Imagine a world where

Every tune is in C Major

And every song has just one lyric: “All is well, and we’re all perfect”

And every song is in rigid 4/4 time, at a scientifically-measured 120 beats-per-minute

And every singer is auto-tuned, whether they need it or not

And every band consists of one singer, one guitarist, one bassist, one drummer, one pianist

And every mix is the same

And every song is the same

And every cover version is identical to the original

And the name of every band is “The Norm”

We’re so lucky to have the music that we have, the musicians and composers that we have. The fact that a lot of them are just a little bit crazy,  somewhat neurotic, self-absorbed, difficult to get along with, prone to lashing out… that’s a bonus, folks, never forget that.

Embrace the difference and the difficulties in the creative people that you know. Hold them when they’re struggling, give them room when they’re manic and creating, because what they bring to the party is, frankly, just awesome. The rest of us, when we’re well and happy, only barely deserve to be around such people. They’re amazing and they’re precious. They’re the edge-cases that move our species forwards.

Never, never try to normalise them; you’ll regret it when “All Is Well” comes on the radio for the three-billionth time.