Is music streaming a positive advancement for the consumption of music? Or is it a problem? Or is it both? I argue it is a little of both. Music streaming is beneficial because we can, in fact, access everything now as long as the servers' switches remain powered.

Fast-forward 12 years and I am standing in Hungry Ear Records, a cozy record shop in the Moiliili district of Honolulu. I am there to purchase the new Mumford and Sons, but as I am browsing, this vibrant-looking record is staring at me as I stare up at it on the wall in the NEW RELEASE section. It’s the new My Morning Jacket, titled The Waterfall. I am intrigued. I had not taken a chance on a new record in quite a while.

In April 2026, Twin Cities melodic punk veterans Dillinger Four returned to Japan for the first time in over two decades, bringing their always-infectious, at-times downright fierce melodies to a sold-out crowd at Live Bar FANDANGO near Osaka Bay. There was blood. There was sweat. There were tears. And there was unity.

As photographers, we need to be constantly observing our surroundings, noticing the things others perhaps glance over, or hanging a left when others are venturing right. Through this continuous practice of observation, we can begin to anticipate scenes unfolding much like an author describes the intricacies of the protagonist, the battles with the antagonist, and all the details of each particular scene.