Ailish Hall

MUED380: Music in Elementary Schools

December 6, 2018
Scholarship Portfolio Paper

Research Question(s):

1. How can music teachers address and support mental health with young learners?

Rationale:

One of the reasons is that I believe that music can change peoples lives in the best way

possible. Mental health is very important to me and I love music as well so I thought I would talk

about how they correlate. I think the best way to teach, is by starting early with elementary aged

students so they have a basis of how to use music in their lives to support their mental health to

prepare for their adolescent phase, I think that creative thinking on music educator’s parts is

very important to education students in general music so that they can learn from it, so as they

get older they can use it to their advantage when it comes to mental health. I plan to research

how music can be used for mental health through a variety of ways. “I provided a place where

students “had voice” and shared their musical interests with the support of an educator who did

not judge those choices” (Abramo, 2015b, p. 2). This quote introduces what I also think is an

effective way to help kids with mental health by giving them their own opinions from the start

because that notion sometimes gets squashed with other areas of life. So, I think I can be an

educator who can give my students as much opportunity to be successful as possible. These

questions caught my attention and mean a great deal to me in the effect of music on mental

health: How can music teachers address and support mental health with young learners? This

question embodies what I am going to talk about.

 Ailish Hall
MUED380: Music in Elementary Schools
December 6, 2018
Scholarship Portfolio Paper

Review of Literature:

Source one: The first source, even though it has little to do with mental health and music,

it still introduces the fact that young music learners when exposed to social justice, are motivated

to become participants in music programs. That, in turn gave me the idea that motivation is a big

part in helping with mental health. “I provided a place where students “had voice” and shared

their musical interests with the support of an educator who did not judge those choices”

(Abramo, 2015b, p. 582). This quote was used before but I feel it is important to explain that if

students “had voice” then they would have a sense of independency at a young age where they

could have room and opportunity to focus on music, which said in the next following 8 sources,

aides with mental health. The theme of this article is about social justice with music and giving

young students “a voice” and giving them opportunity to have their own choices and

independency. The takeaway is that if someone gives young learners choice, they will use that

which will in turn motivate them to participate in music. Which is one of many goals for present

and future music educators.

Source two: This source is a study about arts-based therapies for Canadian youth with

mental illness. It talks about how mental illness can start very young and what therapies can help

with that. “​Around 70% of mental illnesses are estimated to originate during childhood and

adolescence (Mental Health Commission of Canada, 2009; World Health Organization [WHO],

2003)” (​Boekhoven, Bowker, Davidson, Cacciato & Gray, 2012, p. 164). The article then

proceeds to explain the characteristics of arts-based therapies and then the effectiveness of them.

“​Positive results included mitigating the frequency and severity of clinical symptoms (Saunders

& Saunders, 2000); improvements in social and cognitive functioning (Fliegel, 2005; Wadeson,
 Ailish Hall
MUED380: Music in Elementary Schools
December 6, 2018
Scholarship Portfolio Paper

2006); and greater personal insight and meaning through the exploration of disruptive emotions

(Frankl, 1967; Johnson, 1984; Moon, 1999)” ​(​Boekhoven, Bowker, Davidson, Cacciato & Gray,

2012, p. 166). This source connects to music and mental health because music is a form of art

and therapy helps with mental illness. It does not specifically address music education but the

article does explain the effectiveness of it which can prove that using music to address and

support mental health is effective.

Source three: This article explains the connection between musical expression and the

structure of the person playing. The article describes the psycho-somatic structure as “inner

growth.” “This framework not only enables the therapist to locate a client's limitations or

blockages, but also a means of understanding how to work on them, thus ultimately improving

their musicality and well-being” (Perret, 2004, p. 327). This quote is centered around therapy and

how music can help an individual which is different than music education but still can be used to

make connections to how music educators can use this study to help and further their students

education. “It is suggested in this paper that there exist intricate links between the quality of

spontaneous musical expression and the inner world of the person playing: specific areas of body

and brain, and corresponding patterns of emotions, thought, feelings and beliefs” (Perret, 2004,

p. 328). From learning about general music education this whole semester, we learned about a lot

of activities that involve these things in this quote and how to teach them. So, using what is said

in this article, music educators could use aspects of music therapy to help their students in the

public classroom which might actually be more beneficial in the long run because most people

have to pay for therapy whereas public school is “free.”

 Ailish Hall
MUED380: Music in Elementary Schools
December 6, 2018
Scholarship Portfolio Paper

Source four: This article is titled “Music for Relaxation: A Comparison Across Two Age

Groups.” Even though it touches on two age groups it focuses first on younger aged people and

the effects of MBM or “Meditative Binaural Music” on them. ​“The effect of listening to MBM

was comparable to listening to calm classical music. The changes in self-reported arousal were

more pronounced for the younger age group, for whom the MBM including binaural beats was

significantly more calming than listening to low-arousal classical music” (​Lee-Harris, Timmers,

Humberstone, Blackburn 2018). The article explains the effects of MBM on younger then

adolescent people. Again, even though it is therapy based it can still be used in a music education

setting. Imagine using MBM in the general music classroom at an elementary school? I have

heard of relaxation techniques in high schools and at universities but rarely in an elementary

school. If the effects of MBM are correct, then it could start early positive effects on young

students rather than later and potentially prevent mental illness from happening later in their

lives.

Source five: This article explains the effect of music on the “intellectual, personal and

social development of children” (Hallam, 2010, p. 269). The article describes numerous studies

that prove that music has a positive effect on these types of developments in young learners and

continues to show that some of these studies were used in music education settings. “It suggests

that the positive effects of engagement with music on personal and social development only

occur if it is an enjoyable and rewarding experience.This has implications for the quality of the

teaching” (Hallam, 2010, p. 269). The article has many different sections on what kind of

positive development music has on young students. An example would be: ‘For instance, Broh

(2002) showed that students who participated in musical activities talked more with parents and
 Ailish Hall
MUED380: Music in Elementary Schools
December 6, 2018
Scholarship Portfolio Paper

teachers, and that their parents were more likely to talk with friends’ parents. She concluded that

these social benefits were likely to lead to higher self-esteem in the children in turn leading to

increased motivation and self-efficacy” (Hallam, 2010, p. 278). Higher self-esteem and

motivation are aspects of mental health, which shows that there is a direct correlation between

the two.

Source six: Again this source is about music therapy but the title of it is: “Where music

helps: community music therapy in action and reflection” (Higgins, 2012, p. 120). When I think

therapy I think “one-on-one” but this is reflecting off of community therapy which seems more

related to music education because at least in public schools, music educators teach a big group

or ​community​ as I like to think of it. This is a book review and gives insight to the people who

wrote the book and how to fix it/their opinion.

Source seven: This article is about how music education can “enhance the quality of

school life” (Eerola, 2014, p. 88). “​The results showed that extended music education enhances

the QSL, particularly in areas related to general satisfaction about the school and a sense of

achievement and opportunity for students.” (Eerola, 2014, p. 88). QSL stands for “quality of

school life.” A sense of achievement and opportunity for students means that they are on the

right track towards positive mental health. If someone’s social aspect of school is positive they

have a better chance of having a better mental health. The study was also done on children ages 3

to 6 which is connected to my question of “​How can music teachers address and support mental

health with young learners?”

Source eight: “Many years’ trial with music in mental cases has only furthered his

opinion. He said: “Music is responsible for cures among the insane and improvements of patients
 Ailish Hall
MUED380: Music in Elementary Schools
December 6, 2018
Scholarship Portfolio Paper

seemingly in a hopeless condition that are little short of marvelous.” (Podolsky, 1953, p. 66) The

article focuses more on mentally ill patients with severe mental illnesses but nonetheless it

proves that music can help people with the most ​severe​ mental problems and help them improve.

If music can do that then it can help anyone as well as young learners.

Recommendations for practice:

Music educators can use source one to understand music education in social justice

issues which in turn can help students with mental health. “In these cases, my desire to

create a socially just space, where students and I challenged sexism, heteronormativity,

Race, able-bodiedness, classism, corporatization, and commodification conflicted with my

democratic impulse to provide students with “voice” through popular music.” (Abramo, 2015b,

p. 582). If music educators create a “socially just space” then the students will become more

comfortable in themselves and be susceptible to healthier minds. So music educators, should

look into socially just popular songs to introduce in the classroom early.

In article two, the big takeaway is arts-based therapies which means music therapy

included. Music educators should look into ways to use music therapy in their classroom.

“​Therapists have used interactive approaches to support people with lived experience to find

meaning in their lives through individual choice and reflection, for example, logotherapy…”

(​Boekhoven, Bowker, Davidson, Cacciato & Gray, 2012, p. 168). As said in this quote

interactive approaches are effective towards people with mental health issues, and general music

in the classroom is very interactive so there could be a link between teaching interactive general

music and music therapy. Related to article two is about meditative music which is used in music
 Ailish Hall
MUED380: Music in Elementary Schools
December 6, 2018
Scholarship Portfolio Paper

therapy. One could use “Meditative Binaural Music” in the elementary music classroom. Usually

most teachers use meditative music later on, like in high school or in college but if it was used in

elementary schools it might calm them down and create healthier minds.

“It is suggested in this paper that there exist intricate links between the quality of

spontaneous musical expression and the inner world of the person playing: specific areas of body

and brain, and corresponding patterns of emotions, thought, feelings and beliefs” (Perret, 2004,

p. 328). When learning about how to teach general music in the classroom we did a lot of hands

on activities that are expressed in this article. Looking into the article more a music educator

could figure out what activities to use and use that in their classroom to help people with mental

health, well-being and inner growth.

In Higgins’ book review he critiques community music therapy and says; “This notion

gives significance to both a contextual and ecological understanding of music and provides the

authors with a conceptual platform to argue that music, and thus music therapy, should be

considered as a sociocultural phenomenon that invites social action.” (Higgins, 2012, p. 121) If

music educators took this opinion into account and took social action, by looking into

community music therapy, they would see that there is a connection between music and mental

health and that not only music therapists can go into this but also music educators if exposed to

the right research.

Now moving on to the other side of music and mental health: the effects of music on

people. In the Eerola’s 2014 article:​ Extended music education enhances the quality of school

life, Music Education Research. ​It talks about what exactly is in the title. The results for quality

of school life were positive when exposed to music. This article can prove that teaching music
 Ailish Hall
MUED380: Music in Elementary Schools
December 6, 2018
Scholarship Portfolio Paper

can help with someone’s quality of life in general music classrooms. So all someone has to do is

teach extended music classes, because that was the other part of the article was teaching ​extended

music classes on top of general music classes during school. The next article that talks about the

effects of music on people is: ​The power of music: Its impact on the intellectual, social and

personal development of children and young people.​ Music educators can use this article to

prove how music can help the minds of children and can make transfers to other aspects of life.

“Many years’ trial with music in mental cases has only furthered his opinion. He said: “Music is

responsible for cures among the insane and improvements of patients seemingly in a hopeless

condition that are little short of marvelous.” (Podolsky, 1953, p. 66). This is a short article on a

newspaper where it explains music and mental health and again music educators can use this to

help people with mental health issues through teaching and them using aspects of music

education techniques as well as music therapy techniques.

Recommendations for further research:

For further research, I would look into some of the longer articles in the music education

journals as well as music therapy journals. “If this occurs early in development the alterations in

brain development may become hard-wired and produce permanent changes in the way

information is processed (e.g., Schlaug, Jancke, Huang, & Steinmetz, 1995a, 1995b).” (Hallam,

2010, p. 270). This quote can be helpful if someone wanted to look more into the neurological

effects of music on the brain and the health benefits it has as well. They could just look at the

references at the bottom as well. Another good place to find sources that are peer-reviewed is the

“ulrichsweb” website and they have many music therapy, mental health, and music education

research journals that are authentic. They have many research journals that are from many
 Ailish Hall
MUED380: Music in Elementary Schools
December 6, 2018
Scholarship Portfolio Paper

different countries around the world who have done studies like. ​Extended music education

enhances the quality of school life, Music Education Research: ​the psychological studies were

done on children in Finnish schools in Finland!

In conclusion this paper address the question: “​How can music teachers address and

support mental health with young learners?” You can look on both sides of the question and look

at the mental health side, or the music side and how they affect each other. These articles can

help music teachers/educators to support mental health and they even show them how to use

various methods in mental health and music to help young learners in their journey to

adolescence where they can be free of mental illness.

 Ailish Hall
MUED380: Music in Elementary Schools
December 6, 2018
Scholarship Portfolio Paper

References

Abramo, J. (2015b). Negotiating gender, popular culture, and social justice in music education.
In, C. Benedict, P. Schmidt, G. Spruce, & P. Woodford (Eds.), The Oxford Handbook of
Social Justice in Music Education (pp. 582-597). New York: Oxford University Press.

Belinda Boekhoven, Anne Bowker, Simon Davidson, Angelina Cacciato & Barb Gray (2012)
Review of arts-based therapies for Canadian youth with lived experience of mental
illness, Vulnerable Children and Youth Studies, 7:2, 164-173, DOI:
10.1080/17450128.2012.661890

Daniel Perret (2004) Roots of musicality: On neuro-musical thresholds and new evidence for
bridges between musical expression and 'inner growth', Music Education Research, 6:3,
327-342,DOI: ​10.1080/1461380042000281767

George Lee-Harris, Renee Timmers, Nigel Humberstone, Daniel Blackburn (2018); Music for
Relaxation: A Comparison Across Two Age Groups, ​Journal of Music Therapy​, , thy016,
https://doi.org/10.1093/jmt/thy016

Hallam, S. (2010). The power of music: Its impact on the intellectual, social and personal
development of children and young people. ​International Journal of Music
Education,28​(3), 269-289. doi:10.1177/0255761410370658

Lee Higgins (2012) Where music helps: community music therapy in action and reflection,
Music Education Research, 14:1, 120-122, DOI: ​10.1080/14613808.2012.667943

Päivi-Sisko Eerola & Tuomas Eerola (2014) Extended music education enhances the quality of
school life, Music Education Research, 16:1, 88-104, DOI:
10.1080/14613808.2013.829428

Podolsky, E. (1953). Music and mental health. ​Music Educators Journal,40​(2), 66.
doi:10.2307/3387922