I don’t know about you but I was a little bit relieved when Moana came out and we could finally put the music for Frozen away!

There’s only so many times you can sing “Let it Go” in a lesson or session, am I right?

Because Moana is so popular, I did some brainstorming to come up with ways to use the song “How Far I’ll Go” therapeutically in my sessions. Most of my clients have some sort of attention-based goal as part of their treatment plan, and color coded instruments and notation systems are the perfect way to address those goals.

Here are two creative ideas:

Rainbow Handbells – Group Session
Goal: To improve sustained and selective attention

1. Create color cards that match the rainbow colored handbell set: red (C), orange (D), yellow (E), etc. I used Crayola markers to color index cards. Simple enough!
2. In the session, split your group into four smaller groups. Distribute handbells so the first group is playing a C chord, the second group is playing an F chord, the third group is playing an A minor chord, and the fourth group is playing a G chord.
3. Practice first by holding up the cards for the C chord: red (C) and yellow (E), and cuing clients to play. Then hold up cards for the F chord: green (F) and blue (A), and cue clients to play. Continue until each group has had a chance to practice.
4. Next, sing the chorus of “How Far I’ll Go.” As you sing, cue clients to play by holding up the cards that match their handbell and correspond to the correct chord in the song.

Rainbow Handbells or Resonator Bells – Individual Session
Goal: To improve sustained and selective attention

1. Create a color coded notation sheet with four notes on a staff: C written in red, D written in orange, E written in yellow and G written in green.
2. Instruct the client to play those four notes on their handbells or resonator bells. Cue them to continue playing the four note pattern over and over.
3. Once they are comfortable playing the pattern, begin singing “How Far I’ll Go.” This repeated line corresponds with the chords in the verses and chorus of the song.

Watch out because “How Far I’ll Go” is catchy and a bit of an earworm!

If you’re looking for more creative ideas for working with teens, school age clients or adults, I’d love for you to check out the E-Course Tune In To Teens. It’s approved by CBMT for 5 – 15 continuing education credits, depending on the package you choose, and is full of creative session ideas:

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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’ve been working at Children’s Resources Educational Center since August of last year and am loving my time there.

I have the opportunity to work with a wonderful group of students. One of my favorite classes at Children’s Resources is for children with severe/profound intellectual disability and physical disabilities.

Many of the students in the class need hand-over-hand assistance to participate during music therapy, especially when we play rhythm instruments.

I use rhythm instruments often (shakers, bells, rhythm sticks, etc.) because they are multisensory and provide multiple opportunities to work on gross and fine motor skills.

Since I use instrument playing activities so often, I want to share one technique I love to use to liven up these experiences:

Solos.

Here’s how it works.

1. Each client chooses a rhythm instrument to play.
2. I accompany them by singing and using auto accompaniment on keyboard to give an added musical boost (find out how you can do this on your keyboard by watching this video).
3. After singing and playing through the chorus, I then give each client the opportunity to have a solo on their instrument. The auto accompaniment feature is fantastic because it usually has a “fill” that will lead into another type of accompaniment pattern during the solos. This helps musically distinguish between the chorus when everyone plays and the verse when each client plays individually.
4. After each client has had the opportunity to solo on their instrument, we go back to the chorus and everyone plays together until the end.

It’s a simple technique, but here are the benefits:

• You can be certain each client will have an opportunity to play. Clients with severe/profound disabilities and/or physical disabilities may not be able to play the instrument independently and there may not be enough “helping hands” (i.e. support staff) to assist. During the solos, a staff member can move around the group to provide hand-over-hand assistance to each client and ensure they have an opportunity to play.
• You can be certain your motor objectives will be addressed. Most of the clients I work with who have a physical disability are working on improving their gross and fine motor skills. Solos ensure that each client will have the opportunity to play their instrument, thus working on skills like grasping, full extension of the arms and bringing arms to midline.
• Clients can work on impulse control. This may or may not be a priority need for the clients you work with, but it’s certainly something they’ll have the chance practice as they wait for their turn to play.

Solos are so much fun! That paired with a funky beat on the keyboard can create a lively and engaging experience where clients are excited to participate.

Image courtesy of David Castillo Dominici at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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I cannot believe Christmas is right around the corner!

I have to admit I’m pretty excited about that.

This is the first Christmas with our new baby and I’ve been having way too much fun singing carols with her and jingling bells together.

I’ve also been singing carols during my sessions with my clients who celebrate Christmas.

I typically make a very conscious effort to use original songs in my music therapy sessions with kids, but sometimes I do use pre-existing songs when there is a very specific reason.

This year, I thought of a creative way to use the song “Up On the Housetop” to teach the kazoo.

I had been trying to teach my group of 3- and 4-year-olds how to play the kazoo to work on lip closure. It’s actually pretty tricky! They want to blow on it like a whistle, but actually the way to make a sound on a kazoo is to make a “huh” sound that comes from deeper in the throat.

Immediately my mind went to “ho, ho, ho!”

I could prompt them to say “ho, ho, ho” into the kazoo and that would be the perfect way to teach this concept!

So, we sang “Up On the Housetop” and during the part that says “Ho, ho, ho, who wouldn’t go?” I prompted them to “ho, ho, ho” into the kazoo. I repeated it a few times so they had multiple opportunities to make the “ho” sound and play the kazoo, thus facilitating lip closure.

It worked beautifully!

We “ho, ho, ho’d” over and over again.

I hope this little idea will spark some more ideas for you on how to use Christmas songs to target specific goals in your music therapy sessions!

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Thanksgiving is my new favorite holiday. I do my very best to go about my day in a state of gratitude and thankfulness, so this holiday is a perfect fit for me. (Oh and I LOVE turkey and apple pie! :)

In today’s blog, I want to share one of my favorite original songs to use in my sessions, “Let’s Make Some Music.”

{Click here to read why I am *adamant* about using original songs in my music therapy sessions with children.}

The beauty of using original songs is that I can be flexible and change the song any way I want based on the needs of my client.

I use “Let’s Make Some Music” during instrument jam sessions, but here are some ways I vary the song based on the differing needs of my clients:

• Direction following ~ I change the lyrics of the song to “It’s time to shake side to side…It’s time to shake up and down…It’s time to shake really…..fast!”
• Body part identification ~ I change the lyrics of the song to “It’s time to shake on your head….It’s time to shake on your knees…It’s time to shake on your toes!”
• Motor skills ~ I can choose an instrument that allows my client to practice a certain type of motor skill. For example, I can give the client a jingle stick to work on the fine motor skill of grasping…or the rhythm sticks to work on bilateral coordination…or the drum to facilitate bringing arms to midline.
• Sustained attention ~ I can extend the song by added extra verses to work on increasing the amount of time my client attends during the intervention.
• Vocabulary words ~ I can change the lyrics of the song to teach various concepts like fast, slow, loud and soft. For example, “Just shake, shake, shake, shake really loud!”
• Social skills ~ I can change the lyrics to “It’s time to pass to a friend” to facilitate the clients passing and sharing instruments.

Whew! Those are just a few ideas of how I can take one original song and vary it in a multitude of ways to target my client’s goals.

Want to use “Let’s Make Some Music” in your sessions? Click below to purchase the sheet music for just $1!

 Happy Thanksgiving!!

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I’m just having the best time with the ParkOptimists of Miami.  We get together once a week to sing, move to music and play all types of instruments (even kazoos!).

Did I mention we are touching on many goals that are covered in typical treatments and therapies for individuals with Parkinson’s Disease?  We are doing this all through our music therapy group and having a great time in the process!

Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative brain disorder that affects the muscles of the body.  There is currently no cure for PD but therapy can help to maintain and even build muscle, which helps to manage symptoms and prolong the effects of the disease.  Most individuals with PD benefit from exercise, physical therapy, speech and occupational therapy.  Music Therapy combines many of these therapeutic goals in a variety of ways.

A typical group session with the Park Optimist group begins with a chair-based movement routine to a lively recording of a song that brings back memories for many of the group members.  We love Jazz music for this activity!

Next, we warm up our voices by doing numerous vocal exercises, which promote exercise of the facial muscles, the lungs and the diaphragm.  One example is singing ‘oo-ee-oo-ee’ up and down the scale, moving up a half step each time.  Many group members are amazed at how high they are able to sing when doing these vocal warm-ups.  We also do many other typical vocal warm-ups that would be heard in a choir rehearsal before the singing begins, including breathing exercises.  We practice good singing posture, which strengthens the muscles in the back and allows the lungs to work to their full capacity.

We like to have fun so we use all we have learned while singing familiar tunes by Elvis, Hank Williams, The Beatles, Diana Ross and the Supremes and more!  Members of the group especially enjoy reminiscing on many of the songs we sing.  It’s always amazing to hear stories from the group members about seeing some of these famous musicians live.  One woman mentioned seeing Louis Armstrong sing “What a Wonderful World” live in New York City after we sang the song in our group.

We usually pull out our kazoos during our singing time and we are out of breath by the time we put them down!  Kazoos naturally make the lungs work harder to make a sound than does typical singing…much like how humming a tune (audibly) is more work than singing the song itself (go ahead, try it!).  When using the kazoos, we might play to familiar tunes, do “vocal” exercises or even hold out notes as long as we can to build endurance and work on providing a steady stream of air as we play (we call this the “Kazoo Challenge”).  This can transfer into singing and speaking and can increase the volume in speech, something that is a very common issue for individuals with PD.

We also take time during our music therapy session to exercise to music.  Many of these exercises looks like a chair exercise routine placed to live music.  The music provides a rhythm and a structure to the exercise and helps the brain to actually entrain to the beat.  Some members notice their tremors lessen when doing exercise to music.  They also notice that it is easier to move to a beat than to move spontaneously.  We also do other types of movement to music that involves rhythm instruments and props (such as scarves and streamers).

One of the best things about being a part of a group like the ParkOptimists of Miami is seeing the relationships of the members grow as a supportive web for each other.  Living and dealing with PD is a struggle each day for the individual with the disease as well as their families.  Many members are accompanied by a spouse or family member and get to participate in an exciting group together as well as meet other people dealing with the same challenges they do.  I’m lucky to be a part of this wonderful support group!

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There are times when I am going into a session carrying my guitar, a keyboard, a gathering drum, AND a bag of instruments….and eight arms would really be helpful!

(Who needs the gym when you have sessions all day long, right?)

I have found that there is one instrument in my bag of tricks that is worth it’s weight (literally!) in gold. It’s one of the most versatile instruments in my bag and it can be used with children with many different levels of functioning.

That instrument is…

…the Q-chord!

I love the Q-chord because I can use it in so many different ways with my clients. Here are just a few of the ways…

1) Use the Q-chord for a hands-free (or almost hands-free!) accompaniment

I will often set one of the styles (March or Country) and use it to provide a rhythmic beat for marching or jumping activities. Once the beat is set, it’s completely hands-free so you can model movements and provide hand-over-hand assistance.

I can also set a style and use the chord pad to change chords. Even when I do this, I still have one hand free to model movements with a scarf, streamer, or maraca.

2) Use the Q-chord for clients with limited range of motion in their arms

I love using this with my classes of children with severe and profound intellectual disability and Cerebral Palsy or those clients who have limited range of motion in their arms. With a small movement, the clients can reach out a finger or hand on the touch pad and make a beautiful sound.

There are so many ways to vary the style, chord progression, tempo, and even instrumentation on the touch pad that it never gets boring! If the child moves their finger or hand up and down the touch pad, they are receiving a good amount of sensory stimulation.

3) Use the Q-chord to allow your client to accompany themselves

This is perfect for a child, tween, or teen. I choose one of the client’s favorite songs and make a song sheet. (For example, in a session last week, it was the song “You’ve Got a Friend” from Toy Story – who doesn’t love that song?!)

I make up a song sheet that has the lyrics of the song and with the chords over top (I make the chords large and bold so they stand out). Then we choose a style on the Q-chord and the client begins playing the song by pressing the chord on the keypad that matches the chord on the song sheet. After that goes smoothly a few times, we trying singing along at the same time. Talk about working on divided attention!! You can make this activity as simple or as challenging as you want, depending on the level and needs of your client.

4) Use the Q-chord for improvisation

Sometimes I will simply set the Q-chord in front of a child, tween, or teen, and just let them explore. There have been times they’ve discovered things even I didn’t know the instrument could do! After they explore, we move into an improvisation – they are allowed to choose the chord progression, the instrumentation on the touch pad, the tempo, etc, etc, etc.

5) Use the Q-chord to facilitate social interaction

I have a dyad sessions where two siblings are working on social skills such as waiting your turn, asking for a turn, reflecting what the other is doing, and working together. The Q-chord is perfect for this! I have one “control” the chords on the keypad while the other chooses the instrumentation and strums the touch pad. They must work together to make a song! I also have them reflect back what they heard the other sibling do (“How was your sister strumming? Was it fast or slow?”) Then we switch and they have “control” over the other side of the Q-chord.

Now do you see why I say this is the most versatile instrument in my bag? I absolutely love it.

I want to hear from you…yes YOU! Leave a comment below and let me know one creative way that you use the Q-chord in your session with children, tweens, or teens.

I’d love to get some fresh ideas!

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As I type this post Steve and I are about 3 weeks away from our wedding day! I could not be more excited!

Thank you to everyone who replied or commented on my Here Comes the Bride Post with fun song suggestions for our reception. We have lots of great songs to choose from – let me know if you think of any more!

Amidst the whirlwind and excitement of wedding planning, I have not forgotten the importance of immersing myself totally and completely in my music therapy sessions, and leaving all else outside the door. (That seems to be a pretty good rule of thumb at other times as well!)

As I’ve written about, I love when my clients are the ones who help me generate new and creative ideas. Last week, I watched one of the children I work with line up four drums in a row and begin playing them in a random order. That sparked this idea:

Drumming By Number:

I lined up four drums.

I placed a number on each drum: 1, 2, 3, 4.

I told him: “Listen, watch, and repeat after me.”

Then I played one drum at a time while saying the number of that drum. For example: “1, 2, 3, 4”

Then he repeated back by playing the drum and saying the corresponding number: “1, 2, 3, 4”

Then I played: “2, 4, 3, 1”

He echoed back and played “2, 4, 3, 1”

This continued for a while. Then we switched and HE was the leader and I followed the patterns he came up with.

* Variations: add drums of different sizes and timbres. Add more numbers. Use letters. The list goes on and on depending on what your client need to work on. Just yesterday during this activity I began singing on a different pitch for each number (1 = do, 2 = re, 3 = me, 4 = fa). Very effective!

It was the coolest experience because we both were partners in coming up with the activity. He was so engaged, we did this activity (with variations) for TEN MINUTES!!! That is a long time for any child to attend to an activity, no matter how engaging it is.

In that time, we packed in skill-building in many different areas: sequencing, imitation, attention, improvising, eye-hand coordination, just to name a few. I am looking forward to adding many different variations on this activity. For now, I would love to hear from YOU!

Leave a comment below and let me know how you use drumming to work on the skills I listed above (imitation, improvising, sequencing, etc.)

Image courtesy of [africa] / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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I love when my clients inspire me and give me new ideas for interventions during my music therapy sessions.

This happened a few weeks ago and I’ve been using the idea ever since.

One little guy I work with individually loves book and songs. I use this type of musical experience to work on expressive language, identification of pictures, sequencing of events, and recall of a story.

As excited as he was to see what would happen next in the book, he would always flip through pages faster than I was singing through them. Sometimes he would flip right to the end of the book and just hang out there.

I would tell him “Wait – don’t turn the page yet” and “Go back,” but it didn’t work. This little guy is a smart guy – he understood what he was supposed to be doing, but for some reason it was not clicking.  I decided I needed a more creative – and musical – approach. (This approach seems to be working for me!)

Here’s what I told him: “When you hear this sound (insert maraca shake), it’s time to turn the page. Don’t turn it before! Only when you hear this sound (insert maraca shake).”

It worked.

Not only is the maraca cueing him musically, but we are working on impulse control and auditory perception skills at the same time. Sometimes I’ll even throw in a different instrument sound just to make sure he’s really listening.

We still have the occasional excited page turn ahead of time, but now all I have to say is “Did you hear the maraca yet?” and that’s enough to remind him.

Now I want to hear from YOU! What creative twists have your clients inspired in your music therapy interventions? Leave a comment below and let us know!

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Sing your heart out week continues!! Here is a song I use during my instrument playing activities, particularly those involving the xylophone and glockenspiel. I take out the ‘B’ and ‘F’ bars and the song fits perfectly. Also, the song lyrics can be individualized for different children using different instruments, for example “Danny plays the drum!” or “Anna plays the bells!”

Have a listen!

Image courtesy of [Salvatore Vuono] / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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