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A cascading water feature that spills over rocks and gathers in quiet ponds has been engineered and “tuned” to strike the right note of splashing on stones, a delicate balance that could fall into a disruptive fire hose gushing in less attentive hands.

But as much as at any point since the March 2020 onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the full dimensions of the outcome seem in doubt as officials try to balance the need to keep pressure on the economy to lower inflation, strike the right note of caution about financial stability, and avoid any missteps that could make investors think things are worse - or better - than they are.

The Biden administration, officials say, must strike the right note: by bolstering aid to the Ukrainian military to discourage an invasion but not to the point where Russia feels threatened and decides it must to act.

Instead of trying to strike the right note for selling insurance or cars while sales are plummeting, many companies have decided to temporarily cut down or stop advertising altogether.

In the midst of a global public health catastrophe that is crashing the economy and underscoring gross inequities, images of wealthy actors and musicians warbling utopian lyrics from the comfort of capacious homes and luxuriant gardens — let’s just say it fails to strike the right note.