Music. Mindfulness. Sistema. What do these three things have in common?

In a recent piece on Mindfulness and Education, part of my 'Mindfulness For Life'series, I wrote that we should:

"Invest early in the lives of our children, so that they can grow-up to become independent, creative, collaborative, resilient, resourceful, productive and happy adults, able to contribute fully both economically and socially".

Getting It Right For Every Child

Surely that's an integral part of what Education should be about, if not a minimum position. We should set the bar as high as we can and then raise our expectations and efforts to leap far above it - Getting It Right For Every Child!

Children who are taught to be Mindful - To pay Attention in the Present, intentionally and without judgement, are better positioned to succeed both in school and in later life.

Mindfulness Provides An Inside Track

They are getting the inside track on developing an emotional and social skill for living smarter, happier and healthier lives - They are developing their resourcefulness and building their resilience - They are clearing their minds, focusing their Attention and tapping into their creativity and ingenuity.

We know with the introduction of Mindfulness practice into the classroom - 'Three Minute' breathing exercises and keeping 'Gratitude Journals', for example - this all becomes possible.

Music Gives Soul To The Universe

We also know that Music Education opens doors that help children pass from school into the world around them - A world of work, culture, intellectual activity and human involvement.

Plato wrote that, "Music gives soul to the universe and wings to the mind". I would suggest that all our bright tomorrows depend on young people being exposed to music, as well as Mindfulness.

Mindfulness & Music For All Children

We need to encourage the young to be practically and emotionally engaged with both and with music I also take this to mean on an academic level as well.

Whilst most children derive very real and fundamental benefits from engaging in practical music and being exposed to musical culture, this is especially true for those from lower-income backgrounds; but it is those who most often miss out because of cost.

It then follows only those pupils who have been exposed to culture from a young age and who are proficient musical performers are the ones encouraged to take music at GSCE and A' Level.

If the divide is set economically and socially from an early age, then we are all losers.

This is why, along with introducing Mindfulness into our school, we should be looking for ways to broaden access to Music for all children, and this is where the Sistema initiative comes in.

Sistema Scotland

This is an offshoot of the El Sistema project in Venezuela and has had a remarkable impact in areas of acute deprivation in Scotland. Big Noise schemes in those areas have resulted in better school attendance and projected whole-life benefits for participants, such as greater community cohesion and economic gains over the medium and longer term, improved health and educational outcomes.

Whilst the parents of children involved report almost exclusively that their children are happier and much better behaved.

Accessibility, Availability, Affordability

Mindfulness is proving its efficacy and cogency in all areas of Society and not just Education. Couple this and the transforming power of music to the principles of accessibility, availability and affordability for the young, and I think we will move ever closer to the Mindful Revolution I talk about on page 78 of my Book,'Uncovering Mindfulness: In Search Of A Life More Meaningful'.

It is rather important, don't you think?

Be Mindful. Tener en Cuenta!