Music therapy is a discipline where music therapists work with clients to address their cognitive, communicative, emotional, musical, physical, social, and spiritual needs, through the medium of music.
In the spirit of music therapy, we would like to share the benefits of music and how we use music to support our services at Covenant House Vancouver (CHV).
At CHV, we offer a continuum of services that incorporate evidence-informed theories and practices to ensure that we care for the whole person—mind, body, and spirit. Today, there is a growing body of research proving that music can support all three. Here are a few examples:
- Writing and playing music can help facilitate emotional release, promote self-reflection, and create a sense of community.
- Listening to music can trigger the release of dopamine, lowering stress hormones such as cortisol, and promoting feelings of relaxation and calm, which translates to better mental and physical well-being.
- Engaging with music actively, through playing an instrument, singing, or dancing, has been shown to enhance cognitive function, improve memory, and boost mood.
Located in CHV’s 10-storey building at the corner of Drake and Seymour Street, is our music room. It has become a favourite space for youth and workers alike to learn, write, play music together, and connect through creative expression. And along with being fun and inspiring, the room has a deeper purpose: it encourages mental well-being and healing.
In addition to our music room, CHV also works with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (VSO) to further support any youth who is interested in music. Every Thursday, youth who access any of our programs or services can join in a two-hour session that takes place in one of VSO’s rehearsal spaces, free of charge. Even youth who no longer access our services are welcome to attend.
Brendon, Youth Worker in the Crisis Program, shared more about this collaboration with the VSO.
The rehearsal space has a variety of instruments such as a grand piano, guitars, basses, violin, flute, and drums, and singing is also an option that youth can pursue.
The thought of attending these sessions can feel quite intimidating to some youth. To help ease their fears, youth are invited to come and just observe. If a youth doesn’t feel like this is something that they want to pursue, they are free to leave at any time, with no judgement. Youth who have no previous musical experience are welcome to join. The focus of these sessions is on creativity, personal expression, and having fun.
The sessions are led by three instructors and every session is different. For example, at the beginning of a session, someone may draw a picture. The group then discusses what that image represents to them, and then they try to express that image through music.
Another session may involve the creation of a character. The group then creates a story around this character and then they try to create a soundtrack for the story. Sometimes, it’s about sitting with youth to work on a specific musical challenge. And sometimes, it’s just about jamming. It really depends on the group.
The weekly sessions are on a drop-in basis, so youth can start or stop at any point that they wish. There are some youth who try to make every session. Brendon, who has been helping to facilitate these sessions from the CHV side, said that there are some youth who have been attending regularly for over a year. On a weekly basis, the sessions are attended by five youth (a mix of regular attendees and casual participants).
In addition to these weekly sessions, the VSO also offers private lessons that youth can attend. Currently, there are five youth from CHV who are participating in these private sessions.
CHV staff are seeing the benefits of music in the youth who attend these sessions — self-esteem, confidence, socializing, sense of belonging, and hope. Brendon has seen confidence levels of shy and quiet youth grow, because they could express themselves through music, rather than words.
Brendon summed that up by saying, “Music is a good way to be able to express yourself and say what you have to say without having to talk to someone about it.”
Music can change the trajectory of your day. Brendon shared the example of a youth who was having a rough morning and was reluctant to attend a session. They decided to go, and afterwards, the youth expressed how happy they were and how helpful it was to take out their frustrations in a productive way, by playing the drums.
The VSO also provides tickets to concerts and rehearsals to further grow the love of music in young people.
Some of the youth who are participating in these VSO sessions will be performing in a closed concert to share what they have learned with those closest to them.
We would like to thank the VSO for providing this life-enriching opportunity to youth, as part of their journeys to pursuing the lives that they want for themselves and deserve.