How fortunate are we, in putting together this PIO! issue centered on Resilience, to hear from CMN member Julieann Hartley, whose album Resilient Child presents upbeat songs and research-based tools to help kids navigate life’s challenges. As a music therapist, Julieann assessed the neurological effects of profound trauma on children and learned that resilience skills—such as the ability to connect, regulate, and reason—were crucial to recovery. She draws on her personal experience in overcoming the impacts of trauma, having lived through childhood abuse and a disabling neurological Lyme infection. Her songs teach kids how to express their needs and find support as well as how to give gratitude and celebrate their inner strength. She sees sustainability and nature education as key components of resilience and offers workshops on foraging wild foods.
But she doesn’t stop there. As the urgent need for resilience education continues to increase among young people, Julieann decided to spread awareness by creating the Resilient Child Media Awards. In her words:
I knew that if we were going to reach every child to help them develop these resilience skills, we would need hundreds of children’s musicians and content creators to be developing and utilizing similar content.
That’s why I created this award. I want to drive stimulation and innovation in the kids’ media world to develop the best possible resilience-based content for kids to help stop these generational trauma cycles.
My hope is that within the next few years, we will have simple connection and coping skills songs available in every style of music and in every language. I hope that educators all around the world will know about this content and be prepared to use it with their classrooms.
The Resilient Child Media Awards will honor songs, albums, and music videos released in 2024 that exemplify Resilient Child goals of furthering mental health and sustainability. The award winner will receive funding for a future project. For inspiration, look no further than last year’s winner: CMN’s own Fyütch and his song “I Am Love, I Am Light.”
Nominations for the Resilient Child Awards open in December 2024. For more information, head to missjulieann.com/resilient-child-media-awards.html or follow @resilientchildmedia or @missjulieannmusic.
Sing this song with the resilient children in your life and take a look at Miss Julieann’s supporting materials for ideas on how to deepen its impact.
print
View the print version for the full score
Chorus
I am resilient. I am strong.
You can knock me down, but I’ll just carry on.
I am resilient. I am strong.
And nobody can stop me from singing my song.
So stand up, stand tall,
Hold your head up high through it all,
When it’s not going your way,
Use your coping skills to brighten up your day.
Hey!
Hey, hey!*
Hey, Julieann, (hey Joey!), what are coping skills?
That’s a great question.
Well, they’re good things that help us calm down,
Like reading a book, or laying on the ground.
Okay, well, can I sing a song?
Absolutely!
Maybe get a hug?
Yes, that’s a great idea.
Can I eat all the ice cream,
That the world has on it today?! I love ice cream.
Woah, woah, Joey, wait. Your coping skill is to eat all the ice cream on the whole planet?
Yeah, that’s my coping skill.
We can work with that.
Chorus
I may lose, and I may fail.
But when I use my coping skills, I know my wounds will heal.
Yet I may lose, and I may fail.
But I’m strong, and my wounds will heal.
Chorus
So stand up, stand tall,
Hold your head up high through it all,
When it’s not, going your way,
Use your coping skills to brighten up your day.
Hey!
*Juliann notes that when singing this song with a group, you can simplify it by pausing here to share information about coping skills over the chord changes, then inviting suggestions to zipper in. She demonstrates in a video here:
“I Am Resilient” video
“Coping skills are good things that help us calm down and feel better. They could be getting a hug, reading a book, going for a walk, etc. What’s most important is that they help us calm our body down in a safe way. So, what are some of your coping skills?”
(Fill in the zipper verse to the same chord progression and pattern as the first verse of the song)
I am ______________________ (dancing, having a snack, reading, etc.),
__________________________ (Dancing, etc.) today,
__________________________ (dancing, etc.) helps melt my stress away.
Yes, I am __________________ (dancing, etc.),
__________________________ (Dancing, etc.) today,
__________________________ (dancing, etc.) helps melt my stress away . . . hey!
And here are the liner notes with more suggestions and activities.
All works found on this website are protected by copyright and available by permission of the copyright owners. Reproduction of any work, in whole or in part, is not permitted.