Tuesday, March 12, 2024, Andrew Kingsley and Garrett Chalfin

I felt like today's puzzle was singing my song. As a non-musical person, I embraced the exhortation in today's revealer, READMUSIC, to reinterpret musical notes as text messages. So Ab (A flat) is APARTMENT, B# is LOOKALIVE, and my favorite today, E#, is TECHSAVVY, which is nice first because it's a clever interpretation of the musical note and second because 'savvy' has two vees in it. That makes it fun. :)

Overall, my solve tempo was vivace. My one miscue occurred early when I entered 'stAge' at 1D for "Field of play?" instead of the correct DRAMA. I particularly enjoyed the northeast corner that contained SATAY, PREGO, ARTISTE, AGHA, and NIHAO - a veritable UN of answers!

Other high notes for this solver were "Smallest unit of purchasing power, in an idiom" (REDCENT), "Shakespearean 'Tsk!'" (FIE), the shout outs to MEL Blanc, BANKSY, and NARNIA, and the self-referential HAIKU at 53D. The QMC "Show stoppers?" for ADS was a fun take on much-used fill. POSIT and OPINE in the southwest make a nice pairing. I also enjoy the emphatic expression ANDHOW.

The clue "Categorize" for ASSORT didn't THRILL me, but one cantata've everything. 

~Frannie.