Music is an Uplifting Force
by Shaylise Sylvester
On Friday, February 3rd, 2023, the Hering Auditorium was filled with music performed by Grammy award winners Shawn Colvin, Marc Cohen, and Sarah Jarosz. The Fairbanks Concert Association put together the concert. The Hering Auditorium was packed with Fairbanks locals excited to hear live music from the three performers. Shawn Colvin performed her Grammy Award-winning song "Sunny Came Home," Marc Cohen performed his best-known song "Walking in Memphis," and Sara Jarosz performed her top songs "Orange and Blue" and "Blue Heron."
The three singer-songwriter musicians incorporated a memorial into the concert for their dear friend, the legendary David Crosby, who passed away on January 18th, 2023. On stage, Marc Cohen read a personal email which he’d received from Crosby, which encouraged him to continue making music during a bout of writer's block. Crosby emphasized in his email to Marc Cohen that "Music is an uplifting force” and Marc was lucky to be a strong part of that force in the world.
Crosby is right! Science has shown that music has a strong influence in bringing individuals together and aids in social bonding by releasing the hormone oxytocin in the brain. Oxytocin is widely known as the "love hormone." Oxytocin is one of the four feel-good hormones leading to human well-being. The hormone oxytocin is the brain reward system of joy and pleasure in response to exercise, touch, or MUSIC! Music is a powerful aid in releasing oxytocin in the brain and promotes trust, empathy, joy, and love.
Shawn Colvin shared dear memories of her good friend David Crosby, mentioning how he was brutally honest, so when you received a compliment from Crosby, you knew it was meaningful. Sara Jarosz shared her experience creating music with Crosby and his positive influence on her life and career. At the end of the night, the audience was moved not only by the music performance, but by their love for a dear friend.
David Crosby was the founder of the extremely influential 60's rock bands the Byrds and Crosby Stills & Nash. The concert was an enriched experience of soul-moving music along with the spirit of the loved singer-songwriter legend.