Songs of Courage

Is it the rhythm of the beat or the harmony of the chords?
I can feel my heart pounding to the beat of the drums,
I can hear the troops marching with their eyes on the prize,
I can feel my soul rising with yours in the skies

I see you taking control in a situation beyond your control;
Your voice is stirring like a singing bowl.
I can see you holding on to the very last grain of strength,
You've sown those seeds and now they've taken root;
They've found a home in the heart of this youth.

I hear your courage and thank you,
For choosing to fight your battles,
In your weakness you are strong,
I hear it in your song,

Your triumph over self is a reminder to us all,
That everyone must take a step irrespective of a fall,
That every one of us must take a step irrespective of a fall.

My creative reflective piece Songs of Courage is inspired by songs that were written by the patients of the music therapist who led a session during the Creative Arts in Health and Illness course in the winter of 2013. We listened to songs, one created by a little girl who had lost her grandfather but had not had the chance to say goodbye and another by a woman who was dying; we also watched recordings of music therapy sessions with partially immobilised patients.

It was interesting to hear how music therapy sessions had gotten through to these patients in various ways. In one case, it had helped one patient to cope with bereavement, in another, the patient was able to voice the frustration she felt with her condition, but also the distance it had put between her and the people around her. In the latter's song, she asks for support and lets the listener know that it is okay if they don't have all the answers. These people have used music to voice their emotions and their struggles, and that really connected with me.

I love how these music sessions could appeal to people going through different situations. I feel that a range of emotions and ideas can be demonstrated through music, which is versatile by its very nature.

In my poem, I applaud the bravery needed to reach out and allow the music to be a medium to do so. I relate musical themes and instruments to marching into a battle, so as to reflect the act of engaging in the therapy session. I think that music therapy acts as a bridge between a person and their emotions; the act of creating the music specifically frees up the minds to explore what is, rather than try to fit into a mould of what should be.