Therapeutic Songwriting for Mental Health
Music Therapy Songwriting
…A sample Songwriting program…
RATIONALE
Music therapy is the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to achieve individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship with a credentialed music therapist. Music therapy has been known to be rated by mental health consumers as “significantly more helpful than all other programming” across all demographics. (Siverman, 2006).
OBJECTIVES
Songwriting in music therapy may be used to improve engagement in treatment, enhance quality of life, improve mood, develop insight and awareness, improve interpersonal skills, offer an outlet for self expression, improve self-esteem/self-compassion, and offer participants to create an empowering narrative of their lived experiences.
DESCRIPTION
Songwriting as a music therapy modality will be implemented to engage patients in an active group experience while creating instrumental tracks, beats, melodies, lyrics, and elements of music production. Participants will create between 2-4 downloadable tracks during an 8 week program.
DURATION
Option 1: one 60 minute session focusing on building rapport, generating participant interest, as well as biopsychosocial assessment of program with a detailed report generated to detail specific needs that will be addressed in session.
Option 2: 6-8 weeks for 60 minute session durations.
SAMPLE CURRICULUM FOR 6-8 WEEK PROGRAM
(subject to change based on participant interest and ability)
Week 1: introductions, skills and needs assessment, creation of collaborative group goals, introduction on non-judgmental awareness and flow in music, journaling.
Week 2: Check in, introduction to rhythm, drum machines, beat creating apps, tones and textures, body percussion, rhythmic meditation, journaling
Week 3: Check in, introduction to MIDI, synthesizers, DAWs, Melody, vocal meditation, journaling
Week 4: Check in, integrating melody and rhythm, creating track sketches, form and structure of songwriting, shape meditation, journaling
Week 5: Check in, introduction to lyric writing, group assignment: Write/freestyle about where you are now, grounding meditation, group improvises assignment over track sketches. Journaling
Week 6: Check in, introduction to language empowering, group assignment: write/freestyle about how you want to feel, freedom meditation, group improvises assignment over track sketches. Journaling
Week 7: Check in, Putting it all together: designing a theme, finalizing track recording, lyric editing, digital editing techniques. Journaling
Week 8: Check in, Finishing touches, adding EFX , Group listening and processing, closure.
OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS
Group pre and post mood rating will be taken. In addition, group will be empowered to set their own musical and non musical goals. Lastly, it is well known that community involvement is detrimental to supporting recovery in mental health clients. As such a sense of belonging scale will also be implemented at the first and 8th session.