Today, as pioneering musician Janis Ian is joined in a march forward by such high profile recording acts as Radiohead and Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails), Ani DiFranco’s DIY beacon shines ever-bright. br br Asked “Why music?”, Allison Crowe responds: “Why breathing?” br br Just as naturally, the Canadian musician embraces DiFranco’s truth: “If you are disgustingly sincere and terribly diligent, there are ways for any serious artist to operate outside the corporate structure.” br br Which makes it really about the music. Best-known for her piano music, one of the first guitar songs Allison Crowe performed on-stage was the Ani DiFranco song “Both Hands”. Fortunately, Nanaimo, B.C.’s Scott Littlejohn was on hand to record this live (in 2004).