We all have that one artist who never fails to lift our mood, no matter how low it is. We have a history with that artist; we are familiar with the entirety of their work and feel most comfortable when their music comes on.

The Ready Set, aka Jordan Witzigreuter, is my favorite artist of all time. Ever since I heard “Love Like Woe” in eighth grade gym class, I’ve been hooked.

How can anyone resist his upbeat, catchy, unique songs? He puts so much effort into crafting each song perfectly so that it doesn’t resemble any song he’s ever created before. Every album of his contains amazing songs that tell completely different stories.

His music has such a wide range. Some of his songs burst with incredible, contagious energy. Others are full of sorrow, heavy with deep-seeded emotion. You honestly can’t go wrong with any of his albums. Whenever his songs come on, I find it impossible not to get up and dance. He just makes me so happy.

He engages with his fans, known as Giants, in such intimate ways. For years, he tracked his tours and new projects on YouTube. Jordan allowed us glimpses into the beautiful process that led him to his current level of success.

Meeting Jordan was one of the coolest moments of my life. After five years of learning about his journey and getting lost in his music, I finally got to experience him in person. I felt weird introducing myself because I already felt like I knew him so well. He’s so personal and authentic in his music; it already felt like I was meeting with an old friend.

Jordan puts everything he has into his concerts. I was lucky enough to see him perform live this past winter. For an hour, in a sweater and jeans, he danced like crazy, sang his heart out and threw himself around the stage with boundless energy and passion. You could see how he loses himself in the music he has dedicated his life to creating.

Through his thoughtful lyrics, he encourages us to fight against complacency, chase after our dreams and appreciate the fact that we’re alive, among so many other important virtues. His music isn’t just noise; it has value. His songs remind us of the important things in life, the things we don’t often take the time to notice or appreciate.

Thank you, Jordan, for your meaningful lyrics, inspiration and positivity. You will always be my favorite.