It’s 9pm Sunday night.
I’m standing in an old abandoned airfield just north of Toronto. Me and fifty thousand other people.
I started the day at a campsite five hours from home, and now I’m here, nothing but big blue sky, loud speakers, and a choir of thousands singing along to Noah Kahan.
A birthday present for my daughter. Tickets to ride an evening out with our almost grown-up kids. I’d give almost anything for these family moments. Even my 9pm bedtime.
All week I psyched myself up. Don’t be a downer. Don’t worry about the late night, the subway rides, the crowds, or the Monday morning drag. And for goodness’ sake, don’t suggest leaving early to beat the crowds.
Turns out I didn’t need any of that. We sang and danced for hours as the sky went from blue to black. The moon hanging over the stage like it was part of the set.
I wasn’t expecting to feel this alive.
Is it the music? The artist? The crowd? The massive sing-along? Maybe.
I believe in the energy an artist brings to the stage. You know when you feel it. Their heart and soul on display. An invitation to feel along with them.
We had that.
Fifty thousand people singing every word.
Music you feel in your bones.
All of it.
What is it about music and singing that is so good for the soul?
There are answers in science, biology, and anthropology. Music recruits almost the entire brain. It lights up the parts responsible for emotion, memory, movement, and anticipation.
Music stirs emotion, unlocks memories, and triggers our instinct to move.
Singing changes the body, too. It slows your breathing, lengthens your exhale, and stimulates the vagus nerve, helping regulate your nervous system. It’s one reason humming and singing have been linked to improved heart rate variability (HRV), a marker of resilience and recovery.
Maybe that’s why singing leaves us feeling energized and calm at the same time. Probably why we’ve been doing it for thousands of years.
Singing is ancient. Some anthropologists believe it may even predate spoken language. Humans sing while celebrating, grieving, worshipping, protesting, working, and welcoming new life into the world.
We sing at weddings. And funerals. We sing to babies. We sing happy birthday. Across thousands of years and countless cultures, singing has been one of the ways humans navigate life.
Science tells us that singing together increases feelings of belonging and social connection. Some studies have even found that group singing can synchronize breathing and aspects of heart rhythm between participants. That’s how I can be in a field with 50,000 strangers and feel like they get me.
But music gives us something else. Poetry wrapped in melody.
Noah sings, “Even anxious pups need the moon.” He’s singing about the people who keep him grounded. I think about our anxious doodle, Hazel.
One lyric. Fifty thousand different meanings. Maybe that’s the real magic of music. The words stay the same, but each of us hears our own story.
Remember the movie Footloose? A town banning music until the teenagers rebelled. A life without music. Imagine? No thank you. We instinctively understand that taking music away takes something away from being human.
Sometimes we start our virtual meetings with a three-minute, cameras-off dance party. Everyone picks a favourite song and dances like nobody’s watching. Try having a bad meeting afterward.
Music moves our bodies. It calms our nervous systems. It brings strangers together. And every now and then, it gives us exactly the words we didn’t know we needed.
Shout out to the singer-songwriters. The poets who somehow wrap meaning in melody.
The world needs you.
PS: Check out the Noah Kahan Toronto Setlist here. Reply with your favourite song… by any artist.
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Each week, I share something I’m learning, living, or working out in real time. It’s part storytelling, part reflection. I hope there’s something in it for you too.
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