Christian music icon Amy Grant is encouraging listeners to embrace the power of music to inspire hope, foster understanding, and bring people together in a newly released interview for the Songs of U.S. series.
The six-time Grammy Award winner joined Salt Lick Sessions for a special performance and conversation exploring the songs, memories, and experiences that have shaped her life and career. Filmed in Nashville, the session features Grant performing James Taylor's classic "Carolina in My Mind" alongside "The 6th of January (Yasgur's Farm)," a song she says speaks to America's ongoing search for identity and purpose.
Discussing her choice to perform "Carolina in My Mind," Grant praised Taylor's songwriting and described his music as part of the cultural soundtrack of her generation.
"I don't remember a time of not hearing James's voice," Grant said, noting that his music remains woven into the fabric of American culture.
The singer also reflected on the current state of the nation, pointing to a lyric from "The 6th of January" that resonates deeply with her today: "We've lost our way." While acknowledging periods of social unrest and uncertainty, Grant expressed hope that Americans can continue to invest in one another and work toward a better future.
"Every 60 or 70 years, our culture feels that way," Grant observed. "It's always good to reassess how am I a part of the situation? What can I do to invest in and love the country and the culture and the family of man that I'm a part of here?"
Now in her mid-60s, Grant said she feels an increasing sense of responsibility to be a witness and remain attentive to the things that matter most.
"I want to be a witness," she said. "If we're not present and if we don't give our attention to things, all kinds of things that matter to us can slip by."
Throughout the interview, Grant repeatedly emphasized the unique ability of music to connect people across generations and circumstances. She described music as a force that can transport listeners, help them rediscover themselves, and create lasting bonds between individuals and communities.
"Music can take you anywhere," Grant said. "Music can bring you back to yourself. It never lets you down. Music connects us to each other."
One of the most emotional moments of the conversation came as Grant recalled recently singing with elementary school students on Staten Island. The children had learned one of her songs, "How Do We Get There From Here," which was inspired by a school shooting in Nashville. Grant described being overwhelmed as the students joined her in singing the song's message of hope and trust.
Reflecting on the experience, she encouraged listeners not to live in fear but to pursue understanding and compassion. She added that music often plants important ideas in people's hearts before those ideas become actions.
"Music is a great way to put those good thoughts in your head," Grant said. "Keep filling your life with music. It will never let you down."
The interview is part of Salt Lick Sessions' Songs of U.S. project, a series that brings together artists from across America's musical landscape to reflect on identity, belonging, history, and the evolving story of the nation through song. The initiative coincides with preparations for the United States' 250th anniversary celebration and invites musicians to reimagine songs that have helped shape American culture
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