06/04/2026
Human development through learning an instrument: SoundMoves
SoundMoves is the approach behind Musical Minds Education and Pedagogy
Knowledge in the form of informational data and embodied experience is abundantly available. Unlike many of the great musical minds that came before us, our generation can now access opportunities to learn and grow in vastly differing areas of study.
Musical Minds is a scholarly approach to re-defining instrumental learning, placing human development at the center of its philosophy. It is a philosophy, educational method, pedagogy, and curriculum beginning at birth through adulthood. It embraces the well-being of teacher, student, and parent while nurturing the compassionate, connective bond created through music learning.
The Musical Minds education uses natural movement to link aesthetic experience with understanding of both musical concepts (elemental, theoretical, historical) and musiking (the “doing” of music: playing, performing, audiatng, visualizing, imitating, reading, improvising, composing, listening.) It begins with using developmental and somatic movement to create a connection with The Self—the part of us that is our core being—and to grow the fundamental ways to care of the at Self, such as emotional regulation, safety, security, self-expression, self-compassion, and connection with Self and others. These basic movement experiences that tie in with well-being become the core gestures to playing, linking healthy being with the technique to play the instrument.
The pedagogy evolves through and with this educational approach. All concepts and movements arise from what is safe and familiar and aligns with both mind and body.
Musical Minds philosophy takes what is proven and sound, and brings it forward. It is a concilient approach nurturing and evolving what already is established in psychological and educational practices; pedagogy for both classroom and violin learning; theories from somatic experiencing, attachment theory, and human development; neuroscience for memory, cognition, and learning; wellness practices, such as Alexander Technique, NLP, and Somatic work; and neurobiology—anatomy, functioning, and the fascia, and takes applies it to how we teach, how we play, and how we learn. Sources come from Timani, Body-Mind Centering and the work of Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen, Franklin Method, Body Mapping, Tom Meyer’s Anatomy Trains, Suzuki, Rolland, Orff, Kodaly, Dalcroze-Eurhythmics, Martha Graham technique, Attachment Theory, Somatic movement and mindfulness practices, Daniel Siegel’s Interpersonal Neurobiology, Stephen Porges’ Polyvagal Theory, Aesthetics and Bennett Reimers Music aesthetics Education, Praxial (connection and social awareness) education of David Elliot, Child Development (Piaget, Bruner, Erikson, appropriate practice) and Human psychology and development, plus my own experiences as a professional violinist, teacher, educator, somatic attachment practitioner, performance coach, and parent.
The beauty of Musical Minds is it is laid out in such a way that offers easy application. The book currently in production shares stories, children’s quotes, and information that is also available through links provided to short demos, movement practices, meditations, resources, presentations, and pedagogy for illustration of ideas and concepts presented. SoundMoves follows the linear journey from pre-instrumental to advanced level violin learning through the movement and mindful awareness of what aligns best with that student.
