“Our thoughts, or in other words, our state of mind, is ever at work ‘fixing up’ things good or bad in advance.” – Prentice Mulford
The past couple of weeks I have been playing music for the children in my lunch groups. The positive effect of music has been sensational and makes my job feel more like play than work. When children enter the room with an upbeat song playing they immediately loosen up and smile. I have been using “Shake it Off” by Taylor Swift, and it is like a magic elixir, bringing out the best in everyone. What started out as my own desire to feel better has turned out to be a great learning tool.
I know teachers in our district, such as Jan Glusac at El Rincon Elementary, who have been using music throughout their school day for years. There is something about music that reaches people in a way that mere words cannot accomplish on their own. In my case, facilitating social groups, I have seen some incredible shifts in my students. First of all, they get silly and dance together. This creates a communal bonding experience, opening everyone up to their own joy, which translates into a shared feeling. That shared experience is often lacking for children who have special needs and process their worlds in unique ways. It is every parent and educator’s dream to see these students fully engaged with their more typically functioning peers.
Today I witnessed a huge shift in the dynamic of one particular group of fourth graders. Fourth grade is a transitional year in the development of my students. More social awareness develops, along with physical changes that can feel uncomfortable and make it difficult to do the traditional school things like sitting in one place and following rules. Today I popped on “Shake it Up” and all the walls dropped. One student who was once the focal point of teasing, became just another smiling face as the students lit up and talked about their favorite songs. If an outsider had walked into today’s session they would never have guessed that there was ever any tension between them. It seemed as though the music had turned an imaginary key that opened the door for these students to let go of their judgments and cares. They enjoyed an experience of laughter and fun.
A few years ago I participated in the Freedom to Choose program with the University of Santa Monica. A group of alumni from the school’s Master’s Program in Spiritual Psychology went into a maximum security women’s prison and facilitated a weekend in which the inmates learned and practiced the same skills that we had learned in school. I had the privilege of being part of the music team. We provided the songs in between activities and on the breaks. One song, Golden by Jill Scott, will forever stand as a reminder for me about the healing power of music. Golden is a song with a great beat. Scott sings about taking her freedom off the shelf and living her life like it is golden. When the women heard that song, all of their heads bobbed, with smiles glowing on their beautiful faces. I sat back, tears in my eyes, feeling gratitude for the value of music in my life and in the world.
I recommend creating a “party mix”, like the one I have put together in iTunes, which you can turn on whenever you need a boost. Play songs that are fun and bring you a sense of well-being. Share your favorite songs with the children in your life, or your colleagues. There is something amazing about enjoying a song together. Music opens our hearts to the joy of living and the power of the human soul to persevere and overcome obstacles. Great songs remind us that we are here to do more than “just get by”. We are here to dance and celebrate being human. So turn on your favorite song, roll down the windows, or open the doors, and have an impromptu dance party. The world looks brighter when there is a great song playing.
Edward Biagiotti is the Inclusion Specialist for Culver City Unified School District. He is also co-host of the popular radio show, Funniest Thing! with Darrell and Ed, live each week, Wednesdays at 3 pm on www.UnityOnlineRadio.org. Visit www.TappingIntoGenius.com for more articles and a free, inspirational parenting download.
