Five days into 2012, and I’m still dwelling on the past… but what a great bit of the past to dwell on. How many talented little girls and boys were spurred to pour even more of themselves into their art because of this?

It takes fantastic ability, and a lot of work, for someone like Maria Aragon to do this. (It also takes an enlightened attitude from Lady Gaga and her record label; reflect for a sec on just how quickly a cease-and-desist letter or a DMCA takedown notice to YouTube would have ended this story.)

In case you haven’t seen (and heard) it already, here’s Ms. Aragon: