Last week I had the privilege of watching rising music phenom Noah Kahan perform at Inningsfest in Phoenix, AZ.   What I witnessed was an incredible display of authenticity and connection between singer and audience.

At a time when “authenticity” is considered important but can seem forced or fake, Kahan at age 27 perfectly embodied that term. He writes about the issues that have impacted so many in his generation– his own mental health and therapy, divorced parents, loneliness, isolation, small towns, drinking, the pandemic, and more. It was emotional to see the entire audience singing, crying, cheering, hugging, dancing, with every word in each song. 

As I think about his performance, I imagine the changes in our world if we each brought a bit of the authenticity, creativity, and the acceptance of others to our workdays.  Kahan’s ability to connect with his band and audience was an inspiration.

After his performance, when headliner Dave Matthews Band was playing, my daughter said “I get the hype” about people following his band.  I felt the same, about Noah Kahan’s talents and ability to bring people together.

The journey continues. Cindy