I was introduced to music early on in my life. My parents took me to “Mommy & Me” music classes as a baby, my dad plays the piano at home, and my mom sings around the house when she’s in a great mood. Even with joyous memories like these, I never predicted how big of a role music would play in my healing journey.
In the middle of college, I experienced extreme panic attacks. I always considered myself to be an optimistic and happy person, so when this new challenge came up, I wasn’t sure how to deal with it. I felt extremely overwhelmed and like I couldn’t confide in any of my friends about it. I believe a friend is the person we can go to for unconditional love, support, and comfort. However, at that time, the idea of allowing someone else, even a friend, to see me in a sad state seemed impossible. There was a huge block in my head: I couldn’t picture how I would even begin to share my feelings. And I was worried that if I did share my feelings, the worst-case scenario would happen: whoever I told would brush it off and tell me not to worry about it because it’s “normal” or it’ll “go away on its own”.
That entire semester, I chose to hide what I was going through, and I was successful at it. No one seemed to notice that I was going through something. The place I felt safe to express my emotions was in my music, especially in songwriting. What I wanted was a safe place to share my feelings, where I didn’t have to worry about being judged, and where I could let it all out. I gave that gift to myself by writing a song, called “Blue Skies”. I chose to write about everything I was feeling and experiencing.
I believe music falls in at least one of these categories: a celebration, a tool for acceptance, or a release. The beauty of music is it allows us to feel; the different sounds or vibes of a song take us to various places. Music can remind us of special memories. It can evoke emotion in an individual without needing a reason. It gives us permission to just be in the moment. I think that is part of what makes music so divine. It’s a way we can release, celebrate, and accept our experiences and emotions, and process everything that comes with being a human on earth.
Music continues to be a safe place for me to release my emotions. However, now I am also able to share my feelings with my family and friends. Songwriting helped me to better understand my anxiety; it gave me the space to pour my feelings, reflect on them, and then release and let go of some of that anxiety.
Writing “Blue Skies” also led me to feel more comfortable opening up to my friends and family. I got the opportunity to reflect on the emotion of anxiety and all others through processing that song.
Engaging in mental health counseling has further complemented my journey towards managing anxiety. Just as songwriting offered a safe space for emotional expression, counseling provided professional guidance and tools to navigate these feelings more effectively.
For instance, exploring different therapeutic techniques such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and mindfulness practices has been immensely beneficial. Incorporating hypno therapy sessions allowed me to delve deeper into the subconscious roots of my anxiety, offering new insights and coping mechanisms that I hadn’t previously considered. In addition to the emotional relief, mental health counseling also addressed the physical manifestations of anxiety, such as sleep deprivation.
Being human means we have the opportunity to feel our emotions every day. There are emotions that we consider positive and emotions that we consider negative, but every emotion teaches us something valuable about ourselves or the world from what we are feeling in a specific situation. While vulnerability can feel scary, I believe musicians and songwriters embody the strength in vulnerability. Music is a gift that can give songwriters, musicians, performers, and listeners the space to heal, to release, to let go of, to accept, and to celebrate what it means to be human.
Naomi Sky is a singer/songwriter who graduated from the University of Miami in 2021. She majored in Communication Studies and minored in Music at the Frost School of Music at UM. Sky currently writes blog articles, creates social media content, and writes and records original music. She loves crystal healing and several other holistic healing modalities and plans to continue intertwining her love for music with her passion for healing throughout her career.