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GRAMMYs

D Smoke 

Photo: Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images

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D Smoke's Family Story Of Music Over Panic d-smokes-family-story-music-over-panic-pandemic

D Smoke's Family Story Of Music Over Panic In A Pandemic

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How the COVID-19 crisis and death of George Floyd brought the acclaimed artist and his mother together to deepen their family's generational connection through music
Keith Nelson Jr
MusiCares
Jun 8, 2020 - 4:56 pm

This isn’t scientifically confirmed, but Rhythm + Flow winner D Smoke, 34, probably has a few music notes in his genetic code. His mother Jackie Gouché, affectionately known as Ms. Jackie, was a background singer for greats like Michael Jackson and she sang at her church Bible Enrichment Fellowship in Inglewood, Calif. Her mother before her sang in her church and toured the world as a background vocalist as well. Her mother’s mother was a beautiful soprano singer who spent her whole life singing in church. Even with a pandemic pausing the world, Smoke and his mother’s bond has kept moving as usual, in part, thanks to music.

It’s May 18th and D Smoke, Daniel to his mom Ms. Jackie, is sitting a few feet from his mother at their family home, as they do once a week. Outside their doors, more than 13,000 Americans would die from COVID19-related complications that day, while their home state of California would see its most COVID-19 deaths in a single day. “When we get together, sometimes we talk about how things outside of the family have adjusted. But, to allow it to adjust or change our dynamic as a family is criminal,” Smoke asserted.

The severity of the pandemic isn’t lost on the family. They’ve found their deep connection to music ensures as much. Smoke had a nationwide tour set along with dates in Europe, South America, and Australia before COVID-19 essentially shut down music touring. Ms. Jackie, the minister of music for her longtime church, “had to make a major mental adjustment” after church services stopped after the week of March 15th. For her son, music has helped him reject the current state of affairs as a “new normal.”

“Personally, I don’t use the phrase ‘new normal,’ but I had to slow things down around late March. But, that happened naturally because I have ‘seasons,’ creative seasons. Right now, I’m creating another album, so I think [quarantine] just mirrored that process altogether,” Smoke clarified.

Smoke and his mother don’t fear COVID-19 because they have faith. They don’t let the outside world’s anxiety seep into the fabric of their family because they’re each woven tightly into each other’s lives forming a bond so inextricable that when one member is hurting they all feel it and help. And music is often their love language.

Ms. Jackie’s 57th birthday was March 27, eight days after the California governor ordered all Californians to stay home unless for essential work. For Smoke, family and music are essential. Roughly a week after his mother had to spend her birthday under quarantine, Smoke and his two brothers gifted their mother with a pristine Yamaha C3 Grand Piano. Speaking with her, you could hear the joy emanating from her face through the phone when she describes the piano as the “Rolls Royce of pianos, and it’s a dream I’ve had for the last 40 years.”

The piano has been a haven for the family to sit down and exchange little chords and lessons during the pandemic.

Before Smoke was born, his musical fate was being written by his mother. Ms. Jackie started learning the piano when she was the tender age of 14-years-old. “I felt I was late in the game at 14, so I decided then, when I was a teenager, that when I had kids, I was going to teach them as early as I possibly could.”

GRAMMYs
D Smoke Family Photos - click above for more

As soon as her three sons were toddlers and could reach the keys, she stood them around the piano and taught them the chords, how to play a C-major scale, finger alignment on the piano, and basics skills people go to school to learn. Over the years, the lessons would become more complex and the memories would be indelibly embedded in both Smoke’s music and mind.

“For so many years, she instilled so much in us musically. We literally sat around a piano of kids and got instructed on music theory, harmonies, chord progression, intervals, and stuff like that right in the house, but it was from whatever piano we had. We had the upright that had been passed down three generations, pawned, picked back up and keys were replaced,” Smoke said.

When Smoke and his brothers were kids, their father spent six-and-a-half years in prison.

Smoke was fighting all the time in school while his father was incarcerated. For many, losing their father to prison would make them detach from the world. Thanks in part to music, Smoke attributes his father’s incarceration for why he’s able to connect with the world now.

“If he never went to prison, I never would’ve been a rapper. I would’ve probably been a classical pianist. That’s the x-factor that allows me to speak to a whole different set of people that may actually need music. I think there are people who enjoy and there are people who live by it.”

“If [my father] never went to prison, I never would’ve been a rapper. I would’ve probably been a classical pianist. That’s the x-factor that allows me to speak to a whole different set of people that may actually need music." -D Smoke

So, it’s no wonder that when he received his $250,000 in prize money for winning Netflix’s Rhythm + Flow competition, he made sure part of the money went to pay his mother and father back for their help. It’s also no wonder his mother is in the process of writing a book entitled Raising Men about how raising three young men as a single mother for years helped shape who she is as a person.

Smoke and his mother hadn't recorded any music when we spoke, but Smoke said it was possible it’d happen that same day. If they do decide to work on some tunes, a global pandemic won’t be an issue. “I have all of the same equipment you would find at a major studio at my house,” Smoke said proudly.

That home studio became a pulpit for Smoke after former Minnesota Police officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee on the neck of George Floyd before Floyd died. On that day, Smoke wrote the song, “Let Go,” a somber incendiary diatribe about police brutality and Black oppression. Four days later, he released the song featuring soulful singing from his brother Sir. You may hear “Let Go” as two artists putting out a song about the times. Smoke, his mother, and probably his entire family, know what they’re hearing is more than music.

“Music is as core to us as eating, breathing, moving, water.” Smoke said.

Learn more about how you can donate to or apply for assistance via the Recording Academy's and MusiCares' COVID-19 Relief Fund.

Learn more about the financial, medical and personal emergencies services and resources offered by the Recording Academy and MusiCares

Want To Support Protesters And Black Lives Matter Groups? Here’s How

'Why? Because It's Christmas' album cover

Why? Because It's Christmas Album Cover

Photo Courtesy of Artists

 
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Tony Lucca On Mickey Mouse Club Alumni Holiday LP 90s-mickey-mouse-club-members-reunite-holiday-album-why-because-its-christmas

'90s "Mickey Mouse Club" Members Reunite For Holiday Album, 'Why? Because It's Christmas'

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Featuring more than a dozen former Mouseketeers, the 17-track holiday album will benefit MusiCares and other charitable organizations
Ana Monroy Yglesias
MusiCares
Dec 8, 2020 - 10:12 am

Disney Channel's "The All-New Mickey Mouse Club," which ran from 1989-1996, is forever cemented in pop culture psyche as the kid's variety show that launched the careers of Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera and Ryan Gosling. Yet they weren't the only talented, charismatic young people in the show's cast to continue on to careers in film and music.

Always In The Club, a group composed of former cast members from "The All-New Mickey Mouse Club" across the years, brings together the show's alumni to keep spreading joy and to fundraise for important causes. On Why? Because It's Christmas, more than a dozen former Mouseketeers reunited virtually to create a 17-track holiday album, released Nov. 27, that delivers cheer and financial support to those directly impacted by COVID-19. Proceeds from the album will be donated to MusiCares, the Brave Of Heart Fund and Cast Member Pantry.

GRAMMY.com checked in with singer/songwriter/producer and "Mickey Mouse Club" alum Tony Lucca, a performer and co-producer on the album, who spoke about Why? Because It's Christmas, his time on the iconic show and the vital connection between art and service.

What sparked the idea for the Why? Because It's Christmas benefit album? What does it mean to you to be able to give back to those impacted by COVID-19?

It stemmed from the fun and excitement we, the cast of the "Mouse Club," shared during our MMC30 reunion in Orlando last year. Our castmate, Tasha Danner, had casually suggested we do a cast holiday record together, and the wheels got turning instantly. Fortunately, it was Dale Godboldo, along with Chasen Hampton and Always In The Club president, Lisa Cannata, who were doing the turning.

Always In The Club is an organization that serves as a philanthropic conduit for various charitable organizations year-round, pandemic or not. Having them as the driving engine of this collaboration provided for a very clear intention for us to get behind creatively. As for the three organizations that we chose to [donate to], I simply can't imagine any other causes that could possibly be more near and dear to our hearts as a team: those within the music industry, those on the frontline of this horrendous pandemic and our fellow Disney cast members.  

"I've always maintained the belief that empathy lies at the heart of creativity."

What does the connection between art and service look like to you?

I've always maintained the belief that empathy lies at the heart of creativity. It's why so many artists, musicians, songwriters, actors, painters and authors tend to ally themselves with noble causes throughout their careers. No one's ever obligated to serve or "give back" as they find success in their line of work, but it's no surprise to me that artists tend to be the ones that do.

Related: MusiCares Launches "Help For The Holidays" Initiative On Giving Tuesday 2020

What did it feel like to virtually reunite and collaborate with your fellow "Mickey Mouse Club" alumni on a Christmas album during a year that's felt very isolating and dividing?

From the very first Zoom conference we had, seeing each other "face-to-face," sharing in the enthusiasm this project was no doubt going to require, I can't tell you how much fun it was and a rather welcomed distraction! As a producer on the record, having a front-row seat to each and every performance, I would just sit there and radiate pride and appreciation for just how much talent exists amongst this group. It was great to see how much growth and maturity has taken place and wonderful to hear these endearing and familiar voices again. It truly was a pleasure. 

What is your favorite song from the project? Who decided which Christmas classics to include?

Well, I think "Go Tell It On The Mountain" is one of the best group songs "The Mickey Mouse Club" has ever presented. It's just so much fun and came out so timelessly wonderful. I love that it starts off the record and really sets the tone.

Of course, I'd be remiss if I didn't admit that I'm also really proud of "Auld Lang Syne." [Editor's Note: Lucca performs this song on the album.] I've always been a fan of that song and kind of always saw it as the holiday season "bonus track." I'm also a fan of "firsts" when I make records, and this recording marks the first time I ever recorded myself playing slide guitar. I thought the "Amazing Grace" melody laid real nicely over the "Auld Lang Syne" progression, and the slide seemed like the best way to do that.  

What was the biggest thing you learned during your time in the "Mickey Mouse Club"? If you could give that younger version of yourself any advice, what would it be?

I learned the beauty and value [of] the art of collaboration, of taking pride in your role, your work, your contribution to the bigger picture. I learned how to show up and take chances. Looking back, I'd say I could've savored so much more of it at the time. Granted, we were kids, teenagers. It's not really in our nature to savor too much at that age. But yeah, I'd probably have quite a few more stand-out memories had I had realized how quickly and easily it can and will eventually all go away.  

To learn more about MusiCares and how you can support music professionals in need, visit musicares.org.

MusiCares & ELMA Honor Hugh Masekela With Matching Fund

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Liz Brasher

Photo: Jarrod Anthonee

News
Liz Brasher On Memphis, "Sad Girl Status" & More liz-brasher-opens-about-memphis-mental-health-her-new-sad-girl-status-video

Liz Brasher Opens Up About Memphis, Mental Health & Her New "Sad Girl Status" Video

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The tough and talented emerging artist talks candidly about her career journey, how Memphis' "grit and hustle" inspires her, and what went into her powerful and personal new video
Robert Ham
MusiCares
Jun 23, 2020 - 10:19 am

Singer/songwriter Liz Brasher definitely took the backroads to discover and develop her distinctive style of Southern music. Influenced by everything from the spirituals of Mahalia Jackson to the crafty harmonies of the Beatles, Brasher honed her self-described mix of "garage rock meets the Delta blues meets gospel meets soul," along the winding personal and musical journey from her hometown of Matthews, NC, through Chicago and Atlanta. 

The backroads eventually led her to the home of legendary labels Stax and Sun Records, Memphis, Tenn., where she began her career in earnest and found her new creative home.

"It’s a really healthy place to write and to exist as an artist. There’s no feeling of industry or competition here," she says. "I came to Memphis to record an album and hopefully get signed. And literally the first weekend I was here, those things happened for me."

Fast success awaited Brasher in Memphis. She was snapped up by Fat Possum Records and soon found herself on the road, opening for the Zombies and the Psychedelic Furs, and making her highly acclaimed first appearance at SXSW in 2018. She released her debut album Painted Image in early 2019 and even earned a place in the hallowed halls of the Stax Museum, with one of her stage outfits and guitars on display, further celebrating and cementing her connection to the "Home of the Blues." 

But soon, Liz started to see her promising young career stall out just as the lights were turning green. 

“You’re promised that things are going to go one way,” she remembers, “then you see yourself fall to the wayside because... things aren't the way you were told they would be.” 

Instead of succumbing to adversity, Brasher poured her disappointment into her music. She sat down at her piano one day and out came a heartfelt ballad called “Sad Girl Status.” The song is a powerful expression of personal anguish and fiery determination written with ample room for her wall-shaking vocals to boom out. Appropriately, it’s matched up with a video featuring the wildly talented artist walking with purpose through Memphis—both guided tour and a reminder of her place in the musical history of this legendary city.  

While she waits for the quarantine to lift and for her touring life to begin again, Brasher spoke with the Recording Academy about the hard times that led to the creation of “Sad Girl Status,” inheriting her work ethic from her immigrant mom, and what her adopted hometown of Memphis means to her. 

Let’s start off by talking about your new single “Sad Girl Status.” In the notes for the song, you talk about how it was born from a really low point in your career and your life. What was going on at that time? 

We had just released my debut album Painted Image. Everything in my whole life had been leading up to this moment. Like, it’s your first record. You really want it to do well. I had just come off a really good previous year of touring. Then suddenly I watched everything fall into this stalemate. It didn’t matter how many songs I was writing. It didn’t matter what I was doing to get better, I couldn’t propel anything forward. That was just so frustrating because I’m not a person who sits still very well at all. That’s what I was now forced to do for almost a year. I found myself in this cycle of frustration. I knew what my potential was, but I couldn’t get myself to where I wanted to go. So, in that really low state, I sat down at the piano, and in a few minutes, the song completely came out of me. It was really melancholy, but I thought it was beautiful at the same time. I think it was really what I needed to make this mental switch. It was the catalyst for me to be able to make changes that needed to be made in my career. 

What changes did you make to help you move forward? 

I took my career into my own hands. As an artist it’s easy to feel like a lot is out of your control. You write the music, perform it, record it, but you can feel so disconnected to everything from the business side – like it’s something that’s happening to you. Some artists are okay with being hands off, with just getting informed as things happen, but I realized that’s not what I wanted. That forced me to take a step back and see that, while I have help with my career, I ultimately needed to own the fact that it’s up to me to make sure it’s driving forward in the way I want it to go.

Is it normal for you to start with the piano to write a song? A lot of the material on Painted Image is very guitar-forward. 

Aside from singing, piano was my first instrument. My mom started me on piano lessons when I was four. When I began to join bands, I would just sing. Later on, I picked up the guitar and that kind of overtook everything for me. It’s so much easier to lead a band as a guitar player. I’ve got some songs that are more piano-based but not like this. Not stripped down—just vocals and piano. 

Your hometown of Memphis is such a huge part of the video for “Sad Girl Status.” What does the city mean to you? 

The thing that attracted me most is that Memphis refuses to conform. There’s this very unique grit and hustle to this city. This constant mindset that Memphis is going to do whatever it wants to do. It’s a really healthy place to write and to exist as an artist. There’s no feeling of industry or competition here. I came to Memphis to record an album and hopefully get signed. And literally the first weekend I was here, those things happened for me. I don’t know if I’ll be in Memphis forever, but it’s always going to be the place where my career began. 

GRAMMYs

Liz Brasher's stage outfit and guitar on display at the Stax Museum in Memphis
Photo: Shane Trulin

Was it easy for you to get into the grind and hustle of the city? 

That’s something that was ingrained in me from childhood because my mom is an immigrant. She had to work her ass off to support me, including having multiple jobs so that I could take piano lessons. She’s one of nine siblings that came from the Dominican Republic where they all lived in a one room shack with dirt floors. My family came here seeking a better life. I grew up seeing how many things they had to balance and struggle with just to make ends meet. For me, it was like, how could I not work as hard as my mom?

How has your family responded to your music and your career? 

They just kind of stay out of it. Some will ask or keep up with how things are going, but most just act like it doesn’t exist. I have a very strict religious family. I grew up singing in the church and I wasn’t allowed to listen to secular music. I had to sneak out to go to concerts and had friends burn me CDs so I could hear what was going on. I had to literally hide in my closet with my radio because I was so addicted to music and wasn’t allowed to hear it. I grew up singing and was always playing some instrument, so it really shouldn’t be a shock that I turned out to be a musician. It can be an issue of contention because a prevalent thought within my family is that any time music is used outside of the church it’s automatically evil or negative. I think it’s a cultural and age difference, more than anything. My mom had me at 40, so that’s a huge age gap. You combine that with a different mentality from a different country and a legalistic view on faith, it just makes for a melting pot of misunderstanding. But I think all artists feel that way to a degree. My family’s response actually drives me. I want to be even more successful because I want them to see that this is a valid career and way of life. 

Do you have any ideas about what comes next for you – once you can get back on the road and onstage? 

I'm going to take over the world. I’ve written so much, even from the time of my first record. I’ve got multiple albums just waiting to be recorded right now. We’re having the conversations and discussing what the best options are. Is it building our own team independently or is it working with a label that’s going to be fully on board? Right now, we’re sorting through all of our options. I want to ensure we avoid repeating what I just went through. We’re just taking it one song at a time right now.   

Learn more about how you can donate to or apply for assistance via the Recording Academy's and MusiCares' COVID-19 Relief Fund.

Learn more about the financial, medical and personal emergencies services and resources offered by the Recording Academy and MusiCares.

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Photo: Ramon Costa/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

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Virtual Game Night: 6 Music Games To Play 6-music-games-play-virtual-game-night-friends-family

6 Music Games To Play For A Virtual Game Night With Friends & Family

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Try these creative ways to stay connected, have fun and maintain good mental health during quarantine
Kit Stone
MusiCares
May 25, 2020 - 12:35 pm

For some, the first week of the stay at home order felt like a vacation — a much-needed break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. We watched too much television, ate too many snacks, danced in our pajamas in the middle of the afternoon, and rekindled our relationship with our favorite bedspreads. 

But for family-oriented individuals, the stay-at-home orders hit differently. Sunday dinners and game-nights have been put on hold to ensure everyone's safety during the pandemic. That doesn't mean that you can't spend quality time with your loved ones, it just means you need to get a little creative. 

The saying is true, you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone, and not being able to connect with friends and family in the way that we’re used to can take a toll on your emotional and mental health. So, we’ve got to get creative on ways to incorporate family time even if you can’t physically connect. Establishing a routine game night, even virtually, can provide the emotional lift you need to help you maintain during the quarantine. 

Spending time with family and friends, even virtually, can relieve stress, decrease anxiety and depression, improve sleep, improve relationships, and make you happier all around. As long as you have wifi, you can organize a game night that can still add hours of family fun to your day. 

If you come from a musical family where get-togethers turn into impromptu concerts or viral TikTok videos, this list is for you. These virtual music-themed games can increase your musical knowledge, give your friends and family a peek into your musical taste, get your creative juices flowing and lift your mood. 

1. Verzuz 

Instagram got an instant upgrade when mega producers Timbaland and Swiss Beatz went hit for hit in the first Verzuz challenge. Since then, millions have gathered around their phones, tablets, and computers and watched artists like Teddy Riley and Babyface, Ryan Tedder and Benny Blanco, Erykah Badu and Jill Scott, and most recently, Ludacris and Nelly go hit for hit. You don’t have to wait for the next chart-topping artists to experience your next battle. Pick your favorite artist and challenge a friend. You can even invite others to listen in and choose the winner.  

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A post shared by Timbo the King (@timbaland)

2. Don’t Forget the Lyrics 

Are you a master at song lyrics? Well, even if you’re not, this will be a fun game. Each person takes turns playing a piece of a song. Without warning, stop the song and have the challenger finish the lyrical phrase. In order to get the point, they have to finish the lyrics word for word. If you want to be nice, you can let the other player sacrifice a point in order to give them a clue. The first person to get 12 song lyrics right, wins! Options: You can change the number from 12 to 20 or just 5, depending on how long you want to make your game.

3. Name That Tune

Start by playing an intro of a song. Before the verse starts, stop the song and wait for the other person to guess the title and the artist. Only the correct title gets the point. Partial or “almost” titles don’t count. Play one-on-one, or in teams. Make it more challenging by sticking to one genre or a specific decade. The parameters are up to you, so have fun with it!

4. Music Trivia

Normally, for this game, you would need a trivia master. That person would have to create a Google Doc of musical categories and questions similar to Jeopardy. Thankfully, we’ve got you covered with the “Ask GRAMMYs” music trivia game, compatible with Alexa and Google Home. You can test your music knowledge in categories that cover country music stars to rock legends and previous GRAMMY winners. The game refreshes every Monday with a new category so choose your team wisely. Check out this calendar to see what’s coming next. 

https://twitter.com/RecordingAcad/status/1253372567328612353

Looking for the perfect way to stay entertained while social distancing? Test your music knowledge with our weekly #GRAMMYTrivia.

Simply say "Ask GRAMMYs" to your #GoogleHome or #Alexa to get started! https://t.co/XPr5BmzzW3

— Recording Academy / GRAMMYs (@RecordingAcad) April 23, 2020

5/25 – The GRAMMYs Goes To The Opera
6/1 – Pride + Music
6/8 – The '60s
6/15 – The '70s
6/22 – The '80s
6/29 – '90s R&B

5. Song Association

This game can be played one-on-one or with teams. One person gives a member of the opposite team a word. That person has 10 seconds to sing a song with that word in it. If the time runs out, the person doesn’t get the point and it’s the other team’s turn. The first team or player to get 10 right, or however many you decide, wins. Easy words to start with are colors, places and objects.

6. Dance Freeze

Dancing carries its own benefits to health and wellness. Something as simple as moving your body can boost your cognitive performance, mood, and improve your cardiovascular health. It’s also an activity that all ages can enjoy from your barely walking tots to your more seasoned relatives. Designate a DJ. The DJ will play music and the other players will dance. Once the DJ stops the music, the players have to freeze in whatever dance position they’re in. The DJ watches to make sure they’re frozen in place. Anyone that moves is automatically out. The last player dancing wins. This a great game to get the whole family up and moving.

Kit Stone is a multimedia storyteller and digital content creator. A native of California, she credits her love of all things creative to the influence of the Bay Area culture she grew up in, and the part her family, Sly & the Family Stone, played in shaping it. Since receiving her degree in visual storytelling and media production from Cal State East Bay, Kit has used her passion for storytelling to inspire, educate, and entertain. When she’s off the clock, you can find her curled up with a good book or watching episodes of "The Golden Girls."

Read More: 11 Meditation Apps To Help You Get Calm & Centered During Quarantine & Beyond

Read more: How To Use Music Techniques To Prepare Healthy Food

Learn more about how you can donate to or apply for assistance via the Recording Academy's and MusiCares' COVID-19 Relief Fund.

Learn more about the financial, medical and personal emergencies services and resources offered by the Recording Academy and MusiCares. 

GRAMMYs

Allie X

Photo: Courtesy of Allie X

News
Why Music May Be More Important Now Than Ever why-music-may-be-more-important-now-ever

Why Music May Be More Important Now Than Ever Before

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Music therapist Tim Ringgold and breakout alt-pop artist Allie X unpack why music connects with us so deeply and how to empower that connection during the coronavirus crisis
Ariela Kozin
MusiCares
May 21, 2020 - 10:33 am

There is no denying that music has a power over us. A simple melody can make us laugh or cry. A harmony from a familiar song can trigger memories of good times and bad times. A catchy line can make our feet tap or heads bob without even knowing it. 

All we have to do is allow the sound waves to hit the ear for a swift journey to the brain and, just like that, rhythms, tones and lyrics translate into an emotional reaction that can feel as tender as a hug. In an era when suffering and uncertainty is plaguing our community, nurturing that special, easy relationship between artistic sounds, our bodies and our minds may be more important than ever before. 

In a new poll conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation, 45 percent of respondents identified a decline in mental health as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. The added stress of social distancing, devastating unemployment rates, telecommuting, childcare, death rates and overall looming uncertainty is leading to what the World Health Organization deems a “health shock” when "unpredictable illnesses” trigger a diminishing of the general population’s health, exacerbating feelings of loneliness and anxiety similar to the way the Vietnam War and the AIDS epidemic did. 

45 percent of survey respondents identified a decline in mental health as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

But trauma of the 20th century didn’t have the technology we have today. Even as depression plagues this uncertain time when we’re stuck at home, most of us have the ability to participate in proven restorative activities like telecommunicative behavioral therapy, calming YouTube videos or mental wellness apps. At the same time, a seemingly endless catalogue of music is just a click away, and its therapeutic capabilities may be more important than ever before. 

“People have a direct experience with music throughout their lives and humans throughout human history have had a very close personal relationship with music,” explains Tim Ringgold, an Orange County, CA-based board-certified music therapist. “The first sound we hear is our mom’s heartbeat in the womb. Our hearing is the sense that is used first. We hear the world we enter before we see it.” Ringgold hypothesizes that because we’ve been organically trained to trust music, it may be easier to consciously incorporate it into our lives rather than traditional talk therapy, which only works when we have the right words to express our feelings and the right listener to interpret those words.  

Even more so, it’s inevitable to face confrontation with another person—to be scolded, or rejected, or betrayed. Music never betrays us. Music doesn’t judge us, which is why someone can feel more connected to a person performing through their headphones rather than the person they share a bed with. During the unprecedented era of COVID-19, when we’re being ordered to self-isolate, our instinctual craving for human connection doesn’t disappear, so we can listen to an artist who “can give language to some of the most intense experiences and thoughts we've ever had without meeting them” then in that moment, Ringgold says, “we know we’re not alone.”

https://twitter.com/alliex/status/1262136232395472896

I’m okay. Hbu? pic.twitter.com/Dr6KsTCEd3

— allie x (@alliex) May 17, 2020

In order to tap into the power of music listening while also adhering to current stay-at-home orders, Ringgold mentions an option that involves gathering music we already know we enjoy, compiling it in a playlist and then physically engaging with the music—clapping, stomping, swaying, and so on—to the beat of the music.  While this active music listening is simply fun, if we want to successfully adhere to the time-based beat, it will require our uninterrupted presence in the moment. “People who struggle with anxiety are consumed with the future and they’re focused on the past when they’re depressed, but we don’t have control over the past or future. We only have control over our bodies in the present moment.”  If we’re ready to engage with the music, the brain will trigger a dopamine release—the pleasure chemical—that’s linked to reward and motivation. 

We already create playlists for a number of reasons: to help get over heartache, to motivate us when we exercise, to relax us during our commute. “We intuitively know that music helps us perform better as humans,” Ringgold notes. What we may not realize, however, is that our connection to music is directly tied to rhythm. “Rhythm is the organizing principle of the body, so we are wired to be musical because we are organized by rhythm,” he continues, pointing to the rhythm that conducts the heartbeat, the respiratory system, the reproductive system, the digestive system and on and on. 

“We don't ever talk about what music does to our brain and body, we always think about what it does to our emotions and our spirit,” Ringgold observes, further suggesting that if hours-long playlists feel overwhelming, a compilation of three familiar and empowering songs can also make an impact. Simply have the mini-collection cued and the next time negative thoughts take over, grab your headphones and walk to the beat for a few minutes. By the time the exercise is over, the nervous system will reset, decreasing the key stress hormone known as cortisol. 

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A post shared by Tim Ringgold (@tim_ringgold)

Of course, RInggold isn’t the first person to endorse music for trying times. The connection between music and the body was first recorded by Plato (428-347 BC) when he said that, ”Music gives wings to the mind,” but the origin of modern music meets medicine dates back to post-world war II, when musicians visited hospitals across the country to play for those suffering from post-war physical and emotional traumas. Since then, medical studies have recorded music’s ability to tap into final fears, reduce seizures, encourage better communication, boost our immune systems, increase intelligence and even help repair brain damage. 

Still, no matter how undeniably powerful music is, the industry is not immune to the havoc coronavirus is wreaking on the world. Any and all in-person music events have been affected, forcing talent— including everyone from The 1975 to Snoop Dogg to Rage Against the Machine—to indefinitely postpone or cancel their tours. The seemingly infallible music global festival circuit shattered and without that promised marketing—without the ability to reach out and touch fans—many artists have also postponed their planned album releases and are waiting out the stay-at-home orders like the rest of us.

Allie X, for example—who confirms she hasn’t stopped working her entire adult life—is now on standstill. “It's weird to talk about because I know that there's so much suffering happening in the world right now. As a global community, it's a very difficult time, but for me personally, I’ve really settled in to having time and space,” says the Los Angeles-based performer, born Allie Hughes. “I think I needed the world to stop to have permission to stop this marathon I’ve been in.”

Since 2015, Hughes has released five studio albums, earned a co-sign from Katy Perry, collaborated with Troye Sivan and BTS, and toured with names like Sivan, Charli XCX and Marina. Each of her projects showcase her signature nostalgia-drenched catchy melodies combined with her honey-like expert vocals, matched during live shows by a string of decadent onstage personas. Her latest work, Cape God (2020), is inarguably her most realized. The artist chooses to abandon her dramatic characters in exchange for depictions of inner turmoil tied up in synth-play so heavy it could comfort even the most melancholy of suburban teenagers.

This March, Hughes was set to travel across North America on a headline tour in support of Cape God. And at the time of our interview in May, she is meant to be singing around Europe, but instead she is in Los Angeles at home and just performed on Sessions, an ongoing live series on Twitch meant to benefit MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund. “I hope that they get something similar to what they would get at a live show, which is community and liberation,” she says of the stripped down performance.  

Hughes also hopes that her fans are using this time to explore their relationships with music in new ways. “I’ve always done music, from my earliest memories. I make music for a living, but I feel like I haven’t been listening to music the way I’ve been listening to music lately,” the artists muses. “I’m letting myself feel music as opposed to analyze it and think of it in a business sense.”

“I think I needed the world to stop to have permission to stop this marathon I’ve been in.” -Allie X

For the music makers themselves, creating music during this time—without the distraction of competition or a paycheck—have an even stronger ability than listeners to hack the system and change our state because playing requires total focus. “We’ve become sedentary creatures who are not present and we need to have reliable evidence-based tools that can get us reconnected to our bodies and the present moment,” explains Ringgold, who has been performing during this forced down time and later releasing the calming sounds on his weekly podcast, “Reduce Your Stress with Tim Ringgold.” 

So the next time the looming panic of uncertainty takes over, revisit an old favorite album, clap to the beat and see what happens. Maybe, even for a moment, we’ll forget we’re in the middle of global pandemic for a turn at self-discovery. One day the fatal feeling in the air will subside, we’ll be able to go outside and, thanks to music, our minds and bodies could be stronger than ever before. 

Learn more about how you can donate to or apply for assistance via the Recording Academy's and MusiCares' COVID-19 Relief Fund.

Learn more about the financial, medical and personal emergencies services and resources offered by the Recording Academy and MusiCares. 

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Some of the content on this site expresses viewpoints and opinions that are not those of the Recording Academy. Responsibility for the accuracy of information provided in stories not written by or specifically prepared for the Academy lies with the story's original source or writer. Content on this site does not reflect an endorsement or recommendation of any artist or music by the Recording Academy.