Just Like Pete

Pete Seeger once said, “If you want to make a difference, you’ve got to keep things small.” The closest I got to Pete was attending his very large 90th Birthday Concert at Madison Square Garden. For me, the power of any kind of artistic display lies not in the actual experience of seeing it, but in its resonance long after the show is over. With nothing more than a banjo, a melody, and his words, Pete Seeger had that rare ability to reach inside and tap our common humanity. He’d gently remind us, then he’d poke us, and before we knew it, he’d jump-started our inherent goodness and we were up on your feet instantly poised to rush out and make tomorrow better than today. Just like Pete, we’re going to take action. We’re going to speak up. We’re going to right wrongs, call out those whose ambitions trump humanity, tell those who think they’re doing enough they’re not, and for the good of all, sing what needs to be sung whether the world wants to hear it or not. Especially, when it doesn’t. Just like Pete.

Here’s hopin’ we do.

Jeff Daniels
February 1, 2014
Ann Arbor Folk Festival
Ann Arbor, Michigan