“My Voice Music’s process works because we focus on writing great songs, learning music through hands-on experience, and recording and performing, rather than “healing” explicitly. We believe the artistic process, in and of itself, is healing. It fosters, reflection, goal setting, hope, critical thinking, community engagement, and more. For youth who have been in therapy and treatment for a long time, simply having something “normal” like music to focus can be a major release.”
My Voice Music partners with youth service groups such as residential treatment centers, alternative schools and other youth engagement groups. We bring all the instruments, recording equipment, and instruction needed to run songwriting and music programs that help over 700 youth facing crisis to cope, to heal, and to thrive each year; enhancing the ability of youth organizations to serve the youth they work with more deeply.
HOW IT WORKS
My Voice Music staff and volunteers travel to organizations serving youth, and provide all the instruments and instruction needed in order to run experiential music groups. Drum circles and sing-along groups foster community and celebrate the intrinsic therapeutic aspects of music. More intensive rock band and hip hop camps teach youth to work together as they learn to play an instrument, write their own song, record it and perform it. We offer programs for just about any situation.
Email info@myvoicemusic.org for more information.
OUR PROCESS
Music has, for millennia, been used by humans to cope and to heal and to celebrate. It has been used to facilitate ceremony, and bring people together. In today’s world, music has also become integrated into our popular culture. For youth experiencing crisis music can be a particularly effective tool in treatment, building coping skills developing pro-social tools. Songwriting and guided music groups help youth to share their voice, and to be heard. Music inspires hope, and fosters new ambitions. It creates a safe place to be calm, funny, excited, or sad. For countless youth (and all people for that matter), music is a refuge from the storm, it is a companion through all of life’s ups and downs.
SATELLITE PARTNERS & Programs, past and present
Albertina Kerr
Provides mental health treatment including crisis psychiatric care and specialized residential services for youth.
Circle of Friends
A Sisters, Oregon nonprofit that connects young people with trained volunteer mentors and enrichment activities to build resilience, belonging, and positive relationships.
Counterpoint
A Morrison Child & Family Services program providing specialized treatment, education, counseling, and foster home support for youth with sexual behavior problems, helping them build skills and safely return to their communities.
Donald E. Long Juvenile Detention Center
A Multnomah County facility that provides secure custody and educational services for young people involved in the juvenile justice system, helping students continue learning while awaiting court hearings or other legal proceedings.
Dougy Center
Provides free peer grief support for children, teens, young adults, and families before and after a death, offering a welcoming place to share experiences and connect with others.
Friends of the Children
Pairs children facing significant barriers with paid professional mentors who provide consistent support from early childhood through high school, helping them build skills, relationships, and opportunities.
Friends of Noise
Supports young musicians and aspiring music professionals through all-ages concerts, workshops, mentorship, and hands-on experience in live sound and event production, with particular attention to BIPOC and LGBTQ+ youth.
Harmony Recovery Academy
A tuition-free public recovery high school that combines academics with recovery support for students affected by substance use disorders, providing a safe and supportive path toward graduation.
MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility
An Oregon Youth Authority facility in Woodburn that provides education, treatment, healthcare, and skill-building opportunities for young people in custody.
Morrison Child & Family Services
Provides trauma-informed mental and behavioral health services for children and families, including counseling, psychiatric care, parent support, and specialized treatment programs.
Mt. Scott Learning Center / Mt Scott High School
An accredited nonprofit high school that offers an alternative path to graduation for students who benefit from a smaller, nontraditional learning environment, in partnership with Portland Public Schools.
Nexus Family Healing
Provides intensive residential mental health treatment for youth. Its Oregon programs offer individualized, trauma-informed care, education, and therapeutic support, including services for youth involved in the justice system.
NW Kidney Kids Camp
Offers camp experiences for children living with kidney disease and their families, creating opportunities for recreation, peer connection, and support from others who understand their experiences.
Open Meadow / Open School
An educational nonprofit that supports young people underserved by traditional schools through individualized education, mentoring, and academic and social-emotional support. Formerly Open Meadow, the organization is now called Open School.
p:ear
Supports young people experiencing homelessness through mentoring, education, art, recreation, and job training, while providing a welcoming community and resources to meet basic needs.
PDX Pop Now!
A volunteer-run nonprofit that celebrates Portland’s music community through free, all-ages performances, local music compilations, and outreach that connects artists and audiences.
Pickathon
A music and arts festival at Pendarvis Farm near Portland that brings together diverse performers, immersive art, and family-friendly experiences in an outdoor setting.
SAGE
A Morrison Child & Family Services residential program that provides long-term, trauma-informed treatment and stabilization for young people who have survived sex trafficking.
SMYRC
The Sexual & Gender Minority Youth Resource Center, a program of New Avenues for Youth, provides LGBTQIA2S+ young people with an affirming community, counseling, activities, and basic resources.
SUN Schools - Latino Network at Kellogg Middle School
Schools Uniting Neighborhoods connects schools with community partners to provide enrichment activities and coordinated support for students and families, helping children succeed in school and beyond.
Trillium Family Services
Provides mental and behavioral health care for children and families, including residential treatment, day programs, and community services that support healing, skill development, and family stability.
Youth Villages
Provides mental and behavioral health support for children, young adults, and families. Its Oregon services focus on community and in-home treatment, family stability, and helping young people transition from state care into adulthood.
“Music is a way of expressing myself, whether it’s playing it or listening to it. No matter what happens in life, a song that I love isn’t going to change or leave. It’s something that is constant. And I need that in my constantly inconstant life. ”