Learn­ing Goals

Par­tic­i­pants will:

• Devel­op cre­ative con­fi­dence through col­lab­o­ra­tive music-making.
• Explore rhythm, sound, voice, and movement.
• Trans­form sto­ries, mem­o­ries, and cul­tur­al expe­ri­ences into music.
• Prac­tice lis­ten­ing, coop­er­a­tion, and shared decision-making.
• Expe­ri­ence music as a tool for con­nec­tion, belong­ing, and self-expression.

Facil­i­ta­tion Approach

This project uses a par­tic­i­pant-led, trau­ma-informed approach.

Key Prin­ci­ples

Every voice has value.

Cre­ativ­i­ty is collaborative.

Cul­tur­al knowl­edge is celebrated.

Exper­i­men­ta­tion is encouraged.

Process is as impor­tant as the final musi­cal product.

Par­tic­i­pants have agency over cre­ative decisions.

Out­comes

Par­tic­i­pants leave with:

• an orig­i­nal col­lab­o­ra­tive composition
• increased con­fi­dence in cre­ative expression
• stronger social connections
• expe­ri­ence work­ing collectively
• a sense of belong­ing through shared music-making

The fol­low­ing is the les­son plan for Ses­sion 1 of a 6‑session project.

To access the com­plete project guide, includ­ing all six les­son plans, detailed activ­i­ty instruc­tions, and sug­gest­ed adap­ta­tions for dif­fer­ent age groups and learn­ing needs, please down­load the full facil­i­ta­tor guide.

FACILITATOR REFERENCE

Sound Sources

• Body: Clap, stomp, pat, snap, tap
• Voice: Hum, “shh”, “ooo”, breath sounds
• Objects: Paper, fab­ric, keys, bottles
• Instru­ments: Drums, shak­ers, bells, tambourines

Facil­i­ta­tor Tips

• Encour­age explo­ration rather than perfection.
• Keep sounds sim­ple and repeated.
• Focus on lis­ten­ing as much as mak­ing sound.
• Sup­port hes­i­tant par­tic­i­pants by mod­el­ing sim­ple ideas.
• End each ses­sion with a short reflec­tion and silence.

SESSION 1 | Explor­ing Sound

Goal: Build con­fi­dence explor­ing body, voice and every­day objects.

Wel­come: Name Rhythm Cir­cle (10 min)

• Mod­el by say­ing your name with a sim­ple body rhythm.
• Group repeats each per­son­’s name and rhythm.
• Encour­age sim­ple ideas and participation.

Explore Sound (10 min)

Intro­duce sound qualities:

• Loud and soft
• Fast and slow
• High and low

Ask:

• Which was easiest?
• How did the sounds feel different?

Sound Mir­ror (10 min)

In pairs:

• One per­son cre­ates sounds.
• Part­ner copies exactly.
• Swap roles halfway.

Sound Sta­tions (30 min) Rotate through stations.

• Paper • Crum­ple, tear, fold, shake, rub.
• Fab­ric • Wave, shake, swirl.
• Objects • Keys, bot­tles, tap­ping and shaking.

Clos­ing (5 min)

Cre­ate one shared hum or “shh.”

Grad­u­al­ly fade to silence.

** Attached below is a sound clip of the chil­dren’s first explo­ration of body per­cus­sion and vocal sounds, includ­ing clap­ping, fin­ger snap­ping, and voice. The sounds are com­bined with sub­tle record­ings of feet mov­ing through grass as an exam­ple of bring­ing field record­ings into the explo­ration of cre­at­ing sto­ries through sound.**

In every sound there is a story.

In every sto­ry, there is connection.

In every con­nec­tion there is community

Thank-you for being part of this jour­ney of sound, story,

and con­nec­tion.