When Joni Mitchell Made Me Cry (Or, the Power of Songs in Music Therapy)
When Joni Mitchell Made Me Cry (Or, the Power of Songs in Music Therapy)
As you may know, Joni Mitchell made a triumphant return to the stage at the Newport Folk Festival in late July. After a 2015 brain aneurysm she had to re-learn how to walk and sing and play guitar.
I saw that a video of her performance of “Both Sides Now” was circulating widely on social media, but I have to admit that I watched maybe five seconds before getting distracted and moving onto something else.
A few weeks later I finally watched the whole video after someone sent it to me via email.
And I cried.
Her strength and resilience shone through so clearly. This is a song I happen to know very well, so it was familiar and yet different. Her voice has changed so much from the recordings I remember hearing as a kid. And yet, it was still so powerful. So real.
Her song gave me hope. Hope for our collective perseverance. A renewed hope for the power of songs. Music holds us, reminds us, comforts us, connects us.
How recorded songs can play a part in music therapy
When we incorporate music into a therapy session, we don’t always play the music ourselves. I find it so powerful to integrate others’ songs into our music therapy sessions, too.
When beginning work with a new client, I will often ask them to share a song they find meaningful. It’s such a simple thing, but it can be an intimate thing to share a significant song. (I always remind my clients that saying no is always okay. Some choose not to share the songs that matter to them until later in our work together and that is always 100% okay. Trauma-informed therapy values choice and options and understands “no” as a complete sentence.)
Working with songs allows space for so much more than words in our work together. Tempo, phrasing, the singer’s voice, the lyrics, volume changes - all play such an important role in exploring and expressing feelings, long-held stories, and desires.
Exploring the songs of your life
I love this quote about songs from Ken Bruscia, a well-known music therapist.
“Songs are our connection to life. They connect us to the inner world; they bring us closer to others; they keep us company when we are alone. They articulate our beliefs and reaffirm our values. They arouse, they accompany, and they release. And as the years pass, our songs bear witness to our lives and give voice to our experiences. They rekindle the past, reflect the present, and project the future. Songs weave tales of our joys and sorrows; they express our dreams and disappointments, our fears and triumphs. They are our musical diaries, our life stories. They are the sounds of our development.”
Take a moment to think about the songs that have shaped your life.
These can be songs that:
originate from your family or culture
you loved as a kid
held you through the turbulence of teenage years
remind you of an ex
remind you of a place or specific memory (I only have to hear the beginning of certain songs & I am instantly transported back to 80s nights in college - dancing and singing at the top of my lungs)
hold you when you’re sad
remind you that you’ll be okay - even when you fear you won’t be
hold you in your sadness
You may surprise yourself with what songs come to mind. I often encourage clients to make playlists of meaningful songs. I personally organize mine according to different phases of my life and begin a new list each year, but you can do it however you like. Perhaps you’d make playlists of sad songs, summer songs, energizing songs, etc.
The power of songs is simply endless.
Joni Mitchell’s performance reminded me of this in a very real way. It connected me to feelings of nostalgia, sadness, fear for the future, but it also inspired me and gave me hope.
The best songs have a way of holding "all the feelings" in just a few minutes, don't they?
Curious about how the power of songs & music therapy in general can help you deeply connect to your feelings? Reach out
If just talking about your feelings is not really working, music therapy might be a good fit for you.
Music therapy - and working deeply with songs - can help you connect deeply to your feelings, rewire your nervous system towards calm, and rewrite long-held stories and beliefs.
Joni Mitchell’s resilience, and her ability to heal after great physical trauma (which surely had a deep emotional component, too) offers us resounding proof about the power of music.
If you’re interested in working together and discovering how music can help you heal your past emotional wounds, you can learn more about me here and schedule your free phone consultation here.
I offer both in-person sessions in my Midtown Manhattan office & virtual sessions for those located across New York state.
About the Author
Maya is a music therapist and psychotherapist in NYC and online throughout New York State.
She deeply enjoys using songs — in all their complexity and beauty — to help her clients fully express their feelings, feel less alone, and harness true authenticity and power. Her specialties include anxiety, childhood trauma, and high sensitivity (HSP).
Maya also has a deep personal connection to songs, as she was named after one (if you know who wrote it, drop it in the comments!).
If you’re interested in working with Maya, you can learn more here or schedule your free phone consultation here.
You don’t have to stay stuck - it’s time to reclaim your rhythm.