Music is a powerful force. It's more than just sound waves and rhythms; it's a language of shared experiences and emotions. It serves as a personal soundtrack of identity, yet it also forges connections with others, transcending generational and cultural divides.

This idea of music as a bridge came up in a recent "Just Human" conversation with my brother, Jeff. We explored how music has shaped our lives, from childhood memories to our current relationships, and how it reveals our shared humanity.

Music as a Foundation for Connection

Growing up in Texas, I remember my father's game room, a space dominated by a wall of audio equipment—turntables, reel-to-reels, and even an 8-track player. For my family, this setup was an invitation to experience music together. Jeff recalls being eight years old, listening to Michael Jackson's Thriller and Stevie Wonder's Original Musiquarium on Houston's Magic 102. For him, those songs weren't just noise; they were the start of a lifelong passion.

Many of our earliest connections were built around shared listening experiences. Music creates a sense of belonging before we understand what that word means.

The First Song That Moved You

Do you remember the first song that truly hit you—not just as a beat, but as a feeling? For Jeff, it was "Rock with You" by Michael Jackson. The young singer sounded like a grown man, and from that moment, the song was locked into his memory. To this day, he’ll never skip it. That's the unique power of music: it imprints emotions into sound. Years later, when we hear it, we don't just hear the notes; we relive the moments.

Why Our Brains Love Music

There's a scientific reason for this. Unlike most activities that engage only a few brain regions, music engages almost everything at once: the auditory, motor, memory, and emotion systems. MRI scans show that listening to music lights up our brains like a fireworks show. This explains why even babies instinctively respond to rhythm. Music is hardwired into us; it is, quite literally, what feelings sound like.

A Universal Language

Jeff has spent much of his life in the fire service and military and has countless stories about how music brings people together. At the firehouse, Bluetooth speakers often bridge the gap between 19-year-olds and 50-year-olds, who nod to the same song.

I've experienced this same magic at the lake. Music on the boat becomes a magnet for connection. Strangers will yell, "Turn that up!" or drift closer to share the vibe. These moments remind me that music is more than entertainment; it's a community in motion.

The Ritual of Vinyl

Jeff and I also talked about vinyl records. When I first told him I was collecting records again, he laughed. "Vinyl? In the age of streaming?" But after inheriting our mom’s Earth, Wind & Fire albums, he got hooked.

Vinyl offers more than sound; it's a ritual. There's the satisfying act of sliding the album out of its sleeve, carefully brushing away dust, and the nostalgic crackle as the needle drops. It's a tangible connection between generations—the duplicate records our parents played, now spinning again in our homes. Passing down memories and stories is at the heart of what it means to be human.

Music as a Superpower

I often tease my brother about his "superpower": his ability to pull a song or even a lyric that perfectly matches the moment. When I told him about a recent win in my business, he immediately sent me Common's "So Many People." This is more than just trivia; it's his way of connecting, of saying, "I see you, and here's a soundtrack for that."

Sharing a song can be a form of shorthand for empathy. We all need more of that.

The Democratization of Sound

The way we access music has certainly changed. We grew up making mixtapes, waiting by the radio to hit record, or buying CDs with only a few good tracks. Today, streaming offers instant access to millions of songs. Algorithms introduce us to artists we'd never find otherwise, like the South African funk band Easy Freak that Jeff recently discovered.

While the medium has evolved, the core purpose remains the same: connection, but now on a global scale.

Being Just Human Through Music

Ultimately, music teaches me that being human means being connected. Whether you're high-fiving a stranger at a concert, passing down a vinyl collection, or texting a friend a song link, you are part of something bigger.

Here’s a challenge for you this week:

• Revisit a song that once meant everything to you. Does it still resonate similarly, or does it tell a new story?
• Share a song with someone you love. Use it as an invitation to connect or reconnect.

In the end, music reminds us of the truth at the heart of this work: we are all just human. And that's more than enough.

Check out the Just Human Playlist on Spotify.

👉 https://open.spotify.com/playlist/370GaTscYjj0nnfY5jWQM2?si=63ed9864600f4b28