Happy Songs: Mindful Songwriting for Kids with Joe Reilly
2023 Dates: July 31-August 4: PM session
Recommended Ages: Ages 5-12
Director: Joe Reilly
Camp Description: Singer-songwriter and mindfulness practitioner Joe Reilly invites elementary school-aged children to get in touch with their creative voices, water seeds of happiness, and express themselves through singing and songwriting in this fun and unique camp. Joe shares methods of calming, listening, and cultivating awareness through simple and accessible mindfulness practices that introduce students to his songwriting process. Creative brainstorming and song development are modeled together in the group so that students can continue to write songs on their own. Students are encouraged to share their songs through performances and an in-camp recording session.
“Sitting together in a circle, we take a moment to straighten our backs, close our eyes, and listen to the sound of the bell. I invite the children to put their hands on their bellies and follow their in-breath and out-breath for as long as they can hear the sound. Sometimes I ask them to imagine someone they love or something that makes them happy. After we listen to the bell a few times, the group energy becomes calm and focused, and we’re ready to share ideas for our song.”
“These words, rhythms, and melodies form the seed of our song. We cultivate the seed into a full-grown composition, which then takes on a life of its own. It takes patience as we continue to listen to ourselves and one another, giving our song more growth. When we’re finished writing, we often share the song through a performance and/or recording. This is a wonderful gift for the young songwriters to offer to their peers and families, as it contains reflections and energy from their hearts and minds.”
Joe Reilly, LMSW is a singer, songwriter, social worker, and mindfulness practitioner who has decades of experience sharing music with children in ways that are fun, insightful, empowering, and educational. Find his music online at www.joereilly.org.
Recommended Ages: Ages 5-12
Director: Joe Reilly
Camp Description: Singer-songwriter and mindfulness practitioner Joe Reilly invites elementary school-aged children to get in touch with their creative voices, water seeds of happiness, and express themselves through singing and songwriting in this fun and unique camp. Joe shares methods of calming, listening, and cultivating awareness through simple and accessible mindfulness practices that introduce students to his songwriting process. Creative brainstorming and song development are modeled together in the group so that students can continue to write songs on their own. Students are encouraged to share their songs through performances and an in-camp recording session.
“Sitting together in a circle, we take a moment to straighten our backs, close our eyes, and listen to the sound of the bell. I invite the children to put their hands on their bellies and follow their in-breath and out-breath for as long as they can hear the sound. Sometimes I ask them to imagine someone they love or something that makes them happy. After we listen to the bell a few times, the group energy becomes calm and focused, and we’re ready to share ideas for our song.”
“These words, rhythms, and melodies form the seed of our song. We cultivate the seed into a full-grown composition, which then takes on a life of its own. It takes patience as we continue to listen to ourselves and one another, giving our song more growth. When we’re finished writing, we often share the song through a performance and/or recording. This is a wonderful gift for the young songwriters to offer to their peers and families, as it contains reflections and energy from their hearts and minds.”
Joe Reilly, LMSW is a singer, songwriter, social worker, and mindfulness practitioner who has decades of experience sharing music with children in ways that are fun, insightful, empowering, and educational. Find his music online at www.joereilly.org.