“Music can change the world because it can change people.” - Bono
If there is one unexpected lesson we’ve learnt over the course of the last 18 months, it’s that music has an enormous impact on us, even, and perhaps especially, when we gather online.
How unexpected that this free resource showed us again and again, how it is able to change the mood, how it can connect people, how it creates space for reflection, how it can restore or energise, and how it can create a sense of togetherness.That is perhaps because humans, over the ages, have made music together and apart. We are wired to understand the language of music, and what struck us in this time, is the way in which music was able to colour the virtual containers of our gatherings.
In this piece, we’d like to explore music as a tool and conduit for connection in professional, online gatherings. And, as we continue to navigate our world during this pandemic and beyond, we have some suggestions to make for how you can add richness, texture and impact through the use of music in your meetings.
5 Reasons for making music part of your online meetings
Apart from designing your gatherings with intention, clear outcomes and the deliberate use of different appropriate formats and methods, music is a quick win that achieves a few things:
It sets the mood to match the outcomes of your gathering.
It sends a subconscious signal to all participants that your gathering is different from others, thereby laying the foundation for active engagement.
It creates deliberate ‘spaces’ in your meeting, for reflection, to be energised, for celebration, or for thinking.
It adds a real-life element to your meeting, as if you are seeing one another in a café, or a coffee shop in a bustling city.
It allows participants to mentally disconnect from what they were doing minutes, sometimes seconds before joining your online meeting room, and thereby focusing them on your meeting.
So, what type of music works?
Firstly, the music you choose depends on the purpose of your gathering. It sets the tone for your session and can greatly support the outcomes you’ve identified. Do you want the mood to be upbeat and casual that allows people to relax and share openly? Do you rather want to inject some energy and creativity for brainstorming and idea-generation? Or perhaps you want people to be in a reflective mood that supports individual contemplation and self-discovery? Whichever mood you choose, make sure it matches the purpose of your session.
Secondly, you want to use music that’s not too disruptive. The music should be in support of your goal, it shouldn’t overshadow it. Instrumental music works great for this, especially when you’re playing it softly in the background, but don’t be afraid to put in some crowd pleasers or a few interesting ones that get people asking in the chat “What song is this?” or “Please share the playlist with me?”. These are tell-tale signs that you’re on the right track.
Thirdly, if you don’t know what kind of music to play, why not make a collaborative playlist? That way everyone has a say in it and you get to know each other in the process as well. This has worked wonders for us, especially in settings where people from all over the world are coming together to connect. Spotify’s collaborative playlist feature works very well - check it out here.
Four Free playlists to set the tone
If you don’t want to create such a collaborative playlist, or you don’t have time right now to build your own, we’ve curated some playlists to fit four basic moods you might often want to create.
A selection of upbeat tracks to play while you wait for people to join or exit your online meeting.
Headphones on, distractions minimised. Steady music to keep you in the focus zone.
For when you're doing contemplative work individually or in a group.
For when you need to activate your creative, more energetic side to spark new ideas.
A final very important tip!
Whatever you do, make sure you share your audio directly with participants, and not via “second hand sound” played from a different speaker in your room. The music gets distorted, drowns out any speaking and may actually be more unpleasant than no music at all. Zoom was one of the first platforms to bring out the feature for sharing computer audio only, and we’re forever grateful. Check out how to share audio only via their screen share button here. If you do share your audio via Zoom, lower your music app’s volume to about 30-40%, which may sound soft to you as the host, but in fact sounds just right to meeting attendees who may still want to have a conversation with other. Other platforms may not yet have an audio-only sharing option, which is probably a good indication to switch to a different platform for your meetings, if you can.
If you have playlists you’ve created or songs you think would work well for any of the 4 moods we’ve created, please share it with us in the comments below! We’d love to include it!