Resonant Connections
A community-based pilot project where we investigate the impact of music on English-language acquisition and mental health outcomes in immigrants and newcomers.
The music project is a participatory and community-engaged pilot project in collaboration with MOSAIC BC, involving twenty weekly music therapy sessions, each lasting approximately two hours.
Our Beginnings
This project was born at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health with Dr. Farah Shroff, Dr. Doris Sommer, Harvard language learning luminary, and Dr. Américo Mendoza-Mori, an expert on Indigenous languages and culture. This interdisciplinary group wanted to learn about the potential for music to improve well-being and foster language fluency.
Why the music project?
Using an arts-based approach via song introduces participants to common tones, patterns and inflections in the English language, commonly referred to as lullaby agents. The repetitive and emotional nature of songs encourages language practice in an uplifting, community-oriented setting, correlating learning with the positive experience of engaging with fellow learners.
The lived experience of participants in this program is the focal point of this study. We strive to include a diverse range of representation, encompassing both gender and age, and welcome new perspectives. While aspects of this study are prestructured, feedback from participants through collaborative community-engagement activities is a guiding feature for how the program will be designed.
Participants will be asked to participate in the following activities at the beginning, midpoint and end of the program:
Our Session Structure
Sessions will include listening to English music, singing with lyric support, and engaging in shared dialogue, nurturing a sense of community engagement and fostering growth in English language proficiency.
Community-level benefits!
Some of the key community benefits we anticipate from this project include enhanced emotional well-being through music sessions as well as improved language acquisition and mutual understanding through dialogue and lyric composition.
Who is involved in the Music Project?
Participants in the study will be persons aged 19 years or older who self-identify as immigrants or refugees.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ’s)
The music project encourages social connection and belonging, unlike many basic language courses. Our approach to learning is holistic, recognizing and directly addressing the broader emotional and psychological dimensions of resettlement through emphasizing the importance of using language to share these stories and build interpersonal connections.
The music project encourages social connection and belonging, unlike many basic language courses. Our approach to learning is holistic, recognizing and directly addressing the broader emotional and psychological dimensions of resettlement through emphasizing the importance of using language to share these stories and build interpersonal connections.
Your story is YOURS to tell. We aspire to create an environment where you feel comfortable sharing; however, you can share as much or as little as you like throughout the sessions.
Your story is YOURS to tell. We aspire to create an environment where you feel comfortable sharing; however, you can share as much or as little as you like throughout the sessions.
Yes, of course, we would love input from both our current participants and outside community on how you've been finding our program! Please feel free to fill out our survey below so we can gain valuable feedback on how our program is currently going and suggestions for future program design.
Music Project Feedback
Yes, of course, we would love input from both our current participants and outside community on how you've been finding our program! Please feel free to fill out our survey below so we can gain valuable feedback on how our program is currently going and suggestions for future program design.