sounds of self

Sound–Emotion Connection: Understanding how specific music and ambient sounds can trigger memories, regulate mood, and foster mental wellbeing through principles drawn from music therapy.

Personal Sonic Identity: Realising that everyone has a unique auditory “fingerprint”; mapping the sounds that evoke calm or sanctuary helps articulate one’s sense of self.

Narrative Listening: Appreciating that sound can tell a story just as powerfully as visuals, guiding listeners on an internal journey of reflection and peace.

Therapeutic Potential of Creation: Discovering that the act of composing and curating sounds is itself a mindful practice that can reduce anxiety and build emotional resilience.

Field Recording & Sampling: Capturing high‑quality environmental sounds to use as foundational textures in a composition.

Digital Composition & Arrangement: Layering melodies, harmonies, and samples in a DAW (e.g., BandLab) to build an engaging, cohesive track.

Sound Design Techniques: Manipulating timbre, dynamics, and spatial effects to evoke specific atmospheres of calm, connection, or introspection.

Songwriting & Musical Structuring: Crafting motifs, chord progressions, and lyrical or instrumental hooks that reflect a personal narrative arc.

Reflective Documentation: Recording creative decisions and emotional responses throughout the project to demonstrate process and support mentor feedback.

Meg Savage (Music Industry Content Creator & Creative Strategist): Meg turns sound into strategy. As Digital Strategist for EMI North’s Interval Records, she crafts content that propels artists onto playlists and into fan feeds. For over a decade at TICE,she has worked as Senior Creative Strategist and Lead Music Mentor, steering young creatives toward thriving careers across the music and wider creative industries.

Ben Richardson (Music Therapist): Ben is a skilled music therapist based in London who works with children and adolescents with social, emotional and mental‑health (SEMH) needs. In his clinical practice, he focuses on identifying and resolving inefficiencies in logistics and operations to enhance healthcare outcomes for his clients. A firm believer in evidence‑based practice, Ben actively seeks opportunities to incorporate quantitative data analysis to support and refine therapeutic interventions.

Cressida Lindsay (Music Therapist & Singer): Cressida is a Music Therapist, currently lecturing at Guildhall School of Music & Drama.

Steve Cobbett (Psychotherapist & Music Therapist): Steve is a systemic and family psychotherapist who is also qualified as a music therapist and play therapist. Since 2004 he has worked primarily with children and young people with social, emotional and mental health needs and their families in educational settings. He is passionate about ensuring that therapy is accessible to people with regard to aspects of power and difference and has published a number of papers related to this theme.

David De La Haye (Field recordist, ecological sound artist, musician, technician, and PhD researcher at Newcastle University): David’s career centers on multifaceted approaches to listening and sharing sounds. Though his formal training began in jazz, he soon gravitated toward experimental music‑making and the creative possibilities of the recording studio. Years of international touring as a freelance bassist led him through electronica, free improvisation, and folk music. While he continues to perform and work as a sound engineer, his chief passion now lies in underwater recording and in using sonic art to deepen cultural appreciation of aquatic environments.

Dr Jane Nolan  MBE (Newcastle University): Dr Jane Nolan is a Senior Lecturer in Enterprise with the International Centre for Music Studies at Newcastle University.