At the end of the Indonesian gamelan workshop, the hearing-impaired boy came up to me with a big smile. I'd purposefully put him on the biggest gong, knowing that he should be able to feel the vibrations clearly. He signed to me, ‘I feel great! Look! I've got my gong face on!’
Over the past 20 years of leading global arts workshops in schools, my team and I often had children expressing joy at the end of workshops. But it had always puzzled me – was this just an expression from having participated in an uplifting group-drumming activity or did it go deeper? Was there really any benefit to the social and emotional wellbeing of the children participating and, if so, how could we prove it?
Register now to continue reading
Register to the Music Teacher website today to read more of the latest news and developments from the world of music education.
You’ll receive:
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
