Phoenix Song is a project designed by and for Trans and Non-Binary people living in the South West of England. The project, established in late 2019, provides a therapeutic community space to support the exploration of voice as a Trans or Non-Binary person.
The group is supported by three committee members, all from the Trans and Non-Binary community. Activities in the group include a regular choir, an annual music therapy voice work group, song writing and attendance at LGBTQ+ events (including Trans Pride South West).
Founded by Francis Myerscough (they/them), Phoenix Song grew from the desire to build a community based around authentic voice and music, with a focus on the work supporting Trans and Non-Binary people.
“I’d been thinking for some time that I wanted some of my music therapy work to be with other people in the Trans and Non-Binary community but I’d not yet identified how I wanted to do that… or what the music therapy needed to look like in order for it to be a good fit for people.” However, it wasn’t until Trans Pride South West (TPSW) 2019, that the idea really began to take shape.
After a successful pop-up choir at the annual community event, held each November in Bristol, Francis was approached by members of the Trans community who were keen to join an inclusive choir but were wanting to explore their voice more before doing so.
Their ongoing research as a Music Therapist provided further ideas on how to sculpt the emerging project. Francis had read articles around how we respond to voice and was curious about how Trans and Non-Binary voices are received and perceived, both by people in the community and those outside of it: how do we explore authentic voice as Trans people? And what would this look like through the lens of music therapy?
The research, combined with the need made evident at TPSW 2019, catalysed the formation of the project, centering the focus on the exploration of authentic voice in Trans identities. “Voice is so emotionally loaded in our community, which makes it a very rich area to work with in therapy but also an area to take care of too.”
Perceptions of gendered voice don’t always match expectations, and this is a shared experience in the Trans and Non-Binary community. If you sound more femme or more masc, and that doesn’t align with how people perceive your gender, there can be a lot of judgement around that. This can stifle a person’s authentic voice and lead to increased dysphoria.
“The therapeutic approach in Phoenix Song is different to what you’d expect from speech or language therapies. It’s very much a place to explore your voice; sometimes there might be techniques involved to help bring out different aspects of your voice, but the focus isn’t on changing your voice – though this might be an outcome for some people – it’s about stepping away from stereotypes of gendered voice and finding yourself.”
Since 2019, the project has grown slowly and steadily, surviving the rigours of the COVID-19 pandemic, and being awarded funding in 2023 by the National Lottery Community Fund. Trans Pride South West 2023 was a particular highlight for Phoenix Song when the group ran a standalone rehearsal for people at the event; attendees were taught a song in a short session and then performed it together, in harmony. The activity represented a moment of real community solidarity between the choir, and the people who had come to TPSW. “It was lovely to see the arrangement come together.”
Looking to the future, the Phoenix Song project is focused on continuing the choir and exploring new points of focus, whilst maintaining a sustainable and resilient model of development. Driven by coproduction and a focus on meaningful value, the work will continue to be designed by and for people in the Trans and Non-Binary community.
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Phoenix Song Project are running a 10-week therapeutic voicework group on Thursday afternoons from late March 2024.
The group will be facilitated by Francis Myerscough (they/them). Francis is an HCPC-registered Music Therapist.
The group is a space to explore our voices together and work creatively to explore the sounds we make and how that feels for us. It is a dedicated space for trans and non-binary people to explore voice on our own terms.
People have previously described the groups as wholesome, supportive and playful. There will be chances to shape what is explored together, when signing up and throughout the ten weeks.
This group is supported through funding from the National Lottery Community Fund. This means we can offer the group on a pay-as-you-can basis, with nobody turned away for lack of funds. We can also offer travel bursaries if you want to attend but travel costs are a barrier.
Dates: 21/03, 28/03, 04/04, 11/04, 18/04, 25/04, 02/05, 09/05, 23/05, 30/05, and 06/06/2024
Time: 14.30-16.30 (2.30-4.30pm)
Location: Central Bristol
Access: there is level access to the building from the pavement and blue badge parking very nearby. The room we are in is not on the ground floor; there is a lift to all floors and an accessible toilet on all floors.
Sign-up form: https://forms.gle/6mXMdHrrr2NPw8UC6
Questions or more information:
About Francis:
Francis (they/them) qualified and practicing as a Music Therapist since 2018. Their areas of expertise include working with children and young people, and families, and within the Trans and Non-Binary community.
Music has long been a source of comfort and transformation for them and has gone on to inspire their work as a Music Therapist and the Phoenix Song Project. Within their work, their research, focused on coproduction in therapeutic spaces, is driven by championing social justice, inclusion, and diversity in music therapy and in communities. Their clinical practice is driven by the relational element of therapy and having lived experience of how music helped them through their life. This has translated into their career, recognising the need for more body-centred approaches to help people through difficult experiences.