PrinciplesCorrection-based pedagogy, prevalent in early instrumental training, conditions students to seek external approval rather than cultivate their own internal perceptions. This can foster persistent shame and anxiety, undermineing self-confidence, motivation, and resilience. Our competitive musical culture, compounded by the conservatory model’s general neglect of body awareness, implicitly teaches students to disregard pain and push through discomfort—contributing to long-term risks of musculoskeletal injury and psychological stresses, contrary to inclusive approaches that honor student agency, self-actualization, and well-being.MechanismsFindings from self-determination theory and research on feedback demonstrate how a corrective environment can impact learning. Top-down, teacher-centered instruction tends to diminish student agency, taking away students' ability to figure things out for themselves. Frequent correction, common in music lessons, is perceived by some as proof that they are “not good enough.” Shame and self-doubt can last for years, setting the stage for issues like performance anxiety and imposter syndrome. Students learn to depend on external evaluation instead of developing their own resources and judgment. These feelings activate the fight-or-flight response. Over time, chronic stress increases student dropout, reinforces negative self-concept, and makes them vulnerable to physical injury as well as emotional/physical abuse from teachers.The workshop will engage participants in personally exploring both correction-based and inquiry-based teaching through small-group interactions.PracticesTo build successful and supportive studios, teachers must prioritize trauma-informed practices like safety, choice, and collaboration. Rather than telling students how to fix problems, they can encourage autonomy and intrinsic motivation with empowering strategies like asking task-focused questions, validating perceptions, and co-creating solutions.Somatic practices, such as presence pauses, breathing, or playful movement, foster nervous system regulation, creating an environment where the brain feels safe to learn.Somatic inquiry also cultivates body awareness, affirms students’ own perspectives and fosters resilience, engagement, self-trust, and authentic artistic expression.OutcomesA student-centered, trauma-informed pedagogy based in inquiry can not only help prevent injury and support mental health, but also strengthens motivation, persistence, and self-regulation. Somatic inquiry in particular can increase student engagement and teacher satisfaction, transforming self-judgment into curiosity, and anxiety into exploration. These outcomes align directly with the conference theme by demonstrating inclusive teaching methods that can bridge divides; meet students where they are; and foster connection across diverse instruments, ages, levels, and backgrounds. Replacing correction with curiosity, celebration, and collaboration enables instrumental instruction to succeed as both an artistic discipline well-being.