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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When you live in Miami, one season tends to blend right in to the next.

Winter feels like Spring and Spring feels like Summer. Nonetheless, I like to acknowledge the change of seasons in my sessions. Thus, I have a ton of ideas in store for my Spring-themed sessions next week.

I work at a school called Children’s Resources here in Miami, providing group music therapy sessions to the PreK – 5th grade classrooms. For the children who are sensory learners (those with severe and profound intellectual disability or autism spectrum disorder), I bring in experiences that target ALL the senses.

Let’s focus today on my personal favorite – the sense of smell.

To provide olfactory stimulation I bring in the following Spring-y scents:

• Peach
• Pineapple
• Flowers
• Mangoes
• Coconut
• Passionfruit
• Sunscreen

PRO TIP: Go to the Dollar Tree and stock up. You will not be disappointed. You can find lotions, candles and room sprays in a variety of scents.

To facilitate this experience, I ask the teachers to pass around one scent at a time while I sing this original song:

I love to see eyes widen as the children get a whiff of coconut or mango. Yum! If you’d like to use this song in your upcoming sessions:
And be sure to check out the Sensational Songs & Activities E-Book for more sensory ideas, sheet music, & themed session plans:

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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?

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Sensory sessions based on a theme are my absolute fave. Right now, it’s all about Fall ya’ll.

Although it never truly feels like Fall here in Miami (high today of 83!) I still try to get into the spirit of the season in my sessions. Using Fall and all the goodness that goes along with it as a framework for coming up with musical experiences helps get my creative juices flowing.

Here are some of the sensory experiences I’m using in my sessions this month:

• Fall scented candles: Apple cinnamon, pumpkin pie and pecan…mmmmm!
• Pumpkins and gourds: Bumpy ones, smooth ones, short ones, tall ones. You name it, I’ve got it.
• Leaves: Feel the crunchy leaves and smooth ones, and look at the variety of bright colors.
• Cinnamon  broom: Smell the cinnamon scent and feel the prickly bristles.
• Turkey gobbler: Work on auditory perception skills and localization by playing the gobbler in various locations around the room.

I’ve also brought these items into my elementary classes that don’t necessarily have sensory goals. We’ve used these items to work on expressive communication – using a complete sentence with adjectives to describe what they’re seeing, hearing and smelling. These experiences are also a great way to work on expanding their vocabulary as they describe various Fall items.

I LOVE Fall and will continue to bring as much of ‘it’ into my sessions as I can each year!

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Rhythm sticks are quickly becoming my favorite instrument. Why?

They’re incredibly versatile (just like this instrument is!),

They’re appropriate for a wide range of ages,

They can be used to address goals in a variety of domains,

And, they’re multi sensory.

The multisensory component is my favorite part because the majority of the individuals I work with are on the autism spectrum. I purchase the rhythm sticks with ridges and the possibilities for sensory stimulation are endless.

Here are some ways I use rhythm sticks to address the sensory needs of my clients:

• Tap sticks together
• Tap sticks on legs, knees, toes, or other body part
• Rub sticks together
• Scrape and tap
• Roll on body parts such as the legs or back

All these movements provide great sensory feedback in the hands and the body part being tapped or rolled.

I’ve had rhythm sticks in my “bag of tricks” for years and only recently did I think to add in some different ways of using the sticks to provide more sensory feedback for clients.

How do you use rhythm sticks with your clients?

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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!

The post {NEW Video Series} Music Therapy + Cognition Part 1 appeared first on Wholesome Harmonies, LLC.

It’s December and I can feel the excitement for the holidays building!

This is my favorite time of the year. I love the decorations, the holiday songs, the food, the get togethers ~ all of it!

To spread a little holiday cheer, I want to share with you a brand new offering ~ a Holiday Package I’ve put together.

This would be a perfect gift for a music therapist or music teacher in your life….or a gift for yourself!

The Holiday Package is $25 and includes:
* Tuneful Teens E-Book
* Sensational Songs & Activities E-Book
* Pop Song Mini Pack

This is a steal really! The Holiday Pack is valued at $42 and is available until December 31 for only $25!

Get your new year started out right with these resources by clicking the button below to purchase!

You don’t have to take my word for it ~

Here’s what Rachel Rambach has to say about Tuneful Teens:
“When I first started out as a new music therapist, the population that intimidated me the most was the tween and teen crowd. That’s why I was so excited when my friend and fellow music therapist Amy Kalas launched her E-Book, Tuneful Teens. Amy provides everything you need — step by step procedures, templates, sheet music, etc. — to implement the interventions in your music therapy sessions. I highly recommend Amy’s book!”
– Rachel Rambach, MM, MT-BC

Here’s what Megan Collins says about Sensational Songs & Activities:
“The most useful part of Sensational Songs & Activities for me was the themed session plans and the outline of ideas for each session, equipment required, etc. This E-Book has specifically helped me by providing some fresh ideas on how to incorporate non-musical equipment into sensory stimulation during music therapy sessions. For example, using water spray bottles, cotton balls, candles, and other non-musical equipment alongside musical instruments such as thunder tubes, ocean drums, etc to provide additional sensory stimulation and to enhance the soundscapes created. Thank you for sharing your ideas with other music therapists and for your wonderful customer service also! I will be sure to recommend you to other music therapists here in Australia.”
– Megan Collins

Ready  to purchase? Click the button below!

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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 called “Wind, Wind.”

During this song, I use scarves and pretend they are blowing in the breeze on various body parts.

In the song, you’ll hear the line “Wind, wind, blowing on our arms” for example. In this way, the children are not only experiencing tactile stimulation on their arms, they are hearing the word “arm” and associating that with the movement on their arm.

For older children or those who are higher functioning cognitively, you can ask them to move the scarf to the body part they hear in the song.

I find this song very relaxing and a nice way to end my sessions.

Click below if you’d like to purchase the sheet music and use this song in your sessions! Sheet music is $1:

If you are looking for even more ways to incorporate sensory-based activities and interventions into your sessions, check out my E-Book: Sensational Songs & Activities: Sensory-Based Ideas for Music Therapy.

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I have to say that Halloween is one of my favorite holidays!

Although it’s usually still pretty hot and sticky here in Miami, I always enjoy singing songs about pumpkins, ghosts, and goblins.

Last year I shared two videos of special Halloween singable stories: “Big Pumpkin” and “Nightsong” (these were a little different than my usual singable stories, but the children were completely enthralled!)

Check out the videos and see if you could put these into practice in your sessions….especially for those of you running sessions at libraries!

Today I want to share some Halloween session ideas that I use with my “sensory-based” classes (those that include children with severe/profound intellectual disability and those with autism spectrum disorder).

– The singable stories listed above! They are great for sensory stimulation and you can incorporate lots of different instruments to go along with the stories.

– Flying Ghosts: I have little ghost decorations that I use for visual tracking with these clients. I sing my original “Ghost” song (with the keyboard ‘voice’ set to organ to add a spooky feel!) and ask the teachers or assistants to make the little ghosts fly slowly back and forth in front of the child’s face. The idea is to encourage visual tracking.

– Light Up Pumpkins: I have a pumpkin from Target that has a light inside. So I dim (or turn off) the lights and turn on the pumpkin light so it glows from inside. I sing my original  “Glowing Pumpkin” song and instruct the children to pass the pumpkin around the circle. You could also use this activity to work on visual tracking again!

– Feel Inside the Pumpkin: I purchased a pumpkin typically used for trick-or-treating (because it has an open top). I stuff it with cotton to act as “cobwebs” and place all kinds of spooky Halloween things inside (little plastic spiders, etc.) I sing my original “Feel the Cobwebs” song and instruct the children to pass the pumpkin around the circle. Each one has the opportunity to reach their hand in (if they’re brave enough!) and feel the items inside.

What are YOUR favorite sensory Halloween Activities? Leave a comment below to let us know!

Looking for more creative sensory based ideas for your session? Look no further!

The post Halloween is Coming…Are You Ready for Some Sensory Ideas? appeared first on Wholesome Harmonies, LLC.

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 Academy. Wednesday is my last day! Then Thursday I start my new position as Professor of Music Therapy at University of Miami for the 2013-2014 school year!

As we move into fall, it’s time to wrap up my Summer Series on Sensory Integration + Music Therapy.

I hope the videos have sparked some new ideas for you.

Click to catch up and watch the videos from Part 1 (therapy ball), Part 2 (book + tactile stimulation with paint brushes), and Part 3 (gathering drum).

Now watch to see how I incorporate the trampoline into my sessions (make sure you watch all the way to the end!)

– I’m using a highly preferred activity for this little girl (jumping on the trampoline) to encourage verbal and nonverbal communication (say and sign “more!”)

– The music helps structure the activity: the lyrics explain what she’s doing (“jump, jump, jump up and down”); the rhythm helps cue the jumping; the stop and go of the music help cue when she should be jumping (when the music is playing) and when she should stop (when the music stops).

ACTION TIME ya’ll!

Leave a comment below and let me know how you’ve been using the ideas from this series in your sessions.

Check out Sensational Songs & Activities E-Book for more sensory ideas, sheet music, & themed session plans:

*Please note all pictures and videos on this site are used with written parental consent*

The post Sensational Ideas for Working with Children with Autism (Part 4) appeared first on Wholesome Harmonies, LLC.