EmoJam Resilience Beat

DESCRIPTION:

The EmoJam Resilience Beat is a musical activity designed for students aged 10- 12 to enhance their emotional competence, specifically resilience. In this 40- minute activity, students will use musical instruments or their voices to create a musical composition that reflects their experiences and understanding of resilience.

OUTCOMES:

• improved emotional competence, with a focus on resilience and emotional expression through music.
• enhanced musical skills, creativity, and the ability to convey emotions through sound.
• increased self-awareness of personal strengths related to resilience. greater empathy and understanding of the challenges faced by others.

DURATION: 40 minutes

MATERIALS:

• Musical instruments (e.g., keyboards, drums, xylophones) or access to online virtual instruments.
• Access to a classroom or a quiet space for practice and performance.
• Paper and writing utensils for brainstorming (if needed).
• Access to a camera or smartphone (for online classes).
• Access to a video conferencing platform (for online classes).

SKILLS RELATED:

• emotional expression through music. creativity and improvisation.
• self-awareness and self-regulation. empathy and understanding of others.

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Start by discussing the concept of resilience and the importance of emotional expression through music.
• Divide the students into small groups or work individually, depending on the availability of musical instruments.
• Provide the students with access to the instruments.
• Instruct them to create a musical composition that reflects their understanding of resilience.
• Encourage them to improvise, use different instruments, and consider the emotions associated with resilience.
• After the allotted time, have each group or student perform their composition for the class and discuss how it represents resilience.

TIPS:

• Create a supportive and non-judgmental atmosphere for students to explore their emotions through music.
• Encourage students to experiment and improvise with different instruments and sounds.
• Discuss the emotions conveyed in the compositions and how they relate to resilience.
• Emphasize that there are no right or wrong ways to express emotions through music.

REFLECTION:

• How does your EmoJam composition reflect your understanding of resilience and the emotions associated with it?
• What instruments, sounds, or musical elements did you use to express resilience in your composition, and why?
• In what ways can music and creative expressions help you and others build and maintain resilience in the face of challenges and adversity?