How Music Can Strengthen Our Social Fabric

 
 
 

BY: Amy Camie, CTM-CCM
Certified Therapeutic Clinical Musician

July is Social Wellness Month, a time to reflect on the strength of our relationships and how we connect with ourselves and others. In a world that feels more uncertain and face-paced than ever, our social fabric is being stretched. Many of us are craving meaningful connection. Ironically, we are the individual threads that comprise this precious tapestry. Music offers a powerful yet simple way to remember our connection.

 

PAUSE: Music Is Part of Our Story

I invite you to take a moment and reflect: Is there a song or piece of music that always puts you in a good mood? How about a melody that brings you to tears? Or music played during special celebrations in your life? Most of us have a personal soundtrack. Music carries us through life, from birth to death. It helps us express and feel the full range of emotions that connect us as human beings.

Music is fascinating. We hear it before we’re born. We listen to it growing up. It bonds us with friends, social groups, communities, and cultures. Music helps us connect and feel a sense of belonging. This feeling of connection is critical because it affects our physical, emotional, and mental health, our relationships, and even our risk of premature death.

Music supports our social wellness in ways we may not always realize. Whether you are a professional business leader, young adult stepping into the unknown, stay-at-home or working parent, a student navigating the dynamics of school, or a child learning the newness of this world, we are all human beings experiencing moments of joy, pain, fear, love, peace, and loss. Music helps us express and share these human emotions.

STAY OPEN: A New Perspective

When my professional speaking career began 25 years ago, I shared a metaphor in every presentation that I continue to use today. I see people as harps, with our own unique set of strings. Each string represents something within us: feelings, thoughts, beliefs, memories, and perceptions. Some strings are low, some are high, and together they create the fullness of who we are. For me, the journey of self-reflection and self- compassion is the process of discovering and embracing our strings so we can express the fullness of our unique sound.

Today, I’m thrilled to include neuroscience research in my corporate trainings that support the harp strings metaphor. In her book Seven and a Half Lessons About the Brain, scientist Lisa Feldman Barrett explains how the brain tunes (strengthens) and prunes (weakens) neuronal connections based on how often we use them. This is called neuroplasticity, a process that continues throughout life as we learn, grow, and change.

Our brains, like our inner harps, are continually being shaped by what we experience and how we perceive the world. It’s our choice to stay open, keep learning, and create new connections within and around us. Expanding how we listen to music is a way to start.

BE CURIOUS: How One Question Changed Everything 

In my May 2023 TEDxStLouis talk, “Building Tolerance and Empathy Through Music,” I shared a personal story about driving our sons to school while listening to heavy metal music. This music was uncomfortable for me because it felt angry, loud, and forceful, but I listened to it because the boys loved it. One day I became curious, decided to stop judging it, and asked, “What are they saying?”

That one question changed everything. As if a floodgate opened, the boys told me about the myths, legends, and personal tragedies expressed through the music. My heart and mind opened as I now heard this music as an expression of another human being. I understood why the boys liked it. It was easier to listen to and my tolerance increased. I felt a deeper connection with the boys and the musicians. I was surprised how one question could create these feelings of empathy, which is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.


Metal music stretched me out of my comfort zone and reminded me that we often judge what we don’t understand. It’s natural. If we haven’t had a certain experience, our brains are not wired for it. It takes courage and curiosity to step into the unknown and make new connections. Music can be a gentle and safe first step.

 Ideas to Try Today

  • Explore a genre you normally resist. Ask a friend who loves it why they enjoy it. Listen with an open mind and heart. 

  • Reflect on your personal soundtrack. What music helped shape who you are? 

  • Start a conversation with someone by asking, “What’s your favorite song? Why?”

  • Be curious and open. Listen to music as an expression of another human being. Ask, “What are they saying? What are they communicating?” Can you find a common string, feeling, or story? 

  • Use song lyrics to help convey your feelings to someone. 

  • Reflect on your inner harp. What ‘strings’ have been ignored or silenced? What might need tuning?

Final Reflection

Music is a universal language that reminds us we are not alone. It helps us express our shared humanity and common strings. When we pause, stay open, and remain curious, music becomes more than entertainment. It becomes a way to connect with ourselves and others, strengthening our social fabric.

This month, and every month, let’s use music to create new connections, nurture relationships, and build stronger communities.

The connection is already there. All we have to do is listen and remember.

Resources:

 

The TEDxStLouis Speaker Spotlight Series celebrates speakers from the St. Louis area, highlighting their latest projects, ideas, and sources of inspiration. Join us at our next live event Friday, September 5 at TEDxStLouis Women 2025: Future Focus – Envisioning What’s Next! Follow us on social media, join our email list, and discover how you can get involved at tedxsaintlouis.org.

 
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