Sonic Connections: Music-infused Mental Health Workshops

TEAM BUILDING & LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

Turning surface talk into deep connections – and untapped potential into real impact.

Develop team cohesion and inclusive leadership through music-infused experiences that build psychological safety, strengthen communication, and create lasting collaborative bonds.

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Schedule a brainstorm Email us

The Creative Facilitation Organization
Using music & art as tools for change at 300+ schools and organizations.

How We Help

Working together is common, but transformational leadership and team cohesion are increasingly rare.

Groups need more than surface-level connection to thrive. The greatest barrier to progress comes from disconnection and miscommunication between people, even when skills and strategy are strong. Our immersive programs use music and creative collaboration to cultivate trust, unlock individual growth, and supercharge team effectiveness.

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Participants in our immersive workshops:

Build capacity for innovation and creative problem-solving.
Develop cultural competency and inclusive collaboration skills.
Foster a shared sense of purpose and values.
Generate psychological safety around creative risk-taking.
Create breakthrough decisions that generate excitement and forward momentum.

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September 30, 2025

Glendale Community College

Campus Nurse

“I’ll be honest, I was skeptical at first about how music would work for our group. But watching people light up when they made unexpected connections through the songs, seeing them actually talk with each other instead of at each other, that sold me completely. The Sonic Connections facilitation team read the room perfectly and adjusted on the fly to our environment. What really got me was how many people came up afterward saying they finally felt seen and heard. The whole experience felt genuine, not like another checkbox workshop. We’ve brought them back four times already because of the impact they’ve had.”

September 30, 2025

Wheaton College

Events Board Chair

“Sonic Connections designed an AMAZING program that brought so many unique insights to campus! Through music that related to us and our campus experience, we were able to explore ourselves and connect on a deeper level. There was a tangible increase in group cohesion after the event. I also cannot stress enough how kind and caring the Sonic Connections team is, not to mention all the heavy lifting they did to take things off of our busy plates.”

September 30, 2025

San Diego Miramar College

Student Participant

“You helped me realize I have the choice to live more aligned with my values. It’s okay to have the things that anchor us, but we make space for them and refocus on what’s important. I can acknowledge negative thoughts and emotions without letting them dictate my leadership decisions.”

September 30, 2025

Binghamton University

Student Participant

“Today helped me connect with what I really find important, which I lose sight of a lot.”

September 30, 2025

Merrimack College

Staff Participant

“I loved the exercises we did together. It really allowed me to think about my challenges and future in my work, and ways I can approach it.”

September 30, 2025

Stony Brook University

Staff Participant

“This helped my team feel way more confident in ourselves, acknowledge our issues, and become more willing to achieve our goals. I personally will have extra patience, especially for those I work with, even when I’m stressed or under a lot of pressure and time crunches.”

September 30, 2025

Stony Brook University

National Society of Leadership and Success Chapter President

“I love what Sonic Connections represents and I’m so excited about the mental health awareness and direct assistance it provided to faculty and students.”

September 30, 2025

Bridgewater State University

Student Participant

“Music can shape the way we think and feel about our own experiences, and I can use it to face my challenges instead of pushing them away. I learned that, among other things, art is amazing at inspiring groups of people and generally brings out our rawest thoughts.”

September 30, 2025

University of Hartford

SGA Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice Chair

“Thank you for an amazing workshop. Going through it really made me realize the importance and impact it can have on the campus community. And you got students to engage which is rare, so hats off to you for that. We will definitely be in touch about a Part Two.”

September 30, 2025

CUNY Graduate Center

Grad Student Participant

“I not only learned a lot, but I grasped new ideas through music. I appreciate that more than life because it evolved me and introduced me to another level of music consciousness.”

September 29, 2025

Los Medanos College

Staff Participant

“This was the first team retreat where I was actually replenished and provided with practical tools I can use.”

September 29, 2025

Empire State University

Student Participant

“This allowed me the space openly consider what drives my behavior and the things that both motivate and hinder me.”

September 29, 2025

University of Michigan

Staff Participant

“It helped me to identify my barriers and also present a bigger picture that those things that get in our way are not permanent and we can overcome it.”

September 29, 2025

Sacred Heart University

Associate Director of LGBTQ+ Affairs

“I listen to music a lot, and there is untapped potential there in my leadership practice and reflection.”

September 29, 2025

Princeton University

Faculty participant

“This helped me be self-aware, I will be considerate of people on my team that might be having a tough day and be aware of it.”

September 29, 2025

Boston College

Staff Participant

“It finally gave me a moment to put my thoughts and feelings into understandable and actionable words.”

September 29, 2025

Boston College

Staff Participant

“I took away the importance and benefits of interrupting the destructive thinking spiral. Embracing/living with negative stuff in your life – being mindful of it so that we can show up and be our best for ourselves and others everyday.”

September 29, 2025

SUNY Fredonia

Staff Participant

“Music helped me dig down and actually relieve stress instead of just powering through it. It brought up memories that helped me understand my reactions and decision patterns better. The session gave me real clarity and reminded me that what I’m thinking and experiencing is worth paying attention to. That awareness makes me a more effective leader.”

September 29, 2025

Long Beach City College

Staff Participant

“Coming into this space, we were stressed and in our heads. Now, we’re leaving way more collected and clear-headed.”

September 28, 2025

Brown University

Student Participant

“We came in overwhelmed. We left with practical tools to center ourselves and a renewed sense of connection with each other.”

September 28, 2025

Boston College

Faculty Participant

“I’ve been in this field for 25 years and I’ve never seen a room of professionals drop their guard so fast. Sonic cracked something open in us. There was laughter, reflection, lightbulb moments. Weeks later, our team is still referencing moments from the session. Whatever facilitation magic you’re working, it’s real.”

September 26, 2025

Siena College

Senior Director of the Women’s Center

“This program is life-changing. You actually walk out of the room with tools you can immediately apply in your life and career. It created a powerful insight that I can choose to focus on my values and not allow the heavy stuff to get in my way.”

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WHO WE WORK WITH & SERVE

We partner with leaders building thriving teams and inclusive cultures.

Groups who feel stuck in miscommunication or misalignment.
Builders of high-performing teams where people can feel safe to take risks and share bold ideas.
Advocates for leadership approaches that prioritize vulnerability, authenticity, and human connection.

Some of Our Common Partners

Student Government Cabinets L&D/T&D OD Administration RSOs ERGs Residence Life Orientation Leaders Greek Life Executive Leadership Human Resources Athletes Student Success Project Councils and more!

We’re here to amplify your initiatives

Retreats, Summits, and Offsites

Professional Dev & Flex Weeks

Strategic Planning

Retros & Post-Mortems

Orientation & Onboarding

Design Sprints

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🎯

We design custom, immersive experiences around any challenge you’re experiencing.

Clarifying mission, vision, and values
Emotional intelligence and conflict resolution
Mindful and inclusive leadership
Decision-making under pressure
Leading through change and ambiguity
Boosting morale and communication
Creating psychological safety and trust
Prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion

Learn more about our approach

How it works

Every workshop is a collaboration built on understanding your specific needs and context.

Decide on a topic

Through a comprehensive kickoff call, we ask targeted questions that help us understand your team’s specific challenges, goals, culture, and purpose for gathering.

Design the workshop

Using our arts-based facilitation approach, our team builds out a customized, experiential session that maps to your focus area and incorporates elements to engage your specific audience.

Deliver the experience

Our trained artist-facilitators lead the workshops (virtual or in-person) with care, energy, and precision. We follow up to share impact data and resources, ensuring the experience sticks.

EXPERT FACILITATORS

Our work is guided by experienced leaders & artists who unlock genuine transformation.

Andrew Kirschner

Andrew Kirschner
Founder

Beth Killian

Beth Killian
Co-founder

Chancy Bhatt

Chancy Bhatt
Facilitator

Renisha O’Donnell

Renisha O’Donnell
Facilitator

Raven Shea

Raven Shea
Facilitator

Dena Spanos

Dena Spanos
Facilitator

Victoria Terry

Victoria Terry
Facilitator

Aziz Yehia

Aziz Yehia
Facilitator

Ready to create immersive experiences that stick?

Get in touch to talk through your goals and how we can reach them together.

Schedule a brainstorm Email us

Turning surface talk into deep connections – and untapped potential into real impact.

Develop team cohesion and inclusive leadership through music-infused experiences that build psychological safety, strengthen communication, and create lasting collaborative bonds.

How We Help

Working together is common, but transformational leadership and team cohesion are increasingly rare.

Participants in our immersive workshops:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Glendale Community College

Campus Nurse

Wheaton College

Events Board Chair

San Diego Miramar College

Student Participant

Binghamton University

Student Participant

Merrimack College

Staff Participant

Stony Brook University

Staff Participant

Stony Brook University

National Society of Leadership and Success Chapter President

Bridgewater State University

Student Participant

University of Hartford

SGA Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice Chair

CUNY Graduate Center

Grad Student Participant

Los Medanos College

Staff Participant

Empire State University

Student Participant

University of Michigan

Staff Participant

Sacred Heart University

Associate Director of LGBTQ+ Affairs

Princeton University

Faculty participant

Boston College

Staff Participant

Boston College

Staff Participant

SUNY Fredonia

Staff Participant

Long Beach City College

Staff Participant

Brown University

Student Participant

Boston College

Faculty Participant

Siena College

Senior Director of the Women’s Center

handshake .cls-1 { fill: #060507; } WHO WE WORK WITH & SERVE

We partner with leaders building thriving teams and inclusive cultures.

Some of Our Common Partners

Megaphone Megaphone We’re here to amplify your initiatives

We design custom, immersive experiences around any challenge you’re experiencing.

Tools Tools How it works

Decide on a topic

Design the workshop

Deliver the experience

Our work is guided by experienced leaders & artists who unlock genuine transformation.

Andrew Kirschner

Beth Killian

Chancy Bhatt

Renisha O’Donnell

Raven Shea

Dena Spanos

Victoria Terry

Aziz Yehia

Ready to create immersive experiences that stick?

Community

Thank you!

Offerings

About

WHO WE WORK WITH & SERVE

We’re here to amplify your initiatives

How it works