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Music runs a close second to food and water in some people's minds. Music impacts more on our lives nowadays than it did at any time during history. It is pretty much impossible to escape the diversity of all the different styles of music available to us from breathtaking jazz to classical, rock to dance, hip-hop to world and many, many more. We are an ocean of textures, sounds, dynamics and beats. The audio stimulation, reassurance and feeling that I am not alone has helped me through many difficult times, especially when I was bipolar and the psychosis came over me.
Not only do I listen to music, I write and perform my own. I find it therapeutic not only for myself but hopefully for others. My band Bad Alice's music is all about mental illness and social issues that affect young people. I love punk, grunge, rock, blues and acoustics. I am open to all forms of music for its
helpful and psychologically soothing effects. The reason I learned to play music was to help with my mental illness. The guitar became my friend.
I bought an extraordinarily cheap guitar from a friend. I found, to my huge relief and delight, that if I spent time teaching myself to play, the "bad thoughts" and looming depression would leave. I needed no encouragement to practice! When I was admitted to hospital they let me take my guitar with me and my music therapy became a huge part of my road to recovery.
I find the idea of using the medium to raise awareness about mental illness and social issues both stimulating and exciting. And hopefully people will like the songs as well. The songs that I write are reflective. They give a general insight into my my feelings, experiences and thoughts. I hope that the listeners will find them both thought-provoking and interesting to listen to. Keep your fingers crossed! Please log on to Bad Alice at www.badalicemusic.com to hear some songs, download and find out more. Happy listening!