Joy Allen, chair of the Music Therapy Department at Berklee, says that her current theme song is \u201cI\u2019m Not Okay\u201d by My Chemical Romance. She\u2019s quick to point out that the song ends with the lyrics, \u201cI am<\/em> okay,\u201d but after a turbulent month following the closure of Berklee\u2019s Boston campus due to Covid-19, she says it\u2019s important to acknowledge where you\u2019re at emotionally by identifying your theme song. Though this article originally ran in 2020, when many people all over the world were experiencing the initial mental health challenges of lockdown, the advice offered in this article is valuable for helping you use music to get you through any difficult times. Even music therapists use music therapy techniques, and you can too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe all have music that we know changes our moods,\u201d says Suzanne Hanser, founding chair of the Music Therapy Department at Berklee and the author and instructor of the Music Therapy Techniques for Wellness<\/a><\/em> course at Berklee Online. \u201cWhen we use music in a specific way to bring about a change in our feelings, to take us away from the chaos of the outer world, to calm us down when we\u2019re in a very unpredictable and crazy place in the world, it can be a very powerful tool to help us to respond in a more measured way.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are five tips to help you cope from Berklee\u2019s expert voices in music therapy. If you find yourself listening to a song over and over and resonating with the message, then this may be your power song. Your power song has the ability to change the way you feel and help you process your emotions. \u201cWhen you find a song that really speaks to you and expresses what you\u2019re going through, it can be very empowering and really help you understand your true feelings,\u201d says Hanser. Hanser suggests that you find time on a regular basis to listen to your power song, sing it, dance to it, or play it on an instrument. Better yet, share your power song with others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When you\u2019re feeling sad, anxious, or angry, you may reach for music that is soothing or happy. Hanser and Allen would encourage you to start with songs that represent the way that you\u2019re feeling and gradually shift to the state you\u2019d like to be in. This concept is the Iso Principle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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<\/p>\n\n\n\nFind Your Power Song<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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<\/p>\n\n\n\nMake Playlists That Start Where You Are<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n