Music4Health Virtual Music Therapy Event
I had the opportunity to partner with Music4Health for a virtual songwriting event on April 29. This was provided in celebration of the Month of the Military Child. We worked alongside CAARNG Child and Youth Programs, and we had a blast! Prior to Covid-19, this was going to be an in-person event, but we adjusted and provided a Zoom event to K-8 students in all of California.
As we honor and remember those who served our country, it is important to honor and support family members of those who serve in the military. Military kids in particular deal with a variety of struggles and challenges, and it was an honor to work with students at this songwriting event.
Students engaged in the songwriting experience and took ownership - giving our group and our song the title of “The Turtle Military” since the turtle was a shared favorite pet among the group members. Though strangers at the start of the songwriting event, the students bonded and connected through their shared struggles as military kids and were exchanging social media information by the end of the event in order to stay in touch.
I worked with students in grades 6-8, and I learned so much from them as they shared the challenges of having military parent(s). We discussed a variety of challenges that they experience, and then we discussed ways of coping with those challenges. We took the challenges and coping skills and worked them into our own blues song.
Common challenges discussed:
Constantly moving/relocating
Lack of control and autonomy
Parent(s) missing events when on leave
Parent(s) gone for extended periods of time
coping skills identified:
Playing with pets
Physical exercise, particularly playing sports
Creative outlet through art and music
Confiding in people we trust
“Finding someone you can relate to makes all the difference.”
Finding someone you can relate to makes all the difference! The students experienced this firsthand, thanks to the efforts of Music4Health and CAARNG Child and Youth Programs. It was an honor to partner with both organizations to celebrate the Month of the Military Child!