Arts+ Fosters Mental Health Through Music and Visual Art Programming
Around 20% of children and adults in the United States live with mental illness, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Thankfully, studies show that engaging with the arts can improve mental health. Creating visual art and making music have been proven to support the management of anxiety and depression, reduce stress, and enhance social cohesion, according to the World Health Organization. That is why Arts+ considers mental health in its music and visual art programming.
In group music programs including the Charlotte Youth Choir, Project Harmony, and adult group classes, Arts+ instructors intersperse centering activities and breathing exercises into the fabric of rehearsals. Providing moments for self-reflection and discussion allows students to learn from themselves and each other. Angela Grauel, Director of Studio 345, says of her experience in Cello 101 and 201, “Playing the cello helps reduce stress, and it’s fun learning with other adults.”
In private music lessons, children and adult students learn much more than how to play their instruments. Because playing music is a skill that requires a significant time investment, students learn to bring structure and routine to their practicing schedule. “The development of practice routines fosters a sense of approaching all of life’s varied responsibilities with diligence and patience,” says Wes Smith, Director of Music Programs. Private music lesson students are also able to explore positive self-expression. Instructors provide students with a safe space to explore their interests, working with them to self-select music that resonates with them and even helping them write their own songs.
Meeting students where they are is key to fostering strong mental health. That is why Arts+ offers Neuro Music and Art Labs, programs designed specifically for neurodivergent students. By providing headphones for those with sound sensitivities and nitrite gloves for those with textile sensitives, Arts+ creates an environment where all students can enjoy the arts. In Neuro Music Lab, students enjoy singing, classroom instruments, movement, and rhythm games while learning to express themselves through sound and motion. In Neuro Art Lab, students are given the tools they need to create art that is uniquely theirs, allowing for a joyful, calm environment.
Arts+ provides similar experiences to adult students. Our 3-hour visual art workshops allow students to spend a Saturday recharging for the week ahead, and our 6-week group classes encourage periods of calm within busy work weeks. Haley Rafferty, Director of Philanthropy, recently took Collage 101 with Tom Thoune, a teaching artist who brings mental health into his own art and his teaching by denouncing perfectionism. In Collage 101, Haley and her fellow students thought of nothing but colors, scissors, and glue, arranging things in a way that felt right in the moment. “It was a total calming mental reset,” says Haley. “I brought all of my pieces home, and when I see them, they make me so happy!”
Arts+ thanks the Tim Lemmond Memorial Fund for its generous subsidy of Neuro Music and Art Labs and Charlotte Symphony, Arts and Science Council, D'Addario Foundation, Brungard Family Foundation, and Brighthouse Financial Foundation for their support of Project Harmony.