Harmonizing healing: How music helps children overcome trauma

My parents were yelling over the loud music, and I was shouting back, rebelling like any American ’80s teen. A rebel yell felt good, exhilarating.

In schools everywhere, children carry trauma and challenges that can interfere with their ability to learn, connect and thrive. Our mission must be to help young people go beyond their struggles to flourish. Consider a lens into research-backed strategies to do just that. Music can be a powerful tool for emotional regulation, cognitive resilience and social connection — significant factors helping children push beyond adversity.

I have researched and written about how schools can help children persevere beyond their challenges. I have explored unique studies that reveal how rewiring the brains of young learners fertilizes their resilience and growth. In studies like The Kids of Kauai, the Pygmalion effect and a Google study, I highlight how students are learning to retrain their brains to manifest gains and tap into their best selves.

How overcoming trauma builds resilience

1. Google’s most effective workers were not graduates of upper-echelon universities. Instead, the most successful were those who had overcome a tragic loss in their lives and had been able to translate that distress into growth
2. The Kids of Kauai study revealed strategies to support recovery from trauma: protective factors in the lives of resilient individuals, such as a strong bond with a non-parental caretaker (like a teacher or mentor) and involvement in a social group, which helped them balance out risk factors at critical stages. This work provided a foundation for developing best practices.
3. The Pygmalion Effect proves that teacher expectations significantly influence student performance. Educators who believe in and have high expectations for students can help them achieve beyond their predicted limitations.

If we can tap sources like these, we can embrace ways to reconstruct the brain in the short and long term. I share the benefits of auditory stimuli as an effective tool because targeted sound effects impact the auditory nerve, and the resonance of targeted auditory signals affects how we respond.

Auditory stimuli from coffeehouse sounds and binaural beats trigger a range of mental states: rest, excitement, focus. Tuning in to these states empowers children when they need to adjust.

Coffeehouse sounds provide a balanced ambient noise (chatter and clatter), providing a slight distraction to block out higher intensity distractions, helping enrich cognition, promote focused work and propelling individuals toward flow states

Binaural beats present slightly different frequency tones to each ear, causing the brain to perceive a third beat that can influence brain wave activity to promote states such as calm, focus and flow.

But what about music? A new idea suggests our brain waves sync up with music’s rhythm and notes, meaning we physically resonate with what we hear.inviting beneficial states. We have all felt that high when a song with high energy we love is pumping loudly in our ears. Music is personal. Individuals favor different flavors. Understanding and tailoring music has power..

Harnessing music for emotional regulation

Music engages brain regions tied to mood, arousal and emotional regulation. For children dealing with trauma, dysregulation of emotions, such as heightened anxiety, sadness or anger,  is a common struggle. Carefully chosen music can be a non-invasive intervention, calming an overactive amygdala and activating the brain’s reward pathways. In practice, this means providing safe, accessible opportunities for children to listen to, create or simply move with music that resonates with them. A calming playlist in a classroom corner, rhythmic drumming circles in counseling groups, or soft background music during independent work can help children regain control over their emotions.

Building resilience through musical engagement

Music has the capacity to stimulate cognitive flexibility and executive functioning. Learning to play an instrument or participating in structured musical activities strengthens working memory, attention and problem-solving skills—crucial areas often compromised by trauma. Integrating music-rich activities into everyday learning, from simple call-and-response chants to collaborative songwriting projects, nurtures cognitive skills and offers children a sense of mastery and accomplishment, strengthening their resilience against life’s challenges.

Creating connection and belonging through music

Music’s role in fostering social bonds is one of the most compelling arguments. Group musical experiences — from singing together to synchronized movement — release oxytocin, the “trust hormone,” promoting feelings of safety and belonging. For children who have experienced disconnection, neglect or isolation, these shared musical moments can rebuild social bridges, like the Kids of Kuai. School leaders and teachers can encourage inclusive music programs, lunchtime jam sessions, or multicultural music explorations that affirm every child’s identity and foster positive peer relationships.

We can intentionally infuse music into the school experience to help children navigate trauma and adversity and upgrade their focus. Whether through quiet listening, active participation, or communal creation, music can soothe the mind, strengthen the brain and reconnect the heart. As we face the challenges of supporting today’s youth, music offers an evidence-based pathway toward healing and hope. Like moderating the experience of the Kids of Kaui, Google employees and the Pygmalion kids, music, when used strategically, can have a powerful impact, where we can steer kids to the best versions of themselves.

Opinions expressed by SmartBrief contributors are their own.

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