The end of the year inevitably brings reflection, and 2024 has been yet another tumultuous one in a now seemingly endless series of such cycles. But rather than succumb to varying levels of potential despair – say, from existing in a world where an absurd scourge such as Matt Gaetz, even briefly, might be considered a viable candidate to become the highest-ranking law enforcement officer of our fair country…to identify but one random example – I’m going to try something like thankfulness instead. And for that I turn to the supremely talented miss Susan Tedeschi. This is a damn music site, after all.

Tedeschi recorded the straightforward yet splendid bluesy shuffle, ‘The Feeling That Music Brings,’ back in 2002, four years after the then-28 year old New Englander had burst onto the blues-rock scene with her striking release “Just Won’t Burn” which earned a 1998 Grammy nomination for Best New Artist. In between she’d met, then married, a gentleman named Derek Trucks, who at the time was manning slide guitar for an outfit known as The Allman Brothers Band. Eight years later, in 2010, they would combine resources to form the Tedeschi Trucks Band, an immediate game-changer, and soon considered by the most widely respected extant global music reference resource¹ to be the greatest live music ensemble of the ensuing last 14 years.

So, just for a moment, how about we try to focus our year-end energies on this Tedeschi tune (plus Trucks contributing his trademark slide throughout as well), and dwell on its simple, repeated phrase:

“I’m gonna be thankful for this feeling that music brings”

Music. Up against disillusion, indignation, and despondency, it’s still undefeated as an instant mood-changer, a handy conversation-redirector, a proven exhilaration-generator, a forgiving common ground-finder, a vital inspiration creator, and a perpetual outlook-improver. Music. And, of course, as Susan Tedeschi emphatically sings here, the feeling that music brings.

And, thankfully, there’s so much great music.

Happy new year, all.

¹this site, naturally