Music Therapy Playlists: Part One

Music Therapy Playlists: Part One

The Heart’s Way, Imagery and Insights

Music is many things to many people. For some it is just an enjoyable distraction to listen to during the day. For others it is a wonderful hobby, such as learning to play a musical instrument or singing in a choir. Some people make music their life’s work, becoming professional musicians, recording engineers, music producers, and opera singers.

Music can also be a form of healing and help for those who are struggling emotionally, physically, and spiritually. The use of music in this way is known as Music Therapy. A basic definition of Music Therapy from the Cleveland Clinic:

“Music therapy is an evidence-based treatment that helps with a variety of disorders including cardiac conditions, depression, autism, substance abuse and Alzheimer’s disease. It can help with memory, lower blood pressure, improve coping, reduce stress, improve self-esteem and more. You don’t need a background in music to participate.”
Cleveland Clinic

What are Music Therapy Playlists?

One of the most useful Music Therapy interventions that I have utilized during my career are playlists. Music Therapy playlists can serve a variety of functions. The majority of Music Therapy playlists on The Heart’s Way, Imagery and Insights are organized into four basic categories:

Artist Spotlight Music Therapy Playlists – playlists that focus on a particular artist/musician or genre. At times we might feel moved by a certain song or piece of music. This may prompt you to explore this artist or musician’s works, to see if you resonate with them.
Emotional Regulation Music Therapy Playlists – these are playlists that are developed specifically based on your emotional needs and preferences for music. They are meant to regulate your emotions for emotional stability. For example, if you frequently feel anxious, Music Therapy playlists can be curated to help you move from a state of anxiety to a state of calm.
Miscellaneous Music Therapy Playlists – these playlists usually serve to highlight a specific blog post idea or reference.
Themed Music Therapy Playlists – themed playlists can be used in numerous ways, for example:
- To process/explore emotions, i.e., grief
- To accompany an activity, i.e., study, exercise
- To relax
- To improve motivation, i.e., setting goals or decreasing procrastination
- To improve concentration and/or focus
- To enhance creativity
- To improve sleep
- To worship and praise
- To celebrate or commemorate special times or seasons, i.e., Christmas, birthdays

Themed Music Therapy Playlists

Themed Music Therapy Playlists are quite easy to make, once you determine what the goal or purpose is of your playlist. It is helpful if you take the extra bit of time and attention to make sure that you have selected songs or pieces of music that are meaningful to you. It is also important that you put your musical choices in an order that makes sense to you. Themed Music Therapy Playlists can be quite nuanced and, once completed, hold significant meaning to you.

I have a growing library of Music Therapy playlists on The Heart’s Way, Imagery and Insights that I have thoroughly enjoyed curating for my readers (listeners).

On the technical side of things, I develop my playlists on Spotify so that I can share them with you in a legal and ethical manner. Full disclosure, I use a free Spotify account to create and listen to these playlists. In order for you to listen to the Music Therapy playlists on my website in their entirety, you will need to have your own Spotify account (either free or upgraded to a paid plan) and have it OPEN on the device you listen to the playlists on. For example, when I play my Music Therapy playlists through The Heart’s Way, Imagery and Insights website while on my laptop, I just make sure that I am logged into Spotify on my computer. If you don’t have a Spotify account, or if you’re not logged onto your Spotify account, you’ll only be able to preview a bit of each song on the playlists. I encourage you to get and use Spotify to listen to these playlists (they’re actually pretty good, if I can toot my horn a bit)!

Tough Times Music Therapy Playlist

In today’s blog post, I would like to highlight a brand-new Music Therapy themed playlist called Tough Times Music Therapy Playlist (featuring Carrie Newcomer). I thought that, given all of the changes all of us have faced in our world in the last two years, this playlist may be a bit of a touchstone for us. The songs in this playlist evoke some of the emotions that perhaps you have felt during this period of time – and a musical image of the light that we all hope for.

Tough Times Music Therapy Playlist embodies difficult circumstances, uncertainty, loss, grief, anger, and anxiety. But through all this – hope, faith, patience, perseverance, grace, and the promise of peace.

Click here to listen to Tough Times Music Therapy Playlist.

Our Featured Artist: Carrie Newcomer

I first stumbled upon the music of Carrie Newcomer about six years ago (give or take). I was sitting in my car during my lunch break from work, listening to NPR Radio and Carrie Newcomer was being interviewed. I was so soothed by her deep but gentle voice and by her ability to tell stories musically.

Here is a bit of her About information from her website, www.carrienewcomer.com:

“Carrie Newcomer is a songwriter, recording artist, performer and educator. She has been described as a “prairie mystic” by the Boston Globe and one who “asks all the right questions” by Rolling Stone Magazine. Carrie has 19 nationally released albums on Available Light & Concord/Rounder Records including Until Now, The Point of Arrival and The Beautiful Not Yet. Newcomer has released three books of poetry & essays, A Permeable Life: Poems and Essays, The Beautiful Not Yet: Poems and Essays & Lyrics, and Until Now: Poetry by Carrie Newcomer.”

“Carrie is known for her low and resonant voice “…as rich as Godiva Chocolate” according to The Austin Statesman, for her musical depth and the progressive spiritual content of her songs, poetry and workshops, and for her continued work in justice, spiritual and interfaith communities, and health and hunger organizations. She lives in the wooded hills of South-Central Indiana with her husband and two shaggy rescue dogs.”

More About Tough Times Music Therapy Playlist

Just in case you are not able to access Spotify to listen to this playlist, I will include a list of the songs and artists so you can listen to the songs by some other means. I feel so strongly about this playlist, I don’t want anyone to miss out on hearing it! Here’s the list, in 1-10 order:

Sanctuary – by Carrie Newcomer
Somewhere – by Barbra Streisand
He Will See You Through – by Rhiannon Giddens
10,000 Miles – by Mary Chapin Carpenter
You Can Do This Hard Thing – by Carrie Newcomer
Even If – by MercyMe
A Shovel Is a Prayer – by Carrie Newcomer
River of Life – by Mac Powell
I Believe – by Carrie Newcomer
Go in Peace – by Sam Baker

A Backlist of Themed Music Therapy Playlists

And now to round out this post, I’m going to conclude with a list of six backlisted themed Music Therapy Playlists you may enjoy. Click on the highlighted links to listen!