Singer-songwriter Kelsey Miles rarely listens to music — not even while driving her car. “I have so much music in my head,” the award-winning artist explains. Miles’ soulful vocals are reminiscent of Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Bonnie Raitt, and Alicia Keys, while her powerful lyrics recall Carol King, Sheryl Crow, and Stevie Nicks.
The past year has seen many changes in Miles’s life. A long-time fan favorite in Wisconsin, where she lived for many years, Miles moved to Kansas City in August 2023.
“My cat Roadie and I had traveled through Kansas City several times before and enjoyed the blues jams here,” Miles remembers. “There’s a lot of soul in this city, and I wanted to expand my harmonica playing.”
Shortly after her move, she launched her latest project, a full-length album entitled “I Am” (https://kelseymiles.com/music) that offers far more than just music.
Songwriting as a pathway to healing
Miles has long turned to songwriting as a pathway to healing. “Music and lyrics help me uncover my authentic self,” she explains. Toward that end, “I Am” offers 11 heartfelt tracks rooted in her life’s experiences, such as escaping an abusive relationship.
Miles provides inspiration for others to heal as well. “On February 22, 2022, I had this impulse to make major healthy changes in my life,” she remembers. “I invited others to join me, and we started doing some healthy practices together. I literally just posted on my social media, ‘Hey, who wants to do healthy daily things for the next 100 days?’ I didn’t give anyone any context or specifics! To my surprise, several people commented on the post, so I shared some daily practices I was going to do and invited them to do them with me! While I was doing this, I was also working on my album. At the time, I didn’t know it was going to be called ‘I Am.’”
In August 2023, she moved to Kansas City, started a new position as a chemistry professor at Avila University, and released the album “I Am.” A month later, the man she was in a long-distance relationship with died by suicide. She credits the “I Am” lyrical journey with helping her keep going. “This album helped me do the self-discovery that got me through the chaos,” she says. “I am still healing from this loss, but this journey expanded my capacity to live fully through the grief.”
The importance of this journey for herself personally as well as the success of her initial support group inspired her to start building community in a more formal way and incorporate her new music.
Building a community for healing
On January 6th, 2024, Miles launched the first official “I Am” 100-day lyrical journey, which consists not only of her new album but also a guided journal and access to a weekly video call dedicated to healing. “I welcome everyone, introduce the specific theme we are working on, and take everyone through a short meditation,” she explains. “After that, I play the song that goes along with the theme.”
“I Am” has 11 songs, each presenting different lessons about healing. “I’ve put together a guided journal with prompts that help you dive into the core topics of each song,” Miles explains. “For example, Chapter 3 is based on Track 3 of my album, ‘Fool,’ a soul song about feeling like a fool. That song’s lyrics include many elements of judgment, so the journal prompts in that chapter help you explore your inner critic and how you judge yourself or others.
“What’s truly remarkable is that this order of meditation followed by listening to the song followed by journaling about the topic provides access to difficult emotions in a safe place,” she says. “The short meditations I created help to center your energy, while the song helps you focus your energy on the topic of interest. Finally, journaling allows you to uncover things about the topic that need some attention.”
After listening to the song during the video calls and writing in their journals, participants also get the opportunity to share their insights with each other. “I found out first-hand how conducive the group setting has been for people walking through the journey,” Miles says. “I’ve seen so many lightbulbs go off for people when they realize that someone else understands what they are feeling. To see the members in the group make that connection is beautiful.”
Music that can change your life
“Through my travels, I’ve discovered that we all have so much in common,” Miles says. “Although our stories are different, we go through a lot of core challenges as humans. My stories are unique to me, yet our journeys are all marked with similar discoveries.”
By spearheading the “I Am” community, Miles has created a safe space that allows people to gain insight about their experiences and heal. “Often, we don’t think about these topics unless triggered,” she explains. “When we are in a heightened emotional state, though, it is difficult to heal. The ‘I Am’ journey allows you to explore difficult topics through music, guiding you toward creating the foundation you want in life. The music takes listeners on a transformative journey of self-discovery.”
By writing beautiful original songs and helping people come together, Miles not only heals her own wounds but also shines a light for others to follow.
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