STOMP the Stress Away: Somatics at Shanti Bhavan!
My students at Shanti Bhavan show so much interest in their music lessons. The “hot gossip” on campus is usually about the new things that are being incorporated into the music schedule, like how the 5th graders are learning the melodica to prepare for piano lessons in the 6th grade, who has made it into the new middle school choir group (lovingly named Shanti Direction), which high schoolers get to study virtually with music teachers from around the world, etc…
But the word on everyone’s lips is STOMP. Yes, I’m talking about the off-Broadway hit that took the 90’s by storm. After 29 years and 11,475 performances, STOMP closed in NYC on January 8, 2023, but the body-percussion phenomenon is still alive and well in Tamil-Nadu, India!
Because the students at Shanti Bhavan are the first in generations of family members to receive a complete education, they are under a lot of pressure to succeed. Kids will sometimes turn their sleep time into study time, leaving not a lot of energy left over for music time.
I was also feeling tired, and I felt like there was nothing I could do to keep them from studying until midnight and waking up before sunrise to study.
As the academic pressure increases at SB, I noticed some of the older kids showing up to choir looking stressed and annoyed. They were not enjoying their performances. So I devised a plan to create a little bubble in time to help them decompress.
You guessed it: STOMP therapy.
When I showed them the first STOMP rhythm, they were only mildly interested. Some of them were so stubborn that they wouldn't even stand up! Teenagers, am I right? But little by little I saw their eyes light up with interest and they started to try the moves out. I could see the enjoyment on their faces as I asked them to stomp harder, to move in more bold ways and to enjoy the energy that their bodies were producing. They were picking up intricate rhythms with ease and moving into more difficult two part, syncopated drills. When it was time to sing, they were all smiling and sweating!
Their moods had done a complete 180. A little creative physical activity to give their brains a rest was all it took to hit the reset button.
I am really proud of teaching the Shanti Bhavan high school students their first STOMP drills. They have such bright futures ahead of them, but also still many stressful barriers to overcome. Now, they have a great technique to use when they are stressed about their Board Exams, having to perform for visitors when they don't feel confident, or interviewing for college & career.
Have you tried to STOMP your stress away? Share your self-regulation tips & tricks with us, or even a video of you trying out the moves yourself!
Manuela Restrepo Teaching Artist| Music Fellow | Shanti Bhavan Children's Project
Manuela is a musician and therapist. Born and raised in the city of Medellín, Colombia, she has aided in the research and development of musical strategies that advocate for the wellbeing of children and teens displaced by violence and vulnerated in and around the slums and villages of her country. She has worked with Colegio de Música de Medellín for many years, where in addition to teaching she has been an active performer both as a singer and percussionist for a number of their productions and has collaborated in the edition of several of their educational material. In her work as a teacher, she strives to help her students find an identity and a community through music.
