Since 2006, when Lost Voices first began writing songs with troubled kids, we have seen that songwriting can be a powerful tool for healing trauma. In fact, I think it’s likely that every musician has experienced this healing on some level, working through whatever their own pain may be and finding solace in their music.
But how, exactly, does that work?
First, creating music allows individuals to express their emotions in a unique way. When words alone fall short, songwriting provides an outlet to explore complex feelings, including those related to trauma. The act of channeling feelings into lyrics and putting them to music can become a powerful form of emotional release.
It’s important to understand that traumatic memories can be very difficult to access directly, including through traditional talk therapy. This is one reason that flashbacks and dissociation can be so common in traumatized individuals. Songwriting offers a safe and creative space to explore those memories. Through the process of crafting lyrics and melodies, individuals can delve into their experiences without feeling overwhelmed.
Songwriting also facilitates the expression of the confusing and conflicting emotions that often arise from trauma. A song can simultaneously capture pain and hope, fear and courage. It’s an added bonus that the structure of a song naturally leads to climax and resolution, which can mirror and encourage the emotional journey of healing.
Finally, songwriting can provide “permission” to express complex emotions in public. Many survivors of trauma feel like they will be judged by what has happened to them. They may have also learned to live with the idea that most people simply don’t want to hear about someone else’s painful experiences. It turns out that sharing even deeply personal narratives in song lyrics can bypass those barriers and social stigmas. It can be easier and more acceptable to express pain, resilience, or transformation through a song rather than in a conversation.
The healing power of music can be profound. We have the privilege of witnessing that fact at the end of every Lost Voices program, when the kids stand behind the microphones with us on a safe stage and pour their hearts out to a live audience. Even better, we get to participate in the joy of their emotional release afterward, when they grin and tell us:
“I’ll never forget this, as long as I live.”
