March 11, 2023

March 2023 will see MSM Student Affairs hosting a series of Wellness Month events focused on improving and supporting overall health and wellness.

Learn here about what will be taking place from March 14 to 30.

“MSM wants to generate excellent musicians, but we also want to help students cultivate their whole selves as human beings,” explains Thalia Philip, MSM’s Graduate Assistant for Health and Wellness for the 2022–23 academic year.

“Wellness Month is just part of what we at Campus Health do at MSM to educate students about their minds and bodies,” she explains. “Our intention is that this effort will provide our students with the knowledge and skills they need to have a balanced lifestyle that promotes their mental and physical well-being!”

Thalia Philip

Can you tell us about Wellness Month at MSM?

Thalia: We want our students to know that their health and well-being is a priority at MSM. I’m excited to serve as MSM’s Graduate Assistant for Health and Wellness for the 2022-23 academic year. My studies at Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health have really taught me the value of education and prevention, not just treatment, in fostering a healthy community. And this is particularly important for college students, who are taking responsibility for their health perhaps for the first time, or at least the first time they are going it alone without parental oversight. College is the beginning of adulthood, and we want to prepare students to take care of themselves for the long life that stretches ahead of them.

Wellness Month Calendar of Events

Starting March 14: Launch of Musicians Skills Group Class in Room 401, 3 PM – 4 PM.

• We are really excited about this offering. Nadia Lyall and Isa Rocchiccioli, two Teachers College, Columbia University graduate students in counseling psychology, have put this series together under the supervision of Dr. Shara Sand to help MSM students take care of their mental health. We know that incidences of anxiety and depression have really been on the rise in all age groups, and college students certainly have been significantly impacted, but the good news is there is a lot you can do to take care of yourself on this front.  The program will equip our students with real knowledge and real skills.

March 16: Lunch and Learn 12 PM to 1 PM

• Brian Neff has been working all year as MSM’s Resident Therapist and Clinical Coordinator; he identifies as a member of the LGBTQ+ community and he will share his professional perspective on the mental health needs of this community.

March 22: Health Testing

• GMHC (formerly known as Gay Men’s Health Crisis) HIV & STI Testing Event on March 22 from 10 AM to 3:30 PM.

March 23: Managing Performance Anxiety

• A talk on “How to Manage Performance Anxiety” by musician Noa Kageyama on March 23 (Time and Location TBD). Book and blog author of The Bullet-Proof Musician, Mr. Kageyama is credited by many for helping them conquer “stage fright” and to enjoy their work as musicians.

March 29: Physical Therapy at MSM in Room 119 (off the Student Union), 5 PM

• A chance to meet Dr. Eduardo Pereira, MSM’s physical therapist, and speak with some students about how Dr. Pereira helped them improve their bodies to improve their ability to perform. 5 PM in Room 119 off the Student Union.

March 29: Dog Therapy in Room 120, 11 AM to 1 PM

• Dog Therapy: a visit to MSM by a pack of friendly dogs is a tradition at MSM and one of our most popular programs – students can’t get enough of the calming effect of spending time with a dog!

March 30: Sexual Health, Room TBA, 1 PM to 3 PM

• Wellness RA (Resident Assistant) Event on Sexual Health on Thursday, March 30, from 1 PM to 3 PM

How does Wellness Month help MSM students?

Thalia: MSM wants to generate excellent musicians, but we also want to help students cultivate their whole selves as human beings! Wellness Month is just part of what we do in Campus Health to educate students about their minds and bodies.

Our intention is that this effort will provide our students with the knowledge and skills they will need to have a balanced lifestyle that promotes their mental and physical well-being.

What are you most excited about with this special event at MSM?

Thalia: I am most excited about dog therapy because our students have always shown great enthusiasm for this event in the past.

Questions?

studentengagement@msmnyc.edu

MSM would like to thank the Ruth M. Knight Foundation for their ongoing support of wellness services at Manhattan School of Music.