Music for your mind: Relive the CALM Lock-in sessions

From tunes we belt out in the shower, to albums that see us through the difficult stuff – songs bookmark moments in our lives, the good (and the not so good) times. So we spoke to a group of artists to hear their thoughts on what music can do for our minds and looked back at an exclusive set they played for calm back in lockdown.

Music can do a lot for our brains and listening to a song that you enjoy can actually trigger the release of hormones that can pick you up when you’re feeling flat. It’s powerful, personal and can evoke a whole load of feelings when we hear it.

So, it’s no surprise that it played a pretty huge role throughout lockdown. Whether you found yourself drowning out negative news with it, or you tuned into virtual gigs to keep yourself busy, according to a study, over a quarter of people listened to more music over lockdown, with lots of them saying it helped power them through this shitty time.

We caught up with some musicians who performed for the CALM Lock-In Sessions, to get the lowdown on how music and our mental wellbeing work in harmony.

BINA.

Alternative RnB artist, BINA. describes sharing her music as part of her “healing process”, weaving her feelings into her lyrics in the hope that people will feel less alone. Music can be a mirror for things we’re going through, connecting us and validating how we feel, something BINA. taps into with her songs, offering a safe space and sense of community to listeners:

“I think music can reassure us that we’re not alone because conversations can be shared over common ground. Hearing your deepest emotions articulated by an artist can help people feel comfortable discussing them and music can put into words or sounds a feeling we may have had a hard time expressing.

“I hope that my music creates a soundscape to reflect on difficult feelings. People can attach these audio bookmarks to whatever chapter of life they’re in. Nobody’s alone in their experiences as long as there’s music.”

Miller Blue

An eclectic fusion of genres, Miller Blue defines his music as electronic soul. He shows vulnerability in his refreshingly honest lyrics, passionate about shining a light on how difficult it can be to talk about our mental wellbeing. Throughout lockdown, he turned his diary entries into songs, acknowledging the inevitable ups and downs of life.

Miller sees music as a place where we can experience stuff without explanation. A slice of emotional escapism we can all enjoy at times:

“If artists are able to express vulnerability through their music, it’s more likely the listener will feel comfortable doing the same, or at least feel a little more understood. Social media has created a skewed golden lens of everyone’s lives, but the reality is that everyone has problems.

“Thought often goes out the window when listening to music. Instead of trying to explain what we’re feeling, we just feel it. I write the music for myself initially, but the idea that it might help someone I’ve never met is magical”

Iyamah

Born in the creative city of Brighton to biracial parents, “Rootsy Soul” artist Iyamah struggled with her identity growing up, but music has always offered her a safe space and an outlet for these feelings. She’s passionate about connecting people through her songs, using her platform to support people who feel similar:

“Music helps us to recognise and understand how we feel. Certain chords and different keys bring out different feelings within each of us which is so powerful. It also has the ability to do that to millions of people at the same time, bringing unity and a sense of community.

“Personally, I feel like it’s much easier to say how you’re feeling with a song, than it is in passing conversation. I think the best artists are reflective of current times and put into words what we’re all experiencing.”

Music’s a great way to get people talking about mental wellbeing, but it can also help us look after our heads, giving us space to process tricky emotions and connecting us to a wider community. You can read more about what ambassadors like Arlo Parks, Idles and Glass Animals have to say on music and mental health here.

Or if you need support, check out CALM Guides, where you can find lots of advice on stuff you might be going through.

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