Mindful Poetry Moments Return from The On Being Project and Mindful Music Moments

March 4, 2020

For immediate release

For additional information, contact Abby Schnure, abby@thewell.world

Mindful Music Moments Collaborates with The On Being Project for second annual National Poetry Month Offering

Young students might not usually encounter poetry in the course of a normal school day, so this year, during National Poetry Month, Mindful Music Moments and The On Being Project want to offer a chance to pause and reflect on poetry’s ability to encounter ourselves, the world, and the mystery of each other. This special collaboration is called Mindful Poetry Moments.

Participating schools, individuals and organizations will be offered recordings of poets — including Brad Aaron Modlin, Aimee Nezhukumatathil, Naomi Shihab Nye, Carrie Newcomer and Gregory Orr - — reading their work from two of The On Being Project’s content offerings: the On Being with Krista Tippett radio show and podcast and/or Poetry Unbound podcast. The audio will be accompanied by mindful prompts and meaning-making questions like "Does this poem encourage gratitude? How?” and "What’s a line in this poem that brings a strong visual image to your mind?"

This year, Mindful Poetry Moments content is free to all schools, individuals and social service organizations thanks to The On Being Project and the generous donations of individuals and organizations in The Wild Geese Collective. All of the content is available in an easy-to-use Web App during National Poetry Month and beyond.

• If you are interested in participating simply fill out this form to receive your free content.

This year, the partners are excited to support community poetry gatherings in addition to school participation. In Cincinnati, Sims will co-host two evenings of contemplation and response at the Mercantile Library.

Mindful Music Moments' core program combines mindfulness prompts and classical music for daily delivery, generally over the announcements, to more than 150 schools and 75,000 students each day. Founder Stacy Sims says, "The thought-leaders and poets who have been featured on On Being with Krista Tippett have had a profound effect on me personally, and I am so excited to share these voices with our schools.”

About Mindful Music and On Being

The On Being Project

The On Being Project is a media and public life initiative. Our mission is to pursue deep thinking and moral imagination, social courage and joy, to renew inner life, outer life, and life together. We make a public radio show, podcasts, and tools for the art of living. Six grounding virtues guide everything we do. We explore the intersection of spiritual inquiry, science, social healing, community, poetry, and the arts.

Poetry Unbound from The On Being Project

Your new ritual: Immerse yourself in a single poem, guided by Pádraig Ó Tuama. Short and unhurried; contemplative and energizing. Anchor your week by listening to the everyday poetry of your life, with new episodes on Monday and Friday during the season.

Mindful Music Moments

Imagine an entire school -- students, teachers and administrators -- taking time each morning to turn inward together, listen to a brief mindfulness prompt, classical music and/or poetry. That's Mindful Music Moments, now in 150 + K-12 schools, camps and social service organizations daily and climbing, touching more than 70,000 students in a calming and focusing ritual.

Mindful Music Moments works in partnership with world-class organizations including The Cleveland Orchestra, Cincinnati Symphony, Columbus Symphony, Cincinnati Opera, Columbus Association for the Performing Arts (CAPA), Opera Columbus, Austin Opera, Starting Arts and now The On Being Project to bring daily mindfulness and classical music to schools and community places, generally delivered during announcements. Mindful Music Moments is a program of The Well, and nourished by the non-profit organization, A Mindful Moment.