2023 sure was a doozy. I was adjacent or witness to more death—both literal and metaphorical—than any other year I can remember. A number of people in my broader circle, as well as a dear friend and mentor, passed on to the next dimension. I was also encouraged by circumstance and compelled by a most powerful intuition, to let die some deeply entrenched beliefs I’ve long held about my identity. But as I grow older, I find myself leaning into this cycle—death, rebirth, and rebuilding—with increasing peace and grace, ever more certain of its beauty and fundamental nature.

Music and the arts have always been a reliable cultural barometer, and can provide endless fodder for wide-ranging discussions. And as a musician myself, my podcast will naturally have a significant focus in these realms. However, I also plan to speak with individuals across various other fields: athletes, scientists, politicians, and curious characters of all types, who have experience and wisdom worth sharing. I hope my podcast will provide an environment for conversations that can safely venture into the weeds, should they go there; where it’s OK to disagree; where it’s OK for things to get messy; and ultimately, where guests and listeners alike will be inspired to join me in striving for deeper understanding of diverse perspectives, rather than reflexively reverting to our comfort zones and protecting our default positions. I firmly believe that we all share much more in common than not, and that our habitual (and often toxic) ideological allegiances prevent us from seeing this clearly. At the risk of sounding hyperbolic, I think the future of our communities, nation, and world depends on our ability to have and to value these sorts of conversations. Through the podcast, I hope to play a small role in encouraging and facilitating this.  

Early in the process of coming to terms with my sexuality, I thought of my gayness as an unfortunate, permanent hurdle I would spend a lifetime overcoming. But these days, I truly find it to be a gift. Being gay engenders a certain healthy skepticism and closer inspection of all things assumed to be true—whether by society, culture, science, or oneself; it begs the experiencer to ask the best possible questions, rather than the most boring and typical ones; it forces difficult conversations with people from opposing ideologies, providing an opportunity to cultivate courage and tolerance. Above all, it illuminates the inherent beauty of diversity in the world and encourages compassion universally—especially to those who don’t “fit in” for whatever reason. Having to overcome these obstacles and the subsequent lessons learned has proven to be fruitful time and again in navigating so many other aspects of life.

Of course, there are downsides. The prospect of having children of my own someday is more complicated as a result of my sexuality, and this can be depressing at times. But with society’s ever-evolving definition of what a family can look like, my attitude is generally optimistic. I’m not sure if marriage is in my personal future, but I’m certainly grateful that, as it stands in America in 2020, gays and lesbians are constitutionally afforded the same rights and protections as straight couples. This isn’t, however, guaranteed in perpetuity and if we care about protecting these rights, we need to act and vote accordingly.