Music as a Mental Health Practice
One of the best, easiest, (and most COST EFFECTIVE) interventions we learned about this week was through the KidsMatter program at Beyondblue. The day before Beyondblue, we were at the agency VICSEG. VICSEG specifically deals with new refugee/immigrant/asylum-seeking families. The agency visit really opened our eyes to the challenges these families face, especially in community integration. With our minds still so focused on these populations’ struggles we were in awe of the simple yet insanely impactful practice from Beyondblue.
Music in culture is sacred. We learned how much a person connects to these culture values, and misses them when they are not there. Although families flee to Australia from danger of their home, the truth is they still miss aspects of their home. They often face a hard time from not being welcomed in Australia.
Beyondblue incorporated a seemingly small school intervention, which was met with tears of happiness from grateful families. The intervention? They incorporated music from various cultures of their students and families. Each day, in place of the standard school bell, a different song was played during the class breaks. This was an amazing solution to acknowledging the feelings that new refugee/immigrant/asylum-seeking families had of being left out. These families who were feeling not welcomed to their new school, had a feeling of being welcomed just by a few chords of a song,
The key to the intervention was Beyondblue listening to the community and assessing the needs. The key was, to not just have standard bells, or play Australian music, or play a generalized sweep of “African” or “Asian” music. The school and Beyondblue worked together to find music from the specific cultures and dialects of each of the children who attended their schools. With this simple switch, families with little to no English were still given the clear message that they were known and welcomed. It was a small and simple acknowledgement not just of the school’s diversity and multiculturalism, but also of each individual student and their family.
Video of the reactions of the families to hearing their own cultures songs was heartwarming. One woman commented, “walking my daughter to school and hearing my villages music was the first time I felt I really belonged.”
Let’s do it – Musical Implementation in Ohio!
This intervention is cost effective, practical, and easy to implement. This practice is something that we could easily adopt in the US and specifically in Columbus. Multiculturalism in our schools is increasing, to the dismay of some, and the awkward feeling of exclusion for many. Columbus has one of the highest rates of Somali individuals in the United States. Columbus only continues to grow more diverse.
In my experience of working with Somali families I’ve noticed the way the parents interact with (or, in reality, don’t interact with) the school systems. I understand where they’re coming from – they are displaced and not acknowledged, but no matter the situation I want to work towards what is best for their child. If the schools these children attended took the chance to spend a few moments creating a playlist of songs that are meaningful to their students cultures, slowly a bond between the system and the families could start to emerge.
The Musical Authors:
Alex & Kayla
Music – all cultures – all the time
One thing that has been present across all cultures, in all variations – is music. It is so defining to us. Ask any person – “what is your favorite band / song / genre of music” and you’ll notice it’s a question that will always engage a thoughtful response.
Music is an art form that can evolve to serve multiple purposes. We use it as a creative tool to express our culture, for example Aboriginals and the didgeridoo, and we use it as a way to define ourselves, like the great Beatles or Rolling Stones debate. For those wondering: Kayla = The Beatles; Alex = The Rolling Stones.
As mentioned, one way that agencies have reached out to try and work with immigrants and refugees is by playing their music. We saw this with Beyondblue playing different cultures’ music at schools to give them a sense of “home” where they might not have expected it. We also learned about practices VICSEG uses to embrace the refugees and asylum seekers using art, and music from their home countries during meditation to help alleviate stress and trauma. Even an amazing app created by Young and Well called Music eScape, which engages kids by using their iTunes library to create specific mood- altering playlists. All these mental health agencies understand: music is powerful. One-way music represents us is it makes us feel at home. Sometimes literally! Personally, I have never been to a sporting event where the national anthem wasn’t played. Another way music is powerful is it so deeply ties into our memories.
While here in Australia, we have developed a bit of an Australian playlist that will most likely be in our memories forever.
- G’Day G’Day – Slim Dusty
- https://youtu.be/PT331BRkkP0?list=RDPT331BRkkP0
- This song was introduced to us while on the Great Ocean Road trip. It’s catchy isn’t it? Well – all trip, it has been normal practice for one of us to randomly start the song, followed by the cohort chorus. Why are we so obsessed with this song? This song feels like Australia. While we have only been here a few weeks, this song captures the feeling of our “home” during our stay here. Also, the line “isn’t great- to be an Aussie…” is just so true! It really is great to be an Aussie.
- Archie Roach – Took the Children Away
- https://youtu.be/aywDT6yHMmo
- Here, much of our studies have focused on learning more about the Aboriginals. As many of us are focused on child welfare, the part that most resonated with us is the Stolen Generation. The Stolen Generation references a time where many Aboriginal children were removed from their homes, stolen from their families, and relocated. Archie Roach himself was a child who was removed from his home and placed in foster care. He wrote the song after his sister wrote a letter detailing his history. The song is so powerful, after a month of learning about Aboriginal culture the song still awes us with the haunting harmony.
- Men at Work – Land Down Under
- https://youtu.be/XfR9iY5y94s
- This song was the first time many of us heard of vegemite sandwiches. This is another song that we sang frequently during the Great Ocean Road trip. I’m not sure if any one of us ever learned any lyrics other than “land of down underrrr!” But we can really belt out those few lines!
- Come Let Go -Xavier Rudd
- https://youtu.be/AHEkA5JzIbc
- This song is most meaningful to me (Alex!). I have for years been a Xavier Rudd fan. I have loved the peaceful, and all inclusive message of Xavier Rudd’s songs for a long time. What is funny, is one day on the trip I started to feel homesick so I put on some relaxing music for something to feel familiar. Ironically – my playlist had songs by my favorite artists Xavier Rudd and John Butler Trio… Who are both Australian! The moment made me laugh, but still had the comforting feeling I was seeking. Being in Australia, I felt so tied to the song from the style, and the understanding of the musical influence of the didgeridoo from the Aboriginals. This song just really explains the trip motto of “just come let go.”
- Redemption Song – Bob Marley
- https://youtu.be/QrY9eHkXTa4
- (Kayla’s song) One would think that since my dad used to tour with Bob Marley that I would have a special connection with his music. This is surprisingly the opposite, as I grew up as the type who rebelled against what he liked. One could imagine the shock and surprise, then, upon coming to Australia and hearing his famous “Redemption Song” over and over. It started in Cairns, where I met a French backpacker who played it for me on her guitar. Within my stay there, I had heard it at least four more times, either in the bars and restaurants I went to, or by street performers outside of them. In Sydney, I found it to be the same. By the time I got to Melbourne, it was almost a pleasant reminder song, telling me that I was still here in beautiful Australia. It was the first song I heard by a street performer when I exited the train at Southern Cross Station early in the morning on the way to meet the group for the first time. When we got to Wanderlust the next week, it was the first song covered by the band playing there. It was played another time while we were there, too. Today, on our last day here, I heard it played again from the tram car by another street performer. While it isn’t an Australian song, and one that I would not have chosen to listen to on my own, but it is now one that I will hold for myself as a memory token of my time in Australia.
- I Am Australian
- https://youtu.be/jD3SkTyXzcE
- This song explains itself. Are we Australian? No… But for the last month we have been in our own perception! So this song just came naturally. Also who can resist belting out “I ammmm, you areeeee, WE AREEE AUSTRALIAN!”
Music as The Great Equalizer
Before this trip almost none of us knew each other. The personalities so attracted to this trip were the ones who were kind of like, “sure, I’ll go to the other end of the world not knowing anyone because I like the adventure!”
We have now been together here for weeks. Often times spending literal days together in vans, traveling, camping, and eating. The time difference from home (being ahead a total of 14 hours) limits our communication to our people in the states, because half of our day they are sleeping – and visa versa. So here we are, a group of random folks thrown together by the lust of adventure and preference in academics. So we came together, not unlike the early group of Australians – metaphorically of course (minus the being convicts part).
Last night we realized we really created a little makeshift OSU goes to Land of OZ family. The best way to celebrate? MUSIC. As a group, we rallied together and spent our last night singing karaoke. Although karaoke might seem trivial, the truth is it was an opportunity to express ourselves as individuals, and as a whole group. We all choose songs together, or supported one another on stage.
During karaoke, there was a similar egregious group of Australians singing as well. Our two groups slowly merged into one big group – and the last song (Journey – Don’t Stop Believing) both of our groups belted out the words together. The last night summed up the feelings of the trip. We bonded both as an OSU makeshift family during our stay, and were warmly greeted and embraced by the Australians.
And so we say: G’Day G’Day!
G’DAY & Peace Out!
