For as long as I can remember, music has been my safe place. It has been my comfort in painful moments, my celebration when life felt beautiful, and my connection to others when I felt alone. I did not start making music because I thought it would become my career. I started because it healed me. Over time, I realized that music is not just entertainment. It is medicine. It reaches parts of us that words alone cannot. It soothes the nervous system, lifts the spirit, brings people together, and gives us courage to keep going.
The First Time I Felt the Healing Power of Sound
Growing up, life was joyful but also complicated. I was adopted as an infant into a loving family, but I experienced the challenges of identity, belonging, and learning how to navigate a world where I did not always feel like I fit in. In those moments, music was where I went to feel whole. I remember sitting with headphones on, letting melodies wash over me, and feeling my heart settle. Music made me feel seen, even when no one else could hear what was happening inside me.
It was not just the sound. It was the emotion behind it. A simple guitar strum could soften the hardest days. A voice full of truth could remind me I was never alone. I learned early that sound reaches the soul long before the mind tries to make sense of things.
Sound and the Nervous System
Over the years, I have spent time learning about why music feels like therapy. What I discovered is that our bodies are wired for rhythm and vibration. When you hear music you love, your brain releases dopamine, the same chemical tied to joy and motivation. Slow songs help calm your heartbeat and ease anxiety. Upbeat rhythms energize you. Chanting and singing help regulate breath and emotions. Even humming can soothe your nervous system and reduce stress.
Think about a time your mood shifted instantly when a song you loved came on. That is not coincidence. That is your body responding to sound as medicine. It is why babies quiet down when they are sung to. It is why people in pain find comfort in melody. Music gives the body permission to feel and release what it is holding.
Music as Connection and Community
One of the most powerful parts of my life has been touring the world and playing for people in every kind of place, from big arenas to tiny community centers. Every night I see the same thing happen. Strangers standing side by side begin to sing, move, and breathe together. It does not matter what language they speak or what their background is. For those moments, we are united.
That is the power of music. It reminds us that we belong to each other. It teaches us compassion and empathy. It gives us the courage to feel in a world that often tells us to stay guarded. On stage, I see people let go of grief, rediscover joy, and reconnect to hope. I see healing in real time.
The Way Music Helps Us Process Emotion
There have been seasons in my life when I faced loss, doubt, and heartbreak. Music carried me through every one of them. Writing songs helps me make sense of my feelings. It helps me sit with pain without running from it. Sometimes I do not even know what I am feeling until the words come out in a lyric.
For others, listening to music becomes a similar release. A song can say the thing you could not find the words for. It can bring up tears you needed to cry or spark a smile you forgot you still had inside you. To heal, we need to feel. Music gives us the space to do that.
Music, Movement, and Joy
At Soulshine Bali, our retreat hotel, I watch guests transform when they move their bodies and dance. We play music at sunrise yoga. We sing along during dinners. We dance under the stars. When people allow sound and movement to flow through them, something shifts. Stress melts away. Hearts open. Laughter returns. People remember they are alive, not just surviving life but living it.
Music does not just heal sadness. It expands joy. It reminds us to celebrate our bodies, our breath, and each other. It encourages us to move freely, speak honestly, and love openly.
Do It For The Love and the Healing Power of Live Music
When my wife Sara and I started Do It For The Love, our nonprofit that brings people facing life threatening illness, kids with special needs, and veterans to concerts, we did it because we had seen firsthand how powerful live music can be. When someone who has been through pain or trauma feels the energy of a crowd, hears a favorite song live, and shares that moment with family, something magical happens. You see their spirit lift. You see hope return. You see healing.
Music restores dignity, joy, and connection. It reminds people that life still has beauty in it, even when things are hard.
Living Life Tuned In
Music has taught me to show up fully in my life. To listen deeply. To feel instead of numb. To connect instead of close off. To express my heart without apology. And most importantly, to approach life with gratitude and love.
You do not need to be a musician to experience the healing power of music. You just need to listen. Sing in the car. Dance in your kitchen. Play a song that lifts you when life feels heavy. Create moments of sound that bring you peace and joy.
Music is not just sound. It is energy. It is medicine. It is one of the most powerful tools we have to heal, connect, and grow. So keep that song playing, keep the rhythm alive, and let the music do its magic. Your heart will thank you. Your mind will soften. Your body will breathe easier. And your spirit will rise.