Health and Wellness – Cultivating Community Well-being

“We are facing a national mental health crisis that could yield serious health and social consequences for years to come,” according to the American Psychological Association. The COVID-19 pandemic’s continuing effects are compounding the stresses of work, the economy, and family life, with disproportionate effects on the less advantaged. In an effort to counter the crisis, orchestras and presenters are inviting listeners into intimate spaces to experience live music in ways designed to calm and enable self-care.

National Symphony Orchestra: Sound Health Fridays

Since April 2024, NSO has offered free Sound Health Fridays to the general public. At 10:00am, prior to 11:30 Coffee Concerts (about six per season), the NSO hosts several concurrent workshops at the Kennedy Center’s new Reach facility. A Friday Morning Sing, with the City Choir of Washington, includes audience participation. NSO musicians play for workshops in yoga or tai chi or artmaking or even memory preservation. Many of the 60-120 participants are retirees attending the Friday matinee, or families with young children. Xavier Joseph, Manager of Community Engagement, says that based on survey responses, “people love the activities, and leave feeling refreshed and fulfilled.”

Sound Health is the NSO’s expanding initiative that focuses on the intersection of music and wellness. For decades, the NSO has performed annual orchestra concerts at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and more recently ensembles have gone into Children’s National Hospital and the National Rehabilitation Hospital, alongside music therapists, to play for staff and patients. Musicians, mostly existing chamber groups within the orchestra, are recruited via a weekly newsletter that also covers a wide variety of performance opportunities through In Your Neighborhood.

The related Sound Health Network was initiated in 2016 by the Kennedy Center, where the NSO resides. Under the leadership of Renée Fleming and Dr. Francis Collins of the NIH, the Sound Health Network initiated a partnership between the Kennedy Center and National Institutes of Health, in association with the National Endowment for the Arts, exploring potential health benefits of music.

More Examples of Initiatives to Cultivate Community Well-being

Carnegie Hall: Well-Being Concerts

Well-Being Concerts combine world-class musical performances, both solos and small ensembles, with elements of self-care and mindfulness. Each Well-Being Concert is created through a collaborative process that involves feedback from artists, advisors, wellness experts, potential audience members, and partner organizations. The hour-long concert experience takes place in an immersive, nurturing space, with audience members surrounding artists and welcome to recline on floor mats and cushions. A host shares prompts and breathing exercises with the participants and encourages them to share thoughts and reflections with their fellow audience members.

Augusta Symphony: Tuning In

Tuning In is a free program that combines guided mindfulness practices with live music experiences to help participants be in the moment and in the music. The program is led by the Augusta Symphony’s music therapist and select orchestral musicians, enabling community members to tune in to self-care and manage stress.

Coeur d’Alene Symphony: Music Wellness Class

In Spring 2024, the Coeur d’Alene Symphony in Idaho offered a series of free Music Wellness Classes along with Music4Life. Designed by music therapist and violinist Judith Pinkerton, the series promised “not just melodies but a therapeutic journey through the ‘Six Habits of Music Medicine.’” Symphony musicians are training as Music Medicine Advisors in order to take the healing power of music into more venues, and to address rural mental health challenges and substance abuse.

Atlanta Symphony Orchestra: Vaccine Awareness

The Georgia Department of Health has awarded a grant to the Atlanta Symphony to provide live chamber music at a number of locations where the uninsured or under-insured can receive vaccinations. Eight string quartet appearances during the spring of 2025 are intended to enhance patients’ experience and lead to more vaccine uptake.

Canton Symphony Orchestra: Mindful Music Moments

The Canton Symphony Orchestra sponsors local schools to access 4-minute audio segments for 40 weeks of daily in-school listening, supported by classroom resources that encourage mindfulness. It delivers this initiative in partnership with The Well, which makes Mindful Music Moments available to schools across the country. The goal is to prepare students for learning-readiness and combat developmental trauma in a district disadvantaged by redlining and lack of quality food resources. This is part of a wider effort, including Kinder Concert programming, centered around health, nutrition, and wellness.

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Photo: National Symphony Orchestra Sound Health Fridays Morning Sing participants. Photo courtesy of the National Symphony Orchestra.