How many of us can say we’ve done much more than prove the butterfly effect? There’s nothing wrong with being devoted to ordinary challenges, like raising healthy children, or becoming a functional (as opposed to dysfunctional) member of society. Still, it’s always inspiring to meet someone like Darryl Taylor, who truly embraces the challenge to make a difference.

I came away from my conversation with Darryl impressed by sense of mission. He saw a void—the lack of resources about African American Art Song—and filled it with scholarship and performances, making sure to grant access to his body of work so others would avoid the obstacles he faced. Darryl’s work is important because marginalized people in particular get both underestimated and pigeonholed. As he noted, it’s difficult to gain any recognition if your work is only performed in February. A consummate artist who is also both playful and warm, Darryl is the kind of person who will give you the shirt off his back—or at least, the tie from his neck (I’m a witness). He told me that his energy comes from a desire not to complete his earthly stay without helping someone or leaving a mark. “There is so much work to do,” he noted. Indeed.