FM Communications
Providing Mental Health Resources For Musicians
Mental Health and "Positivity" Music
I am a "budding musician" myself, and I'm planning to record music for my future clients to listen to outside the sessions - basically for a bit of a "mental health boost."
I am a "budding musician" myself, and I'm planning to record music for my future clients to listen to outside the sessions - basically for a bit of a "mental health boost."
This isn't music therapy, so I have to clarify that. Music therapy is essentially where the music itself is the therapy - like using rhythm exercises for patients with cognitive challenges. If you want to know more about music therapy, visit the American Music Therapy Association for information on that.
I'll be creating music that clients can listen to whenever they need it. It's simply an "extra tool" in addition to traditional talk therapy. It'll be soft rock/acoustic/indie, whatever you want to call it. Fine by me! My major influences are James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Colbie Caillat, Jason Mraz, Schuyler Fisk, and other people like that.
My "theory" is that a patient's nerves are already "jangled" by the time they get into therapy, so I don't want to "jangle them" even more. But if a client wants to hear heavy metal, I'll gladly help them find some to listen to.
I'm currently writing songs relating to everyday life issues. One is called Yelling At Myself, and it's basically about how people tend to "beat themselves up." I woke up one morning yelling at myself in my head, and I said, "Yelling at myself never helps. Why do I hurt someone I should love?" Because I was doing that.
Another song is called Fish Outta Water Daughter. My mother and I were quite different, and I often felt I couldn't live up to her expectations. It was like I was a "fish outta water." Leave You There is about a bad breakup a long time ago, but, really, it could be about anything in your past that you learned from, but it should be "locked away" now. More "Er" Than You is about accepting differences between people. Somebody will always be more "er" than you: shorter/taller, richer/poorer, younger/older, etc. Notice how those words end in "er"?
The lyrics will generally knowledge a problem, and be realistic. This isn't like Tomorrow from "Annie." But they'll also offer hope - without being too sugary! It'll be "kind of like"...reading from a journal.
And they'll be authentic, for lack of a better word. Many of them will come from my own life, although occasionally I might write about someone else's experiences.
I'm looking forward to writing and recording these, and sharing them with you. I hope you'll find something in this music that relates to your life and makes you feel like "someone else knows what that's like."
I'll keep you posted - literally!
Fortune McLemore