I Want to Throw Myself in and Snap Off the Mask is a modular Resource Pack which explores masculinity through music, taking existing song lyrics as a starting point to encourage students to consider creating their own definitions of masculinity for a modern world. This work will support you as a lead facilitator to give space for your young people to explore what masculinity means to them today and to have potentially difficult but open conversations around how male, societal gender norms have affected them.
This Resource Pack has been specifically designed to allow young people of all genders to take part in these conversations, supporting you to facilitate safe, open discussions where everyone has a space to explore how they feel about the role that they have been ‘given’ by their gender in society, and the role they might now wish to create for themselves.
Why Music?
We believe music, and song lyrics in particular, are a great way to open up conversations around gender with young people, allowing them to explore what gender stereotypes the music that they listen to might perpetuate and to unpick more deeply how they feel about this.
This modular resource can be used by music classes or ensembles, progressing into a songwriting project that enables your students to shape their own lyrical content, giving voice to a new definition of masculinity that they want to take forward from the sessions. It can also be used within PSHE or other classroom settings, using music as a starting point to open up larger conversations around gender and supporting young people to develop different kinds of creative responses that showcase their learning.
How Can I Deliver This in my own School?
At the link below, you can find our I Want to Throw Myself in and Snap Off the Mask Resource Pack which contains session plans for 6 – 8 weeks of content that can be delivered to your students.
This Work in Practice
In September 2025, NYJO delivered an exploration day at Dulwich College, together with the Southwark Schools Learning Partnership, which brought together young people from local secondary schools to consider what masculinity actually means to them today. This modular resource has been generated using writing and ideas from the young people who attended. Take a look at this video insight into the day and read some of their responses below!
Music & Masculinity: In Discussion
Watch this conversation between a group of our Emerging Professional (18 – 25 year old) musicians as they consider their own views on masculinity, alongside rehearsing arrangements of some of the music that you will have been listening to over the course of this modular resource.