A SONG FOR YOU: Evolutionary Songwriting

 “Sing that old familiar song, it′s just you and me, I'm just a little weak, Carry me home, be my voice when I can′t speak”(Sarah Connor)

Versione italiana:Una canzone per te

I think almost all of us know the enormous power that music exerts on our moods and states of mind. How many of us don't have, or haven't had, a heartfelt song that melted away our anxieties and melancholy or gave us the energy to get through a stressful day?

Songs touch our emotional chords, thanks to the power of melody, but also our cognitive mind, thanks to the power of words. I am an artistically mediated counsellor, i.e. I try to ease my client's tensions and stress also by ‘administering’ poems, books, songs, ad hoc music or by involving the person in the creative process. 

Lately I have noticed how beneficial it can be, for the person in a moment of crisis and disorientation, to have a personal anchor that keeps him or her centered and supports them during the trials of daily life. This ‘anchor’ can be a gesture related to a mood, an empowering image or the ‘individual song’. The latter proves to be a very targeted and effective tool, as it is constructed modelled on the language and affective tone of the counselling client.

In Evolutionary Songwriting, the counsellor and the client come together to create a short lyric and, why not, a piece of music tailored to the client's situation that helps the client move from the problem to the solution, from an anxious state to a more serene one, from a feeling of helplessness and frustration to a perception of strength and self-confidence.

How is this pathway articulated? Usually 3-4 meetings are enough to outline the problem and to try to evoke the right words, the client's words, that can serve to redirect his or her mind towards more positive and constructive states of mind. The counsellor then produces a simple recording of the text, sung together with music inspired by it, and gives it to the client for daily listening.

To try this experience or for more information, feel free to contact me at binisara78@yahoo.com, or via the phone number on my website Sara Bini Counseling