Music and Mental Health Archives - Healthy Minds Philly®

Finding Harmony: Leah’s Journey of Self-Care and Community Support in Philadelphia

At 29, Leah, a West Philadelphia native, is navigating the complexities of adulthood while embracing her passion for music and mental health advocacy. Her story is proof of the power of self-care, creativity, and community to fostering well-being and heal from anxiety. Leah's journey with anxiety began early. "I started to experience anxiety at 8," she recalls. What others mistook for butterflies because of a crush with a classmate, Leah experienced as the grip of anxiety. Rapidly, her thoughts about a classmate became concerns about all her social relationships: “How [...]

Janine Monico2026-05-12T12:29:00-04:00May 12th, 2026|Anxiety, Lived Experience, Music and Mental Health, Self-Help|

More good days, together: A mission for May

May is Mental Health Month, and this year’s focus is on helping people have more good days, together. “Good” looks different for everyone. It doesn’t always mean being happy or productive. Sometimes a good day is simply one that feels manageable, calm, or comfortable. Start building more good days, together, with these tips: Define what “good” means to you. Ask yourself, “What does a good day look like for me?” On a low-energy day, "good" might mean staying hydrated, taking five minutes to sit in the sun, or finally [...]

Janine Monico2026-05-13T09:22:33-04:00May 12th, 2026|Anxiety, Awareness, Community, Depression, Mental Health, Music and Mental Health, Self-Help, Stress, Suicide Prevention, Support|

BlazeBorn Band: AMLA Summer Music Graduates Rock and Roll

HealthyMindsPhilly interviewed BlazeBorn‘s band members after they performed at a local event. Elizabeth Melendez (15), Layla Delarosa Adrian (15), Inesanned Santiago (16), Nicolas Castillo (16), Zahir Cordero-Severino (18), Genesis Garcia Vega (15), and Daniela America Soriano Gonzalez (19) met while attending Esperanza’s AMLA Summer Music program. Although they have been playing together for just seven months, the band’s seven members feel “pretty close.” At AMLA program, music is more than just notes and lyrics-it’s a lifeline for young people seeking connection, self-expression, and personal growth. The impact of their songwriting [...]

Janine Monico2025-07-21T09:25:02-04:00July 21st, 2025|Family & Youth, Mental Health, Music and Mental Health, Self-Help|

Tango Into Community

Meredith is a renown tango performer and teacher with deep roots in Philadelphia. Her talent has taken her dancing all over the world, but now she is at home running the Philadelphia Argentinean Tango School in Fishtown. For 26 years, tango has been her anchor, providing a sense of belonging that had long eluded her. "Tango has been the first long-term consistent community that I have been part of," Meredith shares, highlighting the profound effect this dance form has had on her well-being. Her childhood was marked by loss and [...]

Janine Monico2025-07-21T09:26:14-04:00May 13th, 2025|Depression, Lived Experience, Music and Mental Health, Self-Help|