NEWS
NORMAN, OKLA. – A new partnership between the University of Oklahoma School of Music and the Norman-based nonprofit SunHive Collective is giving OU students hands-on experience working with young adults with special needs, an opportunity that music education faculty member Melissa Baughman, Ph.D., calls “pure joy.”
The weekly 30-minute music class, held this fall in Catlett Music Center, paired five OU vocal music education majors with about 10 SunHive participants, ages late teens to early 20s. Together, they explored movement, sang seasonal songs and engaged in individualized activities designed to meet each student’s needs.
What began with a single email from SunHive staff member Ginny Stewart, 2023 OU special education alumni with a music minor, grew into a collaborative program rooted in inclusion, adaptability and shared joy.
“Ginny told me years ago she dreamed of returning to OU to build a partnership like this,” Baughman said. “When her message appeared in my inbox last spring, everything came full circle. We just jumped in. And it has been easier and more meaningful than I ever imagined.”
Each class this semester followed a simple, predictable routine: a hello song that greets each participant individually, a movement-based exploratory activity, rehearsal of five familiar holiday carols and a closing goodbye song. All five songs were performed at the end of the semester in Catlett Music Center on the OU-Norman campus.
While the structure was consistent, the teaching strategies changed constantly as OU students learned to meet the specific needs of each participant.
“One of our students was blind, so for activities involving hand motions, one of my students stood beside him and described every move,” Baughman said. “Another student used a prerecorded communication button to deliver their speaking line. They were small adjustments, but they opened the door for full participation.”
Baughman said the process is helping future educators build confidence, empathy and flexibility, qualities essential for all teachers, not only those working in special education.
“Good teaching is good teaching,” Baughman said. “This experience gave our students ownership of a real class. They were not just studying strategies; they were trying them, modifying them and seeing how they supported all types of learners.”
For both groups, OU students and SunHive participants, the class became a bright moment in the week.
“We could be having the junkiest day,” Baughman said. “But once everyone is in the room together, the disabilities are not at the center. The music is not even at the center. It’s just the joy. It was so contagious.”
During the transition time before and after class, students and participants talked, shared jokes and built relationships. “That social connection was crucial,” Baughman said. “It strengthened the teaching, but it also improved everyone’s mental well-being. It was grounding. It was human.”
Stewart agreed. “Creating a program like SunHive Spotlight has been my dream and when SunHive asked me to build a music-theater program for our members, I knew I couldn’t make it happen alone. That’s when I met with Dr. Baughman. From there, we met often and brought the class to life. Everyone at SunHive is so grateful that OU and Dr. Baughman were as excited and passionate about the idea as we were. We have a lot in the works and hope to grow SunHive Spotlight into something amazing.”
The program is already drawing attention. The Oklahoma City Philharmonic’s outreach team have observed the class as they consider launching a similar program for the OKC-based nonprofit Wings, Baughman said. Local high schools with existing inclusive choir models, such as Moore High School, have also influenced the initiative’s design.
Baughman hopes to formalize the program that will include seeking grant funding and offering paid internships to OU students. “We have already had 20 to 30 students express interest,” she said. “People want to be part of this. It improves the quality of life for everyone involved. This program shows what music can do,” she said. “It makes life better. It connects people. And that is worth building on.”
The Weitzenhoffer Family College of Fine Arts produces over 400 concerts, recitals, dramas, musicals, operas and dance performances each year. Learn more at ou.edu/finearts.
About the University of Oklahoma
Founded in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is a public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. As the state’s flagship university, OU serves the educational, cultural, economic and health care needs of the state, region and nation. For more information about the university, visit www.ou.edu.
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