Registered Charity
WHAT WE ARE ABOUT
-
We’re about enabling people to foster and strengthen their inner resources through song
-
We have deep knowledge of the immense power of song to effect change, and how this power can be unlocked and harnessed by individuals 24/7
-
We recognise the subtle yet powerful relationship between music and health and well-being
-
We facilitate the discovery of the above, regardless of musical expertise or perceived musical or singing capacity
-
We do this through use of what we call the Giving Voice Process (GV), which enables us to ‘unlock the power of song’. Although this process may involve singing, it largely involves an inner experience that is often practised in silence
-
Our approach is holistic, in the fullest sense of the term; it's rooted in love, and in the awareness of human beings’ profound capacity for joy and growth, including through challenging times.
Giving Voice
The Giving Voice Process (GV) is a unique approach to song that was developed by Jill Rakusen when challenged by long-term illness. Basically, she discovered how to ‘unlock the power of song’ despite often being unable to sing at all. And when she was able to sing, she found that her silent discoveries had a huge impact, not only on her daily life, but also on her ability to truly ‘give voice’. Over the years she has shared her approach with many others, and has taught Rachel Healey and Caroline Thorpe to teach it. They, and countless others, in a wide range of situations, have found it beneficial.
Two important aspects of GV are:
-
it’s primarily an internal process, and can be drawn on in daily life
-
once we’ve learnt the basics, no one else is needed – not even a recording – to enable this to happen. This is the case regardless of how 'musical' or 'unmusical' we believe we are.
Unlocking the Power of Song
The GV Process facilitates the capacity to unlock the power of a song, and all our activities (see What we do) sit under the umbrella term Unlocking the Power of Song.
Our Unlocking the Power of Song Blog, and our book (see below), contain numerous examples of what this approach has offered others, and the book reveals how the reader can develop the skill to unlock the power of song for themselves.
UNLOCKING the POWER of SONG:
a COMPANION for CHALLENGING TIMES
by Jill Rakusen
This is our companionable how-to guide to Unlocking the Power of Song. It reveals the Four Key Elements involved, and much else besides. A beautiful treasure-trove, it contains numerous illuminating and inspiring contributions from many who have used this approach when dealing with a wide variety of life-challenges. Designed as a Companion for personal use for years to come, it requires absolutely no musical expertise. It’s a gift for anyone in these uncertain times – whether we sing or not.
This gentle kindly guide is available to purchase directly from us.
-
In addition, our Unlocking the Power of Song Blog is regularly updated to offer inspiration about how GV can be used to unlock the power of song.
-
See also our Unlocking the Power of Song Facebook Group which is available for people to learn through sharing about their ongoing GV experiences.
Participants' Experiences
“A new dimension!” (Therapist)
Numerous participants have shared about the impact of this approach, and much can be found in our book, together with how it can be harnessed in daily life. See also our participants' experiences page.