Imperfet.

I recently wrote a "Tip of the Day" on my whiteboard outside my room in Muir Hall that turned out to mean more than I originally purposed. As the RA of third floor, I have the opportunity to challenge the girls everyday with something. I wrote, "You don't need to be perfet."

As I completed the phrase, a resident walked by and said, "Oh, I get it!" I was confused and then she pointed out that I had misspelled the word "Perfect."

I laughed at the irony.

I've been recently listening to an artist by the name of Bon Iver. He is a musician and his story is very interesting - it involves things like a band breakup, a relationship breakup,and a cabin in the woods. I encourage you to visit his myspace page to hear his music and his story.

His life story is pretty interesting, however, the thing that struck me most about this artist is that some of his most powerful work is EXTREMELY raw. The quality of his recording and even the quality of his voice is just - imperfect. But it's wonderful.

Another artist with a similar imperfection-vibe is Damien Rice. Please look at "The Blower's Daughter."

By these references, I certainly do not mean to belittle these musicians. On the contrary, I honor them for illustrating the power of heartfelt music.

I've always believed that true beauty in music does not come through a perfect melody or incredibly well-crafted lyrics, but through a heart that is passionate for the sound - a sound where the message is more important than the words that carry it, the passion more important than the pitch that moves it, and the listener more important than the musician.

Music in the raw.

So I've been inspired to produce excellent music, but not to worry too much about its perfection. Sometimes the most beautiful things in life are imperfet.