“Gonna Have a Good Day”: Music & Mental Health

RAYE and Noah Kahan, two musicians with some of the largest album releases this April, both emphasize emotional themes like depression and joy.

It’s ironic and apropos as this May we recognize Mental Health Awareness Month, and Music Therapy St. Pete provides mental health resources though you guessed it…MUSIC!

“Though I may cry in the night, but my joy comes in the morning

Let me see you clap your hands and help me sing

I declare I am somebody, say, I declare I am somebody

Say, I declare there will be joy”

- RAYE

“That I'm the trouble ahead, that I scream in my sleep

You're puttin' money on red, I'm a sure bet at a losin' streak

I keep showin' you doors, but you can't open them up

'Cause it gets harder to see me the closer you try to look”

- Noah Kahan

What Is Mental Health?

The World Health Organization defines mental health as “a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn and work well, and contribute to their community.” Physical health enables the body to handle the physical obstacles of life while growing from them (such as in a workout, climbing a mountain during a hike, or lifting a grandchild in one’s arms). Similarly, mental health enables a person to thrive in and recover from the challenges of daily life (stress from work and relationships) and share their gifts with the community (creating art, serving others, exercising, and engaging in meaningful relationships).

Music therapists work with individuals who have emotional goals and diagnoses in mental health, such as:

Mood Disorders: episodes of depression (less interest in enjoyable activities, unusual eating and resting habits, changes in energy, low self-esteem, lack of cognitive clarity, and suicidal thoughts) or mania (less sleep, overly high self-esteem, rapidly moving and chaotic thoughts, and engaging in riskier behaviors)
Anxiety Disorders: fearful thoughts that are out of proportion to the situation at hand and prevent a person from living their everyday life (includes Generalized anxiety disorder [GAD], Obsessive-compulsive disorder [OCD], panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD], and social phobia or social anxiety disorder)
Schizophrenia: dramatic changes to thoughts (delusions), awareness of the sights and sounds around them (hallucinations), facial expressions, and behavior

Other populations music therapists commonly work in are especially likely to have goals in mental health. For example, Suzanne Goh writes that autistic individuals are twice as likely to have mental health diagnoses in her book, Magnificent Minds (p. 107). In addition, the Stanford Medicine News Center reports that almost half of hospitalized patients experience “elevated levels of PTSD, depression or anxiety symptoms two months later”.

What Is Mental Health Awareness Month?

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and Mental Health America (MHA) are spearheading the spread of awareness this May!

MHA was instrumental in beginning Mental Health Awareness Month in 1949, and this year’s theme is “More Good Days, Together.” This theme emphasizes the support we need from each other and asks the question, “What does a ‘good day’ look like?” Using coping strategies, seeking proper support and resources, and being in community can improve mental health. As a community, we can also teach others about mental health and introduce them to additional support to bring more “good days” for everyone seeking mental health.

NAMI’s theme for May is “Turning silence into connection,” also emphasizes community and specifically the importance of sharing stories about mental health struggles and successes with each other. Mental health struggles isolate people from their community, and when no one is talking about mental health, individuals often feel alone and singled out. When everyone is open to sharing their stories and to hearing others’ experiences, we have nothing but a supportive community to gain.

How Does Music Therapy Impact Mental Health?

More Good Days Together

To explore the idea of a “good day” in a music therapy session, try rewriting the song, “Good Day” by Nappy Roots! Ask your client what their idea of a “good day” looks like. How would their body and mind feel on a good day? What kind of thoughts would they be thinking? What meaningful individual or community activities would they be engaging in? After reflecting and discussing, add the client’s words into the blanks outlined below and sing their song together.

Conversely, the question, “If it’s not a good day, what can we do?” starts the conversation about coping skills and strategies to turn a hard mental health day into a better one. If a client lacks helpful coping skills, this question could highlight areas for support, and the music therapist can suggest possible coping strategies for the client to try on hard days. If the client already has successful coping strategies, this song can remind the client of skills to use in a way that sticks in your mind.

Green Pink and Yellow Illustrative World Mental Health Instagram Post

Green Pink and Yellow Illustrative World Mental Health Instagram Post (1)

Another songwriting idea is to use “When Will My Life Begin” from Tangled to discuss creating a consistent morning routine with a client to set them up for a “good day” from the beginning. Replace the lines with different times and tasks in a morning routine. For example, my morning routine might look like:

“Six A.M., the usual morning lineup

Get out of bed and put on my clothes

Make coffee, eat breakfast, and brush my teeth

Journal on my porch, then leave for work”

Explore a receptive music activity by creating a playlist for a client that will put them in the headspace for a “good day.” Ask questions like:

“What do you need to hear or be reminded of each day?”
“What kind of music helps you feel motivated?” (fast / slow, a certain genre or artist)
“What would the ‘soundtrack’ to a good day sound like for you?”
“What songs put you in a ‘good mood’?”

After creating the playlist together and discussing what about each song is significant, the music therapist can encourage the client to use the playlist throughout their week to motivate them and improve their mood during daily activities.

Music therapists can also suggest other ways to incorporate music into a daily routine! This could include:

Moving to music (along with body percussion, working out, or dancing, etc.)
Singing or saying affirmation statements in rhythm
Taking deep breaths to the beat of a slow song

Turning Silence into Connection

Sharing songs together can be a wonderful way to connect with others and share emotionally with common ground. For example, a music therapist might ask a client or group, “What songs have you been listening to lately?” When a client brings up a song, the music therapist can listen to it with them and ask, “What about this song resonates with you?” or “Which lines from this song stand out to you?” Often people relate to songs because they resonate with them emotionally, and a music therapist can ask follow up questions to help the client share and gain insight on their emotional life before talking about how to cope or live a healthy emotional life.

Especially in a group setting, lyric analysis is a great way to build connection with others. A music therapist often prepares a specific song with themes in the scope of mental health (coping skills, anxiety, depression, community) and plays the song, live or recorded, for the group. While listening, the group members can highlight or underline their favorite lyrics and then discuss them as a group. Often, multiple group members will have highlighted the same lyric and may have similar reasons for doing so. The music is a common bridge between clients and is a less vulnerable starting place for what can become a deep discussion. Relating to similar lyrics and by extension, feeling similar emotions and experiencing similar struggles, makes group members feel seen, validated, and less alone.

See this video on our instagram page to learn more about lyric analysis!

As part of our internship program, the supervisors at Music Therapy St. Pete often emphasize the importance of silence as creating space for connection with a client. In my own internship experience, it can feel uncomfortable to wait in silence for a client to respond to a question or reflect on their own experience. However, giving the client time to process, feel, then share, and letting them know that you are comfortable waiting on their time provides safety. Similar to the balance of rests and notes in music, both silence and thoughtful discussion play a meaningful role in therapy.

Songwriting in music therapy creates space for clients to express their emotions through both lyrics and musical elements like harmony, melody, and rhythm. In May of 2023, one of our former clients, Ashunti (Ash) Teasley, shared about their journey with mental health, and she recently shared an album of her original songs (Finding My Wings) on our Youtube Channel, linked here.

These songs touch on themes of depression and anxiety, recognizing the unseen struggles and confidently rising up to meet them. Here are some lyrics from Ash’s song, “Time to Unmask”

“It’s time to unmask!

And be myself

For I know that

I can be free

It’s like a weight

Off of my shoulders

A sigh of relief

Cause I am me!”

Some other songwriters at Music Therapy St. Pete have participated in I-ASC’s monthly Neurolyrical Cafe, an online platform for nonspeaking individuals to share music as well as art and poetry! Some people wrongly assume that people who do not speak do not have emotions or thoughts to communicate, or assume that cognitively and emotionally, they are silent. On the contrary, nonspeakers communicate their thoughts and emotions through spelling to communicate and create meaningful art and music that expresses what they think and feel.

Lastly, Music Therapy St. Pete and several other private practices in music therapy host showcases for clients to share their stories with an audience! This April, ten clients sang or played instruments to songs of their choice on stage for a gathering of family, friends, and other supporters. This environment creates purposeful space for our clients to express themselves, share their accomplishments, and advocate if they so choose. Each client shares a short bio about themselves before their performance as well. One performer, Dylan Bevacqua, shared, “I am an 18 year old nonspeaker, and I use spelling to communicate my thoughts and ideas. Music is really important to me, and I enjoy playing the piano. It gives me a way to express myself and connect with others without needing to speak.”