Composed by Humans | Music for Psychedelic Therapy (1)
Introduction to the series "Composing Music for Psychedelic Therapy".
Please note:
Part of a series: This article is part of a series of essays, where for the first time I’ll be sharing details around the creative processes and theoretical foundations developed at Wavepaths around music composition for psychedelic therapy.
Music for/as psychedelic therapy: To enhance readability in these articles, I’ll primarily use phrases like “music for psychedelic therapy”, “music for therapy”, “therapeutic music”, or “music for/as psychedelic therapy”. Unless otherwise specified, these terms can be understood interchangeably. Broadly, they refer to our wider work composing music for varied therapeutic settings, encompassing not only psychedelic therapy but also methods such as breathwork, body work, experiential psychotherapies, and more.
Introduction to the Series
This series marks the first time I’ll be pulling back the curtain to share the intricacies of our music-making process with you and the various ideas that form its foundational building blocks.
To start with, a common misconception is that our music is AI-generated. While our adaptive music platform has surely changed the way music is created and experienced, every note you hear in our product is crafted by skilled human composers.
Since 2019, we’ve collaborated with over 30 diverse and talented musicians, each bringing their unique touch to our platform. Their musical contributions are informed by guidelines, research findings and theoretical frameworks, but what might set our music apart is our composition process.
My hope with this series is not only to inspire readers with the creative processes that we have developed, but for this to also stimulate conversation around some of the key challenges the field is facing. While musical choices have so far faced less scrutiny than for example decisions about what makes a qualified therapist, that are important parallels I will introduce and explore.
As you’ll discover, our composition approach is rooted not only in science, but in a recognition that there is a unique and distinct authority for the creative urge of artists. In addition to these essays, you can follow Wavepaths on Instagram, LinkedIn and X for weekly Artist Spotlights to celebrate the incredible musicians who bring our music to life.