At the start of April, we outlined music and mindfulness as an important self-care strategy as we braced ourselves for a period described by, well, just about everyone, as unprecedented, uncertain, and uncomfortable. While each moment in “the new now” can feel farther away from the reality of just a couple short months ago, one thing remains true: music serves as a constant comfort for us all, not only in private, but in how we connect with our communities, a form of self-care on its own.

From quarantined Italian residents singing to one another from balconies, to the Rolling Stones proving they are the masters of any show in a performance over Zoom for the One World benefit concert (organized by Lady Gaga), the last forty five or so days have shown us incredible acts of solidarity through music across the globe. And while not all of us have the vocal chops (or courage) to sing from our rooftops or across our computer screens in quippy parodies, we’ve found plenty more creative ways to connect through our tunes.

Perhaps the most notable musical community builders born of quarantine are the newly viral Social Media Music Challenges. They come packaged many different ways, but the 30 Day Song Challenge and the Ten Influential Albums Challenge seem to rise above the rest in popularity. Both require no talent from their participants, and with a focus on curation, bring us back to the fading era of the mix tape (CD, playlist… pick your poison). Most importantly, though, both spark connection.

The 30 Day Song Challenge poses prompts, each song referential to a memory, experience,or feeling, while the Ten Influential Albums Challenge asks each participant to tag someone new each day, providing perfect breeding grounds to connect and reconnect with old friends and family members. These opportunities to revel in shared nostalgia or gain insight into one another allow us priceless moments of transport through song, sweet and brief distractions to benefit our brains.

As we head into another month in this era of unrest, we implore all readers one question: how has music helped you stay connected to loved ones during this time?