Music Making for "Non-Musicians"
Regardless of personal music experience or training, many of us know that music can be a powerful means of enjoyment and self-expression through music listening or creation. Music can act as a container for emotions that may otherwise be difficult to feel, express, or talk about. Music can say so much about who we are, how we see the world, and how we show up. However, the commodification of music and the glorification of those few “talented” folks can lead to a suppression of our own personal creativity. As a music therapy intern, it feels like I hear “I love music, but I’m not a musician” or “I really like listening to music, but I don’t have a musical bone in my body” nearly every day. And also nearly everyday, I witness a person who just promised they couldn’t hold a beat absolutely crush it on the djembe in group drumming.
I should mention that in the past, I’ve tended to call myself a musician, but not an artist, and I’m just beginning to unpack the ways in which I’ve repressed my own artistic expression. It can feel very vulnerable to tap into creativity but not feel good at it right away, and this can teach us so much about who we are and how we move through experiences that challenge us in our lives outside of art and music. Besides- who gets to decide what “good” art looks like or “good” music sounds like, when it’s all subjective to our own experiences and interests? I could write about this and make a case for the musician and artist inside all of us all day long, but as I’ve witnessed in music therapy sessions with clients of a variety of ages and abilities: talking about what holds us back from freely expressing can be helpful, but the unfolding process of connecting with our personal musicianship is something we can only experience for ourselves.
In this blog post, I offer three music experiences you could try on your own to deepen and evolve your relationship with musical expression. It’s important to mention that engaging with meaningful music can be a vulnerable experience that could bring up significant emotions and memories. Having resources available to support you is a good idea whether you have a therapist, counselor, or trusted friend you can talk with, or contacts to local resources you can reach out to for support if needed.
1. Create a 10-track Playlist That Tells the Story of Your Journey Thus Far
Start with writing down some of the songs that have held particular meaning for you at important stages of your life. Organize them in a way that expresses the story of your journey up until this moment. You could also choose to integrate art to make album cover art and dive deeper into this reflective process. I recommend making time to sit with your creations, listen to the playlist, and notice what arises for you. Journal your reflections after listening to the playlist. When you look at the songs (and art), what does it say about who you are, where you’ve been, and what you are moving towards? When you listen, what feelings, images, and memories are particularly present?
2. Create Blackout Poetry Using Personally Meaningful Songs
Choose a song that has been particularly meaningful to you recently. Perhaps you choose a song that represents you or a part of you. Print or copy down the lyrics, and find a quiet space to listen to the song while reading through the lyrics. While listening, you might write down what feelings, imagery, or memories arise in you out of the music. After listening a few times, go through the song with a pen or highlighter and create your own poem using the song’s lyrics. Cross off any lyrics you wish to remove and/or highlight lyrics you would like to keep. Read or sing your poem, or have it read or sung to you by a trusted person. You might journal your reflections as you explore these questions: Consider the significance of why you chose the lyrics you did, and notice the story that unfolded. What does your poem say about you, your experiences, and your perspective?
3. Playing Music for Mindfulness
Mindfulness is the practice of being aware of ourselves in the present moment. This practice is intended for anyone who wishes to engage with music and tap into their personal creativity, and is not limited to people with or without previous musical or mindfulness experience. When engaging with music for mindfulness, we can consider how we could allow the music-making process to be less about what it sounds like, and more about how the music makes us feel and how music-making can help us return to the present moment. For this experience, you might consider choosing an instrument you are less familiar with if that relaxes some of the pressure around “sounding good,” or an instrument you are familiar with if you feel that might allow you to go deeper into the expressive experience. You can always do this multiple times to experiment with different instruments and sounds.
Begin by taking a few deep breaths in a quiet and comfortable space, with your instrument in hand and ready to play. Perhaps you scan your body from head to toe, just noticing (without needing to change) how your body feels and where there is tightness or relaxation.
When you are ready, begin to create a gentle “rumble” on your instrument. As you settle into this rumble, slowly begin to make changes such as playing loudly then softly, or fast and slow. You might try experimenting with other techniques or maybe non-traditional ways to play the instrument, and notice what emerges from that. This is a time for exploration, and the music doesn’t need to sound like anything at all. It may be peaceful, chaotic, or anything in between. Notice how your body moves to play the instrument, notice any sensations or vibrations that resonate from the instrument. When thoughts or judgements arise, notice those too, and return to the sounds and sensations you are creating.
When the rumble feels ready to come to a close, you may pause to notice the qualities, feelings, or images your music brought to mind. You could then choose a feeling that is particularly present, and create music and sounds that reflect what that feeling might sound like. Again, notice where your mind wanders to, and continue returning to the sounds you are creating. Perhaps your music tells a story, and you come to a natural close, or you fumble around and stop suddenly and laugh at “whatever that was” as it disappears into nothingness. The beauty of spontaneous, non-recorded, live music, is that we can leave it be, and return to the next moment.
These three experiences can be repeated many times, and it’s likely that the process will be very different each time you try it. I encourage you to try each at least once and notice what emerges in yourself. Music can help us better understand ourselves, how we perceive our experiences, and recognize and move through whatever is very present for us currently. I hope these ideas can be a starting point for further exploration, as all of these can be adapted as it suits you. Happy musicking!