Musicians have a power over our hearts and heads. Their persona and the way they impact their audience can be such a powerful form of Therapy. I was on my way to the Morgan Wallen concert in Tampa, Florida with Jelly Roll as his opener. We were almost done with our 5 hour drive there when Morgan Wallen canceled his concert. We were so disappointed. He was sick and couldn’t give a 100% so I understand. But I wanted to see Jelly Roll so bad because of this specific song and everything that he represents. We already started heading to our next destination when Jelly Roll announced that he would have a smaller concert at another venue for those who had tickets. Unfortunately, we were too far away at that point and we couldn’t make it happen.
Honestly, it made me love him even more because externally he looks hard and tough but he shows his warmth, kindness, love for his fans by this generous action and the lyrics of his music. Unfortunately, I was hoping to explain how being at his concert made me feel but his actions have transcended my thoughts in a whole different direction. My 80 year old mother even Loves Jelly Roll and it is so apparent why. Before I move on, let me share his lyrics with you.
I’M NOT OK
I am not okay
I’m barely getting by
I’m losing track of days
And losing sleep at night
I am not okay
I’m hanging on the rails
So if I say I’m fine
Just know I learned to hide it well
I know I can’t be the only one
Who’s holding on for dear life
But God knows, I know
When it’s all said and done
It’s not okay
But we’re all gonna be alright
I woke up today
I almost stayed in bed
Had the devil on my back
And voices in my head
Some days, it ain’t all bad
Some days, it all gets worse
Some days, I swear I’m better off
Layin’ in that dirt
I know i can’t be the only one
Who’s holding on for dear life
But God knows, I know
When it’s all said and done
I’m not okay
But we’re all gonna be alright
Gonna be all right
Gonna be all right
I know one day
We’ll see the other side
The pain’ll wash away
In a holy water tide
And we all gonna be alright
JELLY ROLL’s LYRICS
I KNOW, I KNOW, I KNOW, it is extremely powerful and alarming all at the same time. The perception of these lyrics will mean something different for everyone who reads them or listens to the song. I find it hits right where a lot of individuals who are grieving, suffering from depression or trauma feel when they are in the depths of their pain. Jelly Roll goes into the depths of hell and yet finds hope and strength to know that there is more to life. Giving up or ending it, is not an option, and he wants you to hear that strong message. The connection that he makes with his listeners is paralyzing and allows the listeners to connect profoundly.
It is so hard for people to say to themselves “I’m not Okay.” or to tell others that they are struggling. It is even harder to say, “That I am going to be Okay.” Sharing such vulnerability with his audience is not an easy thing to do but, he shares that we are in this together and we can get through it. I am not sure he really knows the impact he could have on someone who is contemplating suicide or harming themselves. “Gonna be alright.” he repeats and that we will see the other side and the pain will wash away. I was hoping to share the impressions I gained from his audience and what I saw in their eyes as he sang this song. The reality is I know that I didn’t have to attend his concert to see their reactions.
The world is filled with individuals who put a mask on everyday to hide what is truly going on with them. I am on a mission to encourage all to start to take the mask off when you are with people you can be vulnerable with. This is a first step in being true to yourself. For so many when they are in the depths of pain as the lyrics read they can’t see the other side of it and this is when tragedy occurs. Musicians like Jelly Roll bare a huge responsibility to their followers to be authentic. Many of us are the star struck type, believe me I know that I am. If someone loves music and an artist, imagine how a song like this could change someone’s life.
It is not all about being in the depths of hopelessness. Grief, breakups, losing a job and letting go can be traumatic as well. Lyrics, express poetry and poetry is pulled from the depths of our souls. I have a task I would like you to complete.
Music as Therapy:
1. Pick your favorite music artist
2. Now sit with yourself for a moment
3. Get in touch with your feelings
4. Identify some of your struggles
5. What physical symptoms are you feeling?
6. Look at the music artists play list
7. Identify a song that speaks to you and the way you are feeling in this moment
8. STOP don’t listen to the song
9. Print out or pull up the lyrics on your smart phone
10. Read the lyrics
11. Highlight what impacts you the most
12. Read through it a few times
13. Sit with yourself again and get in touch with how these lyrics make you feel
14. Make a note of how you are feeling as you process this
15. Make a note of any insights that you gain
16. Now you can pop in your earbuds and listen to the song while you read the lyrics
17. Make a note of your observations
18. Now just sit with yourself and take in all that you have gained from this experience
Music Therapy is a powerful apparatus for change, comfort, laughter and peace. I know you have all played one of your Happy Songs when you are in a good mood and it really gets your endorphins flowing (The Happy Hormone.) Music Therapy can also be utilized as a means to identifying emotions, feelings and being able to process what is going on internally. I recently was honored to be able to sit in on a song writing session with a musical duo. I never knew the process and how much goes into song writing. It is a whole theory, art and a masterful way to get feelings into words, lyrics and melodies. All while trying to create a song that your listeners can connect with. I realized after observing this session that we all need to just write down our thoughts and feelings. There needs to be no rhyme or reason, just writing down fleeting, thoughts and tapping into what is going on with you. I believe this is where the true miracles can happen, self growth and healing.
I encourage you to complete the task above. I also encourage you to look at music and the lyrics in a different way from this point on. When you feel a connection to a song, dig deep, ask yourself why, how it makes you feel and how can the music help you in your life. The honest truth is that struggle is hard and challenging. I want you to consider using Music Therapy as a coping mechanism in your personal toolbox, My friends. Life has it’s challenges but we are all “Gonna Be Alright.”
POSITIVE THOUGHTS CREATE POSITIVE ENERGY
GO OUT AND EXPLORE ALL OF THE WIDE OPEN SPACES IN YOUR WORLD
CIAO,
ILISE
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