It was a cool, Saturday night when my family and I decided to play some board games. We prepped the room with only the essentials: chips, drinks, and for my dad, a beer. Games like Apples To Apples, Pictionary, and SORRY! were quickly strewn across the table. With our artificial intelligence speaker plugged in, we were ready to let Game Night commence. 

We cycled through games, having a great time in the process. We took turns picking songs for the speaker to play. Music from bands like U2, Queen, and David Bowie played aloud as I enjoyed a fine Saturday night with my family. I was absorbed with the game we were playing, that I wasn’t really paying attention to anything but the game. In the midst of an Apples To Apples game, I looked up from my cards, and was surprised at what I saw. Heads bobbing to songs, mouths singing lyrics, and smiles on everyone’s faces. I saw laughing, smiling, and singing along to songs; life could not have been better.  

It wasn’t the sight of laughing that gave me joy, nor was it the sight of smiling. It was the singing.  One would think that people from different generations would have different views on things, but that night, different generations were united by music. This experience showed me how much my family relies on music. This experience showed me that music can connect generations, and, most importantly, it showed me the true power of music. The camaraderie shown while we sang the night away was enough to put a smile on my face.

Lately, there has been a global generation gap. While different generations might have different views on things, the power of music is something that they can agree on; it is a language that connects us all.