The Reclaiming is a one-month, one-on-one creative collaboration in which survivors work with Marcellé to create a complete, professionally produced song rooted in their story. Each project includes four 60-minute Zoom sessions at no cost to the survivor, guided through a structured creative arc that reflects real-world songwriting and music production workflows. Sessions are used for collaboration, creative decision-making, and vocal direction or recording, while mixing and mastering are completed by Marcellé after the month of sessions has ended as part of post-production. Survivors may enter the process by creating a song from scratch, refining an existing song, or focusing primarily on vocals, with the same four-session structure adapted to their starting point and creative goals. The result is a fully realized, industry-ready song created with care, clarity, and intention.

A song rooted in your story can be literal or indirect. It may describe what happened, explore how it affected you, or capture a related feeling or truth, such as anger, relief, resilience, or gratitude for a healthy relationship after experiencing an unhealthy one. Because the goal is a professional, music-industry–level song, the story is shaped in a way that stays true to you while also being relatable to a wider audience.

No. In music therapy, a board-certified music therapist uses songwriting to support clinical or therapeutic goals, and the quality or market readiness of the final song is not the priority. In The Reclaiming, the goal is to create a strong, finished song that meets professional music industry standards. That means revision, constructive feedback, and studio-style decision-making focused on the song itself, not on mental or emotional processing.

The process is trauma-informed and neurodiversity-affirming in how it is guided. Marcellé leads with consent, pacing, emotional safety, sensory awareness, and flexibility around communication and energy levels. She knows how to recognize overwhelm, adjust the creative approach, and protect the artist’s nervous system while remaining fully within the scope of professional songwriting and production rather than clinical treatment.

Marcellé contributes as a songwriter, producer, vocalist, and keyboardist. She collaborates with survivors on melody, lyric writing, and arrangement, and she guides the overall creative direction of each song. If a survivor does not want to sing or rap, Marcellé records the vocals or uses AI vocals based on the direction established together. Instrumental production is created using a MIDI keyboard and digital audio workstation (DAW) for sound design.

Survivors may later replace Marcellé’s vocals, AI vocals, or virtual instruments with their own performance or that of another musician. However, Marcellé’s name and credit may only be used for versions of the song that reflect her songwriting, music production, and vocal direction. If changes are made outside of her involvement, credits must be updated accordingly. These boundaries ensure that every project remains achievable, ethical, and artistically sound within the scope of a free, one-month collaboration.

If you plan to record vocals yourself, you will need a basic home recording setup that allows for clean, usable audio. This includes a computer with a stable internet connection, a quiet and distraction-free space with minimal natural reverb, and a digital audio workstation (DAW) such as GarageBand, Audacity, or another recording program you are comfortable using. You will also need a recording microphone that connects via USB or XLR. If your microphone uses XLR, you will need a USB audio interface to connect it to your computer.

An adjustable microphone stand and pop filter are strongly recommended to help maintain consistent sound quality, and closed-back wired headphones are needed so sound does not bleed into the microphone while recording. If you are using a USB audio interface, your headphones may also require a 1/4-inch adapter.

You do not need a professional studio. Tons of vocalists successfully record in bedrooms, closets, or other small spaces using rugs, blankets, or soft furnishings to reduce echo. During the process, Marcellé will help you assess whether your setup is workable and suggest adjustments if needed. If you do not have access to recording equipment or prefer not to record yourself, vocal performance can be handled by Marcellé or through AI vocals based on the creative direction established together.

Songs that name a perpetrator or promote violence, harm, or hatred are not permitted. Explicit lyrics are allowed, though, and songs are written and produced in contemporary genres. These boundaries exist to protect survivor safety and ensure the work is legally, ethically, and artistically sound.

Yes. A support person may be present off-camera if needed, but they may not participate in songwriting, production, or creative decision-making. Support persons are expected to engage with the process with the same respect and care required of survivors. This includes maintaining kind behavior, respecting Marcellé’s role in guiding the session, and not interrupting, directing, or otherwise hindering the creative process. If a support person’s presence interferes with the safety or focus of the session, Marcellé may ask that they step away so the work can continue productively.

Yes. Nashville or pop splits are used in all options for both the music composition and the sound recording, which means ownership is shared between you and Marcellé as co-creators. This includes songwriting, melody, lyrics, arrangement, and vocal arranging, as well as the final recorded track.

If you bring an existing song that already includes another creative contributor, or if you wish to record a cover song, ownership and credits will be discussed in advance so that all contributors are properly accounted for, and the project remains clear and ethical for everyone involved.

This approach keeps the process aligned with professional music industry standards while allowing flexibility when a project begins with work created outside of this collaboration.

Yes, guidance is provided on next steps such as independent release, potential artist cuts (including situations where a major-label artist may want to record the song), or sync opportunities for video games, television, and film. At this time, though, Marcellé cannot submit, pitch, distribute, or release the work on your behalf.

You can always change your mind about whether or not to release a song. However, once a song is publicly shared, it cannot be fully taken back. Even if a distributor removes it, there is no way to guarantee it has been removed from every platform or private archive. Also, if a song is selected for a music industry opportunity, withdrawing it after acceptance may have legal or professional consequences.

For these reasons, all release and opportunity-related decisions are discussed carefully before anything is shared publicly. You do not have to decide whether or not you want to share the completed song by the end of its post-production process.

To apply, you will complete the application form below. If selected to move on, you will schedule a 15-minute interview with Marcellé. The interview is used to answer questions, confirm fit, and determine which option best aligns with your goals and the current capacity of The Reclaiming.