Taking in the Moment

By Diana DeLuca ’23, October 27, 2021

Musicians Outside Seeking Serenity group connects students with nature.

Students standing in front of a waterfall

The students in the Musicians Outside Seeking Serenity group are getting a chance to connect with nature at some of the area’s iconic spots, such as Lick Brook Falls.

(Photo by Diana DeLuca '23)

Students attending Ithaca College have always been fortunate to be able to spend time exploring the local gorges, parks and trailways. Now, students in the James J. Whalen School of Music are taking advantage of the lush Ithaca scenery for mental health and wellness.

The group Musicians Outside Seeking Serenity (MOSS), started by assistant professor of oboe, Jake Gunnar Walsh ’15 is encouraging students to relieve the stress of classes, rehearsals and performances by getting outside, exploring and reconnecting with nature.

“Each place reminded me of another memory that I have of spending time there. I’ll think, ‘Oh there’s all those open rocks that would be a really great place to a do a meditation or to do some earth art with water and leaves.’”

Assistant professor Jake Gunnar Walsh ’15

Walsh came up with the idea for MOSS after attending a faculty meeting where students shared the challenges with stress and mental health. He then began to wonder what he could do to make an impact and pondered the idea of a wilderness therapy group.

Professor Jake Gunnar Walsh ’15 often brings students to locations where he had positive memories as a student. (Photo by Diana DeLuca '23)

“I remember feeling stressed as a student and just being like, there’s all this stuff that I’m never going to get the chance to see,” Walsh said. “My impression was that students were waiting for that opportunity to be created for them and then once it was, they showed up.”

The group meets around four times a semester and visits local parks such as Robert H. Treman and Taughannock Falls. Meetings consist of hikes, sonic meditations and nature-related wellness activities such as identifying native plants and flowers, making earth art and making music out of found objects.

Walsh is constantly thinking of new ideas and activities to do with the group in the future such as litter clean ups. He added that part of MOSS also came from his own personal experiences as a student missing out on what Ithaca has to offer.

“Each place reminded me of another memory that I have of spending time there,” he said. “I’ll think, ‘Oh there’s all those open rocks that would be a really great place to a do a meditation or to do some earth art with water and leaves.’”

Students who attend MOSS have enjoyed connecting with a group of like-minded students, building community and getting outside to explore. Alex Renzoni ’24 said that it’s a great way to really escape.

“I like having the ability to get away from the music school and do something with musicians that’s not within the same four walls of Whalen,” he said. “I think it also helps us forget about the to-do lists and all the responsibilities that we have and just really be present. Since we’re doing so much, we struggle just to take in the moment.”

Students sitting on train tracks in a circle

Hikes, meditations and nature-related wellness activities such as making earth art and making music out of found objects, are just some of the activities the group partakes in.

(Photo by Diana DeLuca '23)

“In Whalen it’s always like ‘go, go, go,’” said Aubren Villasenor ’24. “Being a part of the group is very liberating, especially because going from the practice rooms to the outdoors is a total shift.”

“It’s a way to connect with the essential parts of life even though we’re so hooked into the grid of social media. For me I found that just spending time in nature is a reminder that that’s not really what life is about.”

Jake Gunnar Walsh

Due to the positive reception from students, Walsh wants to expand the group to include students outside the music school. He also hopes to get more faculty members on board since he is the sole leader.

For now, the group will continue its journeys into nature, something Walsh believes is critical during a time where everything is so digitized.

“It’s a way to connect with the essential parts of life even though we’re so hooked into the grid of social media,” he said. “For me, I found that spending time in nature is a reminder that that’s not really what life is about.”