Music & Mental Health
Music and mental health can go hand in hand. Music connects us to others and can help us better connect with ourselves.
This is why it's so fitting that Hope for the Day got its start by doing outreach at local concerts. At small Chicago venues, we started the conversation about mental health so that people would know they weren’t alone.
We’ve grown quite a bit since those fateful days in 2011. By the end of this summer we’ll have attended some of the biggest music festivals in the world including Lollapalooza in Chicago and Summerfest in Milwaukee.
If there’s one thing that hasn’t changed over the years, it’s music’s ability to bring us together.
When you’re at a concert to see your favorite artist, it can feel almost effortless to start a conversation with the person next to you. Whether you’re with your friends or attending solo, everyone in that room has something in common — they all chose to be there that night to experience live music.
Odds are, many of the other people in that room love that artist just about as much as you do.
The person next to you could become your best friend or you might never see them again, but either way, you were both a part of the other’s life for that time.
In this way, music connects us.
Music is filled to the brim with emotion, giving us an outlet to express our own feelings. We scream-sing along to songs in the car to let out the frustrations after a long day of work. We walk to the beat of a fast-paced track to get us to class on time. We wallow in the sad songs when we need to let the tears out.
We might not know what to say to each other in times of crisis, but the right chords can cut through the silence and say what words can’t.
Music gives us something to hold onto. On the worst nights, your favorite song will be there for you. The rest of the world may be asleep, but that guitar riff and those meaningful lyrics are there to bring the comfort you may need.
Music brings us hope.
This summer, if you see Hope for the Day at a music festival, come say hi. We'd love to hear about the music that gives you hope.