Therapeutic Thursdays: music as therapy

Music plays a huge role in my life.

When I was very little, I loved our piano. I sang non-stop until I was snapped at so badly by several adults that I stopped singing and became very self-conscious about it, as did my sister. I taught myself to play the piano and immersed myself in that instead, singing quietly.

Music has always been an escape for me, even now. I loved throwing on my headphones and dancing or brooding, depending on my age. As I’ve gotten older, teaching myself to play the ukulele has been one of the best things I’ve ever done. I love to play around with songs you don’t normally associate with the uke, like Nirvana, Foo Fighters, and hip-hop. (wanna check out some of my music? vids are here and music is here)

Growing to where I am okay with others hearing me sing or even play music has taken a long time. I used to not sing in front of T even, and that’s only changed in the last 2 years. Last year I even played in front of complete strangers! It was scary, but also very worth it. I’ve already got a concert set up for this year!

My journey with music has been very healing. Getting the confidence to play in front of people was scary, but it also pales in comparison to some of the other things I did last year.

I’ve made a few playlists on Spotify that I LOVE. The biggest though is my Spoonie Fighter playlist (also the reading music to the right of this post!). It not only has songs to match the moods we may go through, but also has uplifting songs to try to get us moving or to cheer us up.

I also have a playlist I’ve lovingly named ‘Bad Bitch‘ because it makes me feel empowered. It’s my feminist bad ass playlist – the one I listen to on my way to appointments, to work, and to big meetings. In short, it’s 75% Beyonce and Nicki Minaj because they’re both amazing feminist icons. It also helps me get my white girl rapping on.