Building Bridges Through Music: Shaka Mitchell, Founder, Come Together Music

Hosts Charlotte Massey and Aaron Hurst introduce How We Connected from the US Chamber of Connection. On the show this week: Aaron’s Seattle-to–San Francisco trip for Yankees games, a surprise reunion, and reflections on organizing local “connection” leaders into a collective “us” rather than isolated efforts. This week’s featured guest is Shaka Mitchell, based in Nashville, who leads the Come Together music project. He started a “song swap” during the pandemic, scaling it into the Come Together Music Project and podcast, using guided song prompts to deepen relationships and bridge polarization, with live sessions, audience participation, and plans to measure impact and train facilitators.00:00 Intro and Welcome01:57 Weekend Recaps12:49 Chamber Updates17:03 Meet Shaka Mitchell17:42 From Connector Kid to Song Swap22:38 Birth of Come Together Music31:11 How It Works 48:25 Vision51:41 Reflection---How We Connected explores the conversations that power communities across the United States. Aaron Hurst and Charlotte Massey share what they’re building at the US Chamber of Connection and speak with leaders whose work strengthens local connection. Episodes offer human stories, practical insights, and ideas you can use in your own community.Aaron Hurst, Co-Founder of the US Chamber of Connection, is a longtime entrepreneur focused on purpose and community. He founded Imperative and the Taproot Foundation and wrote The Purpose Economy.Charlotte Massey, Co-Founder of the US Chamber of Connection, leads community programs nationally. A Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree and former organizer and founder, she works at the intersection of civic life and entrepreneurship.Connect with Uswww.chamberofconnection.orgShaka Mitchell, Founder, Come Together MusicThe Come Together Music Project, founded by Shaka Mitchell, is a unique initiative that uses music as a catalyst for storytelling, connection, and civil discourse. Each session pairs guests from differing backgrounds to share songs linked to personal experiences, providing an opportunity to build new relationships, deepen existing ones, and bridge divides. Shaka Mitchell is a Senior Fellow at the American Federation for Children, advocating nationally for K–12 school choice and educational equityCome Together Podcastpodcasts.apple.com/sn/podcast/come-together-podcast/id1691123150Come Together Music Projectwww.cometogetherpodcast.comHeylohttps://www.heylo.comHeylo is a community-management platform built for real-world groups of every kind, giving leaders a clean, branded home base to run events, manage members, communicate clearly, and handle payments without friction. It brings scheduling, RSVPs, waivers, announcements, topic-based chats, and membership tools into one place so clubs, teams, and interest groups can stay organized and connected without the noise of traditional social platforms. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.