Friday Five: Video games & MT goals

Video games have gotten a bad rep. Are we losing our minds to the television screen and gory blood battles with friends? I don't know. Are America's butts getting big because we stare with mouths agape at overstimulating amounts of light and sound for hours on end? Maybe.

I really don't know how to answer these questions. But instead of focusing on these criticisms, I want to shine a new light on video games. Can the powers of a video game be used for good rather than evil?

Well, I would certainly say so! These days I play more video games than I ever did in my youth. I don't own a Wii, but the Adolescent Unit at BHC does! At BHC, the kids can earn points which can be spent playing video games (as well as other things like leaving the unit for meals, playing outside, etc.). But occasionally, we'll break out the Wii in MT session. Why? Just think of all the skills that can develop when playing a music-based video game: focus of attention (that's an important one), self-esteem (another biggie), appropriate socialization (sharing, good sportsmanship, team-building), cognitive stimulation and mental alertness, motor skills (fine and gross), and knowledge of music education. If you're thinking that your clients could benefit from some of these, consider the following music games:

1.Just Dance! My favorite! Players mirror the movement of a silhouette on the screen. Points are for accuracy of movement and timing. You'll be seeing a new version in stores October 12! There is a mode in the game where players are directed to start/stop dancing (think impulse control!).
2.Karaoke Revolution Players sing along to popular songs and are given points for accuracy of pitch. There are quite a few releases of this game in stores.
3.Wii Music Players can learn about various musical instruments. They can express creativity by creating a band and jamming together. They can also be tested cognitively in the Minigame mode.
4.Donkey Konga Tests rhythmic accuracy. There are a couple versions of this in stores. The game comes with a set of Wii conga drums!
5.Rock Band Doesn't everybody know about this game by now? Its cousin, Guitar Hero, is equally as popular. The game comes with Wii guitar, drum set, and microphone. Players battle for points by testing finger dexterity and rhythmic accuracy.

Yes, I am citing Wikipedia.

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.

Friday Five: Music videos of this decade

I think music videos have an important place in music therapy. Not only are they a great tool for relaxation and mood elevation, but they can be great for song discussions. For example, I posted recently on the video Who I Am by the Jonas Brothers and its goal of improving self concept in adolescents. These videos from the 2000s below are similarly great for addressing positive thinking, coping skills, changes, and self-respect.

1. Shine by Laura Izibor

Positive thinking, active change, coping skills, mood elevation When you're feeling stuck in life, think positively and make an active change.

2. Something Beautiful by NeedToBreathe

Positive thinking, coping skills, mood elevation In a life that can often be overwhelming, look to things that are good.

3. King Of Anything by Sarah Bareilles

Positive thinking, self-concept/respect No one can control you. You are your own great, awesome person.

4. Breathe by Ryan Star

Positive thinking, coping skills, mood elevation When life is difficult, take a step back and breathe. This video shows some of the many that lost their jobs in the recession. And they're still smiling.

5. Smile by Uncle Kracker

Positive thinking, mood elevation, coping skills Enjoy the things you love.

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.

Who I Am: video for self-concept

I love this video. It is great for addressing self-concept with adolescents. Questions we typically ask include:
+What signs did you see in the video and who was holding them?
+Were you surprised by any of them? (Usually kids are shocked that the gothic girl could be an honor student)
+If you had a sign to describe who you are, what would it say?
+If you had a sign for Who I Am with family, friends, and alone, would they be different?
+What would they say and why do you think these signs would be different?