Music shapes how I connect with people
Ethan “E.J.” George is a second-year PharmD candidate at the Western University of Health Sciences College of Pharmacy and a 2026–2027 APhA–ASP national member-at-large.
I would consider myself a multilayered individual—there are a lot of different things that make me happy and bring me peace. On the top of that list would have to be music. I’ve been a professional DJ and music producer for years now, but my relationship with music started a long time ago.
A universal language
For the majority of my life I didn't have the language to truly explain what music felt like to me. I just knew it was an experience that involved more than just my ears. It wasn’t until I watched Piece by Piece, the LEGO documentary about Pharrell Williams, that I finally felt understood. The way he described music as a visual and emotional experience felt super familiar to me, and that’s when I realized that I’ve been navigating something called audio-visual synesthesia my whole life.
Music has always been an intimate experience for me. It’s often how I process emotions, make sense of the world, and honestly, how I recalibrate myself when I’m feeling overwhelmed. On the production side, it’s like translating thoughts and feelings into sounds. Every beat, layer, and sound contributes to a story. Sometimes it’s my own story through lyrics. Other times, its hearing how another artist interprets that same emotion and makes it their own. That exchange moves me and shows how music is a universal language that evokes or mimics the emotions that unite us as humans.
When everyone is present in the moment
DJ’ing is a completely different kind of fulfillment. There is absolutely no feeling in the world like standing behind the decks and feeling the energy of a crowd shift in real time. Of course, there are obviously the crowd-pleasing songs that everyone will move to right at the first beat. But the moments that mean the most to me are those when I play something new or unexpected. I can feel the crowd tune in, find a rhythm that is in sync with mine, and trust me with their energy. That trust is everything to me.
For that small stretch of time, nothing else matters. No one is worried about their exams, deadlines, or stress. The whole moment is just an exchange of energy, connection, and being present in the moment. Everyone is fully locked in with each other and with me. Those moments are invaluable. That’s why music has become such an important mental health outlet in my life. No matter where I am or end up in my life, I know I’ll always find my way back to it.
Find a space that centers you
As a future pharmacist and individual making my way into corporate America, I’ve started to realize that this relationship with music, culture, and storytelling shapes how I connect with people. Music is one of the few shared universal experiences, and everyone has a song or a moment tied to one that means something to them. Being able to understand that feeling, especially within my own community, helps me show up more authentically. I feel like it makes me a bit more approachable and reminds people that I’m not just a position or title, but a unique person with real interests, passions, and feelings. That matters more to me than someone only looking at me as a reflection of my job or the company I work for.
Well-being is crucial for health care providers. You can’t take care of others if you don’t have spaces where you can reset, reflect, and just be yourself. For me, that space is music. Whatever your space is, I feel strongly that you deserve to have something that brings you back to center and reminds you who you are outside of everything you’re working so hard to become.