Music and Wellness

"Music and Wellness" invites students to consider how music can be a vehicle for wellness and empowerment. Students are invited to read and reflect on information about the specific impacts music can have on our mental health and how to use it to feel better, and then use that knowledge to help them understand the experiences of the films' protagonists. Then, students will consider the role of music in two films, the first about a guitarist's mental health struggles and creative practice, and the second about a man's acceptance of his own story in part through his love of music. After each, the students participate in guided reflections about the relationship between music and the film's protagonist, and the impact it has on their mental health. To conclude, students are invited to set an intention for including music as part of their toolbox of personal wellness strategies.

Note: This class includes supplementary materials that can be completed at the start of class or assigned as homework. If assigned as homework, the class duration may be approximately 15 minutes shorter.