As I reflect on my experience as a member of the class of 1971, I respectfully suggest that revisiting the music of that era can be a powerful source of grounding in tumultuous times, which, as John Chambers notes in his thoughtful welcome, we lived in then and live in today.

I remain forever grateful for the opportunity to act as one of many hosts on the Williams radio station WMS-WCFM, where I was able to learn much from fellow classmates and had a chance to put forth a couple hours worth of music once a week, a good bit of it by artists whose work has stood the test of time.

In the years since, music has continued to be an important part of my life, and I have enjoyed digging much deeper into its history as well as keeping up with the most recent trends of the past five decades. Without disparaging the offerings of these more recent times, I find that many of the songs from our college days continue to offer a powerful emotional resonance.

The music of this period, especially for those of us privileged to witness its evolution in real time, offers good medicine for the soul today. Being able to revisit it, whether on vinyl, CD or in digital format, it still inspires reflections on the importance of past experiences, and hope for the future, as well as offering an opportunity to glean from one lyric or another some very helpful guidance in resolving both personal and professional conundrums.

There is continuing debate about the true source of this quote: (some say Plato, but I cannot recall it coming up in any of Professor Versenyi’s classes):

“Music is a moral law. It gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, a charm to sadness, and life to everything.”

So go ahead: think back, make a playlist, and turn it up.