As April is winding down, so is the school year here at University of Miami (UM), where I've been teaching this past school year. It has been an incredible year and I have learned so, so much! I'm looking forward to the coming months, where I have a few major life changes coming down the [...]
Next Saturday, May 3, Wholesome Harmonies will be part of the All Kids Included Festival, held at the South Dade Cultural Arts Center and we are so excited! This is FREE festival that provides interactive arts experiences for children of ALL abilities. The festival runs from 10am - 5pm, and I will be facilitating music [...]
Bravery - This is a theme that's reappeared quite frequently in the last year or two....in Disney movies and in songs. I think this theme is very relevant to teens and so I decided to incorporate it into my music therapy sessions last week. These are sessions for teens with autism and other special needs and [...]
Sensory-based interventions are some of my favorite to incorporate into my music therapy sessions. Many of the children I work with who have special needs are also sensory-based learners. This means they learn about their world through their senses - sight, touch, hearing, even taste! Here is an original song I wrote to use in my sensory sessions [...]
Two weeks ago I wrote a blog post that generated a LOT of comments! I love when this happens because it helps me feel like I'm not alone with some of the things I'm going through in my sessions. This particular blog post was about breaking free my obsession with session planning. And realizing that [...]
I'm a planner and an organizer. I'm early for everything and I always like to be prepared. So when I began working with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and other special needs it was a HUGE shift for me to learn that coming in with a pre-planned "agenda" and session plan might not be the best [...]
I'm really getting into the swing of things here at my job as Interim Professor of Music Therapy at University of Miami (UM). I love being about to share what I've learned in my eight years of working with children with special needs in the clinical setting and also what I learned during my master's [...]
I just returned home after a beautiful and relaxing vacation in Sanibel. Honestly it was hard to leave a week of swimming, biking, grilling, and swinging in the hammock. But I feel refreshed and ready to go! This is a bittersweet week for me - I am finishing up my time at UCP's Early Beginnings [...]
Friday was my last day with the children at UCP!! I can't believe it! I'll be leaving United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) to start my new position as Interim Professor of Music Therapy at University of Miami. There are many things that I'll miss about UCP, but most of all will be the children. Don't worry ~ [...]
I don't know about you, but I am ready for a little fun in the sun! Even though I live in Miami, I always get excited to go to the beach. I love the smell of the suntan lotion and the sound of the waves. The summer is also a great time to bring some of the [...]
