01/17/2026
“It’s taken me all my life to learn when not to play.”
Dizzy Gillespie
Dizzy Gillespie was a jazz trumpeter, composer, vocalist, bandleader, and virtuoso. When someone who devoted his life to sound says that, he isn’t really talking about silence.
He’s talking about wisdom.
About discernment.
About understanding your role inside something bigger than yourself.
As a musician, I understand exactly what he meant.
Early on, you want to fill every space. You play more. You prove what you can do. You make sure you’re heard.
Experience teaches something different. The quality of a piece isn’t measured by how much you contribute, but by how well what you contribute serves the whole.
Some of the most important lessons I’ve learned didn’t come from playing more notes. They came from watching what actually made groups better. From noticing when a line lifted the work, when support mattered more than spotlight, and when restraint made everything stronger.
That lesson doesn’t stop with music.
In leadership, in organizations, and in communities like ours, we are always being invited to play.
To speak first. To fix fast. To step in. Sometimes that’s exactly what’s needed. But experience also teaches that progress often starts with listening longer. With learning from voices that have already been in the room. With valuing experience so we don’t keep repeating mistakes others already paid to learn from.
One of the greatest resources around us is experience.
It sharpens timing.
It shapes priorities.
It helps us know when to step forward and when to step back.
Years ago, my late friend Rick Courtney was a guest on my radio show. Over time, we developed a simple phrase.
"Meridian, Mississippi Sounds Amazing!"
It was never just about music. It was about people. Energy. Stories. The collective sound of a city exercising voice.
I think Rick would be proud of how Meridian sounds today.
Because when people learn when not to play, the whole piece changes.
The right voices rise.
The noise settles.
The work gets better.
And when that happens, you can hear it.
Meridian, Mississippi Sounds Amazing!
