I vividly remember the first time I led a music therapy session with a group of teen clients. I remember thinking it would be easy to build group cohesion among 30 adolescents that didn't know each other, and that we'd be songwriting and rapping in no time. Well, that wasn't exactly the case. It took [...]
Last week, I shared one of my favorite Zoom tools to use during telehealth music therapy sessions - the Screen Share feature. I use it multiple times per session to share lyrics, rhythms, musical game questions, and visuals, and to show GarageBand when I'm working on projects with my clients. This week, I'm going to [...]
Music therapists and educators around the world are now pretty much pros when it comes to using Zoom for their music therapy sessions and classes. This program has helped us (and continues to help us) connect with our clients and students when we're not able to be together in person. I've been using Zoom for [...]
Earlier this week, I walked out of my virtual music therapy sessions glowing. The sessions had been great, the group of teens I worked with were totally engaged in our experiences, and it almost felt like there was no "online" barrier. I felt the same connection I feel when we're "in-person" together. It was pretty [...]
Are you getting into the swing of these virtual music therapy sessions? I feel like it's exercising a whole new part of my brain and is stretching my creativity (which is something I really like). It took me a while to get the "wheels turning," but once they did, I found a whole new set [...]
Have you been doing any virtual music therapy sessions? I've been doing virtual adapted lessons, but just had my first virtual music therapy session with a group of teens last week. I have to tell you - it was so good to see those faces on Zoom. I am really missing everyone, especially because we [...]
I don't have to tell you that last week our world was turned completely upside down. My business stopped all in-person services and moved as many clients and students as we could to virtual sessions and lessons. Definitely NOT what we had expected or planned for. But, music therapists are by nature creative, innovative, flexible, [...]
Two weeks ago I flew from the palm tree-lined streets of Miami to frigid, snowy Minneapolis for the National Music Therapy Conference. Although the temperature change was a bit of a shock, even for me who grew up in Pennsylvania (and has lived in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New Jersey), I am so glad I went. [...]
Tell me if you can relate to this scenario: You're in a music therapy session with your tween or teen clients. Everything's been going great. You finish your last musical experience, look at the clock, and realize you still have ten minutes until the end of the session. Yikes! Have you been there too? Have [...]
Last week, I started a two-part mini-series on the importance of transitions when working with children. Quick refresher: 1) Transitions help children know an activity is ending; 2) They help recap and review; 3) They let children know another activity will be starting; 4) Transitions help reduce challenging behaviors; and 5) They help children feel [...]
