Reclaiming Rhythm: Music Therapy and Ancestral Healing for People of Color
Music has always been more than sound — it’s medicine. For generations, people of color have used rhythm, song, and movement to express emotion, connect with spirit, and sustain hope through both joy and struggle. From African drumming and spirituals to gospel, jazz, and hip-hop, our music has carried stories of survival, resistance, and renewal.
In my work as a therapist, I often invite clients to reconnect with these healing roots. Music therapy — and even informal, intentional use of music — can help us regulate emotions, access buried memories, and create space for rest and release.
The Power of Music in Emotional Healing
When we listen to or create music, our bodies respond — heart rate shifts, breathing deepens, and the nervous system begins to find balance. For people who experience chronic stress, racial trauma, or anxiety, sound can be a grounding force.
Here are a few ways to use music as part of your healing:
Create a grounding playlist — songs that help you feel steady and safe when emotions rise.
Use drumming or humming to regulate your breath and reconnect to your body.
Listen intentionally — focus on the lyrics, rhythms, or instruments that evoke peace or reflection.
Journal after listening — note what emotions surface, what memories arise, and how your body feels.
Reconnecting with Ancestral Healing Practices
Long before Western psychology named “self-care,” our ancestors practiced collective healing — through storytelling, song, dance, and ritual. Returning to these practices can be profoundly affirming for people of color who have felt disconnected from heritage or pressured to heal in ways that ignore culture and spirituality.
Consider exploring:
Spiritual songs or chants from your lineage or community.
Movement and dance as forms of release and reclamation.
Nature-based rituals — such as grounding with the earth, using water for cleansing, or lighting candles in remembrance.
Communal listening — gathering with others to share songs and the stories they hold.
These acts remind us that healing is not always linear, and it’s not always solitary. It’s rhythmic, ancestral, and deeply human.
Tools for Integrating Music and Cultural Healing
Spotify or YouTube playlists curated for reflection, empowerment, and restoration.
Sound baths and guided meditations incorporating ancestral instruments.
Voice journaling — record your feelings or affirmations and listen back with compassion.
Community circles or group drumming that reconnect body and spirit.
Final Reflection
Our ancestors knew that music could hold what words cannot. Reconnecting with these traditions allows us to attend to our pain and our power — to heal not just individually, but collectively. Whether through a quiet hum or a powerful rhythm, each note brings us closer to wholeness.
Written by Nedra Cannon, LCSW Cannon Wellness Collective, PLLC Culturally rooted care for healing, connection, and liberation.