Building Safety, Belonging and Purpose through Music
MUSIC PRACTITIONER TRAINING
Introduction
If you're a Music Education Hub or other service providing music programmes for children, young people and the wider community in the UK or beyond you probably already recognise the profound effect of music on the people you serve. But did you know that music is one of the most powerful tools we have to support the Wellbeing of human beings? It affects us:
Biologically - interacting with heart beat, breathing and the wider functions of the autonomic nervous system.
Psychologically - shifting mood and supporting the healthy release of emotions.
Socially - providing opportunities for new connections and the establishment of positive new identities.
And it's fun too! This is incredibly useful because through music we can approach the complex needs of individuals and groups simply by interacting in an enjoyable musical activity.
"The 2 days gave me a reminder to focus more on the whole child, rather than the 'musical pupil' who sits in front of me. I really valued the music, the sharing and the feeling of support from within the group, most of whom were strangers."
- Anne Owen
Teacher, North Somerset Music Service
Teacher, North Somerset Music Service
Today's World is a Challenging Place
It's been a tough couple of years on the planet. For good or for ill no one has been unaffected by the massive changes in our world. Levels of stress have increased and mental health is daily in the news. For many children and young people their sense of Wellbeing has been profoundly affected by the uncertainty of the moment, touching every aspect of life - from health, to relationships, to education. And when young people's mental health is affected, it has a direct effect on the Wellbeing of those who are there to support them.
As humans we unconsciously pick up on the feelings of others. If we're surrounded by stressed out people, like a second virus the feeling of threat becomes contagious passing from person to person until deep down many of us no longer feel safe. We automatically mobilise our Neurobiology of Threat to defend ourselves from attack, shifting from feeling calm to feeling angry, anxious, frozen, helpless or out of control.
But there's good news. Just as we have a Neurobiology of Threat, we also have a Neurobiology of Safety, and it just so happens that music is one of the most effective ways of switching it back on. In this training you will learn how to use the skills you already have to hack into the nervous system and bring back a sense of calm, control and joy to the young people you support.
The Training
In The Human Hive we define Wellbeing as the combination of:
A feeling of emotional and psychological SAFETY
An awareness of BELONGING to people and place
A sense of PURPOSE in the things we do
We'll show you how to use the musical skills you already have to re-establish these vital qualities in the young people you support and by extension, to you personally and the wider community around you.
We will cover:
Stress - the internal switch that triggers it
Overwhelm - how and why it happens
Safety - how to recognise, replicate and share the feeling
Music - how and why it's the best tool we have to promote wellbeing
Co-creation - how co-created music activities are a gateway to inclusion and empowerment
The training is a combination of theoretical and practical learning, with a focus on your own context and plenty of opportunity to put new skills into immediate practice. You'll come away with:
An understanding of the nervous system and how you can use your current musical skills to bring back a sense of calm, control and joy.
Easy tools you can use straight away to shift your sessions towards Wellbeing.
New inclusive musical games and activities.
Ideas to start your own projects suitable for your context.
A new lesson/activity plan designed by you using The Human Hive Co-Evolution Framework.
A community of practice with whom you can share ideas, plan sessions and develop schemes of work.
The Human Hive Music Practitioner Training is a groundbreaking interactive programme designed to turn you into a powerful force for Wellbeing wherever you work.
Structure of the Programme
The Human Hive Music Practitioner Training is a combination of online and in person workshops.
1. ONLINE INTRODUCTORY SESSION
A 90 minute interactive session to introduce the basic concepts of how music affects the nervous system and to lay the foundations for the in person workshop.
This session can be taken as a standalone for a wider group, or as the introduction to the programme.
2. IN-PERSON PRACTITIONER WORKSHOP
Over two 7 hour days we'll turn theory into practice and cover everything you need to know to transform your current sessions into havens of Wellbeing. We'll be trying out musical activities and make music together, so bring your instruments and your voice and get ready to have some fun!
3. ONLINE FOLLOW-UP SESSION
A 2 hour online follow-up session to bring the group back together, check into how things are going and answer any questions that have arisen from your sessions. We recommend that the training group is able to meet at regular intervals to share ideas, support each other and deepen practice and in this session we'll discuss how you can keep that going.
We recognise that all our trainees are experts in their own right. This training takes what you already know and shifts how you apply your knowledge to meet the multiple needs of the people you serve.
Want to get a feel for the training? Check out this video of a Music Practitioner Training we ran in Bristol in January 2022.
Who is it for?
The Human Hive Music Practitioner Training is designed for anyone working with music in educational or community settings, from any musical background:
Music teachers
Peripatetic instrumental teachers
Band / orchestra leaders
Community musicians
Youth leaders
Workshop leaders
Music therapists
Freelancers and employed
This training is especially beneficial for Music Services and Hubs that work across a number of different musical settings and want to create an interconnected community of practice, with a shared language and understanding of how to work in a safe, inclusive and empowering way. The cross pollination of skills, ideas, genres and expertise make for an enriching new way to learn from each other and can expand your service to create exciting new projects built on the expertise you already have available.
Benefits of the Training
The Human Hive Music Practitioner Training has many interconnecting benefits, which make it far more than the sum of its parts.
FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
Improved learning and social outcomes
Better self-regulation and behaviour management
More resilience and self-determination
Fuller integration of SEND pupils
Stronger sense of community
FOR PRACTITIONERS
Improved confidence using music for Wellbeing
New knowledge / skills around self and co-regulation
A clear understanding of how small changes can make all the difference to successful outcomes
Better behaviour management
New ways to support learning for a wider spectrum of learners
Context-specific interventions designed by you for your work environment
Improved personal mental health and self-care
New professional opportunities across the network
Membership of an expanding global network of teachers and musicians
FOR HUBS AND SERVICES
Better relationships and more connection across the service
Improved understanding of individual needs of service users and staff
Improved levels of inclusion
Potential for better learning outcomes and school attendance, leading to better OFSTED assessments
Enhanced skills and empowerment across your service, leading to new projects and opportunities for all
Access to an experienced training team who have applied this knowledge in education, community and crisis environments globally
Connection to a global network of like-minded organisations and practitioners
"This course is probably the first in all my career where I have not wandered off in mind during the day. The whole of the 2 days was completely engaging. All the time, I was thinking about the material; I was either relating it to past children and experiences or considering how I could implement these ideas with my current class and in my school. An extremely empowering course which demonstrated the importance and potential power of music to improve people's lives. My class are loving the impact already and so am I. Even my non-musical colleagues were singing by the end of a recent staff meeting I led. Thank you so much."
- Rachael Swonnell, Class Teacher
Costs and Capacity
Online Introductory Session
Introduction session: £1000
Introductory Session can be for your entire service. As it's online we can accommodate large numbers via Zoom
2 Day In-Person Practitioner Workshop and Follow-up Session
Full Programme
£3500 + travel and accommodation for two trainers
For a maximum of 25 people
Introductory Session, 2 Day In-Person Workshop and Follow Up Session
£4000 for the entire programme + travel and accommodation for two trainers
(Represents a £500 discount for booking the whole programme)
Your Trainers
Darren Abrahams is a singer, coach, trauma therapist and trainer working internationally as a facilitator and project leader in the fields of personal, cultural and community development.
Darren is co-founder of The Human Hive.
He is on the steering team and head of pastoral care for The Complete Freedom of Truth, an international youth-led project run by Opera Circus developing global youth citizenship through culture and the arts and is a trainer and Wellbeing Adviser for Musicians Without Borders where he trains musicians to use music for peace building.
As a singer Darren performed internationally for companies such as The Young Vic, English National Opera, The Royal Opera, Teatro Comunale di Bologna and Wexford Opera.
In 2021 he co-created new opera BEAM with soprano and empowerment coach Nadine Benjamin which will tour nationally in 2023.
Darren is an expert at making people feel safe while bringing communities together to heal.
DARREN ABRAHAMS
Co-founder of The Human Hive
Zangi has the privilege of travelling and facilitating music workshops in different parts of the UK, Europe and the USA. Zangi is part of The Complete Freedom of Truth team, an international youth-led project run by Opera Circus. He also works with Darren Abrahams of The Human Hive as a music facilitator.
As a freelance music facilitator, he has worked with a range of different organisations that include educational settings, the voluntary and community sector, faith communities including young people with disabilities, older people with dementia, adults in recovery from addiction and young people who have experienced trauma. His mentoring role aims to empower and support both established and upcoming artists and musicians.
Zangi is the co-founder of The Root, a registered charity in the UK, which aims to empower people to bring about positive change in their local community and works in Naivasha, Kenya.
ALEX GICHOHI
(Also known as Zangi)
(Also known as Zangi)
Gospel singer/songwriter, music producer, creative music workshop facilitator & mentor.
"The Human Hive's training and the new ideas and lens with which to view teaching, learning, well-being, and self-care are really practical and inspirational".
- Joan Green
Music Teacher
Music Teacher
Sign up for Music Practitioner Training Today
Frequently Asked Questions
How long is the training?
The training is:
- 90 minute Intro session
- 2 x7 hour in-person workshops
- 2 hour follow-up session (usually 2-3 months after the in-person workshops)
How much does it cost?
£4000 for the entire programme
£1000 for a standalone Introduction Session
£3500 for 2 Day Practitioner Workshop and Follow-Up Session
How many people can attend?
Ideally between 10 and 25 people, but if you have a small team we are happy to accommodate your needs. Let's have a chat about it.
Where is the training?
The Introduction and Follow-Up sessions will take place on Zoom at a link we provide. Or if you prefer we can discuss use of your internal systems such as Teams.
For the In-Person training, we are happy to come to you. Just cover our travel and accommodation costs (for 2 trainers) and we'll be there.
What size space do we need?
A decent size training room with space for people to move about. Ideally, without large pieces of immovable furniture that we can't shift ourselves.
What kind of equiptment do we need?
Just a projector and screen. We'll bring everything else.
Do we need our instruments?
Yes! Come prepared to play and have some fun co-creating with us.
Talk to us about our Wellbeing Programme and turn your service into a self-generating supportive network. Designed to build on the Practitioner Training and create Wellbeing Champions within your organisation, this programme puts prevention and long-term care at the centre of practice, by up-skilling team members to recognise, provide, and sign post the Wellbeing needs of colleagues, to ensure a healthy, resilient service.
What happens next?
"The Human Hive's approaches have inspired transformative change in our Service, from the way we engage with young people and each other to how me manage our organisation. We are passionate about positive culture and inclusive practive; The Human Hive is an essential ally in helping us achieve our vision".
- Simon Lock
Head of Service - North Somerset & South Gloucestershire Music Services; Strategic Advisor - Bath and North-East Somerset Music Service
Head of Service - North Somerset & South Gloucestershire Music Services; Strategic Advisor - Bath and North-East Somerset Music Service
About The Human Hive
The Human Hive is a Social Enterprise working with individuals and organisations to make a more welcoming, inclusive and sustainable world.
We train, support and resource change-makers working to be the difference
WITH not FOR others.
We believe that real change happens when you supercharge the power of people to help themselves, giving them:
- Tools to rebuild psychological and emotional SAFETY
- Connections to others to feel a sense of BELONGING
- Access to meaningful opportunities to gain PURPOSE
We are experts at forging links across communities, and building skills, knowledge and positive relationships through shared learning experiences.
SAFETY
PURPOSE
BELONGING
SAFETY
We're experts at forging links across communities, and building skills, knowledge and positive relationships through shared learning experiences.
Find out more
Want more details? Click here for a pdf version of this page to share with colleagues.
If you have any specific questions, or you'd like to talk anything through, hit the button to email us and we'll be in touch very soon.
Working WITH not FOR each other.