Cam has taken the stage to perform her number-one song “Burning House” in front of many, many, many audiences, but earlier this year she took the stage…to talk.  Back in January Cam delivered a TEDx Talk for the TEDxUniversityofNevada conference in front of a live audience in Reno, NV.  The talk is entitled “Life Can Be Tough. Music Can Help.”  Initially TEDx’s event coordinator, Dr. Bret Simmons, reached out to the country singer to appear as a performer but upon learning she has worked in psychology labs at both Stanford and Berkeley, he invited her to take the speaker’s stage as well to discuss her firsthand knowledge of the power music has on the human condition. During the conference Cam also performed three songs off of her debut album, Untamed and spoke about the emotional inspiration that was involved in the making of those songs (“Burning House,” “Runaway Train,” and “Village”), reiterating that “Life Can Be Tough, Music Can Help.”  Cam is currently in the process of writing and recording her second studio album. She is also headed to the ACM Awards in Las Vegas, where she is nominated for New Female Vocalist Of The Year.  After that Cam might just be staying in Vegas, because a week later, on April 7th, she kicks off as the opener for George Strait’s residency at Nevada at the T-Mobile Arena that runs through December 2017.

To see Cam’s TEDx Talk “Life Can Be Tough. Music Can Help.” click HERE

To see Cam’s music performances during her TEDx Talk, click HERE

  A clip from Cam’s TEDx Talk “Life Can Be Tough. Music Can Help.” (1:15)
“Music is the original human tool to help soothe our soul. Did you know music has been in every single culture throughout history. Every single one. They found, early modern man, they found a bone flute that was carved in the same pentatonic scale that we use today. We’re talking Ice Age. When your main concern should probably be, don’t get eaten by a sabretooth tiger, but they were playing music. And they say evolutionary wise, something that exists in all of these cultures and across all people, something that universal must help humans survive. So what is it about music that helps us survive? There’s a lot of theories because music does a lot of cool stuff for us. It enhances learning, it improves your memory, it helps with insomnia. I could go on for a while because music lights up all different parts of your brain. But I really want to focus on one new line of study that says from the beginning of human culture, music has developed separately from language to help us deal with life.”

  Cam address the audience during her musical performance part of her TEDx Talk. (:22)
“I love Ted Talks. This is a huge moment for all of us actually and I just wanted to talk to you a little bit about the stories behind these songs. Cause I think the purpose of music is to let us explore some of these emotions we’re not allowed to talk about in everyday life. Like guilt, and rage and grief.”

  Cam closed her TEDx Talk, “Life Can Be Tough. Music Can Help” with the following message to the audience. (:35)
“Are you getting the most you can out of music? I really want to remind you that music is not just the background at a shopping mall, it’s not just weekend entertainment. It’s a tool that our species developed to help us heal ourselves and soothe our souls. Music carries the burden of our heartbreak. It allows us to process grief. It reminds us that good things are coming and it lets us know that we are not struggling alone. So let music do its job. Life can be tough, Music can help.”