Resonant Minds: Using Mindful Action through Music for Teaching, Learning, and Connection

Resonant Minds: Using Mindful Action through Music for Teaching, Learning, and Connection

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Presenter Bio

Mort Sherman and Sara Leila Sherman are a father-daughter team blending neuroscience, education, and performance to explore music’s power to enhance focus, emotional regulation, and connection. Mort, an education leader and retired superintendent, and Sara, a concert pianist, educator, and founder of Mozart for Munchkins, co-authored Resonant Minds: The Transformative Power of Music, One Note at a Time. Together, they help educators, parents, and communities use music as a tool for mindful action and purposeful learning. 

Presentation Description

Music reaches parts of the brain—and heart—that words alone cannot. In this interactive session, we will explore how music, paired with mindful action, can boost focus, strengthen executive function, and deepen social-emotional awareness for teachers and students. Drawing from Resonant Minds and their work with Mozart for Munchkins, Mort and Sara Sherman will share practical tools for integrating music into teaching, community building, and leadership. We’ll also explore how these same practices can counter burnout—helping educators and artists reset, reframe, and rediscover joy in their craft. Like great improvisation, the more we master our tools, the greater our ability and freedom to personalize our use of mindful actions through music.

Pre-Session Materials

WATCH:
TEDx: Your Brain on Music (Alan Harvey): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZFFwy5fwYI

READ:

Post-Session Exercise

Ask, Listen, Respect: 

Ask your children, grandchildren, students, friends what music they are listening to. Ask them what they like about that music. Listen to it. Agency and voice…

Select: “entry cue” and “transition cue” for your teaching, rehearsal, or work sessions.

  • Entry cue: a short piece of music that signals focus and readiness.
  • Transition cue: a contrasting piece to mark shifts in activity or mood.
  • Reflect: how do these cues influence attention, energy, and group cohesion.

Publication Date

10-27-2025

Campus

Berklee Online

Resonant Minds: Using Mindful Action through Music for Teaching, Learning, and Connection

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