Mindful Music Moments program helping Pittsburgh-area students become calm, focused

As kids have returned to a busy and hectic school schedule, a special program is expanding in Western Pennsylvania to give them a few minutes each day to refocus and recenter themselves.

It’s called Mindful Music Moments.

We caught up with kids at Cornell Elementary School in Coraopolis who use the program just after lunch.

“Thinking of what’s a way we can reach as many people as possible during the school day with a calm, relaxing, refocusing, practice that really speaks to that fight or flight response in our brain when we’re experience those feelings”, said Bryce Kessler, Director of Music and Arts Programming for The Well.

Mindful Music Moments is a program that started in Cincinnati in 2016 and is now used in 320 pre-k-12 schools, camps, and organizations.

That includes 42 in Western Pennsylvania.

The goal is to address mental health, using the uplifting power of music to give kids about 4 minutes each day to turn their thoughts inward, as a group.

“It’s very soothing”, said 6th grader Henry Willard, “I like how I can just sit there and hear the music through my head.

“It’s really calming”, said Maria Alavardado-Garcia, also a 6th grader, “we have a book project coming up and it’s a good time to read your book”.

The program is free to schools in our area thanks to musicians from the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and the Usher Project for Kids.

“Not only are we teaching them self-awareness and self-management skills for their emotions and their stress, but also exposing them to new music that they’ve probably never heard before”, said Kessler.

Research shows that practicing this mindfulness for a few minutes at least once a day sets students up for success when it comes to navigating anxiety and stress both in and out of the classroom.

It has the endorsement of teachers here at Cornell Elementary, and even the students who think their friends in other schools should get on board.

“I would probably tell them to ask their principal if they can get it or anything”, said 6th grader Ayden Ferner.

If you’d like to start using Mindful Music Moments in your school or organization, you can find more information at: https://www.thewell.world/programs/mindful-music-moments

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