PLAY SESSIONS

HEY YOU!  ݁ ˖

Yeah you :) I’ve got a question for ya:

Have you ever wanted to try something musical, but didn’t know where to start?


someone dressed up as a Fortnite game character running continuously into a brick wall

Or….

maybe encountered a barrier to entry, like…

  • No musical education

  • You were told you didn’t have a musical bone in your body

  • You believe you are tone deaf

  • You don’t have access to instruments

what if i told you

there was a way to explore music in a safe, non judgemental environment …

Dwight from the Office saying "...go on"

…with

zero experience or instrument-access required?

well, it's true.

a gif of a loading bar with the words "healing in progress" above it

It is my sincere belief that anyone [& everyone] can benefit from musical play.

Music is an innate aspect of every human being — our hearts beat rhythmically, our lungs expand and contract like waves, our bodies feel the vibrations of the earth and our minds have evolved to seek out patterns. 

But somewhere along the way, many of us were disconnected from our natural musical inclinations.

As a society, we have lost touch with this ancient, inherent wisdom.

My response?…

PLAY TIME

Kindergarden yearbook photo of Elizabeth Owens surrounded by plants and floral jewelry

Kindergarten yearbook photo of me, in the prime of my play era.

I’ve decided to offer these fun things called play sessions. With these sessions, you get the chance to experience the freedom of musical PLAY!

Work one-on-one with the gentle guidance of an experienced musician [me] who has a background in education, performance, psychology & mindfulness practices to tap into some of that lost inner wisdom, and explore your feelings and thoughts through play.

No experience is required. While having your own instrument [any] can be helpful, it is not a prerequisite. We can work together with the voice, through digital instruments, household objects, or even build a DIY instrument ourselves. There is no wrong way to be musical.

THROUGH PLAY, WE LEARN:

  • How we are feeling

  • Deep & active listening

  • How to become comfortable with mistakes

  • How to let go

  • Vulnerability

  • Opening up to new ideas

  • Bodily awareness

BUT WHY “PLAY” ?

Well, we play our instruments don’t we?

We don’t work them, or endure them.

We play them.

And this is the inspiration behind it all. If we can approach an instrument this way, what’s stopping us from approaching our minds and feelings in the same way? Our lives?

*Sidenote: Work and endurance are valuable tools! But that’s not what these sessions are for.

SESSIONS

Each session is 60 minutes in length and comes with a specialized take-home document and optional “assignments.”

Sliding scale/pay what you can available for consideration by request.

I like to schedule free, 15 minute remote consults before committing to each new client so we can both make sure the sessions will be a good fit for us. You can read on, or click the button below to schedule a free consultation.

DRONES & TONES

Explore the magical, calming world of tones. Using mindfulness practices and slow, rhythmic but constant movement, we will create and enjoy the rich tones offered by our instrument(s) of choice and reap the benefits of enhanced clarity, calm, and focus.

Instruments offered: harp, tongue drum, singing bowl, hammered dulcimer, synthesizer. bowed psaltery.

BLIND IMPROV

Play your instrument without looking at it—I dare you! This powerful practice helps release attachments to concepts like “good or bad” “right or wrong” and focus instead on listening deeply, feeling the body, & wondering what the music has to say.

Instruments offered: harp, piano, guitar, tongue drum.

Percussive play

Engage the body and let off some steam by practicing percussion. In this session, we’ll identify & create rhythmic patterns, experience the clarity and focus of repetition, and stretch our minds and muscles by playing multiple patterns simultaneously.

Percussion can happen anywhere — on the body, with the hands, the fingers or feet, on household objects or the earth. I can provide musical percussive instruments if desired.

Vocal Play

Forget everything you know about singing—this session is designed to help you recognize your body as the incredible instrument that it is!

Learn healthy breathing techniques, explore the fun and silly sounds of our voices, discover what your unique tension points & triggers are and how to massage them through singing/toning.

You have the option to focus more on independent vocal work (you use your voice while Eli coaches) or on duet-style exploration (we both use our voices simultaneously).

FLEX play

A session designed to flex to your needs. We can explore a form of musical play that isn’t offered in any of my other sessions, or sample a little bit of each. This session is yours for the designing.

Elizabeth Owens posing and smiling with their harp
animated image of the words "Let's Play" in cursive

ARE YOU READY TO PLAY?

Interested in working together? Fill out some info and I will be in touch shortly. I can't wait to hear from you!