{"id":14636,"date":"2020-03-26T22:24:20","date_gmt":"2020-03-27T04:24:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thelink.harding.edu\/the-bison\/?p=14636"},"modified":"2020-04-02T20:40:13","modified_gmt":"2020-04-03T02:40:13","slug":"the-lumineers-and-the-power-of-music-to-connect-us","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thelink.harding.edu\/the-bison\/2020\/03\/26\/the-lumineers-and-the-power-of-music-to-connect-us\/","title":{"rendered":"The Lumineers and the power of music to connect us"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Written by Emma Williams<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Have you ever had a dream \u2014 a dream that you held onto for one, two or three years, and maybe even longer? For me, that dream was going to see The Lumineers in concert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most of you will recognize The Lumineers as the band that plays \u201cHo Hey\u201d or \u201cOphelia.\u201d That\u2019s how I knew them, until a month after my high school graduation when, on a bus in Greece, I was introduced to The Lumineers\u2019 first album, which is named after the band. That very day, the dream to see them in concert was planted inside me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three years later, that dream came true about a month ago: I saw the Lumineers in concert Feb. 19 in Nashville, Tennessee. The band emerged from the fog and strummed the first chord of \u201cSleeping on the Floor,\u201d and tears welled up in my eyes as I recalled the hundreds of times I had listened to that song while studying for tests, driving in my car, cooking in the kitchen, flying in airplanes, walking to class, riding my bike, and now standing in the same room as the ones performing it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Lumineers have walked with me through my entire college career. \u201cFlowers in Your Hair,\u201d \u201cSubmarines\u201d and \u201cBig Parade\u201d take me back to freshman year \u2013 living in Cathcart Hall, taking spur-of-the-moment trips to Little Rock or Heber Springs with seven people in one car, going on coffee dates, eating on the front lawn, trying to soak in every moment. My friends and I would take late night drives, going nowhere in particular, with the windows down and \u201cStubborn Love\u201d turned all the way up as we sang along.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAngela\u201d and \u201cLong Way from Home\u201d remind me of sophomore year on Harding\u2019s campus: drinking lots of coffee, asking everyone about their story, transitioning into my major English classes, training for a half marathon, falling in love, and saying goodbye as I left to go abroad. I was also reminded of the sweet memory of my boyfriend giving me the \u201cCleopatra\u201d vinyl record; we listened and read along with every lyric.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As The Lumineers played songs from their new album, \u201cIII,\u201d at the concert, I was transported to Peru, hiking up ruins in Ollantaytambo alongside some of my best friends. I went to Harding University Latin America in the spring of my sophomore year, and I remember the exact spot I was in when I first heard \u201cGloria\u201d \u2013 laying on my bedroom floor in Arequipa, having just finished kinesiology class. There were five minutes before Bible class when the WiFi finally reconnected, and a notification popped up announcing the release of The Lumineers\u2019 new single. I screamed, waited for it to load and listened to it twice before I arrived late to class, which was totally worth it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As The Lumineers played songs from \u201cIII\u201d in Nashville, pictures of Machu Picchu, Arequipa, plane rides, and long-awaited greetings flew through my head as well as memories of moving back into the dorm to start my junior year. I think we each have songs or albums or artists that take us back to special moments like our own little time machines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Lumineers are my favorite time machine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every song on every album had led me to the moment when I finally saw and heard The Lumineers with my own eyes and ears. I was amazed by the thousands of other people standing in Bridgestone Arena singing along to the lyrics, some with their eyes closed, some clapping and swaying to the beat, some dancing, some just standing there and soaking it in. Each person in that arena had their own connection to those songs and their own story with the songs. I was reminded of the power of music and the story that music is able to tell in a completely unique way from all other methods of storytelling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Music holds power: the power of connection, story, humanity. When we listen to music that moves us, inspires us, encourages us and affirms us, we accept a gift from God. It is a gift of connection, presence and humanity. Music is important in this way. I was able to experience that power on a weekday night, in Nashville, beside three really great friends. It was truly a dream come true. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

During this period of transition, I encourage you to look up some new music. Of course, I recommend The Lumineers, who just released two new singles. You should also go through old playlists and listen to some of the music that got you through some past lonely periods in your life, or your \u201cJohnny\u2019s sing-along\u201d playlist, or your \u201cEnd of September, Welcome October\u201d playlist \u2013 anything. Now is a great time to reflect and also a time to live in the present, so ask friends what they are listening to. Start a collaborative playlist. Make this break a musical one because music holds power that helps us stay connected to ourselves and each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s stay connected.
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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