Jason Mraz group handbell activity

This handbell activity is similar to one I posted over one year ago. I adapted this song for use in a class, which was large (18 people!). And I had to teach all of this nonverbally! so it can definitely be done. I even dare say it might be easier to teach without words than to try to explain this whole procedure...

Materials:
8-Note Rhythm Band handbells or deskbells
Lucky (for handbells).doc (adapted sheet music)
Lucky handbell colors.doc
iPod/speakers
"Lucky" by Jason Mraz ft. Colbie Callait mp3
Shakers or other small instruments (optional, see Adaptations)
4 paper plates/markers (optional, see Adaptations)

Procedure
1. Hand out bells, telling clients not to play until you instruct them.
2. Assign them the numbers that correspond with the document provided above (Lucky handbell colors.doc).
3. Have clients memorize the number(s) that go with their color. For example, the red bell (note C) must remember that he or she plays on numbers 1, 2, and 3. Meanwhile, the green bell needs only remember to play on 3. These numbers correspond with the chords of the song. So when all bells assigned the number 1 play, a beautiful C chord will ring.
4. Provide the sheet music, also found above (Lucky for handbells.doc). It is preferable to have a projector screen so that all clients may read off of the same page.
5. Begin music and, if necessary, conduct the piece by holding up finger-numbers or pointing to the numbers on the projector.

Adaptations:
1. If your group is larger than 8 people, consider adding shaker eggs (playing every eighth-note) or a wood block on the downbeats.
2. If your group is much larger (like mine was-18 people total), assign 4 people that are not playing bells to conduct the band. This is where the paper plates and markers come in. Each plate has a number, 1 through 4. The bells must watch the "conductors" for their cue: the conductor holds up their plate and the bells ring. You will probably need to teach your group how to give a good cue with large gestures and an intro breath.

PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT if you have any questions at all.

Friday Five: Appropriate rap/hip-hop songs

It's been awhile since I've made a Friday Five post. In the past, I've written about MadLibs, art therapy, techniques for singing country songs, and songs for positive thinking. You can find all the other posts by clicking on the "Friday five" keyword on the right sidebar of this page.

Today I bring you five songs that will win over most middle and high schoolers. They are all appropriate rap/hip-hop songs. These days, that is difficult to find.

1) Kick, Push (2006), Lupe Fiasco.
2) Kiss Kiss (2007), Chris brown.
3) You Make Me Better (2007), Fabolous.
4) Whip My Hair (2010), Willow Smith. Sung by Will Smith's daughter!
5) Good Morning (2009), Chamillionaire. I love this one especially because it samples the famous "Free Fallin" melody from Tom Petty.

For more, check out this link at Yahoo Answers.

New Activity! I Can Transform Ya

How do you entertain adolescents who have a preference for gangsta rap and selling weed?

Lately I've been volunteering at a secondary school here in Tallahassee. The students there all have IEPs with behavioral and emotional goals. Many of the students go to this school after being expelled from public school. Curse words fly, and students are often being marked with "disrespects." Some of the students have problems not only with school, but also at home and with the law.

More than anything, this population is one that needs extra attention. Of course, music therapy is a great way to teach proper self-expression and appropriate social interactions. But what do I do when I am clearly out of place in the classroom?

This activity worked very well with the students. Many of you may recognize the activity, the concept is not mine. However, the activity sheets I am providing a link to are ones that I created and you are welcome to use!

Both of these links will take you to Scribd.com, where you will find the
I Can Transform Ya task analysis &
I Can Transform Ya activity sheets

The video below is the song that I used for the group I mentioned above. Of course, it could be done with a wide range of populations. See the task analysis for more about that.



I want any activities I blog about to be useful and accessible to all MTs. If you have ANY QUESTIONS AT ALL regarding how to implement the activity, how to create music sheets of your own, problems using the sheets I provided, etc., please ask! I will be more than happy to help at any time, even if you send me an email or comment months after this post.

Understanding family dynamics

This activity will help your adolescent patients express and communicate their perception of family. It will help them to speak out about the dynamics between individuals, each person's role, and what goes on in the household. I also see this as being a great family counseling intervention.

In this activity, the therapist first teaches the patient about different instruments you might find in a band or orchestra. As you teach about each one, provide music to showcase the sound of that instrument. Then encourage your patient to come up with a few words to describe each one. For example, they might describe a clarinet as being emotional, sensitive, and compassionate. After you have taken the time to create a list of all these instruments and their assigned characteristics, ask the patient to assign each family member to one of those instruments. They might say that their sister is the clarinet because she is always there to listen to problems and helps by giving advice. Truth be told, it doesn't matter how they describe the instrument. (A friend of mine will tell you that she only knows clarinet players as being weird.) People's perceptions will differ, but ask the patient to describe why he or she labeled the instrument (and in turn the family member) in that way. This activity will hopefully get the patient to open up and gives us the opportunity for a lot more discussion and therapeutic intervention.

Beyond this, the therapist might use this to address conflicts with peers or bullying by having the patient describe different students at school or other kids in the community.

Visual aids in MT

Many of us have taken those personality tests at some point in our life that tells us how we learn best. Some people need to hear the information to absorb it, some need the information in visual form. The most difficult part of school is figuring out how to best study information so that it is stored long-term (or at least until the test is over).

This can be transferred to your own MT session. I find that it is so helpful to use visual aids, especially when the goal of my session is to teach coping skills, positive thinking, time management, etcetera. Having something concrete when teaching a rather abstract concept really helps to get a message across. Sometimes you just have to lay aside the music to be a therapist.

Today was a day for discussing goals, coping skills, and support. We sang songs and played instruments to begin with: "You've Got a Friend" by Carole King, "What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong, and "Dreams" by the Cranberries. After these songs, the instruments and music sheets were put aside, and our real project began. The group worked together to create a mural, a "Garden of Life." Each person was told to complete one flower, one rock, and two or more seeds for the mural. Each piece had a special meaning:

The flower=goals
The rock=support
The seeds=coping skills

Goals
The song "Dreams" talks about how the singer's life is changing everyday. While these changes are often hard to accept, there is a lot to gain from them. We learn from change in our life, and so we grow. Because a healthy flower is always growing and reaching for the sky (ok, maybe not all flowers), the flowers we draw represent our goals; we always need a goal to reach and grow toward.

Support
"You've Got a Friend" talks about how there are people and things in our life that will "take your soul if you let them." You must nurture relationships with people or places that steer you in a healthy direction. Our rocks are strong and unable to be moved. They are always there in rain or shine. Who or what can you turn to in your own life through thick or thin? This may be a friend, family member, the hospital or shelter, a counselor, the church, or something else spiritual.

Coping Skills
In "What a Wonderful World," the singer is taking time to notice all the beautiful things that exist in our lives. A healthy coping skill is something that will lighten a burden and NOT add stress in your life. We need a lot of different coping skills to choose from when life gets bumpy. Seeds are plentiful, and they are necessary to nurture growth. A coping skill may be talking with a friend, playing music, exercising, etcetera.

Each patient drew on colorful paper a flower, rock, and seeds. They identified the three things mentioned above, and wrote them on their pictures. Then they cut and pasted onto the mural.

After the project, we hung the mural on the wall. I mentioned its importance not only in inspiring them during their stay at the BHC, but that the mural will inspire patients that come after them. One of the most powerful goals we had today was a patient who wanted to write: "I want to get better so that I don't try to kill myself or overdose again." She grew tearful, and I told her that this will really mean something to other patients going through similar thoughts. It was really touching for everyone to see that mural. Rather than simply talking about all these important concepts, we put it on paper as a visual aid. There is no avoiding it once it is all on paper. Like a contract, there is a paper that binds them to their words about getting better.

Friday Five: songs for addiction/substance abuse

5 songs for addiction and substance abuse:

1. "Addicted" by Kelly Clarkson
2. "We Cry" by The Script
3. "Under the Bridge" by Red Hot Chili Peppers
4. "Sunday Morning Call" by Oasis
5. "Slow Fade" by Casting Crowns

I'm taking it step by step, brick by brick

Thank you, Whitney Houston for your song "Step By Step," which is perfect, by the way, for leading groups in a discussion about managing goals.

There are times when life is overwhelming, when we feel like it is more than we can bare. In order to keep our heads above the water, we have to keep moving on [thank you Kelly Clarkson ("Breakaway"), Tom Petty ("Time To Move On"), and Rascal Flatts ("Stand")]. We are always moving towards some goal, searching for a purpose in life. We make goals to survive. But when a goal seems unmanageable, how do we approach it? We must break it into small tasks, ones that ARE manageable and bring us closer what we want.

Today with my group at BHC, we simply discussed and practiced breaking overall goals into specific steps. To do this, I split the group into pairs and passed out a small percussion instrument to each. Their activity was to figure out how to play the instrument, write out the steps, then teach it to the other groups.

The point was to get so specific that it almost seemed silly. Take egg shakers for example:

1. Choose two egg shakers of similar size, weight, and sound.
2. Pick up both egg shakers, placing one in each hand.
3. Grasp the egg shaker in hands.
4. Shake the egg shaker.

Now, this seems too easy, but for anyone with a physical limitation in their upper body, each task is suddenly extremely important. That person may spend days or weeks trying to achieve just one step.

Also, I ask the group to imagine they weren't in the room to show a person how to play their instrument. How can you write each step so that the other groups could exactly duplicate your actions?

This is a difficult task, but an important one to understand that a goal that may seem overwhelming is suddenly much more manageable when you take it "One Step at a Time" (thanks Jordin Sparks!).

A song to fit your group topic

The computers in our office at the BHC are loaded with documents that are so valuable to use in therapy sessions. I would love to start uploading these to Scribd and make them available to fellow music therapists and interns.

This is a link to a song list we keep. It is ALWAYS in progress, but it is a great start to your session. This documentation of songs, artists, and discussion topics make planning quicker and more efficient. I encourage you to add to this list or start your own with songs that YOU regularly use in sessions.

Friday five: songs for supportive relationships

All of these songs can be used to discuss friendships/relationships/and support.

1. I Am A Rock by Simon and Garfunkel. This song is great for setting up the discussion of why supportive relationships are so important. In this song, a person isolates himself because he believes friendships only cause pain. In your discussion, debate this opinion. List the benefits of having good relationships.

2. Help! by The Beatles. Talk about different places/people you can go to for help. I don't mean just friends and family, but hospitals/support groups/church/etc.

3. Gift Of A Friend by Demi Lovato. Discuss the qualities of a friend.

4. Thank You by Dido. This song is a great segue into writing thank you letters for people who have been supportive in our lives. We must communicate to our supports why they are so important in our lives and how we appreciate them!

5. You've Got A Friend by James Taylor.

Group Songwriting

I've done a lot of song writing in the past couple of weeks. The patients absolutely loved creating something of their own and working together to do so.

In the songwriting example I am sharing with you, each patient had the opportunity to write one line on the topic of accepting change and moving on. For the patients who gave up easily and were self-defeating, I encouraged them to say anything. I assured them that the rest of the group would help the person decide on what the lyrics should say. For those who still insisted they could not do it, I asked them to name one thing they've learned during their stay about life changes. The rest of the group molded this into a single line of song lyric that fit with what already existed.

This is the beautiful song they came up with, sung to the tune of "Don't Worry, Be Happy."

After performing it once on guitar for the group, I let them build their own "musical interpretation" of the song using percussion instruments. They then switched instruments and played their song again.

To carry it one step further, our art therapist split them in pairs and had them draw their own interpretation of the lyrics. The patients in my group came up with great things to put down on paper.

This activity is awesome for working on self-concept, appropriate social skills, and group cohesion.

Around the states

Around the states.

This is an activity we are using currently at the BHC. Beginning in Florida, where we are located, we teach (or review) well-known (and maybe some little known) facts: where it is on a map, capital, nickname, famous cities, monuments, etc. Then we talk about different musicians from Florida. You may choose to only listen to part of a song or you might pass out lyric sheets and sing along with the iPod or guitar. Songs can be from famous artists or bands born/originated in that state, songs about that state, songs about characteristics of that state, music videos, etc.

For example, today we started in Florida. Aerosmith sings a song called "Last Child" about Tallahassee (part of the song played on iPod). Creed formed in Tallahassee (sang "With Arms Wide Open" using lyric sheets). Lynyrd Skynyrd originated in Jacksonville (but "Sweet Alabama" was saved for AL). And because FL is the sunshine state, we played a piece of the song "I'm Walking On Sunshine" (playing percussion instruments with iPod). With some songs, even if you're only listening to them by iPod, you can get people to join in the recording by playing percussion instruments.

Create similar activities using the Florida model.

This activity is great for reality orientation and cognitive stimulation, especially in mid- or low-functioning groups. It is best completed over time, as it would be difficult to cram all this information in with just one session. Follow some general direction; you may zig-zag all the way up the Eastern United States, or continue west and then loop back towards the East, etc.

Again, self-concept...but now we have a plan!

Man, I suppose I've been doing a lot of posts on self-concept lately. It seems only natural because we've had some patients lately at the BHC that really need to address this.

I am posting a plan today that utilizes the Who I Am video posted yesterday. This is a plan that I prepared for the BHC for a 50 minute session. As you read it, it no doubt sounds a little silly. Rather than posting a task analysis like normal, I wrote down talking points for my own personal use. One thing I've really been working hard on at my internship is flowing smoothly between activities. No awkward jumps in conversation. Writing these talking points really helps me in this. In the left column you'll see what the activity is. Most of it is song discussion. There is also a worksheet (that I discuss below), a video discussion, and Who I Am sign making (a little bit of crafts).

There is a worksheet (which I do not have available on the computer) full of positive fill-in-the-blank statements. You can definitely make one of these yourself. Positive affirmation statements might be:
I'm really good at_____________________________.
I look by best when_____________________________.
My best personal trait is_____________________________.
My friends like me because I_____________________________.
The worksheet I used had 20-25 of these statements.

One more important thing... this plan was used for a group of girls. If you have boys in your session, rethink the songs used for song discussions and some of the talking points that I listed.

Friday five: songs for self-concept

The age of braces, first loves, and even prom is an awkward stage for everyone. People are always changing and middle and high school is a time for finding yourself. Girls and boys are often judged by who they hang out with, what they wear, and which classes they take. Many of these young adults are vulnerable. They may be picked on, they may have a lot of pressure from peers, they may have stress from school and activities and sadly, some may have a miserable home life (or at least think they do).

There are also many adults out there that struggle in a similar way. They can't stand being single, they want a perfect family image, or they fear they're not doing a great job at work. Broken relationships, job loss, and financial stress can leave an adult wondering what went wrong with them.

If you work with anyone of this age as a music therapist, you may find yourself having to address self-concept. What does the client like about him/herself? What is he/she good at? Does he/she deserve more love than what they're allowing themselves? Today's Friday five is all about self-concept. Songs to introduce the subject and facilitate discussion or activities on the issue:

1) "Unwritten" by Natasha Bedingfield
2) "Video" by India.Arie
3) "You Gotta Be" by Des'ree
4) "Fifteen" by Taylor Swift
5) "Gone" by Switchfoot

Music Jeopardy

I'm in the process now of developing a Music Jeopardy game. In this game, you will divide your group into two teams. Have the teams select a name and decide who goes first. Each team will get a turn to choose a question based on the number of points it is worth. To find the answer, the team will work together. Like Jeopardy, 100 point questions are simpler than 500 point questions. The questions and points are as follows:

100 points...Name that tune
Much like music trivia, play a song from the iPod and have the team guess the song's title.

200 points...Artists that start with the letter _____
Name a letter. A=Aretha Franklin, Aerosmith, ABBA.

300 points...Song scramble
mi awglink no nusihens=I'm Walking On Sunshine

400 points...Fill in the blank
Fill in the missing word(s) in the song title. I Walk the___________=I Walk the Line

500 points...Song titles that include the word _____
Give a word found in some song titles. Have the team come up with a title that incorporates that word. "Stop"=Stop! In the Name Of Love, Don't Stop Believin'

Beach ball game

I am working on a session with one of my groups with the theme of "Beach Party." It being summer in Florida, it seemed only appropriate. One of the games I have planned is a game of catch with a goal of cognitive stimulation. To fit the beachy theme, I am playing catch with a beach ball. But really, you could toss a beanbag, a regular ball, etc.

Materials:
Beach ball
iPod/speakers (the song I chose for this activity was "Surfin USA" by the Beach Boys)

Procedure:
When music begins, clients will toss ball back and forth. When MT stops the music, the ball stops moving. The person left holding the ball when the music stops will be asked a question*.

*The question asked will depend on the functioning level of the patient and the goals you are working on in that group. The patients I will see tomorrow are generally low functioning adults. I may ask questions like, "What kind of things can you find at the beach?" or "Name another song that the Beach Boys sang." If I am working on self-concept with children, I might ask them to name one thing they like about themselves.

An activity that will be a lifesaver

Today at the BHC, I had a plan prepared for one of the units. I spent the morning putting it together, copying songs to a playlist on the computer. With 15 minutes to go-time, I plugged in the iPod only to find that the computer would not recognize the stupid machine. Not only that, but the iPod screen completely froze! And yes, we have another iPod but no, for complicated reasons we cannot play video from it.

What is one to do with an iPod full of music and no time to plan?

Music trivia! Music trivia for mental alertness, cognitive stimulation, and mood elevation.

Materials:
iPod and speakers
White board
Dry/erase markers

Task Analysis:
1) Split your group into two teams. Have them come up with a team name.
2) Decide who goes first (the team who has a person with the closest birthday goes first, for example).
3) Play a song for that team. Teams get one point for artist, one point for song title. You can throw in fun points here and there, like a point for dancing the Cupid Shuffle or a point for naming the movie that Eye Of the Tiger is famous for.
4) Repeat step 3, alternating between teams. If a team is at a loss for artist or title, you can allow the other team to "steal" their point.
5) Towards the end of the session, make it a "free for all." Anyone can guess at any time. Warning: you have to pay close attention to who guesses correctly first. It is hard when a few people shout it out at once.

I do not blindly choose songs either. There are two reasons that I can think of to rig the game this way. (A) I want to set the patient up for success. If they are slow to answer and points are popping up from everyone but that patient, play something you think they will know right off the bat. (B) I want to shape a person's mood. Today a patient came into session late. She planted herself right in front of me with arms crossed and started yelling at the staff. Well, my next song was Michael Jackson, something I really thought she'd enjoy. By the end of the hour she was dancing like crazy, smiling and laughing! It is awesome to see changes like that happen in front of you.

Crafty sessions

At the BHC, I have had the opportunity to work on an interdisciplinary team with art therapists. Some people might disagree, but I think music and art therapy can go beautifully together. We must accept that not all of our clients will respond to music therapy. There are some people that just don't like music (I think I read that it was less than 1% of the population?). Where you can't connect with someone through music, you may be able to build that relationship through art.

I must be respectful however in insisting that we do not claim that we are practicing art therapy. After all, I would not want someone who did not have the training and credentials I have to call themselves a music therapist. Similarly, unless you are working side by side with an art therapist, do not tell anyone that you are implementing art therapy.

So, a simple, fun, and music-related craft project: a rainstick! Great for children and adolescents, these rainsticks can be decorated with construction paper and require little more than (safety) scissors, paper, and tape. this entire project comes from Enchanted Learning.

Supplies:
Paper towel tube
Aluminum foil
Small dried beans (like lentils), unpopped popcorn, dry rice, or tiny pasta
Construction paper
Glue
Scissors
Crayons or markers

Task Analysis:
1) Place one end of the paper towel tube on a piece of construction paper. Trace around the end of the tube to create a small circle.

2) Lift the tube from the piece of paper and set aside. Around the circle drawn on paper, draw a bigger circle that surrounds it.

3) Complete the circles by drawing "spokes" between the two circles. Cut out the circle, then cut along the spokes.

4) Use tape or glue to secure the construction paper to one end of the tube.
5) Cut a piece of aluminum foil 1.5 times the length of the tube.
6) Shape aluminum foil into two "long, thin, snake-like shapes.

7) Coil the snake-like strips into springs. Put the foil springs into the tube.
9) Fill the tube 1/10th full with the dry beans.
10) Repeat steps 1-3 on the other end of the tube.

11) Decorate as much as you want.

Friday five: songs for positive thinking

I have many songs to share! Today, 5 songs on the topic of positive thinking:

1) "Blue Skies" by Ella Fitzgerald
2) "Drift Away" by Dobie Gray
3) "Happy" by Natasha Beddingfield
4) "My Wish" by Rascal Flatts
5) "Strength, Courage, and Wisdom" by India.Arie

A therapeutic guitar lesson

Today, with just one patient on the children's unit at the BHC, I had the opportunity to lead a one-to-one session. If your patient has an interest (like mine did) in learning the guitar, this can turn into an awesome session with a focus on cognitive stimulation.

Preparations:
Tape strips of paper to the neck of the guitar that number each fret (the paper should sit just above the fret, not under the strings).

Create flash cards of the chord fingerings you want to teach, (use a different color of construction paper for each chord). I chose to teach C, D, em, G, A, and A7.

Tape three strips of paper on the fret board; place one in the 1st fret, one in the 2nd fret, and one in the 3rd fret.

Color dots where fingers should be placed for each of the chords you chose. Correspond the color of that dot with the color of the flashcard. To color, pull the strings away carefully to get access to the paper taped onto the fret board.

Materials:
Guitar with paper labels of frets/chord fingerings
Chord flashcards (with finger numbers)
Markers
Sheet music

Task analysis:
1) Teach the patient finger numbers (1=index, 2=middle, 3=ring, 4=little). Quiz patient on finger numbers by calling out numbers and having them wiggle that finger.

2) Teach fret numbers. Quiz: e.g. "Put your 3rd finger anywhere on the 2nd fret."

3) Teach string numbers. Quiz: e.g. "Put your 1st finger on the 5th string on the 3rd fret."

4) Explain to the patient how colors of the dots on the guitar correspond with the chords on the flashcard. Teach them how to finger their first chord (mine was D). Quiz: e.g. "Take fingers off the guitar. Finger the D chord again." Repeat, repeat.

5) If they do really well with all these tasks, allow them to try to figure out the next chord (A) on their own. Quiz as you did in step 4, but then ask them to finger the switch between fingering the first chord and fingering the second.

6) At this point, the patient may play a I-V-I song.

7) Teach another chord (G) and the patient is ready for a I-IV-V-I song! The songs I used for this step were "Don't Worry, Be Happy" and "This Little Light Of Mine."

8) If you have time to advance, teach more chords (C and Em). A great song that utilizes only the chords mentioned in these steps is "Viva La Vida" by Coldplay.

Playing for change

Speaking of music videos, I want to share a couple that are very popular at the BHC. The two songs I am posting below come from a group called Playing For Change. The group began in 2005 to bring "peace through music." They have traveled to many places in the world to record musicians playing songs like "One Love" and "Stand By Me."

The result is a music video that overlaps all these musicians to make one song. As you watch these, you'll count dozens of different locations. Musicians from the U.S., Africa, Europe, and Asia play with their native styles, instruments, and languages.

One Love


Stand By Me