Here’s The Powerful Moment A High School Teacher Found Out That Prince Died While In Class

The gut-punch of death is never an expected one. The world stopped spinning for a few moments earlier today when the news broke that music god Prince passed away at 57. The emotional outpouring was swift and sudden on social media: There were tributes to Prince’s guitar virtuosity, to his song-writing ability, to his ability to transform music and conventional cultural boundaries.

But perhaps the most powerful summation of the music world’s collective shock and sadness comes from this high school teacher. One of his students captured the moment just after he found out about Prince’s death. He threw “Purple Rain” on for the class and needed a couple moments to himself, burying his hands in his head.

The thing you’re really looking at here is the unclenching power of great music. The memory recall, the ability to place yourself in it, the emotions that it causes to bellow from deep a part of your soul you forgot that you had.

In a day of powerful moments, it’s the most powerful moment.

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I think we all blasted “Purple Rain” at some point today in our mutual mourning, but personally I’m a fan of remembering Prince in happier times, with wicked horn licks and guitar-shredding that makes the hair on my back stand up and scream.