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Trauma Informed Music Education Research
Trauma Informed Music Education Research
Trauma Informed Music Education Research
Hattie B. Saunders
Contact: saundehb@dukes.jmu.edu
Roughly 25 percent of children experience at least one traumatic event before
they reach adolescence (Ko, S. J., Ford, J. D., and peers). Traumatic stress resulting
from these traumatic events has been shown to negatively affect brain development in
education is rare. In addition, severe community and culture-wide traumas (such as the
Great Depression or the Holocaust) have lasting impacts on the countries they affect.
However, music therapy is becoming more commonly used in schools that have
experienced community wide trauma. How can music educators assist students with
pedagogy?
and while I am extremely grateful for that experience and the real-world scenarios it
provided me, I noticed an area where I was lacking- both in knowledge and practice:
trauma-informed music education. Over half of the students I worked with this summer
had been exposed to at least one kind of severe trauma. Many of my students were
survivors of domestic violence or had lost parents to drug addiction or gang violence, all
while continuing with school and everyday life. Many of my fellow teachers were
for everyone, and I wanted to see how this can effect traumatized students.
because music therapy has been observed to be more effective than talk-therapy in
many childhood trauma cases (Macintosh, H. B.), and I wanted to find out how these
with these traumas that differed from “traditional” school trauma counseling. So, I
started digging and found that, although “trauma informed music education” was not a
well-researched topic, music therapy and its effects on children is. This piqued my
interest, and I decided I wanted to find a way to include music therapy practices in my
pedagogy. When I began researching, I found articles that dealt with the creative
2011; Davis, 2010) in addition to articles about the music making process as a response
to the symptoms of traumatic events (Mayers, 1995) and hope that these articles point
me in the right direction when it comes to creating my own trauma informed music
education curriculum.
Research Questions:
How can music educators use research from music therapy and trauma informed
The majority of the literature I studied focused on different forms of trauma and
how music therapy practices assisted these individuals in their recoveries. Macintosh
(2003) describes various methods that psychologists have used to treat victims of
sexual abuse. In addition, this article mentions that many other forms of therapy are
ineffective with this specific population due to the intense nature of this abuse and the
emotional trauma that results from it. However, with music therapy, psychologists were
able to rehabilitate many symptoms of sexual abuse that previous forms of therapy were
unable to. This research suggests that music and the kinesthetic experiences that music
often inhibits reconnects the body and the mind of survivors. This research points out
that a mind-body connection is vital in the healing process, as many survivors form a
disconnection from their bodies after sexual trauma. This article strongly encourages
the songwriting process with survivors of sexual trauma, and lists many of the same
benefits as the Mayers and Stolbach articles. In addition, the article introduces many
survivors.
techniques, so that if at any point during this counseling participants felt uncomfortable
or disassociated, they could ground themselves and refocus on their healing. The first
themselves to the group and speak about why they enjoy the piece and how it helps
them heal. After this activity, participants were introduced to a grounding technique
known as “toning,” where groups sing a pitch on a unified vowel for a long period of
time, making sure to focus only on that pitch and feel it throughout the body. This
emotionally difficult activities. Once these women had formed a community and a safe
space to express their feelings, a song writing project was initiated as a safe and
techniques and imagery work) in cases of survivors of refugee torture. The article cites
that “projected listening, guided imagery, and free association” music listening aided
refugee men in adjusting to life outside of refugee prisons, and found that music therapy
was a significant factor in victims’ abilities to verbalize and express their emotions,
which (similarly to the Macintosh article) is especially important for victims that are still
This article argues that being a refugee is in-and-of-itself traumatizing, and goes
into detail about music therapy implication with refugee children. The most beneficial
practices with these students were musical improvisation, dance and movement, and
songwriting (especially using rap and hip-hop). With this specific kind of trauma, the
main goal of music therapy has been to empower students, in order to foster a sense of
belonging to a community, as refugees have left their homes abruptly and moved to an
unfamiliar environment, often creating anxiety and stress that can, as stated by Ko, S.
J., Ford, J. D. & peers, negatively affect brain development in preadolescent children.
The McFerran & Teggelove article documents the music therapy rehabilitation
process in schools affected by the Black Saturday bushfires of 2009, and how
community-wide trauma. In the project, students were permitted to choose the focus
and content of these therapy sessions, and although they were encouraged to
understand the impact of the fires, each group chose to focus on more positive topics,
like the community growth resulting from the devastation, and appreciated the fun and
freedom that came with choosing their own topics. This research emphasized and
after community and school-wide trauma. However, the practices explained in this
The Palidofsky & Stolbach article describes a therapy program for incarcerated
create and perform musicals based on their experiences. It cautions that the program
was not created by mental health professionals, but that evidence suggests it may have
therapeutic benefits. Through this process, incarcerated girls were given the opportunity
to identify and explore traumatic experiences, and in turn give professionals the
supports claims that incarcerated individuals are more likely to have been exposed to
to talk, play, and storytelling therapy, this time with music production and songwriting as
the vessel for healing. This technique requires patients and therapists to work together
to craft a song about a traumatic event, then repeatedly listen to this song as a calming
and reassuring ritual, with the goal of reducing distress and anxiety. This technique
grew out of curiosity, after reading the findings of a study on poetry-based therapy with
victims of sexual violence, as many individuals consider music to be poetry set to music.
The technique emphasizes the idea that “even the most awful situation cannot last
forever” (p. 495), and focuses heavily on the creativity of the child in terms of topic,
The Ko, Ford, and peers article examines the significant impact that trauma has
on children’s lives, and the statistical relevance of trauma on children. The researchers
state that 25% of children experience at least one traumatic event before adolescence.
In addition, researchers point out that trauma can adversely affect child development.
2003, and in turn, this provided grant funding for trauma-informed practices and projects
This article states that schools are the primary entry-point for childhood
counseling for these traumas, but that most public school systems fail to recognize
traumas before the effects become detrimental. The article points out that different
traumas have negative impacts in the classroom, such as lower IQ, slower reading,
lower GPA, and higher absence rates. However, the biggest factor in childhood trauma
(and the factor that many educational systems fail to realize) is that delinquency is the
most common symptom of toxic stress in minors. The article cites multiple studies that
show at least 75% of incarcerated youths having experienced some form of traumatic
victimization. In the classroom, this often means that traumatized students may act out
when they feel helpless or isolated due to their traumas or if they are abruptly reminded
counselors aware of these behaviors not because they are disruptive, but because they
could be a child’s call for help, and these professionals are trained to look into student
The Walkley and Cox article puts trauma in a different perspective, making the
argument that every child experiences trauma, but that the levels of trauma fall on a
continuum. On one side of the spectrum, you may have the trauma of having a toy
taken away or having to choose between two games to play. In the middle of this
procedures, or natural disasters, while the far end of the continuum is toxic stress. Toxic
stress is defined as “stress that is so emotionally costly that it can affect brain
development and other aspects of a child's health.” Neuroscientists have found that
toxic stress, if left untreated, alters the brain structure in developing children. The article
disorders, as many symptoms are the same. These misdiagnoses prevent victim
healing, as they provide excuses (and often, medication) instead of interventions for
traumatic healing. New research shows a positive correlation between the amount of
childhood adversity and long-term developmental defects. In other words, children that
have already experienced high levels of trauma are more adversely affected in
disorders in children exposed to various forms of trauma over time. In addition, the
childhood sexual trauma. The study found that CBT was beneficial for the control group
The Davis article gives evidence of the effectiveness of the use of creative arts in
the counseling of traumatized children, especially in regards to art, music, dance, and
which humans create art rather than the analysis and critique of the “end result”. In
other words, music is most helpful when it isn’t critiqued and perfected, rather it is
humankind has with music, specifically. The author points out that humans use music
continuously throughout day-to-day life, whether it is mourning or celebrating, and how
music aids and enhances these experiences for children and adolescents.
technique that helped victims of trauma. The Mayers article describes a music therapy
technique that results in a child-composed song to help them ease their anxieties,
“The children are told that they will write a song that will help assuage the bad
feelings. The song does not need to focus directly on the anxiety or distress. It may
focus on the fact that Mommy and/or Daddy love and care for them and will be there to
help, that their tummies will stop hurting, that everything will be OK, that even the most
songwriting for survivors of sexual trauma because songwriting offered a flexible way to
share common feelings. This sharing of common feelings helped in showing victims that
they weren’t alone in their traumatic experiences and weren’t alone in the negative
emotions that followed, a major step in the healing process for sexual trauma survivors.
adding new verses to known songs and parodying familiar songs are some of the
techniques developed by music therapists. (Macintosh).” This form of therapy can
expand songwriting projects to a medium that some students may be more comfortable
with.
entirely student-led, to allow students to share their experiences, rather than reflections
Macintosh’s article:
“So many of these women were denied the opportunity to speak their truths and
tell their stories that they feel that they have lost their voices in society. Through this
exercise, women regained their voices and enjoyed playing with sound in a new way.
This created safety, empowerment and containment in the group environment that
Secondly, early recognition of trauma is also vital for student success inside and
outside of the music classroom. Walkley & Cox’s article shows the importance of early
childhood build the foundation for lifelong learning and good health. Conversely,
adverse experiences during the time that the brain is most rapidly developing lead to the
most severe impact on development (Perry, 2009; Shonkoff & Richmond, 2008)” This
detrimental impact on development can lead to severe, chronic mental illnesses for
Thirdly, movement and acting are vital for rehabilitation of traumatized students.
The Palidofsky & Stolbach experiment emphasized many similar points of the
Macintosh and Mayers articles, but this project also explicitly included the elements of
movement and theatre in addition to songwriting. Acting through the musicals these girls
wrote gave survivors a psychological benefit, since they were no longer playing the
roles of themselves, rather, characters in a play. This separates the experiences in the
plays from the actors, but still encourages and facilitates critical thinking about the
“character’s” actions.
environment was needed in order to move beyond the beginning stages of therapy into
deeper and more emotional therapy, such as the songwriting project. “The group was
beginning to feel like a community and a safe space for intimate sharing after these
initial exercises. Group cohesiveness was then solidified through the use of
“expressive arts therapy places an emphasis on supporting the internal and therapeutic
processes of the creation and expression of art making, as opposed to an analysis of art
product. (Davis, p. 3)” This is true for the songwriting projects described in the
Macintosh, Mayers, and Stolbach articles, as they are most effective when students’
pick the topics of the songs they write and students’ create the music with little to no
base assignments loosely, with broad, open-ended questions that prompt varying
responses, as opposed to strict projects with little to no adaptations made for student
variation. In addition, teachers can allow students to pitch their ideas as to how projects
could be modified to allow for students’ creative goals. This prompts students to come
up with their own ideas as to how they can solve a problem or show their knowledge on
therapists in schools, and the benefits and disadvantages this may propose. Many
school districts have begun implementing music therapists as a way to teach children
on the autism spectrum, and I am curious to see if these therapists would also benefit
classroom, especially with younger students. Many victims of trauma are triggered or
References:
Davis, K. M. (2010). Music and the expressive arts with children experiencing
Ko, S. J., Ford, J. D., Kassam-Adams, N., Berkowitz, S. J., Wilson, C., Wong, M.,
first responders, health care, juvenile justice. Professional Psychology: Research and
McFerran, K., & Teggelove, K. (2011). Music therapy with young people in
schools: After the Black Saturday Fires. Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy,
11( 1).
trauma-informed musical theatre program for incarcerated girls. Journal of child and
adolescent trauma.
Pine, D. S., & Cohen, J. A. (2002). Trauma in children and adolescents: Risk and
doi:10.1016/s0006-3223(01)01352-x
communities, Children & Schools, Volume 35, Issue 2, 1 April 2013, Pages 123–126,