Earlier this week, I was taking my morning walk, enjoying the signs of Spring that were along the sidewalk, when all of a sudden the music I was listening to started buffering.

For some reason, this brought back a very specific, very visceral memory for me – I was working with a group of teens and had some MP3s loaded up on my iPod, and the music Would. Not. Play.

I couldn’t get it to start, no matter what I tried. There was no internet connection, so I couldn’t pull up the music on my phone, and I had no backup plan.

The feeling of panic I felt in that moment is not one I would like to experience again!

This got me thinking about how in music therapy, we always need to have a Plan B. (And let’s be honest, a Plan C, D, E, F, and G!)

Things often do not go as smoothly as we’ve planned and as easily as we have imagined in our minds.

I have had clients snap my guitar strings.

I’ve watched my guitar fall down and the neck snap in half. (I need to share a picture of this on the blog at some point – it was unreal!)

I have had keyboard batteries run out.

I’ve had 80 participants show up to a Rockin’ and Readin’ session at the Library when I was only prepared for 15.

Flexibility is the ALWAYS the name of the game in music therapy.

This July will mark my 20th (!!) year as a practicing music therapist, and in that time I have learned to remain flexible and open.

If the guitar strings break, I’m ready to jump onto the keyboard as my accompaniment instrument.

If my keyboard batteries run out, I’m ready to keep the beat with a shaker, or whatever I have handy in my instrument bag.

If I’m going into a group session where I don’t know how many will attend, I have activities and materials ready for both a small and large group. (So if the group is 5 times the size I planned, I’ll be ready!)

Much of this flexibility comes with time and experience, but it’s something I try to instill in my practicum students and interns right from the get go.

If you have any funny stores to share about how your music therapy sessions or music classes didn’t quite go as planned, share them in the comments below!

And if you need some creative inspiration or ideas to ensure you’re prepared for any and all scenarios, check out the Spring Music Therapy Planning Pack:

The post Always Have a Plan B in Music Therapy appeared first on Wholesome Harmonies, LLC.

When I sit down to write a blog post, I try to always keep the focus on you, the reader.

I think about what information you can take away and use in your sessions, or what information might be helpful in your clinical practice.

In today’s blog post though, the focus is on me more so than in other posts (sorry!) BUT, I thought the topic might still be helpful, or at least a little interesting.

It’s a “day in the life of” post. Actually a “week in the life of” would be more accurate, because as a momtreprerneur music therapist, every day in my week is different.

I run my music therapy business, Wholesome Harmonies, which includes myself and a team of 13 music therapists. I have an online biz with creative resources and continuing ed opportunities for music professionals. And, I teach music therapy courses virtually for my alma mater, University of Miami. (I truly love my career, though, so this rarely feels like “work.”)

Here’s a little peek into my week –

On Mondays, I ease into my week with no sessions scheduled. After my kiddos are off to school, I do some things to help me get grounded and ready for the week ahead. That might look like a brisk walk, journaling, a spiritual reading, or meditation.

Following that, I catch up on emails and do ALL THE THINGS related to running my business: calling clients who have inquired about services, putting together intake paperwork for new clients, invoicing, and working on authorizations for our clients in Florida who have medicaid (Sunshine Health). I usually squeeze in a few household chores before my girls get home from school.

On Tuesdays, I session plan and lesson plan in the morning. In the afternoon, I teach in-person adapted piano lessons to students here in Pennsylvania, where I now live. Following that, I supervise practicum students from St. Mary of the Woods College and facilitate virtual music therapy sessions for the YMCA of South Florida’s after school program. About 15 programs across South Florida Zoom into the sessions, and we have students who range in age from 6 – 21.

On Wednesdays, I use the morning to do grading and emailing with my virtual Intro to Music Therapy students. In the afternoon, I teach virtual jazz piano lessons, and facilitate more virtual sessions for the YMCA. Technology is incredible, isn’t it?

On Thursdays, I catch up more on my “business work” by calling clients, answering emails, and doing all the things that keep the business moving full steam ahead. I also try to incorporate some self care by taking a walk, or meeting up with local music therapists here in Gettysburg (there are 3 that I’ve connected with so far!)

On Fridays, I have supervision meetings with practicum students (one of my favorite things to do), and then head off to facilitate in-person sessions in the autistic support classroom at our local high school. These sessions are part of the Healing Arts Program I wrote about here, here, and here (check out these posts for TONS of creative arts therapy ideas!)

I also have Rockin’ & Readin’ at the Library sessions sprinkled throughout the year, as well as sessions with other programs that offer services to children and teens with autism and related disabilities.

Every day of my week is different, which I LOVE.

I have a mix of days with in-person sessions and days where I can cozy up on the couch and invoice. My business allows me to do the work I love and feel called to do, but I’m also free to attend events at my daughters’ school.

What about you? I always love hearing what other music therapists are up to during the week. If you’d like to share what your week looks like, leave a comment below!

The post A Day In The Life of a Momtrepreneur Music Therapist appeared first on Wholesome Harmonies, LLC.

I had to check back in the Blog Archives to remind myself that I’ve written quite a few posts on American Idol.

Yes, I am still watching American Idol 21 years after it started (!!)

Why?

Well, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan are super entertaining, and I love hearing the stories of the contestant’s backgrounds and what brought them to the competition. One contestant is even a music therapist!

But what really keeps me hooked, is that watching the show doubles for me as research.

Research of current pop music, that is.

I need to keep my finger on the pulse of what’s new and hip on the radio, and who the popular artists are, because I work with tween and teen clients.

American Idol is awesome because the contestants often choose to perform current songs, so this introduces me to some new ones that I may not have heard.

As an added bonus, the contestants usually put their own twist on a song, so I get ideas for how I might change things up when I sing it with my clients (for example, slow it down, speed it up, or change the accompaniment style).

I love that I can be “researching” for work over a bowl of Cheetos. Doesn’t get any better than that does it?

Watching American Idol (and some of the other music reality shows out there) is just one of the strategies I share with my E-Course students who’re looking to find songs to use in their sessions with middle schoolers and high schoolers.

In Tune In To Teens I share a variety of other creative ways you can discover what songs are cool and “in” right now.

When we use music that our clients actually like and listen to, we’re more likely to engage them in the intervention and they’re more likely to accomplish their goals.

More than that, when we accept our clients’ music, what we’re communicating is that we accept them.

More on that here:

The E-Course (pre-approved for 5-15 CMTEs, depending on the package you choose) will be open for enrollment at a discounted rate very soon, so stay tuned!

The post Yes, I’m Still Watching American Idol. Here’s Why – appeared first on Wholesome Harmonies, LLC.

Did I ever mention here that I almost became a K-8 music teacher?

My first year at University of Miami I was a music ed major and thought for sure that was the direction I was heading.

That is, until I learned about music therapy.

My work study job was right next to the Music Therapy program director’s office. And every day at work I’d read the bulletin board, where he’d post articles and case studies about music therapy.

The more I read and the more I learned about music therapy, the more I was convinced this was the career for me.

In my sophomore year, I switched majors to music therapy and have never once looked back.

I love music therapy for so many reasons.

One of the main ones is that there is such a wide variety of ways to work in our field.

For me, each and every day is different, and I’m able to craft my schedule to include things I love to do, the clients I love to work with, and the areas where I feel strongest.

After a year and a half of juggling work and homeschooling, my girls are back to in-person school and I am busy, busy, busy working from home, wearing many (many) hats:

• Continuing with a full caseload of virtual music therapy sessions and lessons
• Running my business and managing therapists in South Florida
• Making connections and starting in-person sessions in my new hometown in South Central Pennsylvania (more on that soon!)
• Running my online business, offering creative resources, E-Books, and continuing ed E-Courses to music therapists and educators
• Supervising practicum students (one of my favorite things to do!)
• And, teaching Intro to Music Therapy online for University of Miami, my alma mater

I can truly say I’ve created a business and a life that I love.

I know I’m not the only one – what different hats do you wear as a music therapist? Leave a comment below to let us know!

The post A Music Therapist Wearing Many Hats appeared first on Wholesome Harmonies, LLC.

Wow has it been a LONG time since I’ve written a new post!

I had to look back and see that it was at the end of July that I last published a blog post.

I hope you’ll excuse me. It has been quite a whirlwind summer:

My family and I moved from Miami, FL up to my hometown in rural Pennsylvania. Life could not be any more different for us here and we are loving it.

Instead of fighting traffic to get our daughters to school on time (we lived 4 miles away and it would take us 40 minutes!) we are now driving the back roads, past green pastures with cows.

My girls are back to in-person school, which is fantastic for them and our whole family.

I am busy, busy, busy working from home:

Continuing with a full caseload of virtual music therapy sessions and lessons (which I now facilitate while facing a window with beautiful weeping willow trees outside);

Continuing to run my business in South Florida, since we have made so many wonderful connections with families and organizations there over the years;

And, now teaching Introduction to Music Therapy ONLINE for University of Miami, my alma mater. How cool is that?

I can truly say I’ve created a business and life that I love.

I can devote school-hours to my business and work, and devote my after-school hours to playing outside with my girls, practicing soccer with them, and exploring our new hometown.

This past weekend we rode on a tractor, went apple picking, and visited a miniature horse farm.

We are not in Miami anymore!

Now that my girls are back to in-person school, I feel like I can breathe a bit, catch up on a year and a half of work, and start to get back to blogging, and sending out email ideas and creative resources, (which is the stuff that really lights me up).

I’ll be back soon with some ideas that I have been storing up and waiting to share with you.

The post It’s Been a While, But I’m Back (and in a new state!) appeared first on Wholesome Harmonies, LLC.

Last week, I wrote a blog post about how being a parent has helped me become a better music therapist. (There were a few things that came up that even surprised me!)

This week, I want to share how being a music therapist has helped me become a better parent (oh let me count the ways!)

Here are just a few:

I used songs to bond with my babies – Using my training as a music therapist and with the encouragement from a sound birthing professional (more on that here), I wrote a special song for each of my girls. I sang that song: while I was pregnant with them, while we did skin-to-skin in the operating room, while in the hospital room after they were born, and of course throughout the day at home. Being a trained music therapist, I knew how important music was in bonding us during the first days and weeks of their little lives.

I use musical transitions and basically, music throughout the day – When my kiddos were really young, we used musical transitions at clean up time, meal time, and bed time. Using music during times of transitions is something I was very familiar with as a music therapist working with children, so it was easy for me to incorporate this into our everyday lives.

As they’ve gotten older, we’ve incorporated music in other really fun and laid back ways. Some days it sounds like an opera in our house. I’ll sing to my kids “Would you like some milk?” and without missing a beat they’ll sing back “Yes I’d like some milk!” It is so. much. fun.

We also do piggyback songs and they will chime right in when I start. It’s typically a piggyback to “Are You Sleeping?” because the melody is simple and they know it well. But sometimes we’ll use other song melodies and change up the words. I feel like my husband and I are training little mini music therapists!

My kids have access to all the instruments – I mean ALL the instruments – I have bins and bins with my music therapy materials. My girls have been known to run around with a duck quacker, rain stick, steel drum, ukulele, wind chimes, maraca, castanets. You name it, they’ve probably played it. I love that because I’m a music therapist, they have access to this wide variety of instruments.

Holiday shows on Zoom  – During the pandemic, I was feeling a little glum as 4th of July approached last year. In an effort to give us something to look forward to (and to keep my girls developing their musical skills), I set up a patriotic holiday show for our family on Zoom. We all dressed in red, white, and blue, and my husband, our girls, and I played a variety of patriotic songs. We led our families across the country in singing.

It ended up being a really special day, and we got a lot of positive feedback from our family about how it lifted their spirits. So, we followed our Patriotic Zoom Concert up with a Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Valentine’s Day Zoom Show.  I used the skills I had developed while working as a music therapist at United Cerebral Palsy of Miami, where I planned many, MANY concerts and shows for the children and teens with special needs.

I would love to hear from you.

How has being a music therapist made you a better parent (or vice versa)? Leave a comment below to let us know.

The post How Being a Music Therapist Has Helped Me Become a Better Parent appeared first on Wholesome Harmonies, LLC.

My kiddos are now 4 and 7 and I have learned a thing or two about parenting in that time (still learning though!)

As I was leading a group music therapy session online earlier this week, something struck me.

Much of what I’ve learned as a parent frequently comes into play in my music therapy sessions with children.

(And the reverse is true too, so stay tuned for details on that in the next blog post!)

Here are some ways parenting has helped me become a better music therapist:

Being goofy can help – This is one of my favorite parenting tricks. If one of my children doesn’t want to do something or is having a hard time, oftentimes humor can help. Not to make fun of them, but to bring some levity to a tense situation. More often than not, a smile ends up breaking through the tears.

I’ve used this strategy in my music therapy sessions many times. I think goofiness helps children feel connected to me and helps us work together more closely.

Schedules can help – I am a super planned out, organized kind of person. I’ve had my kids on a schedule since pretty much the day they were born and it has served us well. We can be flexible when needed, of course, but knowing that lunch is always followed by quiet time, and quiet time is followed by TV time, has been a life saver.

Likewise, my music therapy clients know that our sessions more or less follow the same schedule from week to week (though there certainly is room for flexibility within that schedule!) We always start with Hello Song and typically follow that with a Greeting Song and Movement experience before moving on to the rest of the session. I believe this predictable routine helps alleviate some anxiety for them, because they know what to expect and what is expected of them.

Planning ahead can help – Just as schedules are an important part of my life as a parent and music therapist, so is planning ahead. I like having my sessions planned well in advance. This way, my visuals are prepared, my music is solid, and I can be totally present and not feel scattered when I begin a session.

I will admit though, having my kiddos home full time with me for the past year and a half has made this TOUGH, but has also reminded me why it is critical to plan in advance. (You never know when your kiddo will bust their lip or need a wipe right before you log onto Zoom.)

I’m MUCH more familiar with the developmental milestones – It’s one thing to read about children developing language skills, and it’s another to actually watch your own children learn to babble, say their bilabials, and say their first utterances. It’s one thing to read that toddlers can be defiant, and it’s another to perfect the strategies that aid in compliance day in and day out (giving choices, giving them autonomy, etc.)

I’ve seen my own children go through these milestones, so I have a deeper understanding of where my clients are in their developmental process and how I can aid them in making progress.

Now I would love to hear from you.

How has being a parent helped (or hindered) your work as a music therapist? Leave a comment below to let us know.

And tune in next week when I share how my life’s work as a music therapist has helped me become a better parent (let me count the ways!)

The post How Parenting Has Helped Me Become A Better Music Therapist (and vice versa) appeared first on Wholesome Harmonies, LLC.

Happy 2020!

The new year is upon us and it’s time for a fresh start.

I’ve enjoyed looking back at my past new year’s posts and remembering the accomplishments of those years.

But this year, to be honest, I didn’t accomplish as much in my business as I had hoped. My two girls are young and although there is always MUCH to do clinically (multiple sessions to plan for and facilitate) and business-wise (invoicing, client calls, marketing, etc.) I still spend a significant amount of time with my girls each day.

It’s the beauty and challenge of being a business owner and a mom.

This year, I am giving myself permission to be okay with accomplishing more as a mom than as a business owner.

I attended every class party.

I attended every Over The Rainbow Reading Ceremony for my daughter.

I did Lunch Bunch (ate lunch & read books!) with my daughter and her friends.

I read How the Grinch Stole Christmas to a class of wide-eyed Kindergarteners and helped them make Christmas ornaments.

I packed lunches each and every afternoon I was home.

I helped with homework each and every day I was home.

It’s a new year and I have no goals for my business. I chose a guidance word for the year, and that will help keep me on track as I make what progress I can in my business while continuing to be present and engaged with my own children.

Can you relate? Was last year or this upcoming year a time when you need to be gentle with yourself too? Leave a comment below and let me know.

The post A New Year And No Goals appeared first on Wholesome Harmonies, LLC.

Yesterday, something happened in one of my sessions that stopped me in my tracks.

Now I’ve been a music therapist for twelve years (!!), and very little surprises me at this point.

But on this particular day, I was facilitating a localization exercise with my clarinet in the resource classroom for students with severe and profound intellectual disability. I started off by sitting in the center of the classroom and playing a chromatic scale run from the lowest low note to the highest high note the clarinet can play.

As soon as I played and sustained the low E, I could see the head of one of the students begin to rise. This was a student who hadn’t shown any outward responses to music in the past. But I noticed a slow head rise and then eye contact! The look on this student’s face seemed to be telling me that this was a sound he had never heard before. That it was different and noticeable.

The small head rise and eye contact were the best things that happened in my sessions that week.

They were responses, albeit small ones, that I am so glad I noticed.

After that happened, I committed myself to continuing to look for those small, but profound responses. The small head turns, the soft vocalizations. Those responses tell me the student is connecting to me and to the music.

What are the little things you’ve been noticing in your music therapy sessions this week?

The post Noticing the Little Things (and how my clarinet helped) appeared first on Wholesome Harmonies, LLC.

I returned home late Sunday night from the National Music Therapy Conference in St. Louis, MO.

I had so much to tell my husband that I didn’t fall asleep until midnight (which for someone who has had a rough go with sleep this past year that’s saying a lot!)

I had a wonderful time that at conference – making connections with new and old friends, meeting blog readers (THANK YOU to those of you who came up to say hi!!), and of course learning about the latest in research and clinical practice.

Some of the highlights ~

Dr. Blythe LaGasse and Michelle Hardy’s presentation on neurodevelopment for music therapy and autism. In the presentation Dr. LaGasse discussed the precursors needed for socialization. Those include cognitive skills  such as attention, working memory, and executive functioning; communication skills such as theory of mind, and motor control for verbal and nonverbal exchange; and sensory motor skills such the ability to process information in the environment. This was a great reminder that although we may want to jump to creating a social goal for our clients, we need to first consider all the skills that are required for socialization to happen.

Elizabeth Schwartz and Varvara Pasiali’s presentation on a preventative model of music therapy for children in limited resource communities was excellent as well. They spoke about resource oriented music therapy, where the focus is on the strengths of the client and empowerment, rather than on areas of need as we are often taught in school.

Another stand-out presentation was one by Rachel See and Whitney Ostercamp. They presented on an interdisciplinary approach to consultative music therapy services. I am a huge proponent of collaborating with other professionals on the treatment team, and this presentation offered tons of creative ideas for how to use audiovisual components and technology to target a variety of goal areas.

I still need to go back and organize my notes, read through my handouts again and come up with specifics on how I can implement what I’ve learned. I don’t want this information to just sit in a folder. I want to take what I’ve learned and use it my sessions in a meaningful way.

I’d love to hear from you – what was your favorite part about AMTA17?

The post #AMTA17 appeared first on Wholesome Harmonies, LLC.