In a story based on the West African proverb, "It takes a whole village to raise a child," a young girl proudly watches her brother and then realizes that the entire village has been watching them both.
Ashti and her mother spend a sunny day at the park, following a strange, joyful sound that seems to dance through the trees. The sound leads them to an old man sitting on a bench, singing, scatting, and tapping his feet while feeding a flock of happy birds. He tells them how much he loves jazz—the rhythms, the surprises, the way it makes people feel alive. But he also shares something that makes him sad: the music program at the school where he once taught is about to disappear.