Michelle Hugill
- $97
Nurturing Sensitive Musicians: A Parent's Guide to Practice & Performance
- Download
- 1 file
What this course is:
Nurturing Sensitive Musicians is a self-guided course for parents of musical children aged 5–17 who experience stress, perfectionism, or overwhelm around music. Drawing on Somatic Experiencing, this course gives you practical, gentle tools to help your child return to calm more easily, more often. Six modules. A printable workbook. Entirely self-paced. $77.
Does this sound familiar?
Your child loves music. Deeply, genuinely loves it. But somewhere between
the instrument and the performance, something gets in the way.
The practice sessions that spiral into tears. The perfectionism that turns
one wrong note into a full meltdown. The shaky hands before a recital. The
child who played it perfectly at home and went completely blank on stage.
You've tried encouragement. You've tried backing off. You've tried being
patient, staying calm, not reacting. And yet the stress keeps showing up —
in their body, in their mood, in the conflict around the piano bench.
**What if the missing piece wasn't about practice strategies at all —
but about the nervous system underneath?**
Who this is for
This course is for you if:
- Your child is a sensitive, emotionally expressive musician who feels
things deeply — including the hard things
- Practice sessions regularly end in frustration, tears, or shutdown
- Your child freezes, goes blank, or falls apart at performances even
when they know the material
- You find yourself walking on eggshells around practice, unsure how
to help without adding more pressure
- You want to understand what's actually happening in your child's body
and nervous system — not just manage the behaviour on the surface
- You're a parent who cares enormously and is looking for a gentler,
more sustainable way forward
What you’ll learn
Module 1 — Understanding Your Child's Nervous System
Learn what's actually happening in your child's body when music feels
hard. Understand the three nervous system states, why musical training
is uniquely activating, and what stress looks like at each age from 5–13.
Module 2 — Your Nervous System Is the Instrument
Discover the science of co-regulation — why your calm literally becomes
your child's calm — and learn a 60-second parent reset you can use before
any practice session or performance day.
Module 3 — Somatic Tools for Practice Time
Four simple, body-based tools your child can use at any age: grounding,
orienting, the shake-out reset, and humming breath. Step-by-step
instructions, the science behind each, and guidance on when to use them.
Module 4 — Supporting Performance Moments
A complete protocol for before, during, and after performances. What to
say, what not to say, what to do in the wings, and how to handle the
aftermath in a way that builds trust rather than shame.
Module 5 — Working with Perfectionism and Big Emotions
Reframe perfectionism as a nervous system response rather than a character
flaw. Learn what not to say when feelings take over — and exactly what to
say instead. Includes the somatic pause technique for interrupting
mid-spiral meltdowns.
Module 6 — Building a Calm Musical Home
Bring everything together into a sustainable practice environment. Ritual
cards, conflict reduction strategies, and the signs that tell you your
child is genuinely building resilience.
What’s included
✓ Six complete self-guided modules
✓ A beautifully designed, printable PDF workbook
✓ Practice ritual cards to use as daily anchors
✓ Reflection prompts for each module
✓ Parent regulation checklists
✓ Performance day protocol and checklist
✓ Lifetime access — return to it whenever you need it
Investment
$77
Less than a single session with a child therapist.
More accessible than ongoing coaching.
Yours to keep and return to at any stage of your child's musical journey.
FAQ section
Do I need any background in psychology or somatic work?
None at all. Everything is explained clearly and practically. If you're a
parent who cares about your child's experience, you have everything you need.
My child isn't super sensitive — will this still help?
Yes. These tools aren't only for children who cry easily or freeze on stage.
Any child who experiences frustration, resistance, or shutdown around music
can benefit — because all of those are nervous system responses.
How long will it take to get through the course?
Each module takes about 20–30 minutes to read through. You can complete the
whole course in a weekend, or move through one module per week. There's no
schedule to keep.
Is this a video course?
No — this is entirely text-based, which means you can read it at your own
pace, highlight and return to sections, and actually absorb it rather than
trying to keep up with a video. The PDF workbook is yours to print and use
as a journal alongside the course.
What age range is this designed for?
The course is written for parents of children aged 5–17, with dedicated guidance
for ages 5–7, 8–10, and 11–17 including a specific teen section.
What if I have questions after I enroll?
You can reach me directly at mhsomatics@gmail.com I read every email.
ABOUT Michelle
I'm Michelle Hugill — a music teacher, performer, choral conductor, and
somatic practitioner based in Peterborough, Ontario.
I've spent years teaching and working closely with musical children and
their families. What I kept witnessing wasn't a technique problem —
it was a nervous system problem.
Talented, passionate children who were suffering under the weight of perfectionism,
performance anxiety, and the emotional intensity that music brings up.
I trained in Somatic Experiencing because I wanted to be able to offer
something real. Something that worked with the body rather than around it.
This course is what I wish every music parent had access to from the very
beginning.
Why I built this course
"I came to this work through my own suffering as a performer. The anxiety, the pressure, the gap between what I knew I could do and what my body would let me do on stage. Somatic Experiencing didn't give me better coping strategies — it gave me a different relationship with my own nervous system. Ease. Groundedness. Presence that doesn't have to be earned. I built this course because every sensitive musical child deserves to know that's possible."
— Michelle Hugill, Voice & Flute Performer · Choral Conductor · Somatic Practitioner
Not ready yet?
Download my free guide — 5 Things Not to Say to Your Child Before a Performance — and see if this work resonates with you before you dive in.
Contents
- 729 KB