My week at MHAC Noyes

By Cara Noyes, DKG member, Music Specialist at Cherry Valley Elementary

    
    As a music educator, I never realized how 5-gallon buckets and drumsticks could have an impact beyond the walls of Cherry Valley Elementary School. I also had no idea how many folks are struggling with mental health issues (at least 1 in 5!) This summer, thanks to the STEP extern program, I had the amazing opportunity to see the impact of bucket drumming on mental health.

     From June 20-24, I was an extern at Mental Health America of Licking County (MHA).  The STEP program allows area teachers to connect to Licking County business and programs to form connections that are mutually beneficial.  In my week at MHA, I saw many connections to education.  I also foresee many applications of what I learned.

     Monday afternoon I attended a Circle of Hope discussion/social group for teens. One girl recognized me immediately and shouted “Mrs. Noyes! You’re our Special Guest? Awesome!” She told how Cherry Valley was “way better” than middle school. The MHA staff empowered three of the teens to lead the group; these girls devised a lesson plan of activities for the 90-minute session. We played a dice game, illustrated our favorite quote, and talked about facing the challenges of bullying, self-mutilation, low self-image and more.

     Tuesday I spent the day at the Y.E.S. (Youth Engaged in Service) Club. In summer, the clubhouse is open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.  Students receive a free meal, participate in organized group activities, and have opportunities for positive social interaction. MHA executive director Penny Sitler shared at the staff meeting that I play the drums, and I raved about the success of bucket drumming thanks to a Delta Kappa Gamma classroom grant. Since I have plenty of sticks and buckets at the school, I packed a dozen sets in the car. After lunch, the teens had fun learning “We Will Rock You” and other basic rock patterns.  Using YouTube, we listened to some of their favorite tunes and practiced playing along. Incredibly, this noisy activity captured their attention for over an hour! Y.E.S. club has a set of drums and other instruments. Who knows? Perhaps bucket drumming will lead to the formation of the Y.E.S. band!

    

     On Wednesday, I attended the Youth Advocacy Day Camp held at E. S. Weiant. Students were learning about connecting to their emotions using the Disney/Pixar film Inside Out.  The camp administrator heard about the success of bucket drumming at Y.E.S. club and asked me to return Thursday morning with the drums. We used the instruments to convey feelings of Joy, Fear, Disgust, Anger, and Sadness. The students loved making a joyful noise, experimenting with tempo, volume/intensity, timbre, and meter to convey what was in their minds and hearts.

     Also during the week I attended the Art of Recovery, a marvelous, laid-back open studio for art held at The Main Place on N. 3^rd Street. MHA also sponsors The Art of Journaling class, where participants find creative ways to outwardly express their inner challenges.  I was amazed to see how recovering addicts were able to capture their pain and confusion on canvas or on paper, and they shared how good it felt to get the feelings out.  Back at MHA in a conference room, others shared feelings in the Depression/Bipolar Support Group (which meets weekly.)

     My week culminated with a Bridges Out of Poverty class called Getting Ahead.  The 18- session course “teaches participants financial literacy, budgeting, life skills, planning, goal setting, communication between socio-economic classes, creating resumes and interviewing skills needed for employment, managing change, managing stress and standing up for themselves.”  At the Spencer House, a 90-day halfway house on Granville Street in Newark, a group of 12 men gathered around the tables with MHA staff. The men discussed their progress in searching for and attaining jobs and apartments, getting social security cards, and planning for their drug-free, jail-free future.  The gentlemen inquired about my job as a teacher, and our session leader mentioned my affinity for drumming.  The guys were excited for hands-on, healthy noise making. As we took the buckets outside, they used pot lids as cymbals, ash cans for cowbells, and tried other creative sound combinations.

     One man shared that he, too, was a musician, a rapper. For the first time since being incarcerated, he shared some of his rhythmic poetry with the group as I laid down a beat. We were all stunned and awed at the depth of his artistry. He shared that rapping never felt so good, because for the first time he was doing it sober and clear-minded. 

     To my right, I noticed a young man whose percussion skills far outshined mine. We asked him to share a drum solo for us, and his beat was incredible! He shared that he was tops in his high school drum line and invested over $15,000 in percussion gear. Then he became addicted to drugs and sold it all to support his habit. That Getting Ahead class was the first time in years that he gripped drumsticks in hand, and his outlook totally shifted. Earlier in the class he had been sullen and disinterested; now his eyes were filled with energy. He asked me, “What do I have to do to get a set of these sticks?” I replied “Stay clean and keep playing.”  I left a pair of sticks for him at the front desk; I hope he keeps drumming. J

“The Vision of Mental Health America is to live in a culture which continually:

1. Enables mental health awareness, understanding, respect and empathy
2. Empowers people to live health lives and achieve their full potential
3. Is free of mental health stigma, prejudice or discrimination

The Mission of Mental Health America of Licking County is to promote and continually reinforce mental health and wellness through education, prevention and advocacy, and eliminate the stigma of mental health issues in our community.”  (www. mhalc.org)

During my week at MHA, I saw this vision in action, and do they have a powerful mission in our county! I am so thankful to have seen how MHA affects so many in need in Licking County. I feel blessed that the classroom grant I received for buckets and sticks enabled me to make a difference outside the classroom. Above all, I look forward to all the future connections MHA will have with Newark City Schools to improve the mental health of my students and their families.

Sincerely,

Cara Noyes, DKG member, Music Specialist at Cherry Valley Elementary