The typical Lost Voices program consists of an introductory concert, followed by a series of songwriting workshops. These workshops are facilitated by teams of professional musicians who are specifically trained in the principles of Trauma Informed Care. They create a non-judgmental space where the kids can freely articulate their ideas and feelings into song lyrics. The musicians then craft folk and blues songs around the lyrics written by the kids.
At the end of the program the youth perform their work supported by the musicians, in a live concert, on a recorded CD, or both.
This short video, made by an undergraduate team from Washtenaw Community College, discusses many of the major elements of what we do and how we do it. The kids in it are from the Maxey Boys Training School in Whitmore Lake, MI. Their faces are blurred because they are wards of the state, and their identities must be protected. The Maxey facility has, sadly, been closed since this video was produced.
We usually start the workshop by writing a group song. To do this, we brainstorm until we get input from every participant and agree on a topic, then we write a song, line-by-line. A good example of this process is the song, I Have A Destination, written by a group of girls in foster care at Vista Maria in Dearborn Heights, Michigan in the summer of 2017.
We also write individual songs with each participant. This is where the kids dig deep into their feelings and express thoughts and ideas that they may not be willing to share otherwise – sometimes even with their therapists. These songs can range from searingly heartfelt to silly; we let the kids go wherever they feel like going with them. This short video piece produced by a PBS affiliate back in 2007 delivers good insight into this part of the process.
The use of roots music (folk and blues) is critical to our process. The relative unfamiliarity of the genre, along with it’s non-threatening storytelling nature, takes the participants out of their normal routine and into an entirely new and deeply introspective creative space.
We work 8-12 youth in each group. If there are more than twelve in a group it is difficult to make sure every participant is heard and feels totally invested in the process. Much fewer than eight participants makes the sessions too quiet, lacking the creative conflict and tension that helps bring about the emotional breakthroughs.
At the end of the workshops, the musicians put together a professionally-staged concert in which the kids can perform their newly-created songs for peers, therapists, staff, and family. The professional musicians are right there with them behind the microphones, backing them up and supporting every performance to whatever degree is necessary for the participants to succeed.
Throughout the program the participants experience profound breakthroughs that the therapists in the facilities can then use to enhance therapeutic outcomes. The Lost Voices experience “opens them up’ and promotes healing. This recent CBS Eye on Detroit feature will give you a quick look at Lost Voices in action, and talks about these issues.
An important element of the Lost Voices programs is that they affect far more than the youth directly in the program. Peers witnessing the final performance often experience valuable breakthroughs of their own. We’ve had instances in which as many as four kids “in the audience” were so moved by what they were seeing and hearing from the participants on stage that ie led to to significant breakthroughs in their personal therapeutic work.
In addition, therapists and staff often gain new insights into the kids they have been working with that help them explore new therapeutic pathways. Parents and siblings gain valuable new insights. New relationships bloom, and old animosities disappear.