CURRENT OFFERINGS
GROUPS
Mindful Music Groups provide a space where music becomes a powerful tool for connection, self-reflection, and enjoyment. In a relaxed, supportive environment, participants of all musical abilities can engage in creating music together. No experience required. Guided by skilled facilitators, members explore their own thoughts and emotions through the music they create, while also responding to the dynamics and energy within the group. By focusing on the present moment, this experience encourages authentic expression, sharper self-awareness, and a sense of camaraderie that builds naturally through shared creativity.
CURRENT GROUP OFFERINGS:
DATE: Tuesdays 7PM - 8:30pm (Spring sessions begin with enough registrations)
LOCATION: 50 Rugby Road, Brooklyn, NY
COST: $300 for six sessions
Facilitated by Dan Saks, MT-BC
-
People who join groups are often seeking connection and an improved quality of life. Someone looking to explore how they relate to others and themselves may be a good fit for a group. Music groups can also be beneficial for anyone who feels isolated, who is interested in improving self-expression or is seeking ways to connect with others that don’t involve drugs and alcohol. All that is asked is that participants are willing to stay in the moment, listen while they play, and contemplate what they notice.
-
Session formats vary and are often dictated by the group members themselves. That said, a typical music group is organized as follows:
Facilitator led warm-ups to familiarize everyone with and get comfortable using the available instruments.
An unstructured musical improvisation. The group begins playing their instruments. The only rules generally are:
- you should try to listen to others while you play
- you don’t have to play the whole time
- you don’t have to stick with the same instrumentDiscuss the improvisation. What did it feel like? What did it sound like?
Listen to a recording of the improvisation while drawing something that represents your response to the music.
Reflect
Song share - each week someone shares a song that means something to them. It could be about an important part of their life, a song that reminds them of someone, helps them relax etc.
-
Try to pay attention to the thoughts and feelings you are having from moment to moment. Communicate them honestly and openly either through the music or during discussion time. Be curious about yourself and how you experience interactions with others.Description text goes here
-
While music therapists are trained and certified mental health professionals, it is important to state that this is not the same as seeing a licensed psychoanalyst. That said, the therapeutic benefits of working with a music therapist are well documented.
THERAPEUTIC SONGWRITING
Format: 1-on-1 50 minute sessions
Location: Zoom
Cost: $90/session
Therapeutic songwriting turns complex emotions, relationships, and life moments into meaningful creative expression through a guided one-on-one process. Held virtually at your own pace, these sessions offer a unique alternative or supplement to talk therapy, helping you explore, unpack, and understand life’s complexities through music. The song you create becomes a lasting reflection of your journey, a powerful tool you can return to time and again. Once you’ve completed the songwriting process, you have the opportunity to join a song sharing session.
COMMUNAL LISTENING
UPCOMING SESSION
DATE: Stay Tuned
Song-sharing gatherings provide a meaningful framework for groups to connect by sharing and listening to songs from each other’s lives. Connect with others through the sharing of songs from your past and present. The facilitator provides prompts (e.g., "What is the first song you remember connecting with?" "What is a song you use to feel motivated?" "What song reminds you of someone you have lost?") to stimulate connection, reflection and communication.