'It's peaceful and makes me feel calm': Music brings mindfulness to Worley students

CANTON – As the morning announcements at Worley Elementary School finished up, students in Jennifer Schott's second grade classroom prepared for what was coming next.

Over the speaker system, a soothing voice told the children to sit up straight, place their hands on the desk or in their lap, focus their eyes or close them, and regulate their breathing. Soon, music began to play.

For the next four minutes, students — many of them with their eyes closed — let the music take over, relaxing and preparing them for a day of learning.

The Canton City elementary school partnered with the Canton Symphony Orchestra and The Well, a Cincinnati-based nonprofit, to bring the Mindful Music Moments to Worley. The symphony is sponsoring the program, providing funding to purchase the materials.

Each morning, students will listen to a different piece of music. From orchestral pieces and jazz to new music and instrumental Disney hits, a variety of music types will be played for the students.

"The program combines mindfulness techniques with classical and instrumental music into daily audio or visual experiences to help schools create a calmer and more focused learning environment," said Bryce Kessler, director of music and arts programming for The Well.

Students receive a mindfulness prompt each morning to focus on creativity, to feel their heart beating along with the music or to listen to a specific instrument.

That morning, students were asked to listen to the horn section and experience how they felt when the brass instruments began to play.

How have students responded to Mindful Music Moments?

Worley Principal Jennifer Stokoe said the students have responded well to the music program. The musical selection sets the stage for a day of learning.

"Listening to music is easy to do," Stokoe said. "It's just a very short time — less than five minutes — but it is very powerful. We are always looking at easy things to help our students without taking away from instructional time."

Last year, Worley started a mindfulness initiative. They partnered with Lululemon, which provided each student with a yoga mat. Teachers used yoga moves at different times in their classrooms to promote mindfulness.

Mindful Music Moments was a perfect addition to their mindfulness initiative, Stokoe said.

Second grader Jada Sumpter loves the early morning music sessions.

"It's peaceful and makes me feel calm," the 7-year-old said. "It makes me ready for the day."

'They automatically put away their iPads and listen.'

Schott has noticed a difference in her youngsters since the start of the program this fall.

The start of the day, especially leading up to her arrival in the classroom, can be loud and chaotic. The start of the music instantly calms her students.

"They automatically put away their iPads and listen," she added.

Caroline Eberhard, manager of education and community engagement for the Canton Symphony Orchestra, hopes the introduction to music and its impact on a person fosters a lifelong love of music for students.

Music is one of the few activities that stimulates both sides of the brain and can be helpful in processing emotions, Eberhard said.

A parent of a student at Golden Key School for Exceptional Children in Canton, who used the Mindful Music Moments program, shared that their child, who has trouble processing their emotions, shut themselves in their room and listened to music.

"Instead of an emotional outburst, they knew to play music to help calm themself," she explained.

Kessler, who interned at the Canton Symphony Orchestra, said the partnership with the symphony provides a local music connection for the students, allowing them to build a relationship with the orchestra as they get older.

The symphony said the partnership allows them to not only address social and emotional learning but also reach more students, Eberhard added.

Besides the music selections, The Well also provides worksheets and other materials for teachers, students and parents. The program also has an animated video version of the music that some schools are using. The music can also be shared with parents.

Besides Worley, Harter Elementary School also introduced the program this year. Golden Key School for Exceptional Children in Canton and Killbuck Elementary School in West Holmes School District in Mahoning County have used the program for several years.

The Well started bringing the program to schools in Cincinnati in 2016, and since then it has grown to serve 320 schools, camps and social service organizations across the United States, according to the nonprofit's website.

While in town, Kessler met with members of the Stark County Educational Service Center to discuss the Mindful Moments Music program. He hopes to bring the program to more Stark schools.

"This is a schoolwide and community resource that everyone can access," Kessler said. "And we are so happy to bring it to Worley."

Reach Amy at 330-775-1135 or amy.knapp@indeonline.com.

This article originally appeared on The Independent: Mindful Music Moments launches at Canton school