Wake Up and Sing

My aunt shared with me a wonderful article about a music therapy program in Atlanta. Wake Up and Sing provides services for children with visual impairments and their families. Not only do they provide music for growth and development in young children, but they provide family counseling as well. Some families described in the article have already experienced great rewards from the program. To read more about the program, follow this link.

Could iTunes & Amazon be dealing...drugs?

I read a very interesting article that talks about MUSIC being used to get "high." The effects of "digital drugs" have been compared to the chemical effects that actual illegal drugs have on your brain.

There is an I-Doser software available that allows you access to different tracks like "peyote," "alter-x," and "first love." It works on the idea that on biaural beats in which two different frequencies are played. The article I read explains, "The mind creates a hum that's a balance between the two."

There is a lot more interesting information about I-Dosers in an article put out by the Seattle Times. The I=Dosers software is available on CNET.com, and tracks can be found on iTunes and Amazon.

There is a lot of skepticism out there about whether these biaural beats can actually have chemical effects on your mind. But all the same, there is a lot of concern out there. Some are worried that digital drugs can be the gateway to illegal drugs.

New article posts music ideas for children with Down's

I discovered an awesome article! The title says it all: Activities Using Music With Down's Syndrome Children.

It gives ideas that would be very useful in therapy. It includes:

Mirror songs
Sing songs in front of a mirror so the child can see how he/she looks when the tongue or mouth is moved. You might also sing songs about the parts of the face, emotions, and facial affects.
Memory
Use a song to teach sequencing. Teach a child to count, learn their address name, learn their phone number, etc.
Music Movement
Dance activities are always awesome. Catch a ball in rhythm to music. To work on cognitive skills, ask the child a question every time they catch the ball (e.g. name a word that rhymes with "cat").

The Mozart Effect debunked?

When I think about the Mozart Effect, I have flashbacks to my years in elementary school. In the third grade I was sitting at my classroom desk with classical music playing from the cassette player. This was only a couple years after a scientific study came out that reported that listening to classical music will make a person smarter. I look back now and realize that my teacher's motivation for playing classical music likely came from that research publication.

In recent years, I have been skeptical of this claim. Perhaps it is because of the research I've seen relating to music therapy. I know that there is a great amount of evidence out there that shows that music actively applied to a therapeutic session has significant effects. I also know that playing an instrument requires a lot of activity from different parts of the brain. But simply turning on a classical piece? I've seen little evidence of this making anyone smarter.

This article reports a new study that tested this theory on nearly 3,000 subjects. The study claims the the Mozart Effect is a myth. Psychologist Jakob Pietschnig states, "I recommend listening to Mozart to everyone, but it will not meet expectations of boosting cognitive abilities."

Though I have been skeptical of the Mozart Effect myself, it is a little disheartening to find that my skepticism may have been with reason. I understand that these studies could knock the profession of music therapy down a hit. I wish that the article would have said more about music applied to therapeutic goals. I am happy to report that it did give a little shout out to MTs: "Today music therapy does wonders."

Sadly, I know that few readers will see that line and research music therapy. It also reminds me of all the stuff out there on the internet (especially in blogs) that incorrectly defines music therapy, giving false claims. I think that, as music therapists, we will always be fighting a war of skepticism. I think it is important to be knowledgeable in the facts and report them to any listening ear. I hope to see a day where music therapy is unanimously accepted and respected.