Workshops

As part of our mission to cultivate a culture of wellness in classical music, we have developed workshops for conservatories, schools of music, summer festivals, and any place where musicians gather. We have presented our workshops to musicians of all ages in institutions including the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, the National Orchestral Institute + Festival, and the Chicago Musical Pathways Initiative with great success. In our workshops, we share our vision for a culture-shift among musicians that emphasizes compassion, vulnerability, and empathy for one another in order for them to reach their fullest potential as musicians and as humans.

About Our Workshops

Workshops presented by the Sound Mind team create a shared space for musicians to gather and encourage an open dialogue around mental health. Building a community that supports conversation about the music and mental health intersection is key in promoting vulnerability and creating a healthier musical culture.

Identity, Reframing Failure, & Redefining Success

How does professional success influence or contribute to our identity as musicians? This conversation centers on redefining success and reframing failure so that each participant is empowered to pursue their endeavors, musician or not, in a way that protects their mental health.

Auditions: Overcoming Burnout & Practicing Self-Care

What do musicians need to keep taking auditions? This workshop offers an honest look into the scope of academic and professional auditions, addressing the realities of burnout and the inner critic. We provide strategies for practicing efficiently, maintaining healthy work/life balance, and caring for mental and physical needs along the way.

Interested in exploring a topic not listed here, or want to learn more about what Sound Mind workshops offer? Contact Alexandria Hoffman, Executive Director, at soundmindmusician@gmail.com.

Gratitude, Resilience, & Stress

Empower yourself with practical tools for resilience, gratitude, and stress management tailored for musicians. This interactive session offers insights and strategies to help you navigate professional pressures and build sustainable wellness routines.

Workshops FAQ

  • Are your workshops virtual or in-person? Both! We are happy to offer workshops in both formats to best suit your needs., whether that’s in-person or via Zoom.

  • How much does each workshop cost? Please email soundmindmusician@gmail.com for workshop pricing.

  • What is your workshop format? Each workshop encourages group discussion by providing a safe space to share our lived experiences. Sound Mind team members lead explorations of significant challenges in the field, offering strategies and activities to support mental health along the way.

  • What audiences are your workshops designed for? We adjust the content of our workshops to best suit all musicians of all ages and abilities, from middle school beginners to music school students to professionals.

  • Are any of these workshops offered as part of a series? We often present these workshops as part of a series, but each workshop can stand on its own.

  • Does Sound Mind offer any additional workshops not listed? Yes! Our workshops aim to address and benefit the current needs of the classical music climate. Email us at soundmindmusician.com to build a workshop that works for your needs.

Testimonials

  • The National Orchestral Institute + Festival wholeheartedly believes that Sound Mind's work is paramount in advancing classical music and musicians. Their guiding principles of vulnerability, hope, inclusion, compassion, and empathy are intrinsic to the classical music world, a world in which mental health is too often stigmatized. NOI+F looks forward to helping Sound Mind grow and cannot recommend their workshops highly enough!

    Richard Scerbo, Director, National Orchestral Institute and Festival

  • For so long, I thought I was the only one struggling with balancing my mental health as a musician. It’s okay to say you are struggling and it’s okay to ask for help, and Sound Mind Musician is helping open the door for those conversations."

    - Ciara Solby, clarinetist

  • I am so excited that people are talking about this and I wish we could have 20 workshops on redefining success and holding space!!

    - Anonymous Workshop Participant

  • Sound Mind workshops create a safe educational environment for VIA Academy's students to explore metal health in a way that is incredibly accessible and that provides tangible strategies that everyone can put to use immediately. VIA Academy's partnership with Sound Mind has become an invaluable part of our curriculum because of the way it allows our students to find lasting resources to support their mental wellness throughout their futures!

    - Corbin Castro, Director, VIA Academy

Our Partners