As a songwriter, one has the privilege of a platform to shine light on the dark side of our society; what may trouble us socially and emotionally as a whole. Coming from a music therapy background, Kyshona abandons the idea of writing to a "hook" and leans into her therapeutic training to write to a mantra.

Kyshona Armstrong, a music therapist gone rogue, has a natural gift for using music to tap into emotion. Audiences will often find a common thread of overcoming, hope, and empowerment in her songwriting and storytelling. She uses her emotional intelligence to create her unique bluesy and soulful style of music. Her latest album, "The Ride", shows off vocal stylings that are reminiscent of Aretha Franklin, Etta James and Al Green. As she has traveled across the country the last 7 years, Kyshona has had the privilege of sharing the stage with Wynonna Judd, Lake Street Dive, Meiko, Margo Price, Lera Lynn, Hope For A Golden Summer, Angel Snow, Randall Bramblett, Dwayne Shivers, Anthony David, Cracker, and many more. She currently resides in Nashville, TN where she is writing, performing and donating her time to youth empowerment programs in her community and performing for the incarcerated.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx