As part of my holiday celebration activities, my hubby and I went to see A Complete Unknown about Bob Dylan's career from 1961 to 1965 when he went electric at the Newport Folk Festival.

Timothy Chalomet and Edward Norton are brilliant in their roles as Bob Dylan and Pete Seeger respectively.

It was also a walk down memory lane for me, having been turned on to Pete Seeger's music by my mom as a child, and the songs of Bob Dylan via recordings by Peter, Paul & Mary by an older sister.

One of the most poignant moments for me is the depiction of Dylan performing The Times They Are A Changing at the 1964 Newport Folk Festival.  The song instantly captures the hearts and minds of the audience and by the 2nd or 3rd refrain, they're singing along with him.

I was moved not only because of how amazing it likely was for the people who were there for that moment, but also because many memories triggered from when I've been present at similar moments, when I thought something like, "OMG, I get to be here for this!!! ...."

At times, it's been at shows of a particular artist revealing a new song, or one I was experiencing for the first time. Often, it's been in a song circle with my songwriter tribe where we're sharing our new songs with each other.

Some of those songs went on to be major hits for the songwriter, or for another artist, or they've made their way into movie soundtracks.  Most of them have simply become touchstone songs for the songwriter, the ones audiences request frequently and respond to the most enthusiastically.

As a dear songwriting mentor once said to me, "The energy of a great song is undeniable."

One take-away for me, though, is that it's easy to long to have been in a past moment like Dylan at Newport in a way that feels like those kinds of moments don't happen anymore - a longing for the good old days that potentially distracts our attention from present musical magic.

From the campfires of The Kerrville Folk Festival to my showcase room at Folk Alliance, to casual jams with our lovely music tribe, I'm so grateful that these moments are a regular part of my life. And that this has been so for most of my life.

How about you? What have been some of your "OMG, I get to be here for this!" moments?

Here's to many more of them as we navigate our way through 2025.

Peace, Janet

Photo Credit: Searchlight Pictures