It’s easy to view the arts as a luxury rather than a fundamental necessity of life. It’s undeniable that food, water, and shelter are necessary for basic survival.
But if you want to get a sense of how deeply art is embedded in the human experience, just watch and listen to a baby, yet to utter their first word, self-soothing by singing in a rhythm, melody, and language all their own. Consider how many times you’ve dealt with your own happiness, anger, or sadness by listening to – or singing – a particular song. Music is a universal language we all use in different ways to cope with a world we can’t always control.
Virtually all the kids we work with have suffered unresolved trauma that they are struggling to deal with. Many of them have been removed from harmful situations into residential placements, where they can be protected from harm. But think about it – once you’re fed, clothed, and safe, what do you have to live for? When your mind is no longer racing with thoughts of basic survival, what keeps you going? What makes you want to get up every day and do it all again?
That’s where we come in. Lost Voices doesn’t just entertain, or provide a diversion. We help young people express and find meaning in their stories, then we help them share those stories in song. We help young people who have lived in a world of fight or flight create a new world where they can slow down, feel, and heal. We help them find hope, joy, and relief.
What sets the Lost Voices experience apart from many other types of expressive intervention is that we blend musical and verbal storytelling together into a single intense, goal-oriented experience. We know that music is the universal language. We know that music helps create new pathways in the brain that can help combat the effects of trauma. Most of all, we know that music inspires purpose and joy. And when the music forms a framework for exploring deeply personal truths, you have healing magic.
We may not feed bellies, but we feed spirits. And in a world that can be all together cruel at times, we know that this work is vital.
