My dear readers,<\/p>\n
Last month one of the best and most profound contemporary musicians, Neil Peart, passed away.\u00a0 <\/span>It was a heartbreaking shock for long-term fans like myself.\u00a0 <\/span>He had been the impossibly talented drummer of the three-person Canadian band Rush.\u00a0 <\/span>Until recently, they had been producing new music and touring internationally for over forty years.\u00a0 <\/span>Often it felt as if we were changing, evolving, growing in tandem because their music accompanied me throughout much of my life’s unfolding journey.<\/p>\n Bandmates, Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson wrote the music, while Peart wrote the thought-provoking, self-reflective lyrics that set Rush apart from most other rock bands; lyrics that demanded attention, passion, and compassion.\u00a0 <\/span>For both this and his masterful drumming, Peart was often referred to as The Professor.\u00a0 <\/span>In 2007, he penned the song \u00abArmor and Sword,\u00bb for which he wrote:<\/p>\n The snakes and arrows a child is heir to<\/em><\/p>\n Are enough to leave a thousand cuts<\/em><\/p>\n We build our defenses, a place of safety<\/em><\/p>\n And leave the darker places unexplored<\/em><\/p>\n Sometimes the fortress is too strong<\/em><\/p>\n Or the love is too weak<\/em><\/p>\n What should have been our armor<\/em><\/p>\n Becomes a sharp and angry sword<\/em><\/p>\n Our better natures seek elevation<\/em><\/p>\n A refuge for the coming night<\/em><\/p>\n No one gets to their heaven without a fight<\/em><\/p>\n We hold beliefs as a consolation<\/em><\/p>\n A way to take us out of ourselves<\/em><\/p>\n Meditation, or medication<\/em><\/p>\n A comfort, or a promised reward<\/em><\/p>\n . . .<\/p>\n Peart will be deeply missed.\u00a0 <\/span>The loss of Rush as a group leaves a gaping void.\u00a0 <\/span>I will be forever grateful for their songs and their life-affirming, humor-filled, breath-taking, irreplaceable, awesome live concerts.<\/p>\n