Creating a Trauma-Informed Music Classroom

Hattie B. Saunders

James Madison University

Author’s Note: Hattie Saunders is an undergraduate student at James Madison

University studying Music Education and Music Industry.

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

children and adolescents if not addressed, yet research on trauma-informed music

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

personal traumas as part of everyday classroom environment and commonplace

pedagogy?

I spent this past summer working at a Title-I elementary school in my hometown,

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

well-read on trauma informed education as a whole, but I had questions about

trauma-informed music education specifically, as music is such an emotional stimulant

for everyone, and I wanted to see how this can effect traumatized students.

Applying trauma-sensitive practices in the music classroom piqued my interest,

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

beneficial practices could be applied in a day-to-day music classroom environment

In addition, I aimed to learn about ways of helping traumatized students cope

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

processes of music in direct response to traumatic events (McFerran & Teggelove,

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

general education pedagogy to craft a trauma-informed music education pedagogy?

What are common aspects of music education to include or avoid in a trauma-informed

music education classroom?

 Review of Literature:

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

grounding techniques and a cohesive “process” to aid in the rehabilitation of trauma

survivors.

This process began by introducing survivors to basic breathing and grounding

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

session required participants to each bring a favorite piece of music to introduce

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

exercise is intended to keep participants grounded and focused even through

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

structured way to verbalize thoughts and feelings.

Alanne’s research explores the benefits of music therapy (specifically listening

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

in the non-verbal stage of grief and recovery.

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

songwriting and song-sharing assisted individuals that had experienced

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

furthered the importance of community-wide music therapy, particularly for adolescents,

after community and school-wide trauma. However, the practices explained in this

article can easily be applied in a classroom that hasn’t experienced a school or

community wide trauma as well.

The Palidofsky & Stolbach article describes a therapy program for incarcerated

female adolescents in which theatre professionals partner with incarcerated females to

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

opportunity to facilitate coping based on these traumas. In addition, this research

supports claims that ​incarcerated individuals are more likely to have been exposed to

traumatic events and maltreatment in their youth.

 The Mayers article ​proposes a new therapy technique that aims for results similar

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,

melody, and rhythm (similarly to the McFerran article).

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.

Additionally, this article cites the expansion of mental-health programs in schools as

originating with The President’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health in

2003, and in turn, this provided grant funding for trauma-informed practices and projects

such as Project SERV and elementary and middle school counseling.

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

of a repressed trauma. In my opinion, it is important as educators to make professional

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

traumas and (typically) can share these traumas with you.

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

spectrum includes traumatic stress, such as physical abuse, chronic medical

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

lists additional symptoms of toxic-stress affected children, such as overstimulation,

difficulty regulating emotions, inability to voice feelings, anger, physical aggression,

impaired cognitive development, and impaired physical development. In addition, this

article stresses that trauma-affected students are often misdiagnosed with Attention

Deficit Disorder, Oppositional-Defiant Disorder, Conduct Disorder, and other behavioral

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

school-wide and community wide trauma situations.

The Pine and Cohen ​research identifies symptoms of various psychological

disorders in children exposed to various forms of trauma over time. In addition, the

study explores the benefits of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in victims of

childhood sexual trauma. The study found that CBT was beneficial for the control group

(non-traumatized children) as well as the experimental group, as Cognitive Behavioral

Therapy alleviates symptoms of anxiety by challenging negative self-talk before

symptoms of anxiety become debilitating.

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

improvisation. Scholar Natalie Rogers emphasizes the therapeutic processes through

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

created by students. In addition, this article explores the in-depth relationship

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.

Recommendations For Practice:

Student-led songwriting projects were the most frequently cited therapy

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,

whether or not this song is related to their traumas is up to them.

“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

awful situation cannot last forever. (Mayers, 495.)”

In addition, the Macintosh and Stolbach articles both specifically mentioned

songwriting as being beneficial for survivors of trauma. Macintosh strongly encouraged

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.

In addition, Macintosh makes an argument for a different type of songwriting.

“Fill-in-the-Blank techniques, changing words to familiar songs, vocal improvisation,

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.

I believe that the most important aspect of a songwriting project is that it is

entirely student-led, to allow students to share their experiences, rather than reflections

of someone else’s experience. This storytelling is vital for survivors as demonstrated in

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

allowed for movement into more difficult material (Macintosh, p. 3).”

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

intervention in childhood trauma cases: “​Positive, nurturing experiences in 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

affected children, such as ADD, ODD (Oppositional Defiant Disorder), Conduct

Disorder, and other behavioral disabilities.

 Childhood trauma victims often show symptoms that negatively impact school

performance, such as lower attendance rates, overstimulation, difficulty regulating

emotions, inability to voice feelings, anger, physical aggression, difficulty reading/

delayed reading, impaired cognitive development, and impaired physical development.

As educators, we must recognize signs of a traumatized student and consult a school

guidance counselor for assistance in determining student traumas.

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.

Fourthly, cultivating an open, connected, family-like atmosphere in the classroom

is crucial for trauma-informed pedagogy. In Macintosh’s article, a positive and trusting

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

improvisational songwriting techniques. (Macintosh, p. 3)”

 Finally, another important aspect of a trauma-informed music education

classroom, is the encouragement of creativity whenever possible. Davis specifies that

“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

teacher intervention. In order to accomplish this maximization of creativity, teachers can

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

a particular subject, as opposed to being told exactly what to do.

Recommendations for Further Research:

To further this research, I suggest looking into the implementation of music

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

trauma affected students.

 In addition, I suggest researching trauma-informed language to use in the

classroom, especially with younger students. Many victims of trauma are triggered or

retraumatized by specific words and phrases, and using a trauma-informed language

can alleviate these triggers in the classroom.

Finally, I suggest researching the effects of student trauma on teachers, as

teaching is such a personal, emotional profession. Many articles warned of

“second-hand trauma” in teachers with traumatized students. Knowing the warning

signs of second-hand trauma and knowing resources for teachers experiencing

second-hand trauma are vital for educators in trauma-informed situations.

References:

Alanne, S. (2010). ​Music psychotherapy with refugee survivors of torture:

Interpretations of three clinical case studies​. Helsinki: Sibelius-Akatemia.

Davis, K. M. (2010). Music and the expressive arts with children experiencing

trauma. ​Journal of Creativity in Mental Health, 5(​ 2), 125-133.

Ko, S. J., Ford, J. D., Kassam-Adams, N., Berkowitz, S. J., Wilson, C., Wong, M.,

. . . Layne, C. M. (2008). Creating trauma-informed systems: Child welfare, education,

first responders, health care, juvenile justice. ​Professional Psychology: Research and

Practice, 39(​ 4), 396-404.

 Macintosh, H. B. (2003). Sounds of healing: Music in group work with survivors of

sexual abuse. ​The Arts in Psychotherapy,​ ​30​(1), 17-23.

Mayers, K. S. (1995). Songwriting as a way to decrease anxiety and distress in

traumatized children. ​The Arts in Psychotherapy, 22(​ 5), 495-498.

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).

Palidofsky, M. & Stolbach, B. C. (2012). Dramatic healing: The evolution of a

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

treatment of psychiatric sequelae. ​Biological Psychiatry,​ ​51(​ 7), 519-531.

doi:10.1016/s0006-3223(01)01352-x

Walkley, M. & Cox, T. L. (2013). Building trauma-informed schools and

communities, ​Children & Schools​, Volume 35, Issue 2, 1 April 2013, Pages 123–126,