During our last academic year, I had the privilege of leading our Mindfulness Club every Thursday in the music room at Dovercourt. I originally agreed to lead it because my friend and colleague, Karyn Harris, was retiring, and I knew she was keen for the club to continue.
What I didn’t know was how special this 30-minute oasis would be every week, and how deeply it would affect another aspect of my life. Far from being just a task I had to plan for each week, the club became a time of peace and tranquillity, not just for the girls, but for me, too. We practiced ‘Butterfly Breathing’, colouring large pictures of butterflies, making sure the wings were coloured in the same way on both sides. We made ‘pipe-cleaner’ animals, some real, some imaginary, but wonderfully creative and wobbly-legged to the point that they made us laugh!
We made posters of affirmation words which the girls chose to describe themselves – clever, funny, amazing, and beautiful. We worked in silence, or they chatted, and they often walked in, took off their shoes, laid on the floor and closed their eyes for a few minutes. I found myself breathing with them, taking part in their activities, and cherishing these special 30-minutes I had with them each week, especially (and shockingly) because it had nothing to do with music.
Music – the subject that is my profession and my hobby, has been part of my life all my life, and something I have always felt passionate about, particularly that it should be an integral part of every school’s curriculum, helped me realise why I was so comfortable with planning for and leading this club. My personal Mindfulness Club is the orchestra I have attended every Friday evening during term time since I moved to Portsmouth in my early twenties.
The Havant Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1962 by a local music teacher who wanted to provide an evening class for keen, amateur musicians. One orchestra grew into two, and the Havant and District Orchestral Society (HADOS) is now a registered charity involving seventy-five local musicians and providing eight concerts every season.
We meet, not only to play and perform music, but to socialise, too. We go to the pub after most rehearsals, just one drink before closing time, and we catch up with each other. Most of the orchestra are local music teachers and it’s because of this that I have my job at Portsmouth High School. Mr Tinsley’s predecessor, a violinist in the orchestra, asked me to apply for the job at Dovercourt, and I was lucky enough to be appointed.
In February, I became Chair of this society. It’s a huge privilege that my orchestral colleagues believe I can make a difference to the governance and finances of such a special group.
For the orchestra next season, I have planned a Mindfulness Concert, with reference to our club at school. The concert – In Tune With Nature – will invite our audience to join us as we play music to invoke calmness, tranquillity and hopefully, peace.
And the inspiration for this concert?
It came from a group of girls who choose to gather every Thursday lunchtime to share peace, calmness and tranquillity.
