Music is innate to human evolution. Throughout history, our instinct to communicate through sound and music has been vital to initiating contact, building and strengthening social connections and satisfying the human urge to create.

In contemporary American times, music has given voices to the powerless. Woody Guthrie told the tales of the downtrodden who were too tired to speak during the Great Depression of the 1930s. The social struggles of African Americans were brought to light through the blues and gospel, which ultimately laid the groundwork for rock and roll and modern music.

Musicians and music aficionados use sound to connect personally and spiritually. Traci Schwartz, owner of MyOm Wellbeing and the subject of our September “Community Spotlight” feature, integrates sound healing through Tibetan singing bowls, drums, chimes and the ancient art of kirtan, a meditative call-and-response style of song. You can read more about music’s effect on the human condition in our feature “Music as Medicine” by Kathleen Barnes. Affirming that music can beautifully bridge generations, Randy Kambic offers tips on how to encourage a love of music in our children in “Raising a Music Lover.”

As the proud host city for Summerfest, dubbed the “World’s Largest Music Festival,” Milwaukee exemplifies the power of music to build and unify community. Our vast county parks have become a haven for many summer music concerts—most of them free to the public, thanks to efforts of neighborhood associations and sponsors. And what could better illustrate music’s ability to foster diversity and creativity than an innovative project like Rock the Green, a music festival themed around environmental sustainability. Let’s seize this inspiration and engage in the universal language of sound to express emotion and passion, connect with ourselves and others, and create a better world.

Play on!

Gabriella Buchnik, Publisher