One question I'm asked more than any other is this: "What music should I use with my teen clients and students?" I get it, because it stumps me sometimes, too. First, it's hard to find songs that are: a) appropriate (lyrics and content-wise), b) able to be used therapeutically, and c) considered cool by your [...]
We are movin' and groovin' right along into Week 3 of the Tune In To Teens spotlight series, where I give you a little peek into the E-Course. So far, we've spotlighted two features of Tune In To Teens - you'll learn how to organize ALL those music therapy materials and learn the Be Flexible Rap [...]
On Sundays I provide group music therapy services at Friendship Circle Miami. It's an amazing program, where neurotypical teens are paired with teens with autism and other special needs. Together, they participate in music therapy and recreational programs like sports, karate, cooking, art, and yoga. At the heart of the Friendship Circle program is the [...]
I'm a paper planner person. Through and through. I love to color code, write notes, and keep everything neat and organized on a calendar that I can spread out in front of me and see as a whole. The same goes for reading. I don't use a Kindle - I love the smell and feel [...]
I'm ashamed to admit this, but... I used to be a huge Backstreet Boys fan. I mean HUGE. One of those embarrassing fans. I knew all of the guys' birthdays, their favorite foods, and the kind of car they drove. My best friend and I spent hours making collages of their faces on our binders [...]
"Raise your hand if you're an American Idol fan!" Anyone? I said this at a recent session with a group of middle schoolers and they just stared back at me. I think I heard actual crickets. Apparently AI is't cool anymore?! Even if it's not still cool, I'm still watching. Want to know why? A [...]
Earlier this week I had one of those really great session days. Everything flowed, my students were totally engaged, and I got great feedback from the teachers and students alike. I had brought in some New Year's-themed interventions, which is how I like to start each new year with my school-age and teen clients. I [...]
I've been working with teens since 2005 (yikes! It's true!) Over the years, I've found it harder and harder to locate "appropriate" songs to use with my teens clients. I know what qualifies as an "appropriate song" can vary from person to person. What I'm referring to are songs that are free of inappropriate language [...]
I hope you've been having a great summer so far! My little family of four just returned from a trip to my hometown of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania and we had a blast. It was a fantastic trip where I had the opportunity to reconnect with friends I hadn't seen in over twenty years. I'm still buzzing [...]
Session planning is one of my favorite things about being a music therapist. I love the process. We start out with a client need and corresponding goal. Then we use our creativity to see how we can address that goal musically. I love everything that goes into that process - writing original songs for my younger clients, [...]
