Joe's a school band teacher whose true passion is playing jazz. When he gets lost in his music, he goes into "the zone,” an immersive state that causes the rest of the world to literally melt away.

Joe gets the chance of a lifetime to play the piano in a jazz quartet headed by the great Dorothea Williams. 

Joe Gardner is a school band teacher whose life hasn’t gone the way he expected. When he finds himself in another realm helping someone else find their passion, he discovers what it truly means to have soul.

A single unexpected step sends Joe to the cosmic realms where he finds the "You Seminar"—a fantastical place where Joe is forced to think again about what it truly means to have soul. 

Joe finds himself in The Great Before—a fantastical place where new souls get their personalities, quirks and interests before they go to Earth. Joe teams up with a precocious soul, 22, to show her what’s great about living.