Bring Music Education to Students with Anxiety Disorders

Hello,

My name is Joi, and I'm the art teacher at Hearwood House. We're an SEN charity school that focuses on healing anxiety in teens who have experienced trauma, bullying, and loss.

Our students come from all walks of life, from abuse to illness. Their one unifying trait is that each needs a place where they can finally feel safe to be a kid.

As the art teacher, I try to never say no to the projects they think up. Many of our kids have had a life of the world telling them they are powerless and incapable, so if a student wants to make something, I see to it that we get it made. I've helped with dresses, wings, armor, toys—heck, we once even found a way to fill a classroom with 800 balloons for a student's prank.

However, this mentality can only get me so far when it comes to music lessons.

Our school has an inviting, if slightly out-of-tune, piano that every child seems to fall in love with. I don't know how to play, but I've added stickers and charts to help the kids learn which notes are which.

I love the sound of my students slowly trying to work out the melody of their favorite songs. Some can spend hours transcribing the notes they can work out from watching YouTube videos. As beautiful as that determination is, it clearly shows how much farther they could go if they had proper teaching.

We don't have space in our budget or schedule for an official music teacher, but I think I've found the next best option.

The Clavinova CSP line is a digital piano with built-in guiding lights that can help learners teach themselves any song they want. It has hundreds of voices and can be used with headphones, but it has the feel of a real acoustic piano. Something like this is perfect for my students. Those with severe anxiety can teach themselves without needing to ask for help. My more ambitious students can use it to record songs of their own, and the headphone jack means students with high audio sensitivity won't be distracted by a piano playing out loud during their lessons.

If this campaign is successful, I aim to buy a Clavinova CSP-275. It genuinely could change the lives of kids who have never had access to learning music free of fear.

If by some wonderful fluke money is raised beyond my goal, it will be funneled directly into the arts budget.

Thanks so much for your time. I love what my school does, and I'm so hopeful that this coming year will be the best yet.

Just as a little addition before I say bye: the mascot one of my students thought up is "Chunky Franky the Social Anxiety Worm". And he sends you all a massive thank you for all your support!