On May 6, 2023, Ed Sheeran opened his North American tour in Dallas at the stadium where the Dallas Cowboys play. We took our boys to the concert because we all love Ed. The week before the scheduled concert though, I worried that it might not happen because Ed was defending himself in a New York courtroom in a civil suit.  He’d been sued for copyright infringement by the heirs of the writer of another song. They claimed that a portion of Ed’s song “Thinking Out Loud” copied part of their father’s song too closely. Ed vigorously defended himself, and even said he might quit music if the jury found him liable. He explained that only twelve notes exist in music and that popular music uses a limited number of chords, which consist of three or more notes, so some similarities flow through all songs. The jury found Ed not liable a couple of days before our show, and on the night of the show, he said, “I’ve really been looking forward to playing this one” before he launched into “Thinking Out Loud” as we all cheered.

I’m not a musician, but Ed’s statements stuck with me. Only twelve notes and even fewer chords used in popular music. And yet, every single day artists write, record, and produce new music. We hear new songs on the radio every week, and they do not all sound the same. In fact, musicians often break new ground and create new sounds. The possibilities are limitless in part because the musicians who create the music are different from one another. They hear music in their minds that doesn’t yet exist and when they bring it to fruition, the rest of us are allowed to enjoy it. But what if they didn’t create the music they hear? We’d all be the lesser for it.

Sometimes, we fall into the trap of thinking it’s all been done before. This is hard for writers especially; we may find ourselves inspired by our imaginations and then sabotage ourselves by comparing ourselves to other authors. We question whether every story has already been told. It’s not just artists who suffer from this type of imposter syndrome though. If we have an idea for a project or a new way of doing something – in business, for the PTA, at church, in our communities, or for our families – we often talk ourselves out of pursuing them because we decide that someone somewhere must’ve done it already. How could we be the one who comes up with something new? But that’s where our individuality comes into play. No one is exactly like you. No one has experienced life in the exact same way as you. No one has the same thoughts, mental filters, or emotional responses that you have. When you bring your unique self to the situation, you will have a different take from another person. 

Maybe there are only twelve notes and because of that we share similar lives and stories. But the person who creates the song is distinct and irreplaceable. What happens if we decide to show up as our authentic selves and believe that we have something special to offer the world? The world would be better because of it.