The video discusses the paradoxical nature of human connections as advances in technology coincide with an increase in feelings of loneliness. The presenter reflects on their own experiences of loneliness, beginning with their childhood move from South Korea to the USA, and how those feelings motivated their pursuit of community through music and songwriting.

The video illustrates the powerful and transformative potential of music and songwriting in breaking down barriers and fostering connections between individuals. The speaker shares how collaborative songwriting requires vulnerability and often leads to deeper understanding and friendships. Their journey from a student of music to a professional in the field is outlined, emphasizing the pursuit of genuine human connection.

Main takeaways from the video:

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Key Vocabularies and Common Phrases:

1. profound [prəˈfaʊnd] - (adjective) - Very deep or intense; showing great knowledge or insight. - Synonyms: (deep, intense, insightful)

...we seem to be losing the frequency of making deep and profound connections with one another.

2. embedded [ɪmˈbɛdɪd] - (adjective) - Firmly and deeply ingrained or present within something. - Synonyms: (implanted, ingrained, lodged)

...asking for a cup of sugar embedded throughout multiple communities and countries.

3. articulating [ɑrˈtɪkjəˌleɪtɪŋ] - (verb) - Expressing something fluently and coherently. - Synonyms: (expressing, voicing, enunciating)

...because she was articulating the words that were embedded deeply into my heart.

4. propelled [prəˈpɛld] - (verb) - Driven forward or pushed to move in a particular direction. - Synonyms: (driven, pushed, advanced)

...and this propelled me into dive into the world of music.

5. curiosity [ˌkjʊriˈɑːsəti] - (noun) - A strong desire to know or learn something. - Synonyms: (inquisitiveness, interest, wonder)

...with the curiosity and mentality to truly hear and see one another.

6. art [ɑrt] - (noun) - The expression or application of creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture. - Synonyms: (creativity, craftsmanship, skill)

Life, which is art, together.

7. assumed [əˈsumd] - (verb) - Accepted as true or as certain to happen, without proof. - Synonyms: (presumed, supposed, believed)

...when we're hungry, it's assumed that there is something that can fill that hunger.

8. quench [kwɛntʃ] - (verb) - To satisfy one's thirst by drinking. - Synonyms: (satisfy, extinguish, slake)

...there's something that can quench that thirst, which we know as water.

9. valleys [ˈvæliz] - (noun) - A low area of land between hills or mountains, typically containing a river or stream. - Synonyms: (lowlands, basins, hollows)

I realized my life was built on valleys I thought I should want.

10. collaborations [kəˌlæbəˈreɪʃənz] - (noun) - The action of working with someone to produce or create something. - Synonyms: (partnerships, alliances, cooperations)

...diving into collaborations, specifically with unlikely collaborators.

Songwriting - A Creatives Solution to Our Loneliness Epidemic - Serin Oh - TEDxLogan Circle

We're social creatures. We have colonies running clubs, religious committees, and neighbors who knock on one another's doors asking for a cup of sugar embedded throughout multiple communities and countries throughout all the centuries. See what I did there? Triple C. It's ironic, though. With the advancement of technology, we seem to be losing the frequency of making deep and profound connections with one another. Out in the wild with each other. Since 1976, the amount of young adults who identify themselves as lonely has increased almost every single year. And statistically speaking, one third of us in this room identify as being lonely. I, too, as part of that 33.3% of us in this room for the majority of my life.

You see, when I was six years old, I went from being the president of my first grade class in South Korea to moving to a country where I literally did not speak the same language as my peers, which was here in the United States. And in Dayton, Ohio. My parents wanted to throw me my first big birthday bash in America and rented out a whole gymnastics gym. And I invited the whole of my third grade class, and only one friend showed up. It was the first time in my life I felt lonely. And also the first time in my life I started looking for a community where I felt like I was seen and I felt like I belonged, which led me into choir.

And in choir class, we took a field trip to go see a musical. And you see, I had a crush on this boy at this time in fifth grade. And this woman, who I've never met before, was singing the words for my diary in front of hundreds of people. It was a woman named Glenda. As she sang those words. I'm not that girl. Oh, thank you. And I just had tears trickling down my face because she was articulating the words that were embedded deeply into my heart. And I felt seen by this stranger. And this propelled me into dive into the world of music. And eventually, after graduating high school, I went to a music school in Boston to study jazz voice.

I actually ended up losing my voice for the first two years of my life there, and that's a whole different story on its own. But during my undergrad time, I took a songwriting elective class, and I was surrounded by students who have been writing songs since they were, like, three years old. And the songs that I was writing, it sounded a bit like nursery rhymes, but I thought I would take a dive anyways. And this time, majority of our homeworks, you guessed it, was writing songs. And these exercises also included writing with our classmates. And this is when I first witnessed the invisible wall erasing effect of songwriting. We entered into the room as acquaintances, but left as friends.

And it's because I noticed within myself all that attention and energy that I would usually be thinking about. Like, how is this person thinking about me? Or what is their perspective on the things that I'm saying? It was rather directed to a third object, which was the song that we were crafting together. And to make the most honest art. It costed us our vulnerability, honesty, and sometimes even our weaknesses. And we dove into these conversations that we probably wouldn't have if we were just sipping on a cup of coffee together. And we were both there to craft this thing together. Therefore, with the curiosity and mentality to truly hear and see one another.

Fast forward. I graduated school a semester early with a music business degree, and I was bombarded with the questions that you have as a recent undergrad graduate, of what do I do with my life? And more importantly, what does it mean to be an adult? And it was one of those days where I was at the end of myself and I was in my safe space, also known as the shower. And all these thoughts started bombarding. And from my subconscious, these words and lyrics started coming into my head. And if you could join me in snapping. Yeah. Inner thoughts growing loud ain't no filters allowed for my shower thoughts read between the drops my shower thoughts read between the drafts ence. Wow. Thanks, guys.

And this is the first song that I would release as an artist, and it propelled me to dive into a journey of being a full time creative. So I went to grad school to study music production, where I was surrounded by people who are also on this music journey, from engineers to producers to musicians. And after graduating, I moved to Dream city of mine, London.

So I was living in my dream city, had a music partner, was in a relationship. A majority of my friends had similar lifestyle as me. But I found myself in the quiet, in the stillness, away from all the noise. And I couldn't help but acknowledge the feeling that I knew so well that I was first introduced to. To when I was six years old, but feeling lonely.

And I heard a saying that because us as humans, when we're hungry, it's assumed that there is something that can fill that hunger, which we know as food. And when we're thirsty, it's alluded that there's something that can quench that thirst, which we know as water. And much like the symptoms of hunger and thirst, loneliness is also a symptom that indicates that there might be something that can fill that loneliness within us.

And for me, it looked like diving into my faith and learning the creator as an artist, therefore making me a work of art. And same with you, with every person that I meet. I started learning that we are all on a creative journey as creatives ourselves. Because when I write a song, I write it with the intention of it either expressing a certain emotion or pointing people to a certain subject matter to bring clarity to something.

And therefore, if I am created by an artist, that means I'm created here with the purpose to do something exactly like that, to either showcase a certain emotion, to express something, and to bring something of value to those who around me. And much like the co writing experience of having the invisible walls erased with others, I experienced that within myself, of the invisible walls, erasing of how I thought I should live.

And you can say I had a mild quarter life crisis when I realized my life was built on valleys I thought I should want, rather than the values that my soul truly craved. And because that was my foundation, I learned that I needed to start all over again. And for me, that looked like moving back home with my parents in good old Dayton, Ohio, with no music partner, single as a pringle, and no friends.

And in this moment, I decided to take the principles of songwriting into my own life, of diving into collaborations, specifically with unlikely collaborators, both in friends and in music. And they brought different angles to my life that I couldn't have concocted myself in music. It was working with people who had different backgrounds than me. So we started creating these beautiful sounds and songs that, once again, I couldn't have created myself.

And in friendships, I am so blessed to say that now I have friends who we challenge one another to erase those invisible walls by showing up as ourselves, paying the cost of honesty and vulnerability together, because we're doing this thing called life, which is art, together.

All of that being said, I would love the other way. Yes. Us. To write a song together at this moment. Are you guys down? Yeah. Yeah. Okay. I love to invite my friend Nathan up here. He'll be playing the guitar. And if we could have that lovely table. Fantastic. Can a brave volunteer or soul share with us how a moment.

Either a moment that you felt seen or ways that you feel seen. Just a gentle raise of hand. And if someone could have a mic. Perfect. It could be a sentence or three sentences as you'd like. Boo. Yeah, right over there. Thank you. What's your name? Kevin. Cool. Hey, Kevin. I feel seen when I eat gelato. Gelato? Cause it's delicious. Okay.

I love that I just had some in the park. It was a lovely moment. What flavor? Gelato. It was guava. Guava. Guava. Yeah. Ooh, great. And then. Thank you, Kevin. Can we have a round of applause for Kevin? Thank you. And then can someone share with me a moment where you felt a lot of joy in your life? Joy. Right back there. Thank you.

When my son graduated. Oh, wait. When your son graduated. I know. What is so sweet, right? Okay, can someone tap us a tempo for Nathan? Yeah. E in gelato. Bringing the memories that we had together. We're gonna sing that line again. Eating gelato. Bringing the memories we had together singing see you walking up the stage saying hello to the friends you made for years during school as you're getting educated.

I remember all those days when you were little, running around with the ice cream on your shirt. But here we sing let's eat gelato together. Thanks, guys. I don't know how we're gonna do with the percentage cut with the song, but you can officially say we kind of wrote a song together. Give yourselves a round of applause. Thank you.

Inspiration, Education, Music, Loneliness, Community, Creativity, Tedx Talks