This project addresses the increasing need for social and emotional development support among school-aged children in the United States, highlighting how instrumental music education can play a pivotal role in this area. The curriculum project aims to infuse social and emotional learning (SEL) within beginning and middle-level band classes, advocating for a shift towards a learner-centered approach that aligns with the principles of arts-based therapy. By leveraging the unique power of music to connect students with their emotional lives and foster strong social experiences, this curriculum seeks to enhance students’ social-emotional competencies while engaging them in meaningful musical activities. The literature review underscores the positive impacts of SEL programs on students’ emotional well-being, behavior, and academic engagement across diverse educational settings. The project outlines a set of curricular exercises designed to develop essential SEL skills through music instruction, addressing potential detriments of traditional instrumental music classrooms. Developed for band classroom contexts at Eisenhower Elementary and North Middle School in Hopkins Public Schools, this curriculum aligns with state standards for music and SEL, the CASEL framework, and the International Baccalaureate program, providing a comprehensive approach to fostering students’ social and emotional growth through the transformative power of instrumental music.
- Growing in Harmony and Heart: A Curriculum for Social Emotional Learning in Beginning and Middle School Band Instruction
- Emily A Cox
- Douglas C. Orzolek - University of St. Thomas, Music, Film, and Creative Enterprise
- University of St. Thomas; Master of Arts in Music Education (MA)
- Master Final Project
- 120
- Music, Film, and Creative Enterprise
- Thesis
- 991015314936603691