Most of us have a song we reach for when life gets heavy. It might be a hymn a grandmother sang, a worship song from church, or a tune from the car radio that somehow arrived at exactly the right moment. Music has a way of reaching places that advice cannot.
Jonathan Anthony Burkett, the author, songwriter and founder of Upstormed, has always understood that. Long before he built a company, he was writing words to survive his own storms. His memoir, Neglected But Undefeated, tells how faith and writing carried him from a hard childhood and homelessness at fourteen to forgiveness and a life of purpose. His songs grew out of that same place.
What new research says about music and stress
Scientists are learning more about why a good song can feel like medicine for the soul. In October 2026, researchers at Toronto Metropolitan University, led by psychology professor Frank Russo, published a small randomized trial in the International Journal of Psychophysiology. They worked with 83 university students who reported recent symptoms of anxiety. Half listened for 24 minutes to personalized music that started where their mood was and gradually moved toward something calmer. The other half listened to pink noise, a steady background sound.
Cortisol, a hormone tied to stress, went down in both groups, but the drop was more than twice as large in the music group. Both groups reported similar improvements in anxiety and mood. The researchers called their biological findings preliminary and said more study is needed. Still, the result fits what many families already sense: music can help a tense body settle down.
That is general information, not a treatment plan. If worry or sadness is weighing on you for weeks at a time, talking with a doctor or counselor is a wise and brave step.
“One Life”: a reminder to make today count
One of Jonathan’s songs that belongs on a hard-day playlist is “One Life,” a reggae track featuring the singer Ambelique. The official video was posted on his YouTube channel in December 2016 and credits Upstormed Records.
The title says it plainly. We each get one life, and it is too precious to spend stuck in yesterday’s hurt or tomorrow’s fear. The relaxed, steady rhythm of reggae carries that message in a way that invites you to breathe, slow down and look at the gift of today. For a man who once wondered whether he would make it through, including brain surgery in January 2006, the idea of treasuring one life is not a slogan. It is a testimony.
His best-known words, from Neglected But Undefeated, explain why his music connects with so many listeners:
“You know my name, not my story. You’ve heard what I’ve done, but not what I’ve been through.” — Jonathan Anthony Burkett, Neglected But Undefeated
Songs like “One Life” come from the story behind the name.
Build a family “hard day” playlist
You do not need a lab to put the research to work at home. Try this together this week:
- Start where you are. The TMU study began with music that matched people’s moods and then shifted toward calm. Put a few songs first that feel honest about a hard day, then move toward hopeful ones.
- Add songs of faith. Include hymns and worship songs your family loves. Scripture is full of people who sang their way through trouble.
- Include a reminder song. Add “One Life” or another song that reminds you today matters.
- Let everyone pick one. Children and teens feel heard when their song makes the list. Preview lyrics for younger listeners.
- Use it on purpose. Play it on the drive home after a rough day, while cleaning up after dinner, or before a test or big appointment.
“The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.” (Psalm 28:7, KJV)
Where to listen
- Watch “One Life” ft. Ambelique on YouTube
- Jonathan’s YouTube channel: @officialjonathanmusic
- Jonathan on Spotify
- The Upstormed playlist on Spotify
Hard days will come. But you do not have to face them in silence. Through every storm, we rise together, and sometimes we rise with a song.
What song carries you through your hardest days? Tell us in the comments below.
Learn more about Jonathan at www.jonathanburkett.com. Follow him on Instagram and Facebook.
Sources: Toronto Metropolitan University, “Music lowers cortisol more than pink noise, new TMU study finds” (Oct 29, 2026; study in International Journal of Psychophysiology, Oct 18, 2026); YouTube, “One Life ft. Ambelique” (Upstormed Records, Dec 2016); Neglected But Undefeated (published facts); KJV Psalm 28:7.
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