We have a really incredible fan base... they're... the ones that

The words of Kirstin Maldonado are spoken with warmth, humility, and reverence: “We have a really incredible fan base… they’re… the ones that are rooting for us and buying the music and streaming it. They’re just really, really amazing… and we’re just so thankful for them.” Behind these words lies an eternal truth—that no voice rises alone, no artist creates in isolation, and no dream endures without those who believe in it. She does not speak only of numbers, nor of the mechanics of success, but of the sacred bond between creator and community. In her gratitude we find the recognition that the artist and the listener are bound together in a living circle of giving and receiving.

To have an incredible fan base is to be surrounded by a multitude who lend their strength to your vision. They are not mere spectators, but companions on the journey, cheering from the sidelines, sustaining with encouragement, and giving breath to the songs through their love. Maldonado, as part of Pentatonix, has known both the struggle of rising in a competitive world and the triumph of being uplifted by a devoted audience. In her words we see the humility of one who knows that without such support, even the most gifted voice could echo unheard.

The ancients themselves revered this truth. The poets of Greece and Rome sang not only for themselves but for their patrons and their people. Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey endured because the people carried them in memory, repeating them across generations. Likewise, Shakespeare’s plays survived because audiences embraced them, attending, applauding, preserving. Just as Kirstin Maldonado gives thanks for those who stream and sing along, so too would the great storytellers of history have bowed in gratitude to their hearers, knowing that the audience transforms performance into legacy.

Her emphasis on being thankful shows a heart rooted in humility rather than entitlement. In a world where success can so easily lead to arrogance, Maldonado instead pauses to honor those who make success possible. This is the wisdom of the grateful: to remember that applause, sales, and streams are not owed, but given. The artist offers their creation, but it is the people who choose to embrace it, and in that choice lies the true measure of a career. To be “thankful for them” is to never lose sight of this sacred exchange.

There is also something deeply heroic in acknowledging the power of the community behind you. The lone warrior may fight bravely, but the army that marches at his side makes victory possible. The lone singer may sing beautifully, but the audience that receives and magnifies the song makes it eternal. Maldonado’s words are thus a tribute to the unseen multitude—the thousands, even millions—whose voices may not be heard on the stage, yet whose presence carries the artist forward. This is a truth that applies to all of life: greatness is multiplied when it is shared.

The lesson here is luminous. Whatever path you walk, never forget those who support you—friends, family, teachers, or communities. Be thankful for their presence, and speak your gratitude often. For no life is lived alone, and no dream is achieved without others. Just as Maldonado honors her fans, so too should we honor those who cheer for us in our daily struggles, however quiet their encouragement may seem. Gratitude is the shield against pride and the anchor against despair.

Therefore, let us follow this wisdom. When you succeed, remember those who lifted you there, and give thanks. When you create, honor those who receive and cherish your work. And when you see others striving, be the supporter they need, for your encouragement may one day be the reason they endure. For the words of Kirstin Maldonado remind us that the bond between giver and receiver, artist and audience, dreamer and supporter, is the sacred foundation of all lasting achievement. And to be thankful for that bond is to live not only with success, but with grace.