If you are in need of some summer session planning inspiration, I have got you covered!

Summer is here – can’t you just smell the grill and taste the gooey marshmallows?

With this inspiration, I created the Summer Music Therapy Session Planning Pack to share musical experiences that are work well for school-age and teens clients, and are effective in helping you connect (really connect!) with them.

If you’re feeling in a creative rut, or are lacking in planning time, I’ve got you covered.

In the E-Book, you’ll learn creative musical experiences that are designed for middle and high school students, but can easily be adapted for other populations. 

Each experience and the complementary materials has a Summer theme, to keep things interesting and engaging for both you and your students.

Nell Miller, MT-BC called the Spring Session Planning E-Book  “creative and wonderful” and says “I appreciate your ideas. You’ve helped me think of more varied things to try.”

In the E-Book, you’ll learn: ideas for singing and song discussion, creative movement, and songwriting; how to facilitate a Musical I Spy Game and Finish the Phrase; and how to use mini raps to engage and connect with your teen clients.

You’ll learn creative ways to use these ideas in a variety of themed sessions, including Summer and Patriotic Themes.

Along with the E-Book, you’ll get: beautiful visuals, colorful picture cards, and lyric sheets that can be printed or pulled up on your device. You’ll also get: musical game templates, songwriting templates, and looped hip hop beat MP4s. Everything you need to implement the ideas in your sessions right away!

Ashley Lewis, MM, MT-BC says of the Spring Session Planning E-Book “I of course love your resources and I think you are brilliant. Your visuals are the best I’ve ever seen! I’m a huge fan of yours and I can’t wait to see what you come up with next because I will be buying it.”

SUMMER SPECIAL: From July 3 – 10, 2026 you’ll get Creative Improv Cards for Summer included with your purchase!

The post Summer Music Therapy Session Planning Inspiration appeared first on Wholesome Harmonies, LLC.

In my last post, I shared fun and creative ways to enhance the quality of your musical presentation and gave some challenges for you to implement those ideas in your sessions right away.

How’d it go?

Remember, our musical presentation is so important in music therapy.

Music is the tool we are using to bring about therapeutic change.

Thus, we want our presentation to be high quality and engaging. This means we need to have strong musical skills on a variety of instruments AND be able to create musical accompaniments that are interesting.

Today I have a few more ideas to share.

3. Change up your guitar strums –

Branch out from the good ol’ “down down up up down up” that we learned in Guitar 101, and add some groovy guitar strums to your music therapy sessions.

Watch Groovy Guitar Strums 1 here and Groovy Guitar Strums 2 here to get ideas for new finger styles and strum patterns to use (including ones that were specifically created for movement activities!)

Try It Out Challenge – choose one new finger style pattern or guitar strum and use it in your next session.

4. Keyboard auto accompaniments

I looooooove auto accompaniments on keyboard.

They are such a fun and easy way to bring out the style of music, such as samba, reggae, or rock.

Watch this video to see exactly how to use your keyboard auto accompaniment to enhance your musical presentation, thus increasing engagement and interest, and encouraging your clients to work toward achieving their therapeutic goals.

Try It Out Challenge – learn how the auto accompaniment works on your keyboard, and use it to accompany one song in your sessions this week.

Not only will these ideas increase engagement, I’ve found they also make me more excited to come into my sessions!

If you’re looking for more ways to increase engagement and interest in your clients (especially those tweens and teens!), I’d love for your to check out Elevate.

Elevate is pre-approved by CBMT for 10 CMTE (continuing ed) credits, and there are three packages available. 

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Our musical presentation is so, so important in music therapy.

Music is the tool we are using to bring about therapeutic change.

Thus, we want our musical presentation to be high quality and engaging. This means we need to have strong musical skills on a variety of instruments AND be able to create musical accompaniments that are interesting.

I’m putting together a two part series with creative ways you can do this.

In the series, I’ll share the idea/s first, and then give you a “Try it out” challenge to push yourself to not just read this post and put it away, but to implement the ideas in your session THIS WEEK.

Here are some ideas to get you started –

1. Use your primary instrument / a symphonic instrument –

Here’s a cool example of how using my clarinet let to some incredible responses in a classroom of children with severe and profound intellectual disability. You can click here to watch a video of me using my clarinet in that classroom.

Here are a few creative ways I use my clarinet in sessions with toddlers. You can watch the video of us movin’ and groovin’ here!

And for your tween and teen clients, you can use your primary or symphonic instrument in Name That Tune with a Twist (instructions here). This is also a fun way to work in those “not-so-therapeutic” client preferred songs.

I have had practicum students and interns bring in every instrument you can think of – from the violin to the trombone to the banjo, and the responses from clients have always been positive.

Try It Out Challenge – use your primary instrument or another symphonic instrument in your session using one of the ideas from the posts above (or in an idea you come up with!)

2. Add in non-traditional accompaniment instruments –

I used to give my interns challenges: Accompany yourself with just a maraca for this song, for example. Or, lead this singable story with a bongo as your accompaniment instrument.

It was their challenge to come up with a creative rhythm pattern on that instrument that would keep the beat or keep the groove of the song going as they sang.

Try It Out Challenge – look through your instrument bag and find some non-traditional accompaniment instruments that can accompany you in your next session!

I’m going to refresh my sessions and try these ideas out this week.

Be sure to stay tuned next week when I share more creative ways to enhance your musical presentation, thereby increasing engagement, and helping your clients reach their therapeutic goals.

If you’re looking for more ways to increase engagement and interest in your clients (especially those tweens and teens!), I’d love for your to check out Elevate.

Elevate is pre-approved by CBMT for 10 CMTE (continuing ed) credits, and there are three packages available. 

The post How To Enhance the Quality of Your Musical Presentation in Music Therapy – Part 1 appeared first on Wholesome Harmonies, LLC.

At Wholesome Harmonies, adapted music lessons are one of our most popular offerings.

All of our music teachers are board certified music therapists who specialize in working with students with special learning needs.

So whereas a traditional music teacher might expect the student to sit at the piano for the full 30 min lesson, we have training and experience working with students of all abilities, and have strategies to help those students feel successful learning a musical instrument.

One of the things we need to keep in the forefront of our mind is student retention, or preventing student drop out.

Playing a guitar can be painful when you are first learning, before you have built up calluses.

Learning to read sheet music for piano can be frustrating when there are so many new signs and symbols to learn.

We want students to get over those hurdles so they can successfully play the instrument they want to learn.

Here are three strategies to help prevent lesson drop out and keep students engaged in learning.

1. Dig deep into the music your student likes and use that as lesson material. Lesson and theory books are important. They provide a solid foundation for learning the language of music. But bringing in music that the student loves is the key to keeping them engaged.

I use the Alfred lesson and theory books for my beginner students. But in addition to that, I supplement with sheet music for whatever music they like. For one student it was The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. I went onto YouTube and listened to the song on repeat while I notated it. For another student, it was “Good Directions” by Billy Currington and “Check Yes or No” by George Strait. These songs kept the students excited about lessons and made them take the initiative to sit down and practice – because they wanted to!

2. Use musical games. Create a musical games like Go Fish or Memory for students to learn note names and musical symbols. Step by step instructions for those games are here. These games are a great way to get students up off the piano bench or lesson chair, moving around, and engaged in something creative and fun.

3. Show them what they’re working toward. When a student is knee deep in theory books, it’s hard for them to keep in mind the end result they’re working toward. I love to play recordings of accomplished musicians and invite them out to live concerts where they can see performers up close and interact with them after the concert. The awe they feel when listening to those performances often gives the student the motivation they need to press through the challenging moments of learning an instrument.

Use these techniques to keep your students engaged and enjoying their lessons. I’ve got lots more adapted music lesson inspiration here on the blog.

And if you’d like to work with me one on one, I offer consultations on customized adapted music lessons for students with autism and related disabilities.

The post Keeping Students Tuned In: 3 Strategies for Preventing Lesson Drop Out appeared first on Wholesome Harmonies, LLC.

Spring has just about Sprung!

Are you feeling a burst of creative energy like I am?

Because of the great feedback we’ve received, plus multiple requests, I’ve put together Round 2 subscriptions for the Teen and Attention Elevate Packages.

This means MORE creative ideas + MORE CMTEs.

The Round 2 Teen Package includes so many goodies:

• The Soundtrack of Your Life…this one is always a crowd favorite
• Song Exploration & Discussion…multiple examples and ideas for extension are included
• Accordion Poetry & Songwriting…this one is so cool
• Creative Movement Cards
• Auditory Perception Training with Pop Songs…THIS is where you can easily incorporate any and all of your clients’ favorite songs to engage them
• Rap Writing & Rapping…step by step instructions are included to walk you through the process, as well as ideas to get the creativity flowing

The Round 2 Attention Package does too:

• Creative Listening Experiences…with an added art component
• Pop Song Listening Guides
• Music & Relaxation Experiences…with suggestions for exactly which pop songs to use
• Music & Movement Ideas…choreography provided, as well as multiple holiday & theme ideas
• Auditory Sequencing with Pop Song Ideas…a great way to incorporate movement into your auditory attention & perception experiences
• Themed Rhythmic Combos…THIS is how you incorporate your clients’ preferences into your musical activities, whether it’s video games, Star Wars, baseball, or Taylor Swift

The Round 2 Combo Pack (most popular!) =
Round 2 Teen Package + Round 2 Attention Package

All the ideas are brand NEW, plus you can earn 10 CMTEs per individual package; 20 for the Combo Pack.

The rate for each package will be discounted through next Tuesday, March 31, 2026!

If you’re on the fence –

Here’s what Bri Walstra, MT-BC had to say about Elevate –

“I thought the email portion was helpful! I actually really like the creativity worksheets because it forces me to sit down and think about the six ways to adapt one intervention. I think as music therapists we often get so busy and we read about intervention ideas but never figure out how we can implement them best.”

And Ashley Lewis, MT-BC shared this with me:

“I, of course love your resources and I think you are brilliant. Your work needs to be celebrated and I’ve told my friends about your website and how awesome your resources are.

The support I get from your resources makes my planning so much easier and less stressful. I am huge fan of yours and I can’t wait to see what you come up with next bc I will be buying it! I can’t wait for the next E-Book, keep crushing it over there!!”

The post MORE Creative Ideas + MORE CMTEs appeared first on Wholesome Harmonies, LLC.

I just love St. Patrick’s Day, and finding ways to incorporate that theme into my music therapy sessions with children with autism and adults with developmental disabilities.

There are so many fun ways to work leprechauns, shamrocks, and Irish music into our sessions to target therapeutic goals.

Check out this post, creatively titled “St. Paddy’s Day Session Ideas,” to learn how to play the crowd favorite game I created called “Irish…or Not Irish?” There is a FREEBIE in that post, so you can download the materials and use this game in your sessions right away! In this post you’ll also learn how to “play a rainbow” using your rainbow colored instrument sets.

In the also cleverly-titled post, “MORE St. Paddy’s Day Session Ideas,” you will get just what it says – more creative ideas to implement this week and next. You’ll learn how to incorporate Irish music into your sessions – both up tempo jigs and more mellow piano tunes.

In addition, I share about my FAVORITE instrument to use to enhance my St. Paddy’s Day Sessions.

It is the oh so versatile…..

Duck quacker.

I use the duck quacker to be the sound of the leprechaun laughing! This instrument has been, across the board, for the past 20 years, one of the most engaging instruments for my clients.

Any time they hear the sound, they stop what they’re doing, perk up, and listen.

So, I use the novelty and interesting sound of the instrument to engage my clients so they can work on their therapeutic goals.

In the post, you’ll learn about the game I play called “Where is the leprechaun?“, how I utilize the canary stick, and what goals can be targeted.

And if you want even more creative inspiration, check out Elevate.

Elevate is an email idea subscription designed to help you infuse creativity and FUN into your sessions with school-age & teen clients with autism & related disabilities.

You’ll earn 10 pre-approved CMTE credits per package.

These resources will super charge you and get you ready for your music therapy sessions and classes this Spring.

There are three packages to choose from: the Teen Package, the Attention/Perception Package, the Holidays & Themes Package, and the popular Combo Pack.

Each package is approved by the Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT) for 10 continuing education credits.

You’ll receive an email with new musical experience ideas in your inbox each month for six months.

Check everything that’s included in Elevate HERE.

The post Use This Fun Instrument to Enhance Your St. Patrick’s Day Sessions appeared first on Wholesome Harmonies, LLC.

I’m so excited, and I just can’t hide it 🎶

The MT Biz 101 E-Course is now open for enrollment, this week only, Feb 1-8, at a discounted rate and with added bonus material!

I have a few questions for you –

Are you looking to start your own music therapy business, but don’t know where to begin?

Do you want to start a side hustle offering creative resources to bring in passive income, but feel overwhelmed with the tech side of things?

I can relate.

Starting a music therapy business can feel overwhelming. There are taxes, licenses, and registrations. There are NPIs and EINs, and everything varies by state!

As someone who likes clear, step-by-step instructions for how to do things, but couldn’t find this kind of information when I was starting my business, I wanted to create this for other music therapists.

​MT Biz 101 is an E-Course designed to shorten the learning curve and show you in simple, concrete steps how to launch and grow a successful music therapy business.

It is pre-approved by CBMT for 8 CMTE credits for the Basic Package, and 20 for the Pro Package.

The course is open for enrollment one week only, Feb 1-8, at a discounted rate AND with extra biz tip bonus material!

Katelyn Yanovitch, MT-BC shared this after completing the course:

“Amy is very thorough, engaging, and articulate. I left each video with new insights and skills to use towards starting my own business.”

Do not let the overwhelm or uncertainty stop you.

Having a successful music therapy business has changed my life for the better and it will change yours too.

You get to create a schedule that works for you (Want a Mon – Thurs work week? No problem. Want to finish your work day by 3pm? You got it).

You get to choose the work that lights you up the most, whether it’s creating E-Books, doing direct client service, or managing a team of therapists.

And, you get to set your rates, take control of your finances, and make a great living doing what you love.

The MT Biz 101 E-Course will take you through the steps needed to launch and grow your business.

Here are some kind words from participants who have completed the MT Biz 101 E-Course:

“I would recommend this course to everyone – not just people who want to start a business, but also those who are simply interested in learning about the business side of music therapy.

“I loved the worksheets! I liked how they walked you through everything step by step and broke things down. I can get too excited about a project and miss some details, so this was good for me to help me slow down and focus on every aspect of brainstorming.

Thank you for making this course engaging. In my opinion, there are music therapy courses that are too information focused and can get boring or redundant.”​
– Katelyn Yanovitch, MT-BC

“I would recommend this course because it provides a great perspective on music therapy businesses. I enjoyed the worksheets because it truly helped me start thinking and brainstorming about details of a business that I hope to start in the future.”
– Emily K, MT-BC

And some kinds words on other CMTE courses I’ve created:

“It was THE best course I have taken!! I love how she gave it to you in words, then SHOWED you!! It was perfect. Please teach another course! I love your style and would love to see more from you!” – Amanda White, MT-BC

“I think this was the most organized and clearly presented online music therapy course I have ever taken. Thank you for so much for the valuable and useful information. I really appreciated the amount of specific, practical, and useful ideas.” – John Kneip, MT-BC

I would love to see you over in the course!

Check out the packages being offered, and how you can work with me one-on-one to get personalized business coaching (+ 20 CMTEs) – something I’ve never offered before.

Click here to learn more and ENROLL!

The post Are You Ready To Launch Your Music Therapy Business and Take It To the Next Level? appeared first on Wholesome Harmonies, LLC.

It’s a brand new year – the perfect time to give your music therapy business – or side hustle – a boost.

Maybe you have some client intake forms, but know you need more comprehensive intake paperwork in place.

Maybe you have several clients, but would love to bring on more of your dream clients.

Maybe you have an idea for an E-Resource you’d like to offer, and would like to finally launch it.

Here are some resources to get you inspired to give your biz the boost it needs this new year.

First, and most importantly, a few reads on the WHY behind all of this –

Why It’s Amazing to Be a Music Therapy Business Owner 

and

How To Run the Music Therapy Business of Your Dreams

Next, are a few sneak peeks into the MT Biz 101 E-Course – the course designed to shorten the learning curve and show you in simple, concrete steps how to launch and grow a successful music therapy business.

Launch & Grow Your Music Therapy Biz With This E-Course

Take a Sneak Peek Inside the MT Biz 101 E-Course

Take a Sneak Peek Inside the MT Biz 101 Pro Package

The E-Course will be opening up for enrollment February 1, 2026 at a discounted rate and with extra bonus material. Be sure to mark your calendar so you can take the steps needed to launch and grow your business.

The Basic E-Course package allows you to earn 8 pre-approved CMTE credits, and the Pro Package (which includes one-on-one business coaching) allows you to earn a whopping 20 CMTEs!

Katelyn Yanovitch, MT-BC, a Board Certified Music Therapist had this to say about the course:

“I would recommend this course to others! Amy is very thorough, engaging, and articulate. I left each video with new insights and skills to use towards starting my own business.

I would recommend this course to everyone – not just people who want to start a business, but also those who are simply interested in learning about the business side of music therapy. Thank you for making this course engaging. In my opinion, there are music therapy courses that are too information focused and can get boring or redundant.”

And Emily K, MT-BC, a Board Certified Music Therapist, shared this:

“I recommend this course because it provides a great perspective on music therapy businesses. I enjoyed the Business Brainstorming worksheets because it truly helped me start thinking and brainstorming about details of a business that I hope to start in the future.

I enjoyed taking and learning from your course, and I feel even more inspired to start my own music therapy business one day!”

Be sure to hop on the wait list here so you’ll have access to the discounted rate and bonus material I’ll be offering:

The post Give Your Music Therapy Business (or side hustle) a Boost with These Resources appeared first on Wholesome Harmonies, LLC.

🥁🪇 Children ages 5-12 of all abilities are welcome, and will rotate through three groups: Music Therapy | Art | Yoga

This is a drop off event. Parents are invited to a session on nurturing creativity with your child, followed by coffee at a local shop to connect with other parents. Co-hosted with my friends and colleagues at Tonality Music Therapy.

Sunday, February 8, 2026 from 1:00-4:00pm at 123 Baltimore Street, Suite 208 in Gettysburg

We cannot wait to come together as a community to make music, move, and create art!

Reach out via our contact form or email Amy@WHmusictherapy.com for more information and to register your child!

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Hear me out though.

I’ve started working with some new clients in Pennsylvania who have funding through the PA Waiver Program.

This allows adults with intellectual disabilities to receive music therapy services free of charge.

Being a waiver provider means my documentation and reports will be checked to ensure compliance and to ensure there is a continued need for service.

To help keep things crystal clear for myself as I am session planning, documenting, and writing service notes, I do color-coded goals and objectives.

Each goal and corresponding objective is assigned a color. The musical experience in my session plan that addresses that objective is given the same color.

Here’s an example from a session I led this past week:

I’m a visual learner through and through, so this helps me clearly see how I am actively addressing each goal and objective in my session.

This has made my service note writing and report writing much easier and more clear.

I have supervised practicum students and interns for almost my entire 20 year career. I think this technique could be very beneficial for students (especially if they are visual learners!)

If you are in Pennsylvania (in the Gettysburg, Hanover, or Fairfield areas), Maryland (in the Emmitsburg, Thurmont, or Frederick areas), or South Florida (Miami-Dade, Broward, or Palm Beach counties) and are looking for in-home music therapy services or lessons, reach out to me at Amy@WHmusictherapy.com or using our website contact form here.

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