This year was my first visit to SXSW Music. I stuck around for a few days after giving a SXSW Interactive talk (thank you for those who attended!) and was blown away by the energy and the discovery taking place on such a massive scale. I picked up a few new favorite bands and some timely reminders about music as a form of artistic expression:

music is personal.

Each person’s navigation through the endless waterfall of musical expression is unique.

music is best shared.

As solitary an experience as music can be when you’ve got your headphones on at home, it’s something entirely different when you’re with friends or strangers, enjoying a familiar sound or discovering something new.

music is connection.

One of the most exciting things to see at SXSW is a relatively obscure band snowballing followers by performing passionately, 8, 9, 10+ times in a weekend, and watching word of mouth transform off-the-beaten-path bands into legends by week’s end. The best bands, regardless of genre, make you smile regardless of whether you’ve heard of them or not.

Some of my favorites (just scratching the surface): The Middle East, Broken Bells, Local Natives, Here We Go Magic, Shearwater, Surfer Blood, Miike Snow, The Very Best, The Walkmen (with local 5 piece brass ensemble @ Digg Shindigg), and of course his Orchestra, which was especially endearing for its unique context (secret venue in a power plant parking lot, with DIY flamethrowers and human mic stands, with VIP transportainment by the RVIP Lounge).

I was especially proud of the San Francisco representation at SXSW, both musically and diplomatically.

Starving and on the way to a Whole Foods this past Sunday for some ideas for dinner, I decided on a whim to stop in at a local Middle Eastern grocery store instead. I start chatting with the owner, after having tasted a batch of hummus she made by hand moments before I arrived. She brings me tea and urges me not to rush off until I finish it. While I’m hanging out and drinking my tea, with 3 bags of groceries on the counter, I make new friends and share some laughs.

In Turkey, I had a similar experience. You can’t go into a business without being approached with sweet tea and a friendly greeting. It immediately takes the “Business” out of business, and suddenly you’re dealing with people as well as their goods. I feel there’s a lesson here about service design - slow down, get personal, and don’t be afraid to give without getting back in return. The connection is worth the effort.

Above: a Turkish tea pot - water on the bottom, concentrated tea on the top slow-brewed, combine the two liquids to taste.

Small tea glasses (not venti) are found everywhere in Turkey and are the equivalent of a handshake in both small and large businesses.