FOLK CHORAL SINGING THERAPY: uniting the country through song
Yaroslav Pavlenko and Olha Ivanova / Photo from personal archive
SHORT PROFILE
Name: Yaroslav Pavlenko
Date of Birth: September 10, 1996
Place of Birth: Dnipro, Ukraine
Profession: musician, project manager in the field of psychosocial support
Name: Olha Ivanova
Date of Birth: October 30, 1993
Place of Birth: Khmilnyk, Ukraine
Profession: psychotherapist
At a time when the world is filled with noise but lacks true sound, Ukrainians are reclaiming their voice. A voice that carries memory, pain, love, and unity. A voice that heals. The project People’s Choral Singing Therapy was born in Kyiv out of a desire to unite people through collective singing — just as our great-grandmothers and great-grandfathers once did. This is more than music — it is the breath of the nation, a way to feel alive and heard. When hundreds of voices merge into one, something is born that we all so deeply miss today — a sense of togetherness, warmth, and faith that we are in this together. The project’s authors, Yaroslav Pavlenko and Olha Ivanova, in a special interview for Huxley, speak about song not merely as art, but as a living practice of presence — a way to breathe, to be, to feel.
CONVERSATION
Svitlana Pavlyanchyna: Yaroslav, the moment you first heard music within yourself — was it a choice or a coincidence?
Yaroslav Pavlenko: Now I understand that it was a conscious choice. I was thirteen when I asked my parents for a guitar. They didn’t object: «You want a guitar? Fine, we’ll buy one». No doubts, no «that’s not serious». And that was probably the best thing they could have done at the time. Then came lessons with a teacher, a band in Dnipro, festivals, rock music. Later, the band broke up, and I was left with my guitar — but without a stage. And I realized that the sound itself was enough for me. Since then, I’ve been writing original acoustic songs — simply from the heart.
By profession, I’m a lawyer. I graduated from the University of Customs and Finance in Dnipro and even worked in my field for seven years. When I moved to Kyiv in 2023, everything began to change. I developed another direction — psychology. I studied, got interested, and began working in the humanitarian field, in psychosocial support. And in parallel, music started to unfold — as if the move gave me an inner impulse. In Kyiv, I began performing more — in clubs, with my own songs.
Svitlana: And where did the word «spivoterapiya» come from? It sounds simple, yet profound: «spiv» plus «therapy». What’s the story behind this concept?
Yaroslav: The idea itself is simple: singing as a form of therapy. We play, and people sing together following the lyrics on the screen — a kind of group karaoke. When a person sings, they don’t just reproduce a melody — they release themselves. At our events, people cry, laugh, breathe deeper; emotions come out — and it becomes easier. Singing lifts emotions like a volcano and, at the same time, soothes. That’s why «spivoterapiya» is not an invented word but a natural one. I believe it’s impossible to separate its components — it’s an inseparable symbiosis. One cannot exist without the other. Moreover, we all need support, a sense of community, of unity — it’s important to be together with others.
Olha joins us — a psychotherapist who understands what happens inside a person when they sing.
Olha Ivanova: Yaroslav and I love gathering with friends at home. We did so on December 6 (St. Nicholas Day and the Day of the Armed Forces of Ukraine) and on the anniversary of the full-scale invasion, February 24 — we sang to support ourselves and each other that day. We sang all kinds of songs, even «Yalta» by Strykalо. For me, it was a way to process loss in a healthy, ecological way — through music, in a warm and supportive circle. Songs with heavy words or those dedicated to something connected with pain help to live through emotions within the boundaries of the song.
The fact that this space is limited in time also adds a sense of safety to the process. It felt very cozy. And at some point, we decided to meet on the anniversary of the invasion, not at home, but to expand the circle — so that more people could share the feeling of support and unity. For us, this project became an opportunity, on the one hand, to support each other, and on the other, a large number of both familiar and unfamiliar people. Social support is an important component of psychological resilience.
Yaroslav: Olha was so inspired that she immediately found a venue — and on February 20, 2025, on the eve of the anniversary of the full-scale invasion, our shared story was born: the project People’s Choral Singing Therapy in an expanded format, where we combine two elements — music and psychotherapy. It wasn’t planned, but perhaps that’s exactly how real things happen — not according to plan, but according to an inner rhythm.
Svitlana: We live in the era of headphones, when everyone is inside their own playlist, their own micro-world of sounds and meanings. But your project is about collective sound, about «together».
Olha: You know how they say: one happiness is to be with you, the other happiness is to be without you (laughs). Ukraine ranks among the first countries in the world by the number of folk songs — and that’s no coincidence. Song is a psychotherapeutic tool of self-help. If our people have so many songs, it means there were many reasons for them. I come from Podillia. In my family, it was a tradition to sing folk songs at the table. That gave a lot of strength. So we, too, turned to collective singing — essentially, to the tradition of our ancestors. In songs, on the one hand, painful themes arise — about war, about the Cossacks; and on the other hand, our people have a wonderful mechanism for overcoming stress: humor. There’s a lot of it in folk songs. So we rely on the wisdom of psychotherapeutic tools that our people have already developed.
EVENT FORMAT
Svitlana: Tell us about the event itself — how is it structured? It’s an interactive gathering where music is played, the lyrics appear on a big screen, and people can sing along?
Yaroslav: The main and only singers at our event are the participants themselves. In other words, the entire hall becomes the stage. People sing, and we play live. Between the songs, Olha, as the host, creates kind of «bridges» — connecting contexts, adding therapeutic meanings, telling stories that help people experience the music and singing more deeply. There are also interactive elements: one of the practices is called «three questions», when people turn to those sitting behind them and have three minutes to ask each other a few questions about what helps them cope with stress right now. This always creates a warm, lively atmosphere — people open up, and a shared energy emerges.
From a musical perspective, the project is also evolving. If the first event had a more intimate musical setup — just guitar and piano — the lineup has now expanded to include flute and cello. And at the upcoming event, a full quartet will perform. At first, we were supported by friends who simply believed in the idea. For example, I played guitar, and Aliona Chorna — Olha’s childhood friend, a professional pianist — played piano. Now we have a formed team of professional musicians — people with whom we plan to create a permanent ensemble. It’s now a creative team we want to grow with.
REPERTOIRE AND ROYALTIES
Yaroslav: We work with a very wide range of Ukrainian folk songs by theme. We decided to cover this palette as fully as possible: we included songs from the Cossack and insurgent eras — about inner spirit and struggle that continues to this day. Then come lighter stories — about humor, love, lyrics that play with folk traditions and flirtation. For example, the song «A miy mylyy varenychkiv khoche» («My dear wants some dumplings»), where a woman and a man engage in a dialogue filled with erotic metaphors. There are also spiritual works — for instance, the spiritual anthem of Ukraine «Bozhe velykyy, yedynyy» («O Great and Only God»). Some songs are well known to people, others are not, but collective singing creates a special energy: even those who don’t know the lyrics quickly pick them up — and that brings joy; the group’s energy is what matters.
One of our goals is education. That’s why we always include songs in the program that we ourselves didn’t know before — and learn them together. For example, last time we performed a duma (a traditional epic song) attributed to Ivan Mazepa. People didn’t know it, but once we showed the melody, we were able to sing it together. It’s also important for us to acquaint people with historical ideas and cultural context — to bring them into the present through music.
Svitlana: Ukrainian song shapes and deepens identity. It’s a vast layer of our culture through which we discover and understand our roots. Spreading Ukrainian culture today is a special need of the time. We feel our mission in this as well. Is it true that you even pay royalties for the copyrighted songs? Is that a necessary condition for performance?
Yaroslav: Our program includes not only folk songs but also copyrighted ones, so we do pay royalties for some of them. It’s necessary to have the right to perform them — even if we interpret them in our own way or add elements of collective singing. The melody remains the author’s, and we treat that responsibly. For now, the project is self-funded. Part of the expenses is covered through ticket sales, but overall — it’s driven by the team’s enthusiasm. So, People’s Choral Singing Therapy is not just an initiative of «getting together to sing», but a serious cultural process (laughs).
EMOTIONAL SAFETY OF COLLECTIVE SINGING
Svitlana: Do you have any rules that you discuss with participants before the event to make group singing emotionally safe for everyone?
Olha: Of course. For example: I have the right to feel my emotions and feelings — they are normal, natural, and safe — and I have the right to express them. We also talk about the fact that everyone can make mistakes, move at their own pace, sing imperfectly but sincerely, as they feel. As if they were doing it alone, in the shower, or while driving. People come from all backgrounds: some have no singing experience at all, others have formal musical education. I deeply understand how important it is to allow yourself to sound.
When I was a child, during a choir lesson, the teacher once asked me not to sing but only to open my mouth to the music. That experience stayed with me — and perhaps that’s why I feel such a strong need to create safe spaces where everyone can truly find their voice.
Another example: I have the right to be accepted as I am. I have the right to be myself — in an environment free from judgment, criticism, prejudice, or evaluation. It’s important for us that people feel safe at our events — first and foremost, emotionally. And so that no one strains their voice, we invite a vocal teacher who gives a short workshop at the beginning, helping everyone tune in — and ensuring everything goes well. We also take care that no one’s throat gets dry during singing — everyone receives a bottle of water upon entering the hall.
Svitlana: Can the voice be a form of meditation?
Olha: Absolutely. There are scientific studies showing that singing can reduce stress levels and help focus on the present moment — the here and now. Voice has long been a tool for stabilizing one’s state. So the very act of singing itself is beneficial.
Svitlana: Who comes to your events?
Yaroslav: We were pleasantly surprised — people of completely different ages and backgrounds. At first, we thought it would mostly attract an older audience — those who had experienced the tradition of singing at the table. In fact, there were many young people; some came alone, others with friends, some brought their parents, and even grandparents. The age range of participants is from 14 to «infinity». It’s a space for experiencing emotions and feelings together, collectively. People come for warmth, for the sense that they are not alone. And it’s precisely this feeling of unity and togetherness through singing that all of us need so much today.
Svitlana: How do you overcome skepticism?
Olha: Some people we invited were cautious at first — the format is new, something like this hasn’t been seen in Ukraine before. But after the event, everything changed: those same participants became our most enthusiastic supporters. They asked when the next one would be — because they truly enjoyed what they felt.
DREAMS FOR THE FUTURE
Olha: We really want this format to become as accessible and popular as possible. So that, for example, such events could be held in every school, where students, high schoolers, and even teachers could organize collective singing in their own way, with their own materials. What’s important here is the absence of formality — the focus is not on technical performance but on allowing oneself to be and to express emotions.
Svitlana: Have you already spoken with teachers? Are school and college students interested in the project?
Olha: We want the project to become so well-known that schools and colleges will want to create similar initiatives themselves. That it becomes a natural and exciting format — so that even in small towns or villages, students would say, «Let’s do it here». For us, that would be the measure of success — when the format is adapted and new versions appear.
SINGING AND PSYCHOTHERAPY
Svitlana: Is singing an alternative to psychotherapy?
Olha: That’s a good question. There is what’s called the pyramid of mental health and psychosocial needs. The first level includes basic things: food, safety, and physical comfort. The second is social support — the feeling that you are not alone. That’s where our project operates — at the level of connection and support. The third level involves the work of social workers, and the fourth — psychotherapy or psychiatric care. So singing is not an alternative to therapy, but practically its element. It doesn’t replace it — it complements it. Not everyone needs psychotherapy, but everyone needs touch, voice, and the presence of others. Singing gives exactly that — it creates a space where it’s safe to live through, to express one’s feelings, and to feel the support of others.
SONGS AND WAR
Olha: When the traumatic events are behind us, we will have more inner resources to process what we’ve lived through. And there will certainly be songs connected with loss — to help people experience it safely. We already have such songs in our repertoire. We balance their number carefully — to gently touch difficult emotions and then restore strength and breath. Healing collective trauma is a process, and singing holds a special place in it.
FEEDBACK
Yaroslav: There was a moment: after our first event, we stepped down from the stage — just to join our friends for a photo. And suddenly, people began coming up to us, hugging us, thanking us for the evening. They said, «Please, do this again». We received so many messages and requests to repeat it that we were deeply moved. Because we did everything for the first time — guided by the call of the heart, intuitively, without experience, without producers, and at our own expense. We even went a bit into the red — but it was a happy loss. The main thing is that we realized how truly needed this is for people.
THE SILENCE AFTER
Svitlana: The silence after the event — how does it feel?
Yaroslav: It’s the silence of complete calm — like still, clear water at dawn. A sense of satisfaction and inner peace from knowing that I’m doing exactly what my soul desires — giving people love, light, and emotion through music and song.
Olha: I remember the feeling of presence in the process, of connection with the participants. There was a deep harmony within — the sense that I’m doing what aligns with my values, and this is my place. And afterward — silence. A tired silence, the kind that comes when you’ve fulfilled your duty, done what you wanted, loved, and needed to do.
WHAT IMPRESSES AND INSPIRES
Svitlana: Which book or song has impressed you most recently?
Yaroslav: Erich Fromm’s The Art of Loving.
Olha: Mostly professional literature. It doesn’t «move» me emotionally, but it impresses me — in its own way.
Svitlana: What gives you inspiration in everyday life? Are there any contemporary performers whose sound feels especially close to you?
Yaroslav: I have a whole library of music and artists in my head. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, I’ve been mentally supporting Ukrainian culture. There’s a Halychyna-Donbas band called NAZVA, which combines folklore with modern sound and expression — that’s close to me. I believe in people — and they inspire me. Kind deeds and the understanding that goodness lives in everyone. I believe we must find our inner light and carry it no matter what.
Olha: I’m inspired by art in all its forms, by the warmth of close people, by learning something new — and, of course, by our project.
CHILDHOOD MEMORIES
Olha: For me, it’s family gatherings at my great-grandparents’ house. On May 9, since my great-grandfather was a veteran, the whole family would come together, and we would sing songs. It’s a warm and safe memory. If I close my eyes, two songs come to mind. One we sang with tears in our eyes — about a mother who taught people to live honestly, sighed with relief, and quietly crossed to the other side. The other one is «Rozpryahayte, khloptsi, koni» («Unharness the Horses, Boys»). It’s my favorite memory: my other grandfather loves that song very much, and it always takes me back to those warm childhood moments.
Yaroslav: Lately, I often recall family trips to Crimea — anywhere, really. Those are very warm memories that comfort the soul. And symbolically, they now resonate with our project: we have a block of songs that unite different regions of Ukraine. The program includes a song about Crimea, and another that mentions the mountains — for example, «Ya pidu v daleki hory» («I Will Go to the Distant Mountains»). At our next event, for the first time, we’ll perform the Crimean Tatar folk song Ey, güzel Qirim (in Ukrainian translation by Yulia Kachula). During our events, we ask the audience, «Who is from Crimea? Who is from Donbas?» — and people respond. It creates a strong feeling of unity.
STRENGTH AND BALANCE
Svitlana: What words or thoughts give you strength right now? What helps you restore inner balance and peace?
Yaroslav: I recall these lines by Lina Kostenko:
«…if it were up to me,
I would write everywhere in italics:
— There is so much sorrow in this world,
people, be mutually beautiful!»
What gives me energy? From time to time, I need to be alone with my thoughts — to put everything in order in my head, to take a walk, just to be silent. At the same time, I find grounding in the company of close people — those with whom I can simply and comfortably be myself in any state or mood.
Olha: «To remain happy, no matter what». This is a quote by Nossrat Peseschkian, the founder of positive psychotherapy. Even in darkness, there are things that support us — and we can focus on them. It’s important to allow ourselves to notice all our feelings, including sadness and loss. Because when we suppress sadness, joy becomes dull too. We need to find safe spaces — in psychotherapy, at events like ours, or among close ones — where we can live through difficult emotions, in order to be able to notice joy again.
Svitlana: On December 6, your next event will take place at the Actor’s House in Kyiv. What are you preparing, and what will make it special?
Yaroslav: We invite everyone — whether you come alone, with friends, or with family. There will be everything we’ve told you about above — and pleasant surprises too. You’ll have the opportunity to meet new people and experience the special feeling of singing together. It’s a kind of musical and therapeutic meeting — with yourself, with loved ones, and with Ukraine.
There will be different blocks of songs — from carols and lyrical pieces to songs about the diversity and unity of our country. You’ll experience immersion in Ukrainian traditions and therapeutic interactive activities.
Together, we will create an energy that uplifts, heals, and unites us around our folk culture. This is not just a musical event — it’s a shared space for emotional release, for living through feelings and emotions, for healing collective trauma through Ukrainian song. A space that unites voices, souls, and hearts.
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