Who sings to you?

Have you ever thought about who sings to you every day? When you put in your headphones, or go to a concert, who are you listening to? The person who's singing their heart out on stage...what's in their heart to begin with?

Heather and I went to see Tyrone Wells (pictured in 2007) play last night at La Zona Rosa. I've written about Tyrone before: he's a kind, talented man who is pursuing his artistic dreams without appearing to compromisw personal and spiritual relationships. In the few interactions I have had with Tyrone, including when he spent the day at my parent's house, he has been gracious, warm, and grounded to the point where you forget that this is someone who performs in front of crowds for a living (you would think that would create a complex of sorts) and whose popularity is growing every day (his music was on Grey's Anatomy and in the latest Sandra Bullock movie). It seems to me that he hasn't let a single drop of success go to his head. His shiny, shaved head.

With so much of our media consumption, we absorb what we like without considering who our consumption benefits or if the message sender is someone we should be listening to. I have no idea if Jon Stewart is a good guy who deserves my support, but I watch The Daily Show and get a percentage of my news and opinions from him. Actually, a friend who worked with Stewart said he was as kind as could be, so I feel okay, but let's say he's jerk. Would I stop watching?

The best case is that you like an artist and also know that they deserve any success that comes their way. That's Tyrone Wells. This isn't about wholesome lyrics, or touring with the Humane Society, or anything like that. It's the pleasure of knowing who he is and what he stands for that makes his music comforting to me. It's interesting how much of who we listen to is an unknown quantity.

There has to be a balance between artistic value and personal value. Support the artists that you know are good musicians as well as good people.