The self is not a solo thing…
A reflection on connection, and an invitation to do something about it.
“Happiness is only real when shared.”
That line has stayed with me for years. Because what it points to — our fundamental need for authentic, genuine connection with others — is one of the driving forces behind why I created Sound in the Woods.
You don’t need a sociology degree to see it. We are becoming more isolated. Most of us feel it every day, even if we can’t quite put our finger on why.
Even when we’re surrounded by people, there is often a palpable lack of connection. And the ways we reach for it, the small fleeting moments we cling to, tell their own story.
A smile at the bus stop. A cheerful “thank you” to the driver as you get off. A conversation while walking the dog, so long as they’ve got a dog too. A brief exchange with the postman about the weather.
These moments are not nothing. But let’s be honest about what they are.
They are sticking plasters. They are us reaching for a branch on the surface of the water as the current pulls us under. They are evidence not of our resilience but of how deeply we are starved of something real.
Because genuine connection is not a fleeting glance or a polite exchange. It is something slower, deeper, and far more nourishing than our daily lives tend to allow.
And the opportunities for it are quietly disappearing.
We are swimming upstream, against a current that is steadily encouraging us to become more individual, more separate, more alone. And most of us haven’t quite noticed how far we’ve drifted.
Participants at Sound in the Woods
This is exactly why Sound in the Woods exists. At its core, it is not about music. It is about connection.
When people talk about the beauty of the experience, or the music that emerges, they are not talking about perfection. They are not talking about complexity or technical brilliance.
They are talking about something much simpler, and much more powerful. They are talking about how authentically the music reflects the connection they felt.
Because that connection is real.
“I knew that I needed this but I didn’t realise how much. The sense of connection with people I have never met was very powerful”
What’s perhaps most unusual is this: there is no talking about yourself. No introductions. No backgrounds. No “what do you do?”
Everything that is shared is rooted in the present moment. Connection happens through rhythm. Through sound. Through shared experience.
People connect, communicate, and create without words. And in doing so, something shifts. The experience becomes beautiful. Not because it is perfect but because it is true.
So here is a simple invitation, not just for the weekend, but for something more.
Find ways to connect. Smile at someone. Make eye contact. Thank someone properly. Tell someone you appreciate them. These small acts won’t solve everything but they begin to slow that quiet drift.
And if you feel like you want something deeper, a full day of genuine connection, a chance to reconnect with yourself, with others, and with nature, then I’d love for you to join us.
Sound in the Woods — 13th June
A full day in nature, making music together. No experience needed. No instruments to bring. No performance to give. Just presence, rhythm, and real human connection. Places are limited and filling up.
