Lifelong Learning

“Training is everything. The peach was once a bitter almond; cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education” - Mark Twain

I love this quote, despite the fact that neither analogies are scientifically accurate! Here’s another empowering thought…

"The beautiful thing about learning is that nobody can take it away from you."  - B.B. King

And we have heard many times that “knowledge is power”. Whilst this may be true, I prefer this approach,

"Knowledge is power, but enthusiasm pulls the switch."  - Ivern Ball.

Often it’s the knowledge that can help to give us enthusiasm. The beautiful thing about empowering and enhancing oneself is that it can also empower and enhance others. This is the kind of learning that I really enjoy; it gives me confidence in myself and in my practice, inspiring me to share this newly acquired knowledge with others. This could be a new technique, activity or instrument, but sometimes it’s more subtle, yet profound.

In my role as Music Leader on the InSync/PlugIn project with Quench Arts C.I.C. I deliver Music & Wellbeing workshops for teenage inpatients at mental health hospitals in Birmingham. I was fortunate to take part in some essential training in my line of work, such as Safeguarding, Emergency First Aid, YMHFA (Youth Mental Health First Aid), and Trauma Informed Practice, which was excellent. I also took it upon myself to seek out some relevant CPD (Continuing Professional Development) under my own steam, which I found truly beneficial. Firstly, I cannot recommend “Understanding The Teenage Brain” enough, which was also great for me as a Mum of a teenage daughter! A powerful reminder of how the teenage brain works (some would say, “It doesn’t!”, but we’ve all been there, so let’s give ‘em a break!), why it functions as it does, and what we can do to help it develop in a healthy way. Fascinating stuff!

One of my roles in my HAPPiLiFE Music & Wellbeing business, is as a CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) Life Coach, but I decided to train specifically in CBT for Eating Disorders, because one of the wards we work on is for those experiencing ED (Eating Disorders). Having lived through my own struggles as a teenager with an eating disorder, it’s no wonder I was drawn to this area, and unsurprisingly the course gave me a better understanding of why I had experienced this illness too. Although I was not working with these patients as a therapist, and had no plans to address the participants’ issues directly, it gave me an invaluable insight into how some of these young people may think and behave; the circumstances they might have gone through or be going through; which particular mental health issues may have contributed to specific EDs and vice versa; possible triggers and more. I was able to share some of this knowledge with my YML (Young Music Leader) too, which he found really helpful. Having said that I wasn’t planning to address things head on, I did have a few brief conversations to help support some young people who clearly felt quite upset that we were leaving when the programme was ending, so I mentioned that I also went through similar struggles at their age and how important it had been for me to have a voice and a creative outlet. Additionally, I understood that many issues with EDs are due to control, or more specifically the lack of it, and this was certainly confirmed with comments I’d heard. So, I also encouraged them to take an active role in their recovery programme, to help make some of their own choices and have more input - or ‘control’ - in their own future, in collaboration with trusted loved ones and health care professionals. I motivated them to continue to use the skills we had taught them to be creative and express themselves in a positive way; how cathartic that self-expression was. Having gained a great deal from the project, they didn’t dispute this.

Other courses included Music and Voice Therapy to regulate the nervous system. Again, I was already running events with mindfulness, music and meditation and was well aware of the benefits, but I wanted to explore how open the young people on various wards were to this. The ice-breaker was when I introduced a new instrument - the rain drum! Musicians would know this as a ‘tongue drum’ or ‘hang drum’, but it seems to have been popularised more recently on TikTok as a ‘rain drum’, which added a little ‘cred’ to my offering! We had rain drums in various sizes and keys, and absolutely everyone loved the sound. As an instrument, it’s very accessible to play, with its layout and appealing tone. I asked the participants whether they ever used relaxing music to help them relax or sleep, and several said they did. When asked if they would like to create their own piece of music to relax to, it was a resounding, “Yes”! What was really lovely about this, was that it was so inclusive; everyone in the room, including staff, were able to choose some hand percussion and intuitively respond to each other. We created and recorded two collaborative soundscape pieces for the Quench Arts Soundcloud Plugin Project Playlist 2025 entitled “Relax” and “Meditation Music”.

When we played these tracks at sharing events, I invited the audience to close their eyes, breathe and enjoy, and they all enjoyed the experience.

These are just a few examples, but I hope they’ve served to illustrate how self-guided CPD can be. Personally, I’m always learning and open to learning more. It keeps us interested, supports our interest in others and other ‘things’, and it makes life - and indeed us - more interesting, which reminds me of this excellent quote:

“Stay curious, keep learning, and keep growing. And always strive to be more interested than interesting” - Jane Fonda

Curiosity is underrated! Anyone who practices mindfulness will know that ‘curiosity’ is a key component - and it makes life a lot more fun! Here’s my final quote for you;

"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever." - Mahatma Gandhi

We’ll never know it all, but that’s the exciting part! Enjoy the journey!

Written by ViX Perks, Plugin Project Music Leader, Parkview Clinic