Music Health for Music Educators
- L.T.
- Feb 15
- 3 min read
Updated: Feb 15
Music as Medicine: Songwriting Workshop
A Mental Health Session for Music Educators
Rationale
On top of managing learner interest, school partnership support, and educator burnout, music educators face a variety of stressors, many of which are specific to the world of music teaching. Music educators are budgeting for a highly consumable department, running extra-curriculars, organizing performances, and differentiating the learning for students in ways that can look different from a regularly structured classroom space.
We are often so busy being teachers that we may lose touch with performing music, which is what many of us may have used to relieve stress prior to becoming educators. In this workshop, participants will engage in the collaborative songwriting and sharing process. They will discuss “little c” (Gini-Newman & Case, 2015, p. 53) moments of Creativity that can be found anywhere, which they can incorporate into their daily practices to promote mental wellness in themselves.
Session Length
60 minutes
Required Materials
Paper
Pencils
Device with internet connection
Projector
Speakers
Hand percussion equipment
Optional: Instrument of choice that participants bring
Structure
Minds On -10 minutes
Practice -10 minutes
Production -15 minutes
Sharing Circle -15 minutes
Reflections -10 minutes
Minds On
Open the workshop by thanking participants for coming and acknowledging the challenges and stressors music educators face. Speak about the importance of creative expression, making time for playing music for enjoyment purposes, and introduce how songwriting can be used as a tool for self-care.
Introduce the term, “little c” creativity which refers to, “the ways in which people solve everyday problems by going beyond what they have typically done to bring about useful or insightful solutions” (Gini-Newman & Case, 2015). In other words, making time for creativity does not have to result in a tangible or physical product. It is not about designing something innovative. It can be as simple as going about your daily decision making in a different, more creative and spontaneous way.
Participants will be asked to select one song that always brings a smile to their face. They will jot this down on a piece of paper, which will be collected and curated into a community playlist. The playlist will be shared to the participants after the workshop.
Practice
Have participants brainstorm words or short phrases related to self-care such as, “breath”, “strength”, “rest”, and “pause”. Put these into a word cloud software such as Mentimeter and have this projected for participants to see. Common words or phrases will automatically increase the font size on the word cloud so that participants can see the commonalities between their responses.
In groups of 3-4, participants will select key words from their brainstorming list. Groups will write 3-4 short lyrics about self-care and music teaching. Encourage participants to pull away from the expectation that the song must sound perfect. There is room to have fun and be experimental with the activity.
Production
The workshop leader(s) will provide a pre-recorded, four-chord progression looping track that will serve as the foundation. Each group will fit their lyrics into the melody. They can use pre-existing songs to inspire their performances. Groups will rehearse their songs and can either utilize the backing track provided, their own instruments, the percussion instruments provided, or a combination of these options.
Sharing Circle
Groups will perform their song for each other. Encourage positive feedback, perseverance, and clapping or tapping along.
Reflections
Discuss, “how did it feel to create music and share it with other music educators?”
Have participants consider how they can use “little c moments” to incorporate mental wellbeing into creative opportunities, both in, and outside of the music classroom.
Provide the following resource list:
Band Director Boot Camp Podcast: Where Productivity Meets Wellness https://open.spotify.com/show/6fAqkKCwuywbZbACGvCeky?si=289c4360b1de43c5
Gini Newman, G. & Case, R. (2015). “Critical, creative, and collaborative dimensions of thinking, pp. 45-60, Creating Thinking Classrooms: Leading Educational Change for a 21st Century World. Vancouver, BC: The Critical Thinking Consortium.
Musicians’ Health and Wellness Resource Guide from McGill University https://libraryguides.mcgill.ca/musicianshealthandwellness/generalresources
Nurturing Student Creativity Through Assessment for Learning in Music Classrooms
Speaking Up for Music Education and Mental Health – OMEA
Supporting Youth Mental Health in and through the Arts
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