From the moment I began telling my story, their sincerity and compassion allowed me to share without fear or shame. It was so nice to be able to tell an awful story and come out on the other side living a full and beautiful life.

My teaching artist gave me a chance not just to share this moment that has shaped my life, but to examine the visceral specificity of my feelings. As soon as I finished telling the story, I could immediately hear the music in it. Documentary songwriting creates a version of the story that is able to contain all of the beauty it deserves.

Writing a song is therapy—a process to connect with the community. It’s a door, it’s a bridge that we are building between people.

It was so compelling to see how a story without any musical structure was carved and cut into a poem and then shaped into a song. It gave my story a different life.

I love doing this. It’s an amazing way to be with other people. I learn so much by being in the room with anyone who knows more than I do—and everyone knows more about something. There’s always something to learn.

Witnessing the transformation of a personal narrative into a song was deeply moving and inspiring.

The most valuable part of this experience was reminding myself that life is beautiful. And it comes out in the music.

Through this experience, it has become abundantly clear to me how art can indeed make pain more bearable.

Everyone was so interested and interesting. The teaching artists took my rough idea and launched it to the moon. The song is spectacular—my friends are humming the refrain, just as I had hoped!

I was treated with respect and given all their attention. It was beautiful and healing. I learned I’m braver than I think.

My students liked it very much. It was calming and informative. The emotions were really expressed in the song, which told the story in a more connecting way. My students now have a lot more respect for songwriters.

The DocSong process is such a wonderful way to learn and strengthen songwriting. Anyone can benefit from the training because everyone has a unique story to tell, and you are supported entirely along the way. I felt so empowered to dive into my own musical aspirations after the training. Truly a life-changing experience.

Documentary songwriting brought me back to a dark time and helped me to reflect. The most meaningful moment was being honest with myself and allowing myself to share my experience through song.

Seeing my teaching artists working together on this vulnerable tale made me feel connected and valuable.

I really enjoyed the revision process and finding the lyrical nuggets. It reminded me to get back to playing music and how happy it makes me.

The process was so informative. I’m a professional writer but had never written a song before. Deconstructing an experience and then hearing how others saw it at the end was truly eye-opening.

This course is for musicians who want to connect music to people.

My story became more tangible and also more complete. I could move on without forgetting.

It was only after going through the process that I fully realized the benefit to my emotional well-being. After being able to share the experience and make music while expressing my core emotions, I feel emotionally stronger and true to myself.

An intense but rewarding week of thoughtfully designed, responsive instruction led by supportive master teaching artists. Truly an unforgettable week of growth!

I left each session feeling so happy and joyful—lighter than when I started. I think it’s so important for folks to have the space to share their stories, to grapple with their own emotions, and to move forward as better human beings.

Your sense of self blooms and the traumatic event has less power over you because now you own it. The song feels unique to you because you discover your own voice in the process of creating it.

Eye opening, exciting, powerful. The training helped me gain more confidence in myself and what I’m capable of.

Working with this group of talented, sensitive, and insightful people was a privilege. Each member of the team was inspiring and gentle while helping release the words that needed to get out of me.

It reactivated my love for music, frequency, storytelling, and lyrics.

Incredibly inspiring and unexpectedly healing.

Their sincerity and compassion allowed me to share without fear or shame. The song brought another layer of hope and survival to the melody of my life.

We need 10 or 100 teaching artists traveling around inviting others to tell their stories. This would not only have a profound effect on the population in individual terms but also offer the community ways to connect to the commonalities among their stories.

I found myself in the weeks after allowing music to permeate my life in a more natural way—when alone and connecting with others—rather than something I keep relegated to practice, performance, and teaching.

Humbling, challenging, invigorating. It was brilliant to learn such an intimate and impactful way to connect to people through music.

The training reminded me of the power of listening and storytelling in building genuine connections. Taking on the roles of both storyteller and teaching artist fostered empathy and shared vulnerability.

This process gave me the confidence and encouragement I needed to share my story in a beautiful and entirely new way.

My teaching artists were wonderful witnesses, listeners, collaborators and musical guides.

Personalized, hands-on, collaborative learning methods taught by skilled and experienced faculty.

Good stories and songs can be powerful medicine for personal and civic health.

Fascinating, groundbreaking, intense. The facilitators provided such a loving balance of help, support, and encouragement. Their passion for this process and musical talents enriched each day in very meaningful ways.

This process was one of healing—healing through the telling of a story, through bearing witness to that story and giving it shape in the form of song. If every person could be so deeply honored in this way, dreams would start taking shape everywhere.

The training filled my heart. I had been wanting to write songs but struggled with lyrics. The training provided me a clear process to create a song from start to finish.

Stretching, inspiring, unique.

I love an organization that lives what they preach. The Documentary Songwriting team doesn’t just talk the talk, they walk the walk.

DocSong offers an incredibly beautiful and carefully conceived methodology.

I found two humans who didn’t judge and helped me make a beautiful song out of my brain’s jargon. I feel more at peace.

Writing this song was a profoundly enriching journey. It deepened my connection with my brother’s story and inspired a newfound appreciation for life.

It was freeing to tell a sliver of my story. It was empowering to hear that story develop into a song. It has been transformative to walk around with my own words bolstering my resolve as I move forward.

While music has always moved me deeply as a listener, this process helped me see myself as a creator in a way I never had before.

This workshop is very practical. Relationships between people today tend to be more distant. This training teaches how to build trust with others, and using singing as a way to do that is incredibly meaningful.

Eye-opening, reflective, exciting. The training allowed me to reflect on my own musical journey and how I want to support others in theirs. The sharing of songs really helps drive home the message and meaning of documentary songwriting.

I feel like I finally have a voice.

Thank you for your mission of connecting people through music. What a beautiful thing that this world needs more of!

DocSong’s Teaching Artist Training thoroughly prepares you to take flight on your own as a Teaching Artist.

The training helped me remember the power of simply giving space to listen to people.

I have a song! Something valuable and important came out of all that despair, and it is strong and positive. I love it! I hope other people with trauma can have the privilege of spinning it into strength and melody with your gifted writers.

The world is getting better, even if in small ways.

With my teaching artists’ wonderful listening and feedback, I revisited forgotten beliefs and rekindled my creativity.

I was amazed at the depth of connection and camaraderie we experienced every day.

It was cathartic—empowering, joyful, and filled with quiet gratitude.