The Power of Laughter and Kindness

Healing can come in many forms. For world renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma, he sees his music as a way to create touch between humans. Tirelessly performing around the world, Yo-Yo shares his musical gift generously and collaborates with many musicians, knowing that music brings healing, solace and inspiration. Music is what gives his own life meaning. 

In this conversation about the healing power of music, Yo-Yo Ma and the Surgeon General contemplate how music can bring meaning that sometimes words alone cannot. How does music transform our minds and our bodies? How does music connect us to ourselves, to our humanity? Speaking from their own personal experiences and stories, this deeply personal and joyous conversation sounds like two old friends catching up. 

(00:48)    Dr. Murthy sings Happy Birthday for Yo-Yo 

(01:42)    Intro banter that will make you smile. 

(05:39)    How does Yo-Yo Ma see his identity? 

(08:21)    What does Yo-Yo Ma do to feel better when the world gets him down? 

(15:15)    The story of why Yo-Yo Ma doesn’t play the violin. 

(17:15)    Did Yo-Yo Ma have moments of doubts on his way to becoming a musician? 

(22:07)    How did Yo-Yo Ma come to see music as a source of healing? 

(31:12)    What does it mean to join the head, heart and body? 

(34:54)    Did salsa dancing change Dr. Murthy’s bedside manner? 

(38:25)    Why does Yo-Yo Ma treasure his education? 

(40:07)    Yo-Yo Ma’s lifelong question: What is the purpose of Music? 

For more episodes, visit www.surgeongeneral.gov/housecalls.  

We’d love to hear from you! Send us a note at housecalls@hhs.gov with your feedback & ideas. 

Yo-Yo Ma, Cellist & Humanitarian 

Twitter: @YoYo_Ma 

Instagram: @YoYoMa 

Facebook: @YoYoMa 

YouTube: @YoYoMa 

About Yo-Yo Ma 

Yo-Yo Ma’s multi-faceted career is testament to his belief in culture’s power to generate trust and understanding. Whether performing new or familiar works for cello, bringing communities together to explore culture’s role in society, or engaging unexpected musical forms, Yo-Yo strives to foster connections that stimulate the imagination and reinforce our humanity. 

Most recently, Yo-Yo began Our Common Nature, a cultural journey to celebrate the ways that nature can reunite us in pursuit of a shared future. Our Common Nature follows the Bach Project, a 36-community, six-continent tour of J. S. Bach’s cello suites paired with local cultural programming. Both endeavors reflect Yo-Yo’s lifelong commitment to stretching the boundaries of genre and tradition to understand how music helps us to imagine and build a stronger society. 

Yo-Yo Ma was born in 1955 to Chinese parents living in Paris, where he began studying the cello with his father at age four. When he was seven, he moved with his family to New York City, where he continued his cello studies before pursuing a liberal arts education. 

Yo-Yo has recorded more than 120 albums, is the winner of 19 Grammy Awards, and has performed for nine American presidents, most recently on the occasion of President Biden’s inauguration. He has received numerous awards, including the National Medal of the Arts, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the Birgit Nilsson Prize. He has been a UN Messenger of Peace since 2006, and was recognized as one of TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2020.  www.yo-yoma.com.