Lin Manuel

“Legacy. What is a legacy? It’s planting seeds in a garden you never get to see.”

- from "The World Was Wide Enough" in Hamilton

I don't think any of us could've fathomed in 2008 how much of an impact Lin Manuel Miranda would have on pop culture in the next decade. My introduction was inauspicious, to be sure. My sister and mom saw In the Heights on Broadway, and they returned from their trip RAVING about the show. I had slowly embraced the magic of Broadway through shows like Phantom, Mamma Mia, Wicked, Lion King, Grease, etc. However, I sensed the distinct lack of flair that I felt every week spending time with my family through my entire childhood. 

About 6 months later, we got to see the show in Tampa. I was riveted. I thought, "I can't believe someone blended the music I grew up listening to in my grandfather's Lincoln Navigator with the shows on stage that I love." I listened to the ITH soundtrack all the time for the next few years. When Hamilton came out 7 years later, I was skeptical. Latin music? Okay. But what was hip-hop doing on a Broadway stage? Once I started listening to that soundtrack, I was hooked too. 

Lin Manuel has the songwriting Midas touch. I am still baffled how he can blend any story with any style of music and turn it into a masterpiece. I know the characters he's created music for have been exceptional in their own right. However, music (Disney music in particular) had not been as masterful as his since Howard Ashman and Alan Menken. 

I am grateful for the musical gifts he has given to the world through Moana, Vivo, and Encanto, and his directorial magic for revitalizing Jonathan Larson's work, another favorite Broadway songwriter of mine. I'm really glad he's had the pleasure of seeing the garden his legacy has created. 

Lin, you'll probably never read this, but I am profoundly grateful for you. It's been a delight to be part of the generation who's basked in the beauty of your music. 

🎶 🎶"Siempre me enamore [el] encanto [de tu música]"🎶 🎶

#NeverAgain: The Story of [Today]

Buckle up. It's about to get political passionate. 

I have a problem with guns. I have an issue with the way they're used, how little they are taken seriously, and how easily they can be obtained. I understand there are several responsible gun-owning citizens in this country. I know a caring family who supported me when I had no one else around who are responsible with their guns. 

However, they aren't the problem here. 

The problem is when mentally unstable and irresponsible people get ahold of weapons of mass destruction (Yes, I'm aware that guns aren't typically classified as that, but clearly they are). 

The problem is when teachers have to show their students what to do if there's an unknown person in the school building and kids are so scared they're shaking and crying in the 5 minutes of silence it took for us to have a drill. The problem is that morale in this society is so low that we don't value human life over the almighty dollar.  

I stand with these Parkland students. I am proud to be a Floridian. "History has its eyes on [us]" because we are where this movement started. I thank my favorite artists for whom I have immense respect for putting together a beautiful musical message of hope and solidarity. 

It's no secret I bleed blue. But that doesn't matter. To quote one of these brave students: 

"This is not a race issue, a religious issue, and it's definitely not a political issue. This is a morality issue." (QUOP)