The new live

With intimate gatherings between strangers a bad idea for quite some time to come, we've had to figure out ways we can still share music together. One way is through live video. The idea of a live video performance isn't all that new. I remember plenty of television shows with Live from Lincoln Center and live from this place or that. What's changed is the open access we now have for anyone to share with anyone else. YouTube Live is fast becoming a stage for the personal concert—in a way, a return to the days of old before the advent of reproduced music for the home. Musicians would play to small groups in homes and clubs. Today, anyone with internet access, a camera, and a microphone can reach out across the globe to an audience of one or a million. The musician in the McGowan family, our second son, Sean, spent a wonderful hour playing a free live concert you can watch and enjoy here. Straight from the heart, Sean and his piano. This is the new live. And, like everything else, over time, the quality and accessibility will continue to get better and better. Musicians around the world now have the means to play for us live. I hope more take advantage of this golden opportunity.