Bringing Music into Coaching – Part 2

In a previous post we wrote about using music at the beginning of a coaching session. Here we will explore other possibilities.

At the July 2024 Creative playground for coaches we discovered that music can provoke deep emotions, very quickly. It seems to transcend the normal flow of a coaching conversation and accelerate feelings surfacing, sometimes with instant impact.

When hearing someone talk about how they were having a hard year because their mother had passed away, the question “What song would you mother encourage you to listen to now?” had over half the group in tears when the music started playing. This was in the first 15 minutes of the session, where most of the attendees had never met each other previously. Wow. It blew us all away, and reminded us of how mindful to be with this tool.

Some other applications we explored were more gentle and playful in the outcomes.

• What singer / band do you feel like at the moment?
• What singer / band do you want to feel like at the moment?
• If you could be part of any band who would it be and why?
• If we could summarise this challenge / problem / relationship / session in the name of a song, what would you call it?
• What music best matches your mood when you talk about x?
• Do you prefer hearing music live, in the comfort of your own home, or something else?

There was also discussion around rhythm. You may notice the client tapping their foot, or tapping at desk with their fingers and you can use this as a musical cue. You could hear them talk about pace, soundtracks, birdsong, radio, lyrics.

You might see something in the background of a clients room that is musical like an instrument, a record, or a poster of a band. These all provide creative options for coaching questions.

When in person maybe the client arrives with headphones on, and you could simple ask – what are you listening to today? What impact does that have on you?

Some clients are musical, some are not. Some will enjoy the provocation and creativity that music can bring, other may not. As always be willing to offer different approaches to help clients discover the right resources for themselves. Be playful where it’s helpful. But, don’t push for something that isn’t working for them.

On that note, let’s bring this post to a crescendo. Enjoy!