Imagine All the People: A Love Letter to Music and Humanity

Imagine. A fascinating prompt, isn’t it? Imagine. Imagine all the people currently alive on earth. Imagine. I want you – the reader – to try to recall something for me: When was the last time you went to a concert? I’m sure for many of you it wasn't that recently, or maybe it’s something you’ve only done once or twice. Now, when was the last time you were in a public place where music was playing? Maybe it was your local cafe or supermarket, or maybe it was just playing out of someone’s car as you took a stroll down the street. Either way, music surrounds us wherever we go. What would life be without it? Imagine you’re in a foreign city with strangers. Maybe a few blocks away a group is holding a protest. Maybe a taxi ride away there’s a group of political figures in a debate. Maybe across the river a rabbi is holding a religious ceremony. But what if that same day, later in the evening, there’s a concert. Suddenly, all these different groups of people are bonded together. 

Suddenly all these people are one - “interlinked” -like Ryan Gosling said in Blade Runner 2049. Interlinked. Imagine a world where all humans can be interlinked. In the wise words of the sensational musician Ella Fitzgerald: “Music is the universal language… it brings people closer together.” See, it doesn’t matter what language we speak, what religion we are, or what political party we identify with because at that moment, sweaty, bobbing our heads on the crowded concert floor, we are one with the music. At that moment, music is the most important thing. What would the world sound like if there’s no music? What would life be like if there’s no music? 

A line that always sticks out to me is from John Lennon’s “Imagine.” 

“Imagine all the people livin' life in peace.” I know, better said than done, but just imagine a world that spreads peace a little bit more. Imagine a world where people see each other beyond their external barriers.

Every year on Lennon’s birthday there is a tribute to him at Central Park. Crowds of people gather around to sing his songs in his honor. His birthday, October 9th, is just an ordinary day for many. But not that year. I remember scrolling on TikTok, as one does, and coming across a video of people singing “Imagine” – just 48 hours after the horrific October 7th Attack which spurred a deadly war. The video was captioned: “Imagine all the people livin’ life in peace.” 

It’s the moments like these that give us hope during times of despair. It’s the moments like these that remind us of our role as human beings, our role as individuals, our role to shine light in humanity. As Foo Fighters said, “It’s times like these you learn to live again.”

Music really is like laughter to our ears. I know that I’ve gained some of the best friendships with people through our love of music. 

Something that gets really unnoticed for its positive contributions are fan bases. It reminds me of this line from one of my favorite movies, Almost Famous:

“They don't even know what it is to be a fan. Y'know? To truly love some silly little piece of music, or some band, so much that it hurts.” 

In 2020 I was on a group chat with random girls from around the world who I had met through TikTok due to our mutual love of One Direction. Right before the 10 year anniversary of the band – and  while we all experienced general loneliness during the pandemic – online connections were one of the best ways to still stay engaged with others. Now, technically speaking, was it dangerous for 12-year-old me to be connecting with strangers online? Probably.  But I think it’s fair to say that connecting with people through shared fan bases is a great way to form a community. Some of these girls on this group chat were from the UK and Australia, others were from just across the Hudson River. We didn’t talk about political views. Instead, we spread love through our shared interests and passions for a band. Call fan bases stupid, sure. But fan bases give people an outlet to meet other people that they would never get the chance to otherwise. As a teenager in America, it is so important that I expose myself to people from all walks and backgrounds, and I encourage you all to, too. One of the simplest ways to do this is through the power of art, through the power of cultural expression. Because through the power of music, we can spread love. And through that love we spread, we can learn to love a little bit more. 

Recently I read this Forbes article issued in 2020 titled “How Music Can Unite and Heal America.” 

The article describes the relationship between an Israeli Jew who only speaks Hebrew and a Palestinian Muslim who only speaks Arabic who together formed a deep friendship through their shared love of music. This article is from 2020 but is incredibly relevant today. I look back to that video from October 9th. The purity of humans just being humans is such a beautiful thing. Humans being humans. Just appreciating music. 

Maybe it’s a fictional band singing “Tiny Dancer” by Elton John. Maybe it’s a group of people singing that song at someone’s wake in their spirit. Music evokes memories. It invokes feelings.

Go sing “Sweet Caroline” with a bunch of strangers the next time you go on the subway.

Go and let the music guide you.

So go out. Go ask someone what they’re listening to. Go to that concert and sing all the words. Go pretend you’re in a music video the next time you go for a walk. Go romanticize your life through music. Let the music guide you through your darkest times and remind you of why you're here today and why you should keep going. Because through music, I truly believe there is a positive future ahead of us.