Hello,
I'm Holly Shirra.
I help people give a voice to what is deep inside them, through music. I offer personalised, transformative sound healing journeys, and creative music lessons where I teach people to improvise and create their own music from scratch - no musical experience needed.
You might not call yourself 'musical'. That's perfectly fine.
If you love music, or you've ever felt the urge to make something, play something, or simply express something that you haven't found words for yet, you're exactly the kind of person I love to work with.
There are two ways to work with me. Sound journeys are guided meditations where I sing live and use reiki, and each one is made especially for you. Creative music lessons are where you learn to improvise and write your own music. My sound journeys take you on a deep, inner journey, allowing you to come to new discoveries about your internal world, and my creative music lessons give you the chance to express yourself outwardly in a way that is authentically you. Together, they work perfectly, but each one works just as well on its own.
What happens in a sound journey
Once we've booked a date, I set the intention to tune into you and what you need most from the session. I often see landscapes, objects, colours and sometimes even people, and I hear specific music in my head. I use all of this to choose the music and write the words for your session.
On the day, we meet on Zoom and have a chat first. If it feels right, you can tell me what's been going on for you and what you'd like from the session, but there's no pressure to do this.
Then I guide you into a state of relaxation as I drop into a deep stillness and state of flow. I verbally guide you into an imagined place and begin to sing in between the pauses. I don't sing in any particular language; I prefer to leave you in a state of curiosity and openness. The singing is really my way of responding intuitively to you as the journey unfolds.
Afterwards, we have a little time to sit and talk about what arose for you, or to stay in silence. People often have insights and feelings that continue to unfold for them long after the journey has finished, so I'd suggest journalling, or finding your own way to digest the experience.
If you've never managed to "empty your mind"
For many people, meditation might mean sitting still whilst attempting not to think. Easier said than done, right? In fact, there are lots of different ways to meditate that go beyond common mindfulness practices!
My journeys use meditation in a dynamic, imaginative way. Instead of asking your mind to go quiet, I give it something specific to follow, such as a feeling in the body, a colour, a state of mind or a memory. I then weave in themes such as self-compassion, forgiveness, self-discovery, using vivid imagery or a gentle, story-like thread. People often find they become completely absorbed in the meditation, and some have powerful emotional releases, or dream-like experiences that carry on unfolding long after the session is over.
Along the way, the journey brings you out of your head and into your body, and your own imagination starts to show you things about yourself that can be hard to reach by thinking alone.
The Joy of Improvisation
Most of us were taught music as something with strict rules: we practised scales or learnt pieces note for note. Improvising turns that on its head. There's no score to follow and nothing to get wrong, so you're free to play whatever you hear and feel in the moment.
In my lessons, I take on people of all levels of experience, including complete beginners. First, we work together to find out the styles of music that most move, excite and inspire you. Then, I give you teaching resources tailored to what music you like, and we play improvised duets together, so that step by step you can craft your own style of improvising in a way that is fun, collaborative and flexible.
For a lot of people, the lessons end up being about much more than the music learnt. It can be quite healing if you were told as a child that you weren't musical, or if you've never tried to create something freely because you were afraid of what you might hear. Once the pressure to get it right has eased, people tend to relax, and something rather lovely starts to blossom.
Over time, improvising gives you a real sense of freedom, expression and confidence, and you can walk away having learnt a skill for life - never having to rely on a piece of sheet music again!
It might be for you if...
- you love music, but have somehow convinced yourself you're not musical enough
- you can play a little, but feel tied to the sheet music and would love more freedom
- you feel things deeply, and would love a creative way to express them
- you'd like a creative practice that's just for you, with no performance at the end of it
Ways to work with me
Hello!
My name's Holly. I'm a musician, music-therapy-trained teacher and sound healer.
I have a Master's in Music Therapy and I'm a Level II Reiki practitioner. I've sung casually all my life, played the piano since I was six and meditated since I was fifteen. Now my work involves blending music and meditation to help people feel more connected, expressive and creatively confident.
What I love most is creating a space where people can feel completely at ease, with permission to be just as they are and discover their own unique voice, with all its quirks and imperfections.
More about me →Try a sound journey at home
If you'd like to try one before booking, I share free sound journeys on YouTube. Find some quiet time for yourself and see where the journey takes you today.
Watch on YouTube →.jpg)
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