Saturday Night Fever! Disco Improvisation

Whoa! What a last couple of weeks! I’ve been up to Boston, over to Vermont, back to NY and back up to Lake Placid! While camping in the mountains this weekend, a few fellow music therapy students and myself began to revisit some new piano skills we picked up at The “Keys to Creativity” workshop, presented by Josh Massicot MM and Wade Richards MT-BC, that we attended a few weeks ago.  Luckily there was a piano at the house, and we got some practicing in besides harmonizing with guitar around the campfire! Caitlin Preston-Fulton, Nazareth College MTS reminded me of the disco improvisation that was presented at the workshop, and I thought it was an interesting and useful thing to share.

What can a Disco improv be used for?

• Movement! Definitely something different and interesting that can be used with your group.
• A different sound for marches
• Really easy for a client to improvise with you over the bass-Just mark off which keys they can use
• Another way to utilize piano in a therapy session
• A simple way to add another “style” under your belt
• Get your clients disco arms moving!

Here is a short demo of how to play a disco improv.  The “key” is to develop your own sound, keep it simple so clients can join in and have fun with it.  Enjoy!

Sarah

Sometimes a “Hug Works”

Finding creative musical sources that can be used and adapted for many populations is critical for a music therapist student or professional, as well as writing original songs.  One source that I’ve been secretly enjoying for over a year now is “Hugworks.”  Now I am going to proclaim it to the world, and highly encourage that students and professionals take a listen to some of their great tracks, and maybe even pick up a few of their CD’s.

Fishy Mon

The Frog Song (tell me how you feel)

Hugworks is a nonprofit organization that creates products and services benefiting children with special needs.  Their music and products help improve self-esteem, wellness, and positive expression of feelings. Through the use of therapeutic musical entertainment and therapy, Hugworks addresses the needs of children with special needs.  Although their aim is children with special needs, their products can target a range of cliental including hospitals, camps, homes, and developmental facilities across the U.S.

For more information about Hugworks visit http://www.hugworks.org

iPhone Drum Kit

In honor of the iphone 4 coming out today… as well as the update available for the iphone 3G a few days ago, I decided to talk a little about an cool app that I came across when I first got my phone.

Budget got you down? Sometimes as music therapists we don’t have all the resources we would like readily available to us… sometimes we do (which is great!) A drum kit not in the budget? It’s ok! Although nothing can replace the motor planning and movement that a real drum kit provides, as well as the coordination required to play anything, there is an app that is pretty much the next best thing.  It works for either the iphone, or if you want an even better experience, an iPad has a much larger screen and more capabilities.  The app on my phone is called “drum kit lite,” and it is complete with a 10-piece virtual drum kit that responds to touch or tapping.  You can even play more than one drum at the same time! Just like real drums are very success oriented, so is this app- it always works, and it almost never sounds bad.  It’s a great tool to have- and clients can play along with you, and any generation would find it neat and get enjoyment out of playing these virtual drums.  The full version has even more to offer for just a dollar or two.  The drum kit app is great to work on fine motor within the arms, fingers, and palms- and you can control the volume!

Thanks for checking back!

Sarah

Children’s Books Adapted!

There are a plethora of children’s stories out there… and what’s so great is that most are easily adapted to music.  This is awesome for music therapists because setting a story to music will typically allow a child to stay focused longer, be engaged, increase their recall, and improve rhythmic skills.

One children’s book that i’ve had experience with is “Animal Boogie” by Debbie Harter.  First introduced to me in a music therapy class, it seemed like a great tool to use during a session.  However, when my first practicum assignment came… a movement activity… I quickly regretted my decision.  I’m sure it was my lack of inexperience, my client being unfamiliar with me, combined with the extreme overstimulation the book and CD presented him with that led this activity into the swirling vortex of doom and embarrassment (for me of course).  My client, a child with Autism, shut down and did anything but “active movement.”  The book is very colorful (which is great), but combined with me holding the book, and the CD recording which modulates every other verse on top of being very very fast and quick moving was a recipe for disaster.  It was a learning experience, and once I took a step back and looked at it again, I realized there are ways to adapt this CD/book set and make it more manageable and user friendly for music therapists.

Here is a recording of the actual CD that comes with the book.

It jumps very fast from creature to creature, and you have no control of the speed of the recording.  Using a different instrument to accompany you, like a simple shaker or hand drum allows the therapist to regain control of the activity.  You now have to power to slow down, speed up, and add little extra cue to trigger certain movement such as a shaking sound (for bear).  You can also repeat certain verses or lines, and emphasize the words since you are no longer competing with the recording.  The recording may be great for a group of high functioning children, however it’s great to know that it’s easily adaptable and I can add it back into my repertoire with no regrets!  Comments and suggestions are welcome.  Thanks for checking back!

Watch out for a guest writer post by junior Kristen Muldoon at Nazareth College of Rochester, who just returned from Jamaica as part of the Jamaican Field Service Project. She will be talking about her experience and recommendations!

Sarah

Need some closure?

Ever get stumped for some closing song ideas? Here are two songs that can be great for any populations.

The first was a song I wrote for my first practicum.  The children loved it because it’s easy to sing along to, it’s catchy and it gives them an opportunity to fill in some blanks.

Goodbye, Goodbye, Goodbye.

So long. Farewell. Goodbye.

Everybody stretch up high.  Everybody say “Goodbye.”

We had so much fun today, but now it’s time to wave (wave) and say.

Goodbye, Goodbye.  Music is all done.

The second is a song I used for my second practicum. I picked the song up from National Conference in a session about the Jamaican Field Service Project.  It is called “Buddhist Blessing”, and it’s great for adults and older populations. It can be used and adapted to fit the needs for most clients.  For my client with Primary Progressive Aphasia, the song was used as a building block.  In our first session, my client chose his own specific words that would be put in the song.  They were wrote out for him on index cards and at the close of every session we would sing the song, and he would use the cards to fill in the blanks at the appropriate time.  The song was recorded for him at the end of our sessions.

May you be filled with (blank) and (blank)

May you be well

May you be (blank) and (blank)

May you be happy. May you be happy.

Thanks for checking back.  Comment with questions, comments, or suggestions!

Sarah

Homemade Instruments: Great Summer Activity!

The summer is a great time to be inspired.  There’s nothing better than working towards a fun project and seeing it’s success.  I’ve been inspired this summer to be as “green” as possible, which has sprung up some cool projects that incorporate this! Homemade instruments can be way cooler than just a simple egg shaker.  The possibilities can be endless- especially with some innovative thinking.  Homemade instruments are nothing new, however, in my class: “Instrumental Methods and Repertoire” this past semester, under the instruction of Chris Gold, a guest speaker, Tim Austin shared some of his way-neat homemade collections including a tub-wash bass, spoons and a personal favorite of mine: The “Can-jo.”

The Can-jo:

• Get a coffee can! Smaller one’s work best, especially if it will be used by small hands such as a client.
• Anchor a piece of long wood (like a half-size guitar neck) to the bottom/side of the can with glue or anything else.  It should stick out of the can like a guitar neck.
• Get a single string (guitar string or fishing line) and attach it to the bottom and top of the neck with screws, washers, nuts etc.
• You can also get a tuning peg fairly cheap to attach to the top of the neck.  Wrap the string around it like you were stringing a guitar.  This way the can-jo is tunable.

I attended a session at National Conference in San Diego that discussed how to make a homemade Rim Drum.  This is a great community/group building activity and it’s easy!

• Find something circle! A Rim head works best or even a knitting/quilting rim.  Just make sure it’s fairly solid.
• Packing tape! You can get it in clear or any other color.  Have one person hold the rim while the other uses the tape.  It’s important to go around the rim first with the tape.  Next, start putting TIGHTLY pulled strips of tape from side to side of the rim.  Then repeat going the opposite way forming a tight seal.
• Make mallets by wrapping tape around the top of sticks.
• Add any colorful decorations!

Jingle Bracelets:

• Get some elastic ponytail holders in different colors.
• Get some jingle bells!
• Either cut the elastic bands and thread though the bells, making a knot after each one, or glue or sew bells onto band. Either way works!

Thanks everyone! I hope your inspired to go out and try these on your own or with your clients! Happy Summer!

Sarah

Interesting Instruments- Bird Whistle!

Getting swept up in summer is easy to do.  My time away from “hitting the books,” going to classes and studying is relieving and giving me a lot of opportunity for professional exploration, summertime activities and personal projects! This past weekend I took a quick trip out to the big city- NewYork! I pleasantly stumbled upon a huge festival running down 6th avenue that was swarming with fun vendors and “eclectic” cultural instruments.  Tents filled with kalimba’s and djembe’s and blaring traditional jamaican music were just the tip of the iceberg! I was attracted to my favorite stand first and foremost by the sounds that were coming from it! It was a asian gentleman and his posse of bird whistlers! It was wonderful.  Everyone had a bird whistle- each one unique and different and they were making the most interesting noises. Not only was the man “way cool” even though he barley spoke english, but he genuinely wanted to tell me about the instruments and show me how to get the best sounds out of them.  It was so insightful.  This man was just so happy to sell me his bird whistles, and to demonstrate them for me.  It was such a neat “musical experience” standing on the streets of New York playing a hand carved bird whistle with a man i had never met, and still we had this experience together.  Here’s a short clip of the bird whistle, what it looks like, and the sounds it makes.  Some ways to use it you ask?

• A group bird call with the elderly or with children!
• In a small group (2 clients) have them have a conversation using the bird whistles to practice non-verbal communication.
• A bird chorus/play- acting out a beautiful bird chorus.  Some clients can even take a solo when directed.

Thanks for checking back!

Techie Tuesday! Garage Band!

There’s nothing more great to leave a client with then a CD with tracks of all the most successful songs worked on during your time together.  This is true for any population.  This past semester, I left my client with all 4 of the songs that addressed his goals, motivated him to work toward them, and most importantly, function as a tool for him to use long after our time together.  There are many ways to record your voice and instrument, however, my personal favorite is Garage Band.  It’s getting used more and more in therapy sessions for recording and personal client projects, and it’s becoming one of the music therapists best tools.

• Like I said, Garage Band is great for recording and burning CD’s for your client.  This is great for closure and provides your client with a resource to continue working on what you were in the session.
• Having that recording may in fact be a way for clients to work through the same things they worked through with the live version. It’s not as good… but it serves the same purpose by coming pretty close.
• Leslie Hunter MT-BC in Rochester NY for Boces uses Garage Band with her students to create personal projects that are very rewarding for the kids.  Garage Band allows you to choose your instruments,”draw” to beat patterns and overlay them on top of each other.  I don’t have all the details on what she does… I recommend getting in touch with her if you’re interested.
• It’s super techie!- I have a new Macbook model, and it allows me to select the kind of recording i’m going to do: songwriting, solo vocals, acoustic, piano etc.  Then you have the option of adding whatever instrument tracks you want.  Just like in the recoding studio, you can record each component separately, then fuse them all together in the end.

Here’s a recording of a song I did for my client this semester.  It’s to the song “Goodnight Irene” but he would insert his wife’s name during the chorus.

Thanks for checking back!

Techie Tuesday! “Apple Apps”

Finals week is just around the corner! As everyone is prepping for juries, exams and final practicum hours I wanted to post another Techie Tuesday segment!

I just got the iPhone! You heard right… I finally gave in.  I now spend my days looking through and downloading “Apps.”  I don’t know how many people are aware, but there are dozens of applications that can be used in therapy… both music and speech- which has been a big focus of mine this semester.  Here a few I’ve come across:

The “Aphasia” App

Pros:  Brilliant! It is a great tool to use in the session and outside of the session.  It gives 2 options: icons and video.  The icons offer a fairly substantial amount of vocabulary that speaks the phrase or word.  The video function has a recording of a mouth that allows the client to see the anatomical way the functional speech looks.  Even if your client doesn’t want to use it during a session, it’s great practice at home.  They can watch the videos and it’s like having a person there speaking to you and allows the client to watch the movement of the mouth.

Cons: I’ve found that it can be a little difficult for some clients to get use to (especially the older gen) because of the touch screen on the iPhone, iTouch, or the iPad.  Another thing; I’m not to thrilled that the “free” app has a woman speaking all words and phrases.  My male client didn’t like that.  I’m not sure, but it’s possible that if you purchase the app, you can change the setting.

“Simple Xyman” App

Pros: It’s totally portable, functional and really interesting for tech savvy clients to use.  This app would be great on an iPad because of the larger screen (it would make the instrument seem more life-size).  It offers 3 different choices to set the application on: Pentatonic Xylophone, C-Scale Xylophone and Piano Synthesizer.  I love the pentatonic.  It’s success oriented and sounds cool!

Cons: You can never replace real instruments.  The sound, and physical movement required to play the real thing cant be beat, however, the app would really work on great fine motor skills that is still very much music related.

“Autism Flashcards” App

I haven’t used this one all that much, however, it is Autism Awareness month and these apps are free all April.  Each app has a different topic: animals, numbers, letters, and colors.  They present a colorful picture of the topic, say the word, and on some play a classical piece of music to accompany the card.  It’s a neat little feature that can come in handy instead of traditional flash cards.

Tech-ie Tuesday! “Incorporating Technology into your Sessions and Professional Life”

So here is the plan! Every Tuesday from here on out I will be posting a tip on how to incorporate technology into your music therapy life, whether it be with a client, a group, or social networking as a professional.  Each one of these realms is very important.  Technology is taking over the world whether we’re ready or not, and it’s best we embrace it! Most client’s (unless you’re working with an older population) are used having technology inserted into their lives, and rapport with younger generations will be even stronger because that is how most older children and adolescents communicate these days.  Showing your clients that you’re not afraid to incorporate technology into their sessions is really something special.  So here is tip numero uno in the Tech-ie Tuesday line-up!

Working with my client this semester at the Aphasia clinic sprung up an idea.  I recently purchased a Macbook (which I highly recommend; they are wonderful!), and I really wanted to incorporate some of its features into my session.  He is working on speech and language exercises, and often cannot tell he is not  using his lips and tongue the correct way to form the vocal sounds we are working on.  The speech clinic would often give him a small mirror (it resembled the child size mirror I would used when I put on my mom’s make-up when I was 5).  I decided to try and use the Macbook “Photobooth” feature which brings up your webcam onto the screen and sets it to real time.  It basically acted as a “gadgety mirror” that was fun and interesting for him to use.  I noticed right away that he started to pay closer attention to his mouth when I set the laptop in front of him.  Photobooth gave my client a crystal clear image of his mouth, that was “way cooler” than a small mirror.  I’m not saying you have to use it in just this way, but it’s an idea!

Stay tuned for more “Tech-ie Tuesday” ideas!

Sarah