Help students manage school stress through music learning

A practical toolkit that helps music teachers show students how music-making can support stress management, motivation and wellbeing during exams, assessments and other demanding school periods.

When exam season arrives, music rehearsals and practice are often the first things students put on hold. With assignments, revision and academic pressure building, music can start to feel like something they simply don't have time for.

But what if music-making could be part of how students manage that pressure?

The School Stress Toolkit gives music teachers ready-to-use, research-informed resources to help students understand the connection between music learning, the brain and stress. From stress regulation and motivation to social connection and cognitive engagement, the toolkit explores why continuing to make music can be valuable during demanding academic periods.

Use these resources to start conversations, advocate for the importance of music learning and encourage students to keep music part of their study routines.

WHAT YOU GET

• 10 Music Learning Helps School Stress Shareable Images + Printer-Friendly Versions – ready-to-share advocacy messages highlighting how music learning can support students during stressful school periods. Share them with parents, school leaders and your wider school community.

• 16 Music Learning Helps School Stress Digital Posters – research-informed visuals exploring how music-making can support stress regulation, motivation, social connection and cognitive engagement. Display them in classrooms, rehearsal spaces or across your school's digital channels.

• 2-page Tuning Up Our Brain for the Test Teacher Development Resource – explore the science behind how music-making may support stress management and exam preparation, with research to help advocate for keeping students engaged in music during assessment periods.

• 2-page School Stress Worksheet for Students – a practical reflection activity that helps students identify stress, explore how music-making can support their wellbeing and consider ways to manage academic pressure.

WHAT IT HELPS YOU DO

• Help students understand how music-making can support stress management

• Explain the science behind music learning, cortisol and the body's stress response

• Explore how musical achievement engages the brain's reward and motivation systems

• Highlight the benefits of group music-making for social connection and wellbeing

• Encourage students to keep music part of their study routines during exam season

• Start meaningful conversations about stress, wellbeing and academic pressure

• Give students opportunities to reflect on their stress and explore practical strategies

• Advocate for the value of music rehearsals and lessons during assessment periods

• Share research-informed messages with parents, teachers and school leaders

• Reinforce that music learning can be part of managing school stress, not simply another commitment competing with study

HOW TO USE IT

• Bring the science of music and stress into your classroom, rehearsals and school community.

• Use the digital posters and shareable images to start conversations about how music-making can support students during stressful academic periods. Display them around your school, share them through newsletters or use them to advocate for continued participation in music learning.

• Explore the Tuning Up Our Brain for the Test resource to strengthen your understanding of the research and help explain why attending music rehearsals can be valuable during exam season.

• Then, introduce the School Stress Worksheet for Students to encourage students to reflect on how they're feeling, recognise their stress responses and consider how music-making could fit into their own stress-management routines.

WHY IT WORKS

During exam season, students often feel they need to spend every available moment studying. But managing academic pressure involves more than simply increasing study time.

Research suggests music-making can support several processes involved in managing stress and maintaining wellbeing.

Enjoyable musical activities may help regulate the body's stress response, while musical achievement engages brain networks associated with reward and motivation. Group music-making can also strengthen social bonds and feelings of belonging, offering valuable opportunities for connection during demanding school periods.

By understanding these benefits, students can begin to see music learning differently, not simply as another activity on their schedule, but as something that may support them through academic challenges.

Exam season doesn't have to mean putting music learning on hold.

COMMON QUESTIONS

• What is the School Stress Toolkit? It's a collection of research-informed digital resources designed to help music teachers explain how music learning can support students during stressful school periods.

• Who is this toolkit for? Music teachers, instrumental teachers, ensemble directors and music education advocates who want to support students and communicate the value of music learning during exams and assessments.

• What ages can I use it with? The resources are particularly relevant to secondary school students navigating academic pressure, but many can be adapted for other age groups.

• Does music-making reduce stress? Research suggests certain musical activities can support stress regulation, with some studies finding reductions in cortisol. Individual responses vary, and music-making is one potential strategy for managing stress.

• How can I use the digital posters? Display them in classrooms and rehearsal spaces, incorporate them into lessons or share them digitally to communicate the science behind music learning and stress.

• What is the School Stress Worksheet for Students? It's a 2-page reflection resource that helps students recognise their stress, explore how music-making may support their wellbeing and consider practical stress-management strategies.

• Can I share resources with parents and school leaders? Yes. The toolkit includes 10 shareable advocacy images with printer-friendly versions to help communicate the value of music learning throughout your school community.

• Is this a digital product? Yes. The toolkit is an instant download with digital and printer-friendly resources.

Add to cart NOW. Help students discover why music learning matters, especially during exam season.

LOVE THIS TOOLKIT? GET A BRAND-NEW ONE EVERY MONTH

This toolkit is $50 on its own. BBB+ Premium Toolkit and Premium Annual members receive a brand-new toolkit straight to their inbox free every month, plus access to over 500 evidence-based resources.

Join as a Premium Toolkit member for $60 a year, just $5 a month, and get a new toolkit every month plus the full resource library. That is less than the cost of two standalone toolkits for a whole year of support.

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The evidence behind everything you teach, in one book

From Dr Anita Collins, music educator and creator of the TED-Ed video watched 17+ million times, translating the world's neuroscience research into the case for music education and the strategies to bring it into your teaching.

You already know music changes your students. The Music Advantage gives you the research that proves it. Because Anita explains the science through real-life stories, it reads like a good conversation rather than a textbook. Use it to advocate for your program, win over parents and leadership, and sharpen what you do in the classroom.

WHAT YOU GET

• The complete book, 260 pages

• Easy to read: the neuroscience explained through real classroom and family stories

• Practical strategies you can apply across any age you teach, from birth to the teenage years

CHOOSE YOUR EDITION

• Global edition: for readers outside the US

• US edition: US terminology and examples

• Signed copy: personally signed by Dr Anita Collins [while stocks last]

HOW TEACHERS USE IT

• Advocacy: make the evidence-based case to school leadership for funding and keeping your program

• Parent conversations: answer "is it really worth it?" with authority at enrolment and parent nights

• In the classroom: practical strategies, from clapping to help a struggling reader, to ensemble play for concentration and social skills

• Professional development: deepen your grasp of the "why" behind your teaching, or read it as a department

WHY IT WORKS
Written by Dr Anita Collins and grounded in research from leading neuromusical scientists worldwide, so when you make the case for music you are standing on the science, not opinion. And the real-life stories mean you will actually enjoy reading it.

"This book is my bible. I have so many highlights and pages flagged that I can use with parents and for quotes in emails." Kirsten, Music Teacher.

COMMON QUESTIONS

• Which edition should I choose? Global for outside the US, US edition for US spelling and examples.

• Is it a hard read? Not at all. Anita uses real-life stories to make the science clear and enjoyable.

• What ages does it cover? Birth to the 18 years, useful whatever level you teach.

Add to cart NOW. Put the evidence for music behind your program today.

KEEP THE ADVOCACY GOING
BBB+ gives music teachers everything they need to make the case for music all year round:

• A new advocacy toolkit every month

• A library of 500+ tools and resources

• Exclusive student exercises and advocacy materials

• Member discounts

See what members get HERE

Make the case for music, without saying a word

A set of classroom-ready posters that connect each instrument family to the cognitive, social and academic benefits of learning music, so the value of your program is visible to every student, parent and leader who walks past.

This is more than decoration. Each set turns your studio, classroom or foyer into everyday advocacy, translating the research behind music education into something people take in at a glance. Use them to start conversations, win support, and keep the case for music in front of the people who fund and shape your program.

WHAT YOU GET

• 5 posters per set, sized A3

• A free bonus poster with every set

• Printed on durable 200gsm stock with a glossy finish

• Customisable wording: choose the message that suits your audience when you order

CHOOSE YOUR SET

• String set: violins, cellos and more, and how they build focus, memory and emotional growth.

• Wind set: flutes, clarinets and saxophones, and their impact on brain development.

• Brass set: trumpets, trombones and tubas, and their role in discipline and teamwork.

• Percussion set: drums and cymbals, and how they sharpen coordination and concentration.

• Contemporary set: how making music builds persistence and resilience.

• Early Childhood set: how early music supports neural development and motor skills.

• Junior Musician set: how learning music strengthens cognitive connectivity.

Not sure where to start? Start with the set that suits the students you teach.

Want more than one? The Orchestra Set - "This is not..." Posters brings four sets together for $150, saving you $70 versus buying them separately at $55 each. CLICK HERE

HOW TEACHERS USE THEM

• On the studio or classroom wall as everyday, passive advocacy

• In the foyer, at concerts and on enrolment nights to make the case to parents

• In a budget or funding submission, the evidence for leadership at a glance

• As conversation starters with students, parents and school administrators

WHY IT WORKS
Decision-makers fund what they understand. These posters translate the research into a single glance, so you spend less time defending your program and more time teaching.

"These posters look so good we have framed them and put them all along the music corridor. Students stop to read them all the time." Jeremy, Secondary School Teacher.

COMMON QUESTIONS

• How many posters are in a set? Five posters per set.

• What size are they? A3.

• Can I change the wording? Yes, choose the message that suits your audience when you order.

• Which set should I start with? Start with the set that suits the students you teach. If you want more than one section, the Orchestra Set - "This is not..." Posters bundles four sets for $150 and saves you $70. CLICK HERE

Add to cart NOW. Start turning your walls into your strongest advocate for music.

KEEP THE ADVOCACY GOING
BBB+ gives music teachers everything they need to make the case for music all year round:

• A new advocacy toolkit every month

• A library of 500+ tools and resources

• Exclusive student exercises and advocacy materials

• Member discounts

See what members get HERE

Make the case for music in the early years, at a glance

A ready-to-share digital campaign that turns early childhood music learning research into nine professional visuals, helping parents and leaders understand its role in school readiness and early development.

The research behind early childhood music learning is powerful, but explaining it clearly to parents and leaders isn’t always easy.

The Early Learning Research Digital Campaign turns research into simple, shareable messages covering areas including language, numeracy, self-regulation, executive functioning and neural development, giving you practical tools to advocate for music in the early years.

WHAT YOU GET

• 9 ready-to-share digital research visuals

• 3 pages of accompanying research notes

• A neuroscience explanation supporting each visual

• Simple guidance for how to explain the research to parents

• Original research sources for further reading

• 810px × 810px images ready for digital sharing

• Instant digital download

HOW TEACHERS USE THEM

• Share the visuals across social media and newsletters

• Include them in parent communications and enrolment campaigns

• Use them in presentations to school leaders and staff

• Support conversations with families about the value of early music learning

• Use the research notes to confidently explain the science behind each message

• Strengthen advocacy for your early years music program

WHY IT WORKS

Research can be powerful advocacy, but only when your audience can understand and remember it.

These visuals turn research into clear, accessible messages, while the accompanying notes give you the deeper information you need to explain the science with confidence.

Together, they help parents and leaders better understand how music learning can support skills associated with early literacy, numeracy, self-regulation and cognitive development.

“I have been surprised how much the numbers have mattered to parents. They remember them, even quote them back to me, and that’s when a great conversation begins.”
Kate, Independent Early Childhood Owner and Director

COMMON QUESTIONS

• How many visuals are included? Nine ready-to-share digital research visuals.

• Are research notes included? Yes. You’ll receive three pages of accompanying notes explaining the neuroscience, how to communicate it to parents and the original research sources.

• What topics are covered? Language development, numeracy, self-regulation, executive functioning, neural development and other areas of early childhood development.

• What size are the images? 810px × 810px.

• Where can I use them? Social media, newsletters, parent communications, enrolment campaigns and presentations.

• Do I need to edit them? No. They’re ready to share as soon as you download them.

• Is this a physical product? No. This is an instant digital download.

Add to cart NOW. Make the research behind early childhood music learning easier to see, understand and share.

WANT EVEN MORE TOOLS LIKE THIS?
Join BBB+ Premium Annual and unlock instant access to over 500 expertly designed, evidence-based advocacy tools, including digital campaigns just like this one, plus a brand-new advocacy toolkit every month. Whether you are strengthening your early learning program or building whole-school understanding, BBB+ gives you the strategic advantage all year round.
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Introducing ‘Imagine a... Parent Handout Digital Download’.

Empower parents with the insights they need to fully appreciate the benefits of music education for their children with our ‘Imagine a... Parent Handout Digital Download’. These handouts are meticulously designed to help music teachers communicate the extensive advantages of learning music, not only within academic realms but also in personal and professional development.

What’s Included?

• 14 A4 Printable Pages: Each page is crafted to outline key points about how music education positively impacts students. The set includes both color and vibrant black and white options, ensuring they are suitable for different printing preferences.

• Comprehensive Content: The handouts cover a range of topics to help parents see the bigger picture, including how music education contributes to:

  • Improved academic performance

  • Enhanced professional skills

  • Development of qualities valued in employees (such as teamwork, persistence, and creativity)

  • Increased brain function and cognitive capacity

Features:

• Ready to Print: Designed for your convenience, these handouts are ready to print right from your own printer or at a professional print shop.

• Engaging Design: The handouts are visually appealing, making the information accessible and engaging for parents.

• Versatile Use: Ideal for parent-teacher meetings, open house events, music recitals, or as a take-home resource for students to share with their families.

Benefits:

• Enhance Parental Support: By providing clear and concise information, these handouts help parents understand the value of sticking with music education and supporting their child’s musical journey.

• Strengthen Home-School Connection: These handouts serve as a tool to bridge gaps between school music programs and home, fostering a stronger support system for students.

• Promote Music Advocacy: Use these handouts to advocate for your music program, highlighting the multifaceted benefits of music education.

Equip yourself with "Printable Parent Handouts (Imagine)" to effectively communicate the significant impact of music education. Hand these out to help parents understand and support their children’s musical endeavors, ultimately enhancing the educational experience and fostering a supportive community around your music program.

Looking for more instantly downloadable tools to help you advocate for music learning?
Invest in a BBB+ membership today and unlock over 500+ evidence-based resources just like this one for as little as $8 per month, saving you thousands of dollars compared to purchasing these products individually, and saving you countless hours searching for the right tools. Get immediate access to this must-have membership and so much more, all in one smart investment!

Help students turn struggle into progress

A practical toolkit that helps music teachers show students what to do when learning gets hard, so getting stuck becomes part of the learning process rather than a reason to stop.

Learning music is full of moments when things don’t work straight away. A note won’t sound right, a rhythm won’t settle, or something that worked yesterday suddenly feels difficult today.

The Productive Struggle Toolkit gives teachers, students and parents practical strategies for navigating these moments. Students learn to stay with a challenge, notice what happened, change their approach, try again and know when to come back later — building a process they can use whenever they get stuck.

WHAT YOU GET

• 19-page Productive Struggle Book – practical guidance to help you understand productive struggle and teach students how to work through difficult learning moments.

• 1 Six Habits for Students Poster – a visual reminder of the productive struggle cycle and what students can do when they get stuck.

• 1 Printable Handout for Instrumental Teachers – practical prompts and strategies to use when students are struggling during lessons.

• 4 Printable Parent Handouts – help families support productive struggle at home, with practical language they can use during music practice.

• 7 Printable Music Learning Habits Cards – quick, student-friendly strategies students can reach for when they don’t know what to try next, including narrowing their attention, making a challenge smaller, changing their approach and slowing things down.

WHAT IT HELPS YOU DO

• Give students practical strategies for what to do when they get stuck

• Turn mistakes and difficult moments into opportunities for learning

• Help students notice what happened before simply trying again

• Teach students to make challenges smaller and more manageable

• Encourage students to change their approach when something isn’t working

• Build more purposeful practice habits

• Give parents practical language to support music practice at home

• Help students recognise that getting stuck doesn’t mean learning has stopped

HOW TO USE IT

Introduce the six Productive Struggle habits to your students, then bring them into everyday lessons and practice.

When a student gets stuck, use the prompts and activities to help them notice what happened, choose a change, test it and decide what to do next. Keep the Music Learning Habits Cards nearby so students can choose a strategy themselves, and share the parent handouts to extend the same language into home practice.

WHY IT WORKS

Students don’t just need encouragement to “keep trying.” They need strategies for how to keep learning when something feels difficult.

Productive struggle teaches students that difficulty is a normal part of music learning. Instead of repeating the same attempt or seeing being stuck as failure, students learn to notice, adjust, test and keep moving forward.

Stuck isn’t stopped. It’s about finding your next move.

COMMON QUESTIONS

• What is productive struggle? It’s helping students learn how to respond when something is difficult rather than immediately giving up or relying on someone else to solve it.

• Who is this toolkit for? Music teachers, instrumental teachers and parents who want practical ways to support students through challenging learning moments.

• What ages can I use it with? The strategies can be adapted across different ages and stages of music learning.

• How do I use the Music Learning Habits Cards? Keep them accessible during lessons or practice and encourage students to choose a card when they’re stuck. Each gives them a simple action or question to help them find their next move.

• Can I share resources with parents? Yes. The toolkit includes four printable parent handouts designed to help families support productive struggle during music practice.

• Is this a digital product? Yes. The toolkit is an instant download with printable resources.

Add to cart NOW. Give your students the tools to know what to do when learning gets hard.

LOVE THIS TOOLKIT? GET A BRAND-NEW ONE EVERY MONTH

This toolkit is $50 on its own. BBB+ Premium Toolkit and Premium Annual members receive a brand-new toolkit straight to their inbox free every month, plus access to over 500 evidence-based resources.

Join as a Premium Toolkit member for $60 a year, just $5 a month, and get a new toolkit every month plus the full resource library. That is less than the cost of two standalone toolkits for a whole year of support.

Want everything BBB+ offers? Premium Annual is 50% off right now.

Become a BBB+ Premium Toolkit member today CLICK HERE

Get 50% off Premium Annual CLICK HERE

Find out how healthy your music program really is

A practical toolkit that helps you assess the health of your music program, identify warning signs and make informed decisions about what needs your attention next.

It can be difficult to see the bigger picture when you’re working inside your music program every day. What’s thriving? What needs attention? And where could small warning signs become bigger challenges?

The Vitals Check Toolkit gives you a structured way to step back and assess your program, helping you move from assumptions to evidence and build a clearer picture of where your program stands.

WHAT YOU GET

• 3 Professional Learning Activities to analyse findings, identify priorities and plan next steps

• 8-page Music Program Health Check to identify healthy signs, warning signs and areas requiring attention

• 9-page Music Program Vitals Check exploring the core indicators of a healthy, sustainable music program

• 4-page Music Program Results Summary to interpret findings, identify patterns and document priorities

• 6 Music Learning Helps Careers Posters to support wider advocacy for your program

• A complete digital toolkit ready to download and use

HOW TEACHERS USE IT

• Complete the Health Check to take an initial look at your program

• Dig deeper with the Vitals Check to identify strengths and potential warning signs

• Use the Results Summary to bring your findings together

• Identify which areas should be celebrated, monitored or improved

• Work through the Professional Learning Activities individually or with your music team

• Use your findings to guide planning, decision-making and advocacy conversations

WHY IT WORKS

Healthy music programs don’t happen by accident. They need regular opportunities to reflect, review and respond.

The Vitals Check Toolkit gives you a structured framework for looking at your program more objectively, helping you recognise what’s working before deciding what needs to change.

Instead of trying to improve everything at once, you can identify priorities and focus your time and energy where they can have the greatest impact.

COMMON QUESTIONS

• Who is this toolkit for? Music teachers, Heads of Music, program leaders and music education teams.

• What does it help me assess? The overall health of your music program, including strengths, warning signs and areas that may need greater attention.

• Can I use it with my team? Yes. The toolkit includes Professional Learning Activities and can be used individually or collaboratively.

• What do I do with the results? The Results Summary helps you identify patterns, priorities and practical next steps for your program.

• Is it digital? Yes. The toolkit is available as a digital download.

• Is it included with BBB+ membership? Yes. Rather than purchasing individual toolkits for $50 each, BBB+ Premium Toolkit members can access the toolkit library for $5/month.

Add to cart NOW. Check your program’s vitals and get clearer on what to celebrate, what to watch and what to do next.

Love this toolkit? Get one every month with BBB+

If this toolkit is valuable to you, imagine receiving one like it every month. BBB+ members receive a brand-new advocacy toolkit monthly, plus access to over 500 evidence-based resources designed to strengthen music programs.

For less than the cost of two standalone toolkits, you can unlock a full year of strategic support for your music program.

Click here to learn more about BBB+ and start your membership today.

Turn parents into champions of your music program

A set of 14 ready-to-print handouts that give parents of 8 to 18 year olds the clear, credible case for music education, so they understand its value and get behind their child's musical journey.

Parents are your program's biggest ally, once they understand what music really gives their child. These handouts do that work for you. Written for music teachers to share with families, they set out the benefits of music education for 8 to 18 year olds, well beyond academic results, so parents recognise, support and champion their child's music learning.

WHAT YOU GET
An instant digital download, ready to print at home or a print shop, including:

• 14 A4 printable pages, each outlining a key point on how music education impacts students

• Two versions: full colour and elegant black and white, to suit any printer or setting

• Content that covers the full picture: academic performance, professional skills, qualities like teamwork, persistence and creativity, and stronger brain and cognitive function

WHAT IT HELPS YOU DO

• Win parental support for your music program

• Strengthen the home-school connection

• Give parents clear, credible reasons to back music

• Advocate for music's place in the curriculum

HOW TO USE IT
Hand them out at parent-teacher meetings, open house events and recitals, or send them home for students to share with their families. Print in colour for display, or black and white for everyday handouts.

WHY IT WORKS
Parents support what they understand. When families see the full value of music, from academic gains to teamwork, persistence and creativity, they become active champions of your program rather than passive observers.

"I gave these out as parents came into the introductory session for our string program, and I saw them all reading, then swapping with each other to get different information. I have never had such an engaged group of parents.” Malik, Primary School String Co-ordinator

COMMON QUESTIONS

• Is it digital? Yes. Instant download, ready to print at home or a print shop.

• How many pages? 14 A4 pages, supplied in both full colour and black and white.

• What ages is it for? Parents of students aged 8 to 18.

• Where do teachers use it? Parent-teacher meetings, open houses, recitals and as a take-home resource.

Add to cart NOW. Turn your parents into your program's biggest advocates.

KEEP THE ADVOCACY GOING
BBB+ gives music teachers everything they need to make the case for music all year round:

• A new advocacy toolkit every month

• A library of 500+ tools and resources

• Exclusive student exercises and advocacy materials

• Member discounts

See what members get HERE