I’m searching for artists who still treat the craft like it matters—because that level of intention is rare now.

I was urged to write a song about all this—to capitalize on the unrest in the country. But I won’t. This isn’t a time to cash in. It’s a time to take stock. I watched Tom MacDonald’s “Charlie.” What many saw as a tribute to aid a widow and her now fatherless children, I recognized as a self-serving, opportunistic move. It capitalized on outrage and deepened the divide at a time when the country desperately needs to come together. And it’s not just Tom.