Tearing down and rebuilding

I do a little bit of babysitting on Saturdays, and there is a child I sit for that has autism, cerebal palsy, and epilepsy. Part of the agreement for babysitting was that I would sit with him and do a 20 to 30 minute music session (without being paid for it since I'm not yet graduated/certified). For a while the sessions were awesome! He and his brother would attend and we'd work on goals of social, motor, speech/language, and academic skills. The sessions were really successful until one day, the boy was no longer interested in music sessions.

I tried unsuccessfully for a couple weeks to engage him in any activity I could think of, but he would tell me "no" and leave his chair. Without the parents there to reinforce I was at a loss for a solution. A couple more weeks passed, and for various reasons I was not babysitting, thus no music.

So we started the regular routine again the other week, and I decided to approach music in a new way. I brought my keyboard with strips of colored paper taped to an 8-note C scale. The first week I tried this, I let the boy play as he wished on the keyboard. It was my goal simply to get him engaged in music again and hold his attention for a period of time. It worked! He took a special joy in hearing all the pre-recorded songs. To continue where I left off, this past week I began the session by reviewing colors. He played up and down the C scale with my cue to play "red," "orange," etc. Then, I let him again play with the songs, throwing in little tasks occasionally. We worked on colors, numbers (pressing certain numbers to get songs), and sequencing (color, number, number). Then we played a game to address impulse control. When the music played, we danced. When the music stopped, we stopped. Then it was his turn to lead.

This was a really good way for me to build up music again. The point of the story is to be creative, and if you really need to build from scratch, don't be afraid to do so. I hope to do a little more with him this coming Saturday. If all goes well, I will post about it here. Even if all does not go well, I'll still post. There is always a lesson to learn out of everything in life.

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.

Excuses for my lack of blog posts

I have not been blogging lately because I have been concentrating on writing a paper. Also, I have been very tired lately.

Tomorrow I will start over again and try to be good about blogging several times weekly. Forgive me!

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.

Friday five: singing traditional hymns versus gospel

I loved my experience in hospice. I'm not one that knew much about spiritual music when I went in, but I sure know a lot about it now. In fact, I really love some of the songs my patients enjoyed. One of the biggest challenges in hospice was understanding how to sing in a style that was authentic to the music your patient preferred. Here, I discuss singing in a traditional church style versus singing in a gospel style (which can be difficult to master).

Traditional hymns use a classical, church-singing voice. Everything you see on the sheet music is taken very literally.
1. No note embellishments. Straight-forward melody line. Limited vocal range.
2. Solemn, majestic tempo.
3. Use a very smooth voice, sing notes cleanly and exactly as they are on the page.
4. Play rhythm as it is written.
5. When playing guitar, finger pick or use a straight strum.

There are many different styles of gospel music, so I will speak very generally.
1. Notes can be embellished, repeated, etcetera, etcetera. Do almost whatever you want to make the melody "flashy." Uses a wide vocal range.
2. Songs are animated and enthusiastic!
3. Again, you are free to do almost anything you want with the melody. Add some "whoa's" and "oh yeah's" anywhere you see fit. Repeat, repeat, repeat words from the melody when you can. Many families that listen to gospel even create their own verses that are unique to that family. Learn them or create some of your own. Good opportunity for song-writing, p.s.!
4. Rhythms can be lengthened, shortened, widened, flattened, etcetera, etcetera.
5. Use mostly down-strums on the guitar.

Theses examples are extremes: either very traditional, or very gospel-like. Remember that different religions can be anything in-between. The best thing you can do is listen as your patients sing along. Take clues from them as to how they prefer to hear their spiritual music sung.

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?

Showbiz Tonight: Nordoff-Robbins MT

Adapted instruments

One of my favorite projects in school was an assignment from Dr. Alice-Ann Darrow. In our Music in Special Education class, we were asked to adapt an instrument as though it were for a student with a physical disability. We could either find an adapted instrument or create one. The adapted instrument I chose was deskbells.


I'm sure most of us are pretty familiar with the colorful handbells sold at West Music. But fewer of us know about the adaptation to those same handbells that make it much easier to produce a note. With a button on top of its handle, the bell can be set on top of a flat surface and ring by being tapped. If a person can move a part of their body, they can play this instrument.

Many of my classmates constructed their own awesome adaptations using household items. If your client is limited in mobility, think carefully about what sort of accommodations you can make. Some assembly may be required.

If you are not up to creating your own device, you can find deskbells at West Music, or check out other companies that specialize in other adapted instruments. A Day's Work is one of these. If you are reading this and know of another place to find adapted instruments, please leave a comment.

Three bears with a beat

I really love this activity! I first heard it from Darcy Walworth in our Music Therapy Lab class. It is perfect for young children. For each character in the rhyme, there is an action/sound/facial expression:

Papa bear: Hold hands up as though they are claws/"Rawrrrr," low-pitched growl/teeth bared, nose wrinkled, eyebrows furrowed.
Mama bear: Hold hands up with palms out, wiggle hands/"Ahhh!"High-pitched scream (not a real scream, please)/mouth open in surprise, eyes wide
Wee bear: Fold arms, shrug shoulders, hunch over/"Hmph," little-kid grunt/lip pout, eyebrows furrowed

At the request of the website owner, I will not copy/paste the rhyme here. However, here is the website. Pat knees in a moderate tempo. Each word with (parenthesis) is a downbeat.

Use this activity to work on emotions, facial affect, and listening skills.