I have dedicated my whole working life to writing songs and singing songs with children about their emotions.

Following the death of my wife in 1997, songwriting became a transformational way for me to process grief and reconnect with my emotions. This experience prompted me to start writing songs for children about how they can express and manage comfortable and uncomfortable emotions in a safe way. Many of these songs, including ‘Build Up’, ‘You are a Star’ and ‘Stronger’ are now at the heart of supporting children’s mental health in thousands of primary schools across the UK.

This is my personal story and a call to adults to use singing and songwriting as resources for emotional wellbeing, in our own lives and with children we care for.

Stephen Fischbacher MBE