Skip to content

Love & Wisdom

The Power of Music to Heal

KEXP’s program on grief offers listeners a chance to find comfort and community through music

By Sarah Stackhouse November 12, 2024

MusicHeals-JohnRichards_1600x900
Photo by Nataworry Photography / KEXP

When John Richards lost his mom, he turned to music. Sitting by her side as she died, he found that songs could say what words couldn’t — and she, a big lover of music herself, understood. That experience planted the seed for Music Heals: Grief, a radio program he created to help others feel less alone when facing death and dying.

For 20 years, Music Heals: Grief has brought stories of grief and loss into the open on Seattle nonprofit radio station KEXP-FM. It’s the original theme of the Music Heals series, airing every November, with Richards dedicating the three hour Morning Show to music and stories that explore what it means to grieve. Over time, other themes — addiction/recovery, cancer, and mental health — have evolved from the Music Heals concept, becoming their own series played throughout the year.

Even if you’re not grieving, just listening helps share the weight of loss. It’s a way of being present for those who need it. Richards remembers one story that changed how he hears a particular song forever. A father came to the station, holding a small, hand-built box he made to keep his late son’s favorite belongings. He requested Pearl Jam’s “Just Breathe.” “Once you’ve looked a man in the eyes as he holds a box with his child’s belongings in it, that song takes on a different meaning for the rest of time,” Richards says. “And now, hearing that story, it will happen for you too.”

This year, Music Heals: Grief feels especially timely, airing in the wake of an election that left many of us feeling a sense of loss and mourning. “We’re all carrying something heavy this year,” Richards says. “If we can just share a bit of that load, through music, then that’s something beautiful.”

The show also creates a sense of community. Richards’ wife now joins him on air, bringing her own experiences with grief, including losing her brother in an avalanche. Listeners have called in with similar stories, bonding over experiences that might otherwise feel isolating. “This is who we are at KEXP — giving people a place to feel connected, to feel less alone,” Richards says.

The show’s not all heavy. It’s a mix — some songs hit hard, others are a celebration of life. There’s room for all of it. A lot of work goes into mixing a day of music and stories like this, but Richards is up for it. He sees it as part of a self-care toolkit for listeners and himself. “As I get older, I look at every year as a gift,” he says. “Even if that means you’re sitting around grieving an entire day, well, then do it. You gotta do it.”

Music Heals: Grief airs on The Morning Show from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. Nov. 14, with other KEXP shows joining in throughout the day. Early, The Afternoon Show and Drive Time will add their own stories and songs about loss.

Follow Us

Preston Singletary: The Harmonic Alchemist

Preston Singletary: The Harmonic Alchemist

Multi-talented Seattle artist fuses sound, cinema and glass artistry

In Tlingit lore the raven is a supernatural being who steals the moon, sun, and stars from a powerful man. Seattle artist Preston Singletary can be forgiven if he is confused for the modern-day manifestation of the raven, also described as a shapeshifter in mythology.   Singletary has been enlightening audiences the world over for decades with his…

Prominent Seattle Arts Organizations Seal Merger

Prominent Seattle Arts Organizations Seal Merger

ACT Contemporary Theatre and Seattle Shakespeare Co. began discussing the proposal last spring

Eight months after first floating the proposal, two Seattle arts heavyweights have announced plans to merge. ACT Contemporary Theatre and Seattle Shakespeare Co. will officially join forces July 1. ACT’s downtown Seattle space at 700 Union St. will become home for Seattle Shakespeare productions. Seattle Shakespeare Executive Director John Bradshaw will become managing director of…

Secrets of the Sound

Secrets of the Sound

A new mystery novel by local author Kirsten Sundberg Lunstrum draws from her personal experiences

Writer Kirsten Sundberg Lunstrum grew up surrounded by words. As children, she and her sister enjoyed falling asleep to their mother’s voice as she read books before bed, and their father — a Lutheran pastor and poet — spent every Sunday working on his sermons, reciting the words aloud as he wrote.  “Being around a…

Rain and Red Lanterns

Rain and Red Lanterns

A guide to Lunar New Year events across the city

Midori in Japanese translates to “green.” Though born “green,” violinist virtuoso Midori Goto matured quickly into one of the most coveted soloists in the globe. Now 53 and referred to simply by a single name (achieving the status reserved for megastars like Madonna, Beyoncé, Adele, Prince, Shakira, Usher, Cher and others), Midori headlines at the Seattle Symphony performing Brahms Violin Concerto Jan. through Monday at Benaroya Hall.   Midori will be…