Music has not been credited with the recognition it deserves regarding the way it can heal people, specifically with storytelling through music working as a cultural immunogen. There are various scholars that address how multi-faceted music can be as an instrument of remedy through therapy and education, yet there is a lack of acknowledgement within storytelling and how musicians heal communities. This thesis aims to explain how storytelling in music works as a cultural immunogen, resulting in unification and understanding amongst musicians and cultures alike. In this context, cultural immunogen is defined as an artifact or expression that impacts and heals a community or culture. To exemplify the efficacy of storytelling in music, I analyzed three female musicians, as well as one song from each of their discographies, that illustrate their personal experiences of life within their lyrics and visual representations. Through Taylor Swift, Summer Walker, and Beyoncé Knowles musical analyses, the results prove how communities interpreted their music and made personal impacts in their lives that transformed the way society processes and internalizes music. This thesis resulted in a deeper understanding behind the purpose of storytelling in music, specifically giving a platform to people’s personal experiences and stories, emphasizing the idea that musical experiences carry validity with them, and results in a healing process beyond our imaginations. The concept of storytelling in music as a cultural immunogen is one that should be practiced and respected more within the public sphere.
