I don’t know about you, but when I’m learning new music therapy techniques, I love to see them IN ACTION.

It’s one thing to read about techniques in a book or hear about them in class, and it’s another to see them being implemented in an actual session with clients.

That’s why I created a Music Therapy in Action Page on my site (all shared with permission from the client families).

This page is for parents and administrators to see what music therapy could look like for their children or students.

And it’s for music therapists to get new ideas and see how they might implement techniques with their own clients and students.

I always get inspired and invigorated when I watch videos of music therapy in action.

On the Music Therapy in Action page, you can check out examples in the following areas (click on each picture below):

You’ll watch videos showing:

• An original song with gross motor MOVEMENT around the room to teach shapes (one of my faves!)
• An original song with MOVEMENT to teach -AT words
• An original song and colorful file folder activity to work on matching numeral to quantity
• A singable story about mixing colors
• And, two attention & perception techniques implemented in a fun, creative way

You’ll watch videos showing:

• Musical Sensory Orientation Training with the cabasa to provide tactile stimulation
• Several music therapy experiences to work on sensory integration (one with the therapy ball, one with paint brushes used during a singable story, one with the trampoline, and one with the gathering drum used for spinning) – all used for my clients on the autism spectrum and with sensory processing disorders

Here, you’ll watch videos showing:

• How I use my primary instrument from college, the clarinet, to facilitate on gross motor movements

There’s plenty more to see on the Music Therapy in Action Page, so be sure to check it out and let me know which techniques you’ll be implementing this week!

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Arousal orientation, localization, auditory perception skills, alternating attention – I cover it all.

I thought maybe you could use a few new ideas too!

Two years ago, I started a video series about Music Therapy + Cognition. In the videos I share interventions that target specific cognitive skills:

Video 1: Shows how you can use the clarinet (or any symphonic instrument) to work on localization (the technique is called Musical Sensory Orientation Training, or MSOT).

Video 2: Demonstrates how you can use musical experiences to work on sound discrimination and identification (these skills have huge implications for speech development, so check them out!)

Video 3: Shows how you can use the ukulele and different colored scarves (plus an original song!) to work on sustained and alternating attention.

I also wrote a few of blog posts where I share some ideas for how you can target cognitive skills in your sessions with children and teens with special needs:

Amp up your work on auditory perception skills with your school age clients and grab some ideas that will help improve their ability to listen, discriminate sounds, and tune out distractions in the classroom.

Are they fans of JT and “Can’t Stop the Feeling?” In this post you’ll see how a motivating song that your clients LOVE can be used to work on sustained and selective attention.

Finally, if your clients are as into Moana as mine are, be sure to check out Making the most of Moana. You’ll see how you can incorporate rainbow colored hand bells to work on attention goals. In More with Moana I share how you can see how to use rhythm instruments to work on auditory perception skills and selective attention.

That should be a good place to get you started!

The post A Cognitive Intervention Roundup appeared first on Wholesome Harmonies, LLC.

Today is the final post for my video series on Music Therapy + Cognition. I’ve had so much fun putting these videos together! You can catch up on the past posts and videos here:

Part 1: Using the clarinet to work on localization

Part 2: Using rhythm instruments to work on auditory perception skills

Today I’m sharing a video of a Musical Attention Control Training (MACT) experience.

MACT experiences can target one or more of the following types of attention: sustained, divided, selective, and alternating.

This video demonstrates an intervention where I use two different color scarves, an original song, and my uke to address sustained attention and a bit of alternating attention.

Watch to see how:

There is a LOT going on here. Through this one musical experience I’m targeting:

• Sustained attention
• Direction following
• Stop & go and impulse control (“shake scarf annnnnd…..freeze!”)
• Color identification
• Body part identification
• Alternating attention (“shake the pink scarf on your nose, shake the blue scarf on your back!”)

That is one of the things I love the most about music therapy – although we have one overarching goal for an intervention (to improve attention skills), there are so many other skills we can sneak in there to practice.

Now I’d love to hear from you about how you address cognitive skills in a creative way in your sessions.

Leave a comment to let us know!

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Two weeks ago I started a new blog series that I was SUPER excited about: how we can use music therapy interventions to address cognitive function.

And then…

…my website decided it did not want to play nice anymore.

I had a few little glitches occur, which is why the blog post for last Wednesday was MIA. So sorry! But we are back on schedule today with a brand new post and video!

So let’s get to it…

Last week I shared the first video in the Music Therapy + Cognition series. It was a demonstration of a Musical Sensory Orientation Training (MSOT) experience.

If you haven’t checked that video out, click here to see me using my clarinet for this experience (I love using my clarinet in sessions!)

Today, in part two of the series, I’ll be sharing video of an Auditory Perception Training (APT) experience. The purpose of APT is to refine and develop acoustical perceptual accuracy.

Sound complicated?

To put it in simpler terms, I’m using two specific types of musical experiences (one called auditory differences, the other called auditory matching) to work on sound discrimination and identification.

These two skills are crucial for children learning to read, write, spell and speak. For example, a child must be able to discriminate between “ng” and “nk” in order to hear the word “thing” spoken to him, rather than the word “think.”

Auditory discrimination also has implications for speech in that a child may mishear and thus mispronounce certain words.

The great news is that we can address auditory discrimination and identification in a variety of creative ways during our music therapy sessions.

In the video you’ll see demonstrations of two APT experiences:

• Same & Different to work on auditory differences – the child is asked to discriminate between sounds that are either the same or different
• “What Do You Hear?” to work on auditory matching – the child is asked to identify different musical sounds.

There are a hundred different ways you can vary these APT experiences. Think of ALL the instruments and notes on the keyboard you have available!

What are some ways that you address auditory discrimination and identification in your music therapy sessions?

Leave a comment below to let us know! Sharing ideas is the best way for us to grow as music therapists!

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I love watching videos of other music therapists in their sessions with clients. I gain so many new ideas for songs, interventions and methods of implementation.

I try to contribute by sharing my own videos:

Check out my Music Therapy in Action page to watch videos of me working with clients to address sensory integration, speech language and academic goals (just to name a few). All are shared with written permission from parents.

Today I’ll be starting a brand new videos series where I’ll be sharing ideas about how we can use music therapy interventions to address cognitive skills.

I’ll be sharing videos that demonstrate how we as music therapists can address cognitive skills like localization and attention, as well as auditory perception skills like listening and following directions.

I’ll also share videos on how we can address academic skills with our music therapy interventions. I’m excited!

In the first video of the series you’ll see a Musical Sensory Orientation Training (MSOT) intervention. MSOT is the Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT) term to describe the use of musical sounds for arousal orientation and to work on localization.

As you watch, take notice of the client’s responses to the music: sitting up, turning their heads, vocalizing, and moving, just to name a few.

The clarinet was my primary instrument of study in college (although that was ten years ago, and though I’ve tried to keep my skills up, they’re not quite the same as they were back then!)

I love using the clarinet in this setting for this purpose for a few main reasons:

• It has a unique timbre – The clarinet sounds different than any of the other instruments I bring into my sessions, which immediately catches the attention of the children.
• It’s versatile – I can play the clarinet in many different ways: loud and soft, and fast and slow. I can play runs, arpeggios and chromatic scales. I can play staccato and legato notes. The list goes on.
• It’s mobile – I can easily walk around the room with it to address localization skills with my clients.
• It sounds similar to the human voice – I think the clarinet sounds more similar to the human voice than any other instrument. If you listen in the video, you’ll hear the children making sounds. I love the interplay of the human voices and clarinet together as if in a duet.

Stay tuned next week when I share a video showing auditory perception training (APT) exercises to work on listening skills and direction following!

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