Hi, my name's Andrew.

I'm the founder of Sonic Connections, and today I'm going to invite you to join me in leaning into the experiential nature of music to essentially help you tap into people and things that might be important to you, even if or when you're all caught up in your thoughts and feelings.

Sometimes when we're in that autopilot mode running around like chickens without heads, it can be really difficult to connect with what matters to us, and music has this really beautiful ability to help us access powerful memories that hold a lot of meaning to us, and so that's what this whole activity is going to be about.

As we begin, I want to invite you to call to mind someone important to you, someone who is crucial to your well-being, someone that you admire, someone you love, someone who inspires you.

This could be a family member, a friend, a mentor, really anyone who holds a special place in your heart.

And if you can't settle on a person, that's fine.

Try to identify something important to you.

Maybe it's a pet, a prized possession.

And as you lock into this person or thing, I invite you to recall a memory that's significant to you.

This can be big or small, a moment that feels really aligned with what's important to you, to your values.

And as you settle into this scene, this memory, try to flex some of your noticing skills.

What are some of the details in this memory, externally, that's happening?

Try to visualize it.

What do you see?

What surrounds you?

What's happening as you're in the presence of this person or thing?

What are they doing or saying that resonates?

Is there a moment of understanding, a shared joke, a comforting silence?

And we're going to dig a little deeper into this memory of yours and turn your attention to your inner experience.

So as you sit in this memory, what feelings or emotions come up?

Is there an internal sense of warmth or joy, maybe some nostalgia, maybe even some longing or loss?

And beyond just your emotions, what thoughts are showing up?

Can you make space for those thoughts?

And as the music and activity comes to a close, notice that there's something special and important to you in this memory, something that shapes your understanding about what matters to you, about how you want to live and what you value.