspire them, including Bonnie Raitt’s cover of Joni Mitchell’s That Song About the Midway, Buck Owens’ Cryin’ Time, Sufjan Stevens’ Death With Dignity and Kendrick Lamar’s Alright. I began to understand what inspires musical creativity. Following the listening, the artists performed three songs, each one played masterfully. Two featured the clear harmony of Thile and O’Donovan. At the end of the performance, students gathered around each virtuoso, inspired by the music.

Over the years, I have had many conversations with people about the topic of passion. The word passion unfortunately has been reduced at times to a sophomoric description of something that we like. “I’m passionate about gardening.” “I have a true passion for life.” Without a fully memorable, meaningful experience to accompany it, passion is just a word. Seeing and hearing the flawless performances of the Punch Brothers and Aoife O’Donovan showed me what true passion looks, sounds and feels like. It is a complete sensory experience. Through intense facial expressions and body movement, the performers revealed their passion for music, like how Thile’s heels abruptly raised off the floor when he hit a certain note or O’Donovan’s gentle smile while holding a soft note. In watching the performers’ total immersion, I became inspired. There was nowhere else I wanted to be…just then.

How are you living your passion? How do you inspire others?