This post was written by intern Zeke Rouse
When I often hear “actions speak louder than words”, I think to myself that sometimes music can speak louder than anything.
“For this music is my language, and the world es mi familia” – Composers Adrian Molina & Germaine Franco for the movie Coco
Music has the wonderful power to transcend borders, bring people together, and serve as a unifying force for positive social change. Musicians have often served as unofficial ambassadors, bridging gaps in cultural understanding and providing opportunities for connection and exchange.
Music is the great uniter. An incredible force. Something that people who differ on everything and anything else can have in common.
“I think music in itself is healing,” American musician Billy Joel once said. “It’s an explosive expression of humanity. It’s something we are all touched by.
We don’t have to share a language to share music.
What are you listening to that makes you feel like you belong? We want to create and share a playlist of songs that speak to creating a more welcoming world and share with others! We encourage you all to submit songs or create your own playlists and share them in the comments.
Check out this Welcoming playlist on Spotify! (will need a Spotify account to listen but you can do that quickly and it’s free)
If you don’t have a Spotify account, that’s okay too! Simply type in the name of song and artist it’s by into YouTube:
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- Be My Guest by Fats Domino
- Americans by Shemekia Copeland
- Shelter from the Storm by Bob Dylan
- Come On In My Kitchen by Robert Johnson
- The World Es Mi Familia by Anthony Gonzalez & Antonio Sol
- We Are One, We Are Many by Sammy Whytecap
- Welcome to this Day by Josh Kelley & Melissa Etheridge
- Let ‘Em In by Billy Paul
- We Are Family by Sister Sledge
- What A Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong
- You’ve Got a Friend in Me by Randy Newman
- Ain’t Got Time for Hate by Shemekia Copeland
How to Share Your Spotify Playlist:
Once you’ve pulled together the perfect playlist on Spotify, open it up, tap the three dots (top right on Android, on the left on iOS) and pick Share to see a list of options. These will include any messaging apps installed on your phone and a Copy Link option that directly copies the playlist address to the clipboard, so you can paste it anywhere you like.
Most importantly: Music makes us feel good, and in the end, that’s worth a lot.