Co-Created Relational Energy
singalong music as healing balm
Any kindergarten teacher will tell you that three things bring people together: food, music, and storytelling.
To that we might add shared activities like gardening, painting, dancing, baking, playing games, walking together, making crafts. Still, the holy trinity - music, food, and storytelling - have a special magic and all three can help make the world a better place. If combined with a philosophy of generosity, emphasizing equality over hierarchy, and compassion over domination, music can be part of a larger whole when it comes to transforming the world. We need ideas, too, and other kinds of action—organizing, caregiving, policy-making, protesting, planting. But we also need joy, and music gives us that joy. It lifts spirits, builds bridges, and helps us remember that we're not alone. In its own way, it’s a form of healing, resistance, and hope.
For my part, I turn to music as a way of bringing that joy—specifically, singalong music: the kind people already know and can join in on. I play in two bands and also perform solo. The bands are called The Four Jays and The Fat Soul Band. The Four J's play primarily at senior living centers and memory care residences, while The Fat Soul Band plays every Thursday at Toad Suck Buck's. In every instance—and in my solo work as well—you’ll find process philosophy in action: music as relational energy, co-created moment by moment, bringing people together in shared feeling and creative communion.
A Process Philosophy
of Singalong Music
❖ What is the “energy” in co-creative relational energy?
The “energy” is not electrical or mechanical—it’s affective, emotional, and aesthetic. It’s the felt intensity of connection that arises when people engage together in music. This energy includes:
It’s energetic because it moves people—literally and metaphorically. It transforms silence into music, isolation into communion, and boredom into life.
❖ What does “relational” mean here?
“Relational” means that identity and meaning arise in connection. In process philosophy, no entity is self-contained; each is shaped by how it prehends (feels, absorbs, responds to) others. In a singalong:
Relationality also includes connection across generations, cultures, and traditions—many songs carry ancestral memory or popular resonance.
❖ What is co-creative about singalong music?
Singalong music is not passively consumed; it’s actively created in real time by all involved. It is co-creative in that:
Every performance is unique, an event of shared becoming. No two singalongs are ever quite the same.
❖ What kinds of music do people sing along with?
Typically, music that is:
Examples from the US:
❖ Who benefits from singalong music?
A wide spectrum of people benefit, often in different ways:
Ultimately, anyone who participates can feel more connected, more alive, and more at peace—even if just for a moment.
❖ What is the “energy” in co-creative relational energy?
The “energy” is not electrical or mechanical—it’s affective, emotional, and aesthetic. It’s the felt intensity of connection that arises when people engage together in music. This energy includes:
- Shared joy or nostalgia
- Rhythmic synchronization (like tapping feet or clapping together).
- Emotional uplift or catharsis.
- The subtle "vibe" in the room—what Whitehead might call the subjective form of a communal event.
It’s energetic because it moves people—literally and metaphorically. It transforms silence into music, isolation into communion, and boredom into life.
❖ What does “relational” mean here?
“Relational” means that identity and meaning arise in connection. In process philosophy, no entity is self-contained; each is shaped by how it prehends (feels, absorbs, responds to) others. In a singalong:
- The self is constituted in part by the voices of others.
- The music only is music through shared participation.
- There's mutual influence: the leader shapes the group, and the group shapes the leader.
- Emotions ripple between participants, creating a shared atmosphere or nexus.
Relationality also includes connection across generations, cultures, and traditions—many songs carry ancestral memory or popular resonance.
❖ What is co-creative about singalong music?
Singalong music is not passively consumed; it’s actively created in real time by all involved. It is co-creative in that:
- Everyone adds their voice, imperfect or not.
- The tempo, volume, and even lyrics may shift depending on the group.
- New harmonies or rhythmic variations can spontaneously arise.
- People contribute gestures, claps, laughter, or even silence.
Every performance is unique, an event of shared becoming. No two singalongs are ever quite the same.
❖ What kinds of music do people sing along with?
Typically, music that is:
- Familiar – songs people already know or recognize.
- Memorable – often simple, repetitive, or melodic.
- Emotionally resonant – evoking joy, longing, or collective memory.
- Rhythmically accessible – easy to follow and join.
Examples from the US:
- Folk songs (“This Land Is Your Land”)
- Pop classics (“Hey Jude,” “Lean on Me”)
- Gospel songs (“Amazing Grace”)
- Campfire songs (“Kumbaya,” “Country Roads”)
- Children’s songs (“Twinkle Twinkle,” “If You’re Happy and You Know It”)
- Hymns, patriotic songs, and protest anthems
- Karaoke favorites (from Beatles to Beyoncé)
❖ Who benefits from singalong music?
A wide spectrum of people benefit, often in different ways:
- Elderly or memory care patients: re-ignite memory, restore joy, reduce loneliness, and stimulate the mind through musical reminiscence.
- Children: develop language, rhythm, cooperation, and emotional expression.
- Communities: build cohesion, celebrate identity, and strengthen bonds.
- Individuals in distress: experience release, comfort, or belonging.
- Social movements: unify voices, amplify messages, and sustain courage.
Ultimately, anyone who participates can feel more connected, more alive, and more at peace—even if just for a moment.
- Emotional uplift or catharsis.
- The subtle "vibe" in the room—what Whitehead might call the subjective form of a communal event.
- It’s energetic because it moves people—literally and metaphorically. It transforms silence into music, isolation into communion, and boredom into life.