The Three Notes (Column Story)

The First Note: Connection

Like that first note of a song, the writer has that first line to draw people into his story. So it makes sense to start with the thing he want readers to remember most. In the case of "Man on the Streets, in Three Suites" by Steve Lopez, that most important thing was a man: Nathaniel Anthony Ayres.

It was not his schizophrenia he wanted us to remember. Not the fact that he was homeless. Not the fact that he attended Julliard. But rather the man himself and his passion for music. That passion is what Lopez spends three pages trying to help his readers feel because as long as Nathaniel has that passion as his driving force for carrying on, he will always have a full life.

Lopez wants us all to understand that passion is the key to making life worth living.

The Second Note: Diction

Half of being a successful writer revolves around creativity and one's ability to tell a story.

The other half deals with proper grammar and strong diction choice.

One example being when Lopez purposefully uses words with strong connotations- one negative, and one positive- to draw attention to the fact that a homeless man can play stunning, complex pieces of music often associated with the rich and successful. On opposite ends of the spectrum, the phrase "bedraggled source of refinement" brings pause to the reader, as well as extra attention to how odd this scene must have been.

This supports his message of focusing on the things money can't buy-the pure joy Nathaniel experiences when he plays his music. To be able to hold onto that feeling, despite all of his hardships is admirable.

Those people in the park were reminded of this admirable quality when they saw him playing, which further supports Lopez's idea of people focusing too much on material items and forgetting there is more to life than thin, green paper bills. 

The Third Note: The Importance

In today's society, materialistic things tend to be prioritized over things such as emotions, yet through Nathaniel, Lopez reminds us that maybe the things we cannot touch and cannot buy are the ones we should hold onto.