Today we are wrapping up the Music Therapy in Action series with some of my most favorite videos – our Special Performances and Events!

I worked for seven years at United Community Options of Miami, facilitating music therapy for children with autism and related disabilities. During that time, my interns and I prepared many different types of performances for families and donors.

We helped the children perform several different shows, complete with an original script, songs, and dance moves.

One was a Halloween-themed show called “In the Woods,”; another was our spin on the classic “Little Red Riding Hood”; and another was a performance of The Nutcracker.

My interns and I also prepared the music for two Halloween special events:

I composed an original music score to go along with the book “Nightsong” by Ari Berk. The children listened to the story with the musical accompaniment.

Elevate Subscribers who signed up for the Holidays and Themes Package received the “Nightsong” score and instructions so they can use this in their Halloween-themed sessions this month.

I also composed a music score to go along with a reading of the book “Big Pumpkin” by Erica Silverman. This one is SO much fun!

I love looking back on these pictures and videos and see the children shine.

If you are looking for more ways to infuse creativity and fun into your music classes and therapy sessions, check out the Elevate Email Idea Subscription:

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Last week, I posted about the Music Therapy in ACTION page, and how music therapists can use it to get new ideas and watch videos to see what different techniques look like when implemented.

In that post, I highlighted the sections on the Cognitive, Sensory & Motor/Physical domains.

But there’s more!

On the Music Therapy in Action page, you can also check out examples in the following areas (click on each picture below):You’ll watch a video demonstrating:

• Modified Rhythmic Speech Cueing to work on increasing expressive language and speaking in complete sentences

In this section, you’ll watch videos demonstrating:

• A feelings song to increase awareness of emotions in self and others
• A friendship piggyback song to a popular Jack Johnson tune, with lyrics re-written by my students
• Three original songs created for middle and high school students to work on self regulation

Here you’ll watch a video demonstrating:

• An adapted music lesson using color coded notation, and learn about the multitude of benefits (some of which are surprising!) that come from taking music lessons

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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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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I love supervising practicum students because it reminds me to examine each and every aspect of clinical practice.

Everything – from their musical presentation, to communicating with clients, to transitions – is observed and assessed when students begin leading musical experiences.

Not only am I evaluating my practicum students’ skills, it reminds me to evaluate my own clinical skills.

One thing I’m reminded of, is the importance of changing up our musical accompaniments.

In school, we were taught to accompany ourselves on three social instruments – guitar, piano, and autoharp (yes, autoharp).

So when I first started working as a music therapist, I stuck with those familiar instruments. Well, to be honest, I stuck with guitar and keyboard because the autoharp was way too heavy.

As I’ve worked with older age groups (middle and high school students), I’ve expanded my accompaniment instruments and background music, and I would invite you to do the same.

Although I definitely still use the guitar and piano to accompany myself, I also mix in:

Maraca – Simple, but catchy and rhythmic.

My clarinet – Watch this awesome video where I use the clarinet to facilitate a movement experience with young children.

Keyboard with auto accompaniment – Hear how the auto accompaniment adds to this musical experience in a class with students who have severe and profound disabilities. As an added bonus, the auto accompaniment feature allows you to have your hands free to facilitate and gives you a multitude of styles to choose from.

Drum – Watch this video where I accompany myself on drum while singing “I Ain’t Gonna Paint No More.”

Hip hop/rap beats – which I explain about here and here. Oh and here too.

Singing a cappella – It’s simple. But, if my clients are used to me always having an accompaniment instrument, this is engaging because it’s novel.

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While this is an exciting time for our students, it can also be confusing for them.

Schedules and routines change, things are different.

So, I wrote a song called “See You Soon” to remind my students that we may be on break and our schedules may feel strange, but we’ll be back to our normal routine soon (and we’ll miss them when we’re gone!)

Here is a video where you can listen to and learn the song, and share it with your students.

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Today is the final post for my video series on Music Therapy + Cognition. I’ve had so much fun putting these videos together! You can catch up on the past posts and videos here:

Part 1: Using the clarinet to work on localization

Part 2: Using rhythm instruments to work on auditory perception skills

Today I’m sharing a video of a Musical Attention Control Training (MACT) experience.

MACT experiences can target one or more of the following types of attention: sustained, divided, selective, and alternating.

This video demonstrates an intervention where I use two different color scarves, an original song, and my uke to address sustained attention and a bit of alternating attention.

Watch to see how:

There is a LOT going on here. Through this one musical experience I’m targeting:

• Sustained attention
• Direction following
• Stop & go and impulse control (“shake scarf annnnnd…..freeze!”)
• Color identification
• Body part identification
• Alternating attention (“shake the pink scarf on your nose, shake the blue scarf on your back!”)

That is one of the things I love the most about music therapy – although we have one overarching goal for an intervention (to improve attention skills), there are so many other skills we can sneak in there to practice.

Now I’d love to hear from you about how you address cognitive skills in a creative way in your sessions.

Leave a comment to let us know!

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Two weeks ago I started a new blog series that I was SUPER excited about: how we can use music therapy interventions to address cognitive function.

And then…

…my website decided it did not want to play nice anymore.

I had a few little glitches occur, which is why the blog post for last Wednesday was MIA. So sorry! But we are back on schedule today with a brand new post and video!

So let’s get to it…

Last week I shared the first video in the Music Therapy + Cognition series. It was a demonstration of a Musical Sensory Orientation Training (MSOT) experience.

If you haven’t checked that video out, click here to see me using my clarinet for this experience (I love using my clarinet in sessions!)

Today, in part two of the series, I’ll be sharing video of an Auditory Perception Training (APT) experience. The purpose of APT is to refine and develop acoustical perceptual accuracy.

Sound complicated?

To put it in simpler terms, I’m using two specific types of musical experiences (one called auditory differences, the other called auditory matching) to work on sound discrimination and identification.

These two skills are crucial for children learning to read, write, spell and speak. For example, a child must be able to discriminate between “ng” and “nk” in order to hear the word “thing” spoken to him, rather than the word “think.”

Auditory discrimination also has implications for speech in that a child may mishear and thus mispronounce certain words.

The great news is that we can address auditory discrimination and identification in a variety of creative ways during our music therapy sessions.

In the video you’ll see demonstrations of two APT experiences:

• Same & Different to work on auditory differences – the child is asked to discriminate between sounds that are either the same or different
• “What Do You Hear?” to work on auditory matching – the child is asked to identify different musical sounds.

There are a hundred different ways you can vary these APT experiences. Think of ALL the instruments and notes on the keyboard you have available!

What are some ways that you address auditory discrimination and identification in your music therapy sessions?

Leave a comment below to let us know! Sharing ideas is the best way for us to grow as music therapists!

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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.

Happy Holiday season!

I’m so happy to be writing this post with the lights from our Christmas tree twinkling next to me.

While brainstorming new ideas for my sessions with young children, I came up with this simple little song about Santa.

It’s an echo song and the melody is repetitive, so kids will be able to catch on quickly.

Plus, I’ve also incorporated some movements to go along with each line.

Watch here:

As an added bonus, I’ll be sending out the sheet music to my newsletter list at the end of this week, so be sure you’re subscribed by clicking here.

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A few months ago (November to be exact!) I received a phone call from AmericaTeve, a Miami-based Spanish language news station.

They were presenting a series on autism and wanted to close that series with a piece on autism and music therapy.

They asked if they could come interview me and videotape me working with a client during a music therapy session.

As nervous as that made me (I speak un poquito de español), I said yes and I’m so happy I did!

The story came out beautifully.

Even if you don’t speak Spanish, watch here and you can certainly get a feel for what’s being communicated in this story:

Thanks for watching!

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