A Path for Healing in the General Music Classroom

Gillian Desmarais Maplewood Public Schools, Maplewood, MN

The word “trauma” refers to “a lasting emotional response that often results from living through a distressing event” (CAMH, n.d.). Although the term is often reserved for extraordinary experiences, it has become apparent that trauma is more common among our students than we may realize. According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, “more than two thirds of students reported one traumatic event by the age of 16” (SAMHSA, 2018). A press release from the National Center of Education Statistics stated that “roughly three-quarters (76 percent) of schools … reported an increase in staff voicing concerns about their students exhibiting symptoms such as depression, anxiety, and trauma” (NCES, 2022). As a general music teacher, I have had over 750 students on my roster. Based on the previous statistic, over 495 of my students could be at risk. That is certainly a number worth being concerned with. Thankfully, music has demonstrated remarkable benefits for children and adolescents overcoming trauma. As informed music teachers, we can implement these new research-based methods to improve wholeclassroom experiences and make a positive lasting impact in our school communities.

The Brain of a Trauma Victim

The sympathetic nervous system, with nuclei pathways in the brainstem, is in charge of our “survival mode”, which is often referred to as our fight-or-flight response. Students who struggle with coping may begin to develop an overactive brainstem, causing varying levels of anxiety. Students with higher levels of anxiety are less likely to take in new information. This was quantified in a neuroscience study where participants attempted to learn while being immersed in varying levels of stressful situations. The results portray an inverse correlation between learning rates and anxiety scores.

Students with depression are faced with similar challenges. “Compared with healthy individuals, depressed patients show impairments in executive functioning … [and] reduced gray matter in the brain, including loss of hippocampal volume, an area that is critically involved in learning” (Beevers, 2005; Snyder, 2013; Deng, Aimone, & Gage, 2010; Duman, 2004; Lener & Losifescu, 2015; McKinnon, Yucel, Nazarov, & MacQueen, 2008; as cited by Bruijniks, DeRubeis & Huibers, 2019). It’s important to note that these symptomatic behaviors can easily be misidentified. The Child Mind Institute states that “… anxiety in the classroom can look like something else entirely - an upset stomach, disruptive or angry behavior, ADHD, or even a learning disorder” (Ehmke, 2022). For this reason, it is important to build relationships with struggling students. Understanding their unique situation can prevent inappropriately labeling their impulsive actions. More importantly, it sets the groundwork for learning and healing.

Movement and Body Percussion

According to Beacon House’s therapeutic research, children can be effectively moved from a high-anxiety state to a calm, thoughtful state using “patterned, repetitive rhythmic activity” (Beacon House, 2019). Students with little to no prior music education can begin with a simple followthe-leader exercise requiring no instruments. Alongside an upbeat song (between 125-135 bpm), the teacher shows the steady beat using body percussion and students must mirror the motions. The teacher trades off with a new leader and the activity continues until all students have had a turn. A more intermediate rhythm activity can incorporate music notation. The first visual (Example 1) features a series of two patterns in 3/4 and 4/4 time signatures. A student volunteer performs one pattern using body percussion and the class echoes it back. With nine patterns each day, students review and learn new symbols regularly.

Another intermediate activity combines rhythm patterns and steady beat with song form. Shown in both visuals below (Example 2 & 3), students would learn each pattern separately, review the song form and perform alongside the recording. This is a great way to engage students in a variety of different genres.

teacher would navigate to the drum machine and take a screenshot of the drum pattern. Since students will be filling in the drum part, the teacher should delete the drum recording. Finally, the teacher would share it as an assignment on their school’s online assignment platform. Students who receive a copy of the project would then recreate the drum part using their controller. Demonstrating for students is key, as well as providing the screenshot visual for students who are unsure about their performance.

Beatmaking

A more advanced rhythm activity can incorporate music technology. Beatmaking, a popular form of inputting drum beats into a music workstation, is relevant and engaging for young music learners. Having access to a music (MIDI) controller like the one displayed below is advantageous, but not necessary.

Students can also input these beats using their own computer keyboard and edit them by hand in the piano roll. To start, the teacher would pick a song (preferably hip-hop), study 8 measures of the most memorable section and record the bass, melody, drums and mid-timbre instruments of that selection into a digital workstation (e.g., Soundtrap). Next, the

Beatmaking Statiosn for Harmony Learning & Trauma Center

Listening and Songwriting with Lo-fi Music

Lo-fi (low-fidelity) music has increased in popularity in recent years due to its organic recording qualities and calming effects. In addition, it seems to have positive psychological benefits among trauma-affected listeners. Based on research published in PLOS One, music impacts our autonomic nervous system as well as our endocrine and psychological stress responses (Thoma, 2013). The author of another paper concluded that “the ANS (autonomic nervous system) recovered faster after subjects listened to calm music” (Wang, 2020). A simple way to incorporate lo-fi music is by playing it as students enter the classroom. There are 24-hour live-streamed lo-fi radio stations on YouTube (e.g., Lofi Girl) which are great to play during classwork assignments or projects as well.

As songwriting continues to stand out as “one of the most powerful methods in music therapy,” (Ruud, 2014), consider a project that allows students to create their own lo-fi music. Since most digital music workstations (DAWs) today have lo-fi-style loops, students will need a basic overview of appropriate tempos, instruments, sound effects and so on. To combine an interdisciplinary element, students could design their own digital album cover to accompany their work as well. The album covers below are examples designed by students.

Duman, Ronald S. “Depression: A Case of Neuronal Life and Death?” Biological Psychiatry 56, no. 3 (2004): 140–45.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2004.02.033.

Ehmke, Rachel. “How Does Anxiety Affect Kids in School?” Child Mind Institute, August 5, 2022. https://childmind.org/article/classroomanxiety-in-children/#full_article.

Lener, Marc S., and Dan V. Iosifescu. “In Pursuit of Neuroimaging Bio markers to Guide Treatment Selection in Major Depressive Disorder: A Review of the Literature.” Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 1344, no. 1 (2015): 50–65.

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National Center for Education Statistics, “Roughly Half of Public Schools Report That They Can Effectively Provide Mental Health Services to All Students in Need”. Washington, DC, May, 2022.

Conclusion

As more research continues to surface on the topic, it is important for music teachers to continue to stay up-to-date on statistics, pedagogy and technologies applicable to their education practices. With music’s inherent physiological connections, it is vital for us to frequently reflect on students' whole classroom experience. Using body percussion, beatmaking and reflective listening, students can feel at ease in the classroom while also harnessing skills to aid in their own self-practices.

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