More with Music

Getting ready for Valentine's Day

2012-02-08T17:23:00.006-05:00

Get ready for Valentine's Day!
Today I will be sharing a song about a heart to get you ready for Valentine's . I'm posting it a little early so you might have a chance to hear it and use it! :)

A Heart Stands for Love, addresses the shape of a heart and who we give hearts to on Valentine's Day. It also states that a heart stands for love.

In a few of the classrooms I serve, the students have been putting their hands on their hearts (chest), and other students have enjoyed trying to make the heart shape in the pic above with their hands while we sing the chorus of the song. Many of the students are quite good at it!

<a href="http://morewithmusic.bandcamp.com/track/a-heart-stands-for-love-2">A Heart Stands for Love by More with Music</a>

(Chorus)
Here is a shape and it stands for Love
This shape is called a Heart. (Repeat)

We give hearts to the people in our family.

We give hearts to our teachers and friends.

Valentine's Day is a special day when we say,
"I love you" to all of them.

(Chorus)

What are your favorite Valentine's Day songs?
As always, thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Pin It

Get ready to go!

2012-01-27T13:47:00.002-05:00

Welcome back!

I'm excited to share another song today!
The song is titled, Get ready to go.
I collaborated with a teacher on this one. The teacher asked for help writing a song that she could use with her students (she teaches elementary students with autism), when they are getting ready to leave the classroom. Sometimes the class leaves to go to a special (music, art, PE, etc.), and sometimes they leave the classroom to go to assemblies in the school, outside for recess, for a walk, or for field trips off campus too.

The teacher gave me the following list of things they do/check before they leave the room as a class:

Tie shoes
Tuck in shirts
Sanitize hands
Wipe faces
Get lanyards (with picture IDs on them for off campus trips)

So, I put all of those in a song and repeated each of them to give the teachers and assistants ample time to assist the students while the song was playing.
The kids really like it and it helps keep everyone in the classroom (even the adults) aware of what needs to be checked before they leave the classroom.

Get ready to go! by Amanda G. Ellis, MT-BC

I hope you have a great weekend! As always, if you have questions and/or comments feel free to write them below or email me at morewithmusic@gmail.com

Thanks for stopping by!

Pin It

Therapy Tool

2012-01-24T04:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome back!

Every now and then, I receive an email from a More with Music reader who asks questions, and or suggests topics I should blog about here on More with Music.

So, today's post is in response to a question from a reader.

Last week, I received these questions: "How do you clean/sterilize your rhythm instruments? How often do you clean them and what products have you found to be easy to use, yet good at cleaning too?"

Great questions! I'm sure we all have our own recommendations for cleaning rhythm instruments we use on a daily basis with students and clients.

I personally recommend Chlorox wipes. They are easy to keep in the car or in a session room and they have a very fresh, but not overly perfumed scent.

If an instrument comes in contact with any bodily fluid (i.e. snot, saliva, blood, etc..), I always clean it. Other instruments are cleaned biweekly (if I wait that long). I make sure to clean instruments more frequently when I'm aware of stomach bugs, viruses, colds, flu,etc.. going around.

The picture above is of the coolest things I found at the store. They are Chlorox wipes made in a travel size! They are so convenient and fit right in my cart that I carry from school to school. I love them!

I'd love to hear what others use to clean rhythm instruments and your opinions on products, methods of cleaning them, etc..

As always, thanks for stopping by!
Stay tuned for a song post soon!

I had a Dream-for FREE!

2012-01-12T21:29:00.004-05:00

Welcome back!

Today I wanted to share a song that I've shared once before. I sing it this time of the year in many classrooms and it works great.

Just in time for January 16th, I'm re-sharing my song "I had a Dream" to help celebrate Martin Luther King day. The best part-it's FREE to share!

I came across a very nice poem about Martin Luther King online a couple of years ago, and I quickly put it to music.
The poem was written by Esther Yost, a former preschool teacher.

Here is the poem:

I have a dream, said Martin Luther King
We're gonna make that dream come true.
Let freedom ring, said Martin Luther King,
It's up to me and you.
It's not the color of your hair,
It's not the color of your skin,
It doesn't matter what you wear,
It's the character within.
I have a dream, said Martin Luther King
We're gonna make that dream come true,
Let freedom ring, said Martin Luther King
It's up to me and you.

I hope you enjoy this song as much as I do. It's not too complicated, and if you would like to see the visuals I created to go along with this song, simply email me at morewithmusic@gmail.com and I'll be happy to share them.

I'd love to hear what songs you like to use for this topic, activities you do,etc.. Feel free to leave a comment below.

I hope all of you have a great Friday and enjoy the long weekend as well!

I Dress for the Weather

2012-01-09T16:55:00.008-05:00

Welcome back!
It's winter, but it doesn't feel like it everyday here. Some days are cooler than others, but we've had only a few really cold days.
Even though our outdoor temperatures don't always cooperate, we're still singing about Winter and cold around here.
Awhile back, I shared a song entitled, I Dress for the Weather. It's a song about clothing you wear in the winter to help you to stay warm. You can have a listen to it below.
<a href="http://morewithmusic.bandcamp.com/track/i-dress-for-the-weather">I dress for the Weather by More with Music</a>

I'm also sharing a visual I made via Windows movie maker.
I create windows movies for most of the songs I use in classrooms so that the teachers have the support when I'm not physically in the classroom different days/times,etc.. This provides the teachers with many opportunities to provide repetition for the students and give them more exposure to the songs.
I mainly use various images I find on Google images for my visuals, so these windows movies are used for educational purposes only.

I hope you had a great Monday! I'm excited about the upcoming 3-day weekend myself!
Be sure to stop back soon!

Wait a minute! part 2

2012-01-07T21:29:00.009-05:00

Welcome back!

Now that the holidays are over, everything is back in full swing. I've been busy writing songs, singing songs, designing visuals and the most important thing-seeing lots of cool kids!

My last post (see below) briefly discussed a wait time and covered a couple of definitions of the concept itself.

Today I want to post more about this topic and more specifically, how you can incorporate it within a music therapy session.

A wait time is a therapy tool.
As I wrote previously, a wait time is defined as "the duration of pauses separating utterances in a conversation, (i.e. the time a teacher waits after asking a question and after receiving a response)."

Another definition I found online for wait time is "the amount of time that elapses between a tutor-initiated (teacher) question and the next verbal behavior (e.g., a student response)."

Many students have wait times (sometimes written in specific increments of minutes), in their IEPs and it is important for the music therapist to ask and/or read the student's IEP to find out if this is true.
A wait time gives the student time to process what was said (by therapist) and gives them time to respond (whether it is verbally, physically,etc..).

Within a music therapy session, there are several ways to give appropriate wait time, while at the same time providing feedback and validating the students. I always keep in mind that each student is an individual, and what motivates one, may not always motivate another.

When you ask a student (who requires a wait time) a question (i.e. What do you want to play today? What comes next?, etc.), I recommend you try the following ideas:

1. Ask other students the same question first. This gives students time to process what is going on, what is expected, giving an answer is modeled to the
students, etc.

2. Make eye contact with the student whom you want to answer the question.

3. If the student is nonverbal, be sure to represent choices with picture cards or
the real choices (instruments, stuffed animals, etc.)

4. Watch the students' eyes. Look to see if they gaze at one choice longer than the others. If this happens, verbally validate it "I see you are looking at the maracas. Great job! Matthew wants to play the maracas!"

5. Verbally (and musically)provide feedback to the student while waiting for their answer.
This can be incorporated into a song/chant "Matthew's thinking. Matthew's
thinking. Thinking about the choices today." or another idea to motivate (to
the tune of "Hey good lookin'"), "Everybody's lookin', everybody's lookin, lookin
at their pictures to tell me what they want to play".

Keep playing to support the student. Be patient. Strum in between verses, try decreasing tempo, and try to limit other distractions.

What are your thoughts? Are there other ways you motivate students during a wait time?

Feel free to leave additional comments below!

Wait a minute!

2011-12-28T05:00:00.002-05:00

We live in a world where for the most part, we like things to move at a steady, if not speedy pace. We all but expect self gratification.

If something is supposed to work, we want it to work. If we are traveling somewhere and know on average, how long it should take to get there, we don't want to run into too many diversions along the way that might slow us down.

Patience is indeed a virtue, and in the world of special education it's a requirement.
As a music therapist who works with students with a variety of special needs, I often have to wait.

Wait for what?

I wait for a student to respond to a question, to choose an instrument, to give me an answer via eye gaze to a question,etc..
Technically speaking, I give the student wait time.

What is a "wait time"?

A wait time is defined as the duration of pauses separating utterances in a conversation, (i.e. the time a teacher waits after asking a question and after receiving a response).

Another definition I found online for wait time is the amount of time that elapses between a tutor-initiated (teacher) question and the next verbal behavior (e.g., a student response).

Wait time is an important tool to use in music therapy sessions. It gives the student time to process what you said and/or asked them to do. Some students who have apraxia, require the wait time so that they can process what you said and then form their answer/opinion/choice,etc..

So, a wait time is very important to therapists and students they serve.

Wait a minute-what do I do during a wait time?

Stay tuned for my next post here on More with Music when I'll give you ideas and more information about wait time, what to do and not do, and how to validate a student's responses or non-responses during a wait time!

Movin' Around the World

2011-12-27T11:08:00.004-05:00

Busy as a bee-that's me!
While this post is later than expected, it's up today!

Today will be the last post for Movin' Around the World. I've covered all but one continent, and today I'll be sharing a song to teach about Australia.

Known as the "land down under", Australia is a beautiful continent with a wide variety of topics to teach about to students.

Like the other continent songs I've posted here on More with Music, I always try to write a chorus that the students will be able to sing (whether they sing with their own voice or with the help of a voice output device that I prerecord the chorus into for them). A couple of weeks ago, I was working in a middle school class with several students with autism, and as I was setting up to start my session with that class, I heard a student humming to himself. I kept listening as I was setting up and sure enough-he was humming the chorus to the Australia song! :) The cool thing about it is we haven't been studying Australia this year yet, so he remembered it from last year and associated the song with me as I came into the room!

So, below is the Australia song. If you would like a song sheet for this song, complete with lyrics and guitar chords, just send me an email to morewithmusic@gmail.com

Australia by More with Music

I hope all of you had a very Merry Christmas and look forward to more posts in 2012!

Movin' Around the World

2011-12-12T05:00:00.000-05:00

It's Monday, and that means it's time for another continent song!
In case you've missed a few posts, I've been Movin' around the World with songs to help teach students about each of the 7 Continents.

If you scroll down below, you can catch up on previous continent posts and even a song to introduce the 7 continents as well!

There are only two continents left to sing about, and today's song will be about Antarctica.

Besides being one of the coldest places I know, Antarctica is actually an interesting continent to study. Many scientists travel there each year to research global warming and the effects it has on the water, land, animals, and weather.

I always think it's interesting when I learn something new after researching information to write a song about a certain topic. When I researched Antarctica, I was surprised to learn that moss actually grows there! I also enjoy finding out which animals live on each continent.

If you would like a song sheet for the Antarctica song, send an email to morewithmusic@gmail.com

Antarctica Song by Amanda G. Ellis, MT-BC

As always, thanks for stopping by More with Music.
I hope all of you have a great week!

Movin' Around the World

2011-12-05T18:14:00.003-05:00

Welcome back!

It's time for another post about continent as I continue my weekly "Movin' Around the World" theme for Mondays.
I'm getting this post in just under the wire, but technically it's still Monday, and oh what a busy Monday it has been!

Nevertheless, today's continent song is about Europe. After today's post, there are only two continents left to sing about, so I hope you all have enjoyed some of these songs.

To help teach students about Europe, this song talks about Europe's flags, islands, peninsulas, European money (the Euro), languages, its long rivers and canals, its mountains (for skiing), its castles and the amazing food there.

Europe Song by Amanda G. Ellis, MT-BC

As always, if you would like a song sheet for this song, complete with guitar chords, just send me an email to morewithmusic@gmail.com

Stay tuned for some upcoming holiday posts!

The Number Rock

2011-11-28T21:37:00.001-05:00

Welcome back!
Today is Tuesday, so I wanted to share a therapy tool today (for all of you long term readers out there...remember when I said therapy tools would be posted on Tuesdays?):)

Have you ever wondered what you could buy a new music therapist or a brand new music therapy student just starting out? Need an idea for a Christmas gift?
One of my top recommendations are the Prelude Music Therapy song books!

The Prelude Music Therapy Songbooks are great and include sheet music as well as lyrics and chords for each song. But wait-there's more! Most song sheets also give ideas and implementations for the song as well!

One song in particular that I learned several years ago from one of the Prelude songbooks was the Number Rock. It's a catchy, jazzy tune that the students love. Many students with special needs require lots of repetition in order to learn new material. The Number Rock is an example of a non-threatening way to provide the students with the repetition they need in a fun way-with a song!

The Prelude Music Therapy song sheet features numbers 1-10. I added my own spin on numbers 11-20, created visual aids and made a windows movie for the students I serve. *This song is only used for educational purposes.

Movin' Around the World

2011-11-28T05:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome Back!
It's Monday and that means it's time for another continent song!

Our next stop will be Asia.
Asia is a very large continent. When I began researching and writing the beginnings of a song about Asia, I decided to do something a little different. Instead of a song about Asia, I decided to write a song about a country in Asia. I thought students would be more familiar (or at least distantly familiar with one of the countries because of news and media coverage about the countries in Asia), compared to the whole continent itself.

So, today's song will be a song about China.

I purposely structured this song so that each phrase would repeat to give time for students (verbal and non-verbal), to sing along, as well as give the teacher time to show visual pictures representing each verse to the students.

If you would like a song sheet for the China song, simply an email to morewithmusic@gmail.com

China by Amanda G. Ellis, MT-BC
As always, thanks for stopping by!

Thanksgiving Tunes

2011-11-22T05:00:00.000-05:00

The countdown is on!
Turkey Day is quickly approaching!
In the midst of the holiday preparations, I want to share a few songs that I use for the Thanksgiving theme.

The first song I love to use is actually one by Hap Palmer. It talks about things we are thankful for. I created pictures to represent each answer in the song and in sessions, ask students to tell me what they are thankful for.

<a href="http://morewithmusic.bandcamp.com/track/i-am-thankful">I am Thankful by More with Music</a>

The next song I like to use is Ted the Turkey. Ted is a turkey who is running away for the dreaded Thanksgiving Day! I love to use this song because I get so many creative answers when we ask the question, "Where should Ted hide?" For some students, I have picture cards for them to choose a place for the turkey to hide (i.e. house, car, barn, truck, bale of hay,etc..).
<a href="http://morewithmusic.bandcamp.com/track/ted-the-turkey">Ted the Turkey by More with Music</a>

The Pilgrims and the Indians is another song I use mainly with the high school-aged students.
Many times the middle school students like it too though!
It is a song that very simply tells the story of the Pilgrims and the Indians and the first Thanksgiving. I created picture cards to help tell the story and the song can be sequenced with the pictures, (in terms of the Pilgrims coming from Europe to America, the ship they traveled on, etc..).

And finally, the last song for today's post is The Turkey Flew.
I wrote this song based on an idea from a children's story. In the story, the turkey falls out of the oven and the family has to "make do" with the food they have left for their feast.
I sing this song and then use this song to teach the food/dish names for Thanksgiving dinner. I ask students what they would eat for Thanksgiving and have picture cards to represent the different foods mentioned in the song.

The Turkey Flew! by Amanda G. Ellis, MT-BC

So, that's it for today! Whew! What songs do you like to use for a Thanksgiving theme or Turkey theme?

Thanks for stopping by! I hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving!

Movin' Around the World

2011-11-21T18:46:00.006-05:00

Welcome back!
I'm getting this post in just under the wire! But, it is technically still Monday here, so it's time for another post to get us Movin' Around the World.

If you missed any of the other posts about the continents, just scroll down below and you can catch up!

As you can see above, today's post will be about Africa, one of the 7 continents.
Africa is a very large continent. When I researched Africa, I wanted to highlight a few things about Africa that the students could relate to and learn about.

So, I definitely chose the oceans surrounding Africa, the landscapes, and of course many of the animals. I work with children with a variety of special needs, so in case you wonder while you're listening to the song, I purposely repeat verses in the song so that all students can see the visuals while we sing the song and/or so students have time to "sing" via a voice output device within the sessions. When I am in the classrooms, I adapt to whatever each classroom in particular needs. Sometimes I don't repeat each verse, and sometimes I do.

If you would like a song sheet for the Africa song, simply send me an email to morewithmusic@gmail.com and I will be happy to email it to you.

Africa by Amanda G. Ellis, MT-BC

Movin' Around the World

2011-11-15T07:49:00.002-05:00

Welcome back!

I'm a day late, but excited to share another post about one of the 7 Continents!

Last week, I posted a song about North America. If you missed it, just scroll down below and you will find it right under this post. :)

Our next stop while "movin' around the world" is South America.

When I wrote this song, I wanted to give it a different sound and strum. Since there are so many spanish speaking countries in South America, I went with a strum that I feel sounds like a spanish song.

So, here it is-the South America song.
If you would like a song sheet for this song, please send me an email to morewithmusic@gmail.com

Have a great day!

South America by Amanda G. Ellis, MT-BC

Movin' Around the World

2011-11-07T05:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome back!

It's Monday, so it's time for another song about the 7 Continents!

Last week I shared my 7 Continents song that previews a little about continents in general. Now we're moving on to one continent in specific...North America!

When I wrote each continent song, I had several goals in mind.

The first goal was to give each song an opener--a part of the song the students would most likely be able to sing.
The second goal was to give the students details about where each continent is in relation to other places (i.e. states, countries, continents, etc.).

I support each part of the song with visual pictures, via power point presentations.

So, here it is: North America

North America by Amanda G. Ellis, MT-BC

If you would like a lyric sheet for the North America song, complete with guitar chords, please email me at morewithmusic@gmail.com

As always, thanks for stopping by! :)

Get ready for Veteran's Day

2011-11-06T08:41:00.003-05:00

Welcome back!
This Friday, November 11th, is Veteran's Day.
Many people have the day off from school and/or work this Friday, but it's important for us to teach our students about Veterans and what an amazing job they do for us and our country.

Today's post will help you get ready with a song and a visual aide!

When I wrote this song, I wanted to keep it as simple as possible.

So, I used pictures to show military (soldier saluting to the American flag, and patches from each military group), a picture to represent freedom (the Statue of Liberty), and a picture to represent our country (USA map picture).

Before singing the song, I always teach/review how to say "Thank you" with sign language. We do this motion every time "We Thank You" is heard in the song. This makes it possible for many students (verbal and nonverbal students), to participate in this song.

So, below you will find the song and a windows movie that goes along with the song.

What song(s) do you like to sing to celebrate Veteran's Day?

<a href="http://morewithmusic.bandcamp.com/track/veterans-veterans-we-thank-you">Veterans, Veterans, We Thank You! by Amanda G. Ellis, MT-BC</a>

Movin' Around the World

2011-10-31T06:00:00.000-04:00

Today is my first post for Movin' Around the Word-The 7 Continents.
As of last month, I officially have songs to help teach a little about all of the 7 Continents.
I will be sharing them with all of you each Monday, so be sure to mark your calendars!

To start movin' around the world, we first have to review the 7 continents. So that is what I will post today.
This song reviews the 7 continents, what they are, and what surrounds them. I encourage you to have students use their fingers and count the continents as you sing and/or play the song. I promise it will "sink in" faster this way!

So, here it is, The 7 Continents!

7 Continents by Amanda G. Ellis, MT-BC

We say, "Boo!"

2011-10-23T18:15:00.006-04:00

I'm sure you guessed from the title already, but today's post is about Halloween!
As of today, the countdown is on with only 7 days left to plan your perfect costume!
I just realized that that means there are only a few days left to buy candy for all the ghosts and goblins as well!

I really like Halloween as a holiday, but I also like to keep it friendly and fun. I definitely stay away from scary themes.

One song I like to use in particular for Halloween is Hap Palmer's, Witches Brew. If you haven't heard this song yet, trust me-it's an oldie, but a goody!

Another song I wrote last year is "We say Boo!"
You can easily use a voice output device with this song for the word "Boo!" for students who are nonverbal or that have speech delays. The more spirited you say "Boo!" the more they get into it!

This song also mentions things we do on Halloween like wearing a costume, going trick or treating, collecting candy, etc.. It is especially helpful for students with autism if you talk about, sing about, and look at pictures/videos of upcoming holidays and/or events and share with them what happens during these events. It lets them know what to expect and what people do before and during these events.

We say, "Boo!" by Amanda G. Ellis, MT-BC

As always, if you would like a song sheet complete with lyrics and guitar chords for this song, just send an email to morewithmusic@gmail.com

Thanks for stopping by!

Listen for the Pattern

2011-10-18T22:20:00.004-04:00

Many young students in school spend a lot of time finding patterns. Most of the time, students are introduced to color patterns and shape patterns first. But once simple patterns are learned, many others can be introduced.

I wanted to share a song I wrote (that I use quite frequently0, to help students learn and review their patterns. It's called, "Listen for the Pattern", and I often use Remo Sound Shapes drums(see picture above) as visual aides with this song in particular.

Listen for the Pattern by Amanda G. Ellis, MT-BC

Thanks so much for stopping by!
As always, if you have any questions or would like to request a song sheet for this song, please email me at morewithmusic@gmail.com

Have a great day!

October Song

2011-10-02T22:18:00.005-04:00

Welcome back!
Today I wanted to share a song about the month of October.
But first, I have to share my inspiration for this song.

Last year, I heard several songs for particular months of the year by Rachel Rambach over at Listen, Learn, Music. Rachel is a board certified music therapist who is an awesome singer and song writer. Rachel also has a lot of experience working with kids.

After hearing several of Rachel's songs that corresponded to each month of the year, I knew I wanted to write some of these songs as well.

I've been working on songs for the upcoming months of the year as well. I'll be sharing them soon!

As always, song sheets for this song are available. If you need a song sheet for the October song (complete with lyrics and guitar chords), just send me an email at morewithmusic@gmail.com

Hope you are having a great weekend!

October Song by Amanda G. Ellis, MT-BC

It's October!

2011-10-02T22:17:00.001-04:00

October is finally here!
The fall season has officially begun and cooler weather and Halloween are on the way!
I am currently working on several new songs for the month of October, but wanted to remind you of a song I posted last year.

<a href="http://morewithmusic.bandcamp.com/track/i-have-a-pumpkin">I have a Pumpkin by More with Music</a>

The song, "I have a pumpkin", is a very simple song that addresses basic shapes and parts of a face. I made my own laminated, paper visual as well as designed a Smartboard page to use in sessions. You can follow the instructions in the song, such as, "I'll use two triangles to make his eyes" and ask students to find triangles when paired with other shapes. On another day, you can ask students to pick a shape to put on the pumpkin to make his eyes. This is a great way to target choice making in non-verbal clients (via eye gaze, pointing, touching picture choice, using voice output device,etc.) and an excellent way to reinforce speech with speech delayed students.

Stay tuned for another song about October!

Therapy Tools Tuesday

2011-09-27T06:00:00.000-04:00

Today's post is another (hopefully) helpful tool you can use for therapy.
The tool itself actually falls in the organization and storage category for therapy.

Take a look at these:

You might wonder, "How can these be used as a tool in therapy?"

I use these little bags, called makeup bags, as storage for picture cards (also known as PECS). I work in many classrooms that serve students who are nonverbal (for a variety of reasons and diagnoses), so we use pictures to help the students communicate. With pictures, students can say Yes/No, More/Finished, and can have a choice of objects. The picture cards are definitely helpful when giving the students choices of rhythm instruments to play during music therapy sessions.

I also include number cards, color cards, sometimes alphabet letter cards, and pictures of objects that are mentioned in songs we are currently singing (for example, in our fall song, students are shown pictures of red apples, fall leaves, pumpkins,etc.). Some students even learn to sequence objects in a song with the picture cards!

So, there you have it. Makeup bags can be a great tool for storing picture cards that aid in communication in music therapy sessions.

Fall

2011-09-24T12:37:00.007-04:00

Welcome back!

Yesterday was officially the first day of Fall!
Around here, there are already tons of places selling pumpkins and the fall colors are starting to appear.

In the Fall season, there are always county and state fairs in so many places. Many classrooms learn about animals and animals that live on a farm during this time of the year.

Today I wanted to share a song I wrote and use in classrooms to teach about animals that live on a farm. It's a very simple song, but it is a song with very basic goals in mind. A few of these goals include recognizing animals by picture and recognizing animals by the sounds they make.

When teaching about animals, it is so cool to use their real sounds and I think the students remember more about the animals if they hear their real sounds.

To accomplish this goal, I designed an activity using SMART Notebook 10 software. Most of the classrooms I work with all have SMART boards in their classrooms and incorporate them into almost everything they teach.

A few samples from slides in this activity are below.

I use the first slide when I'm introducing the song to the group and singing it with/to them. The animals are all on the slide as a visual and the teacher can play the song I sing when I'm not there, by simply pressing the speaker icon. Each specific animal sound can be heard by pressing the speaker icon by each animal. The second slide focuses on the students finding the animals that match each sound. The third slide focuses on the students recognizing each animal and figuring out the pattern of the animals on the slide.

Animals on the Farm by Amanda G. Ellis, MT-BC

As always, thanks for stopping by! My posts are few and far between lately, but I appreciate all my readers.
Have a great weekend!

A Rhyme Song

2011-09-10T22:11:00.004-04:00

Greetings!

It's the weekend and I finally found some time to make a blog post! :)

Today's post will be a new song I just finished last week. It is a song I wrote to help teach the concept of a rhyme.

The song's lyrics encourage students to "listen with their ears" for words that sound alike. It explains the concept of a rhyme with the lyrics: "When words sound alike, we say they rhyme."

I made visuals to go along with each word family mentioned in the Rhyme song so students can see each word that rhymes with a matching picture.

I'm anxiously awaiting putting this song into use as well!

So, without further discussion, here it is! Song sheet to follow soon! :)

Rhyme Song by Amanda G. Ellis, MT-BC

Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

You gotta keep your head up

2011-09-04T06:00:00.000-04:00

As a music therapist, I always try to stay current with music that is popular each year. I have found that some music therapists do this more than others.

Depending on which population(s) music therapists are employed to work with, they may or may not need to dwell in modern or popular music. Songs from the 1920s and 30s might be their focus, or children's songs, or even instrumental music for relaxation and reflection might be more in demand with their clients.

Nevertheless, I like to have a general idea what's going on in modern/popular music and many times, I find the ideas motivating to me in terms of song writing.

Here's an example:

Lately, I've been loving this tune by Andy Grammer. It's called, "Keep Your Head Up".

I'll admit, it's an upbeat song that is good for my "self Music Therapy" when it's been a long day or I feel like I still have a lot to accomplish on any given day.

Aside from that, I had this song stuck in my head for days and was inspired by it so much, that I adapted the lyrics and the tune a bit for one of the topics I was trying to write a song about: the 5 themes of geography.

So, I wanted to share that particular song today.

5 Themes of Geography by Tune originally by Andy Grammer, *adapted for educational use only

*This song is intended for educational use only!

A shape called a Circle song sheet

2011-09-03T17:50:00.007-04:00

Take a deep breath...make sure you are sitting down...

I don't want to over excite anyone out there, but here's a new post on
More with Music!!!

I apologize for the scarcity of posts here on More with Music.

The beginning of the school year is always a SUPER busy time with students coming back to school, getting everyone settled in their classrooms, learning new students (names and personalities), and writing new songs to get the school year started.

I also have to mention that I'm the proud parent of a 2nd grader this year and happy he's adjusted so well getting into his back to school schedule. :)

But without further digression, today's song post is the song sheet for the song A shape called a Circle.

I have received so many nice emails in response to this song and hope you take a minute to listen to it. :) I'm eagerly awaiting using this song for the first time in many of the classrooms I serve this week and next.

Now, not to shock you twice in one blog post, but stay tuned for another post tomorrow! Yes, for real, no joke!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you are having a great Labor Day weekend!

Round Two!

2011-08-16T10:05:00.004-04:00

Tomorrow officially starts my second year as a full time music therapist in a public school setting.

My caseload will be pretty much the same, and a majority of the classrooms will be in the same places, same teachers, etc..

For any of you who are new to reading my blog, I am a board certified music therapist who serves approximately 34 classrooms throughout the school year.

I travel to about 18 classrooms each week to do 30 minute music therapy sessions, and each classroom sees me every other week. I serve students(in our county they are labeled Low Incidence), from preK all the way up to high school (this includes a wide variety of developmental disabilities, Autism, etc.).

It's quite a schedule to juggle, but overall it has a lot of great moments.

At the end of this past school year, I made a list of things that helped me and things that I need to remember. So, I'm sharing my list today in hopes that it helps someone else out there in the wide world of the internet. :)

Ten things you need to remember:

1. Be yourself (You are the only person who can be you. The more you are you-the more you will learn about yourself and changes you may want to make.)

2. Check any baggage at the door. (The students deserve it.)

3. Make a point of asking how the teacher is doing. (Sometimes you will be the only one who cares to ask on a given day)

4. Count students in the classroom (this will mentally help you plan activities on the spot, divide instruments, and help you know if someone leaves the session unexpectedly)

5. Have some sort of structure to your sessions that the students can follow. (You don't have to do the same songs all the time, but be predictable on a few).

6. Compliment hard work when you see it. (This goes for the students, teachers, staff, etc. Everyone needs to know that you can tell they are making a difference.)

7. Find quiet time to think and reflect. (This is really important. Think and plan your next session. Reflect on what worked, why it worked, how interventions can work better, who you can ask for input, who else knows the student and can provide insight, what can you do different,etc. )

8. Think of at least 2-3 interventions to use with your favorite songs to use in sessions. (You can't always predict what's going to happen on any given day and this will help you be flexible.)

9. Give yourself time. (To reflect, to read, to grow, to improve, to observe, to vent, to practice, to listen, to laugh, to appreciate, to evaluate, etc.)

10. Always remember that you can never predict how your music will reach a person on any given day. Music is the universal language, and we all need it in our lives.

PS22

2011-08-12T06:00:00.000-04:00

What is PS22?

PS22 is the name of an AMAZING chorus directed by Gregg Breinberg, and composed of 60-70 fifth-graders from a public school in Staten Island, New York (Public School 22). This choir has been singing and performing since the year 2000 and has already performed with an amazingly long list of major music artists!

PS22 is the largest elementary school in Staten Island which draws students from a wide cross section of ethnic groups and socio-economic levels.

The chorus has become a bonafide internet sensation over the last few years, and after you see some of their videos and hear them, you'll understand why!

I guarantee you will be blown away by the chorus itself, but while you're watching, be sure to observe how many students are actively engaged in the music and singing, how many students are singing whole-heartedly, and how much this chorus means to them!

They are truly an awesome chorus in my opinion and music is definitely a universal language for them. I'm posting two of their many songs they have sung. They are so good I couldn't just post one!

You can find more of their songs and videos on youtube. Just search PS22 chorus.
You can also find out current info and the latest news about PS22 on their blog here.

Hope you have a great weekend!

A shape called a Circle

2011-08-10T20:06:00.000-04:00

The school year is fastly approaching and I've been going through my bank of songs the past few days.

I have been going over many of my "standards" I use in classrooms each week, and also sorting through songs that I want to make more interesting, motivating, catchy,etc..

So, here's a song I wrote and recorded yesterday about circles. I think it's more catchy and motivating than the song I usually use to teach about the shape of a circle. I can't wait to use it with the students in the schools I serve!

In terms of using this song in sessions, I plan on singing it while we show and play circles (Remo shape drums are awesome for this in particular!), and also with some of the younger, severe profound young students, we'll try using a 10" or larger hand drum and hand over hand, help them rub their palms on the drum in a circular motion while we sing about the circles. The sensory stimulation should be good for them too. :) I'm also planning on trying to move some of the groups that are mostly in wheelchairs in a circle formation. I think it will be a lot of fun!

So, here's the song below. I'll post the song sheet for it soon-maybe even tomorrow!

A shape called a Circle by Amanda G. Ellis, MT-BC

Having a Conversation Song Sheet

2011-08-10T06:00:00.000-04:00

Welcome back!

Yesterday, I posted a new song called Having a Conversation.
If you missed the post, you can read and hear it here.

Today's post is the song sheet for that song. The lyrics and chords are included on the song sheet.

Song sheets are totally free here at More with Music, so please let me know if you would like a song sheet for any of the other songs I've posted.

Hope you have a wonderful Wednesday!

Having a Conversation

2011-08-09T06:00:00.000-04:00

For some children and adolescents with developmental delays (and other various special needs), having a conversation with someone can be a very complex task.

In order to have a conversation with someone, you have to understand numerous social skills. You have to understand turn taking, attending to and paying attention to what someone else is saying. You also need to be able to comprehend what the person is saying, talking about,etc..

I have had this song in my head for about a month now, and I finally decided to put it into action and hear how it would sound! I think the end product is good, and this song could definitely be personalized for individual children and their particular goals (speech goals, social skill phrases,etc.).

In music therapy sessions, I would definitely slow down the tempo when practicing the conversation parts of this song with students.

So, without further delay, here it is and I will post the song sheet for this song tomorrow.

I hope your week is off to a great start! Be sure to come back soon! :)

Having a Conversation by Amanda G. Ellis, MT-BC

Summer is Hot, Hot, Hot Song Sheet

2011-08-06T21:45:00.005-04:00

Welcome back!

We had some much needed rain here in North Carolina today, but it is still hot!

I know we haven't been having the hottest temperatures compared to other states in the US, but it still feels hot and humid when we step outside here in NC.

Today's post is directly related to the heat outside. I'm sharing the song sheet for a song I posted back in June called, "Summer is Hot, Hot, Hot!" I'll post the song also, in case you need a refresher. :)

Summer is Hot, Hot, Hot! by More with Music

I hope all of you are finding ways to stay cool as the summer season continues to run its course. Be sure to stop back soon!

Taking on Bullying

2011-08-05T22:10:00.003-04:00

Bullying among school-aged youth is a significant problem, and it continues to increase.

It is estimated that 160,000 children miss school every day due to fear of attack or intimidation by other students. (National Education Association)

One in seven students is either a bully or victim.
56% of students have personally witnessed some type of bullying at school.
15% of all school absenteeism is directly related to fears of being bullied at school.
71% of students report incidents of bullying as a problem at their school.

In order to reduce bullying in schools, students need to be taught how to deal with situations where bullies confront them.

One such band, Debbie and Friends, is taking on bullying with younger children in a very creative way- with music!

In their new song and dance number called, "Walk Away", they introduce the basic ideas of bullying and that you should "just walk away, no matter what they say."

Below is their storyboard preview to go along with the song. The finished cartoon will be out in September 2011.

You can also check out a previous post here on More with Music called Hands are not for Hitting here.

Do you know other songs that deal with bullying and how to deal with being bullied? Please share if you do!

As always, thanks for stopping by and stop back soon for More with Music!

Mistakes

2011-08-04T10:53:00.003-04:00

We all make mistakes, every single one of us.

Awhile back, another great music therapy blogger posted a song she remembered her mother singing to her as a child about mistakes. You can find Michelle Erfurt's mistake song over at The Music Therapy Tween here.

Well, I really liked that song, and then today I stumbled across a children's book that addresses the same topic, making mistakes, and also has a song! How cool!

The book is called Beautiful Oops and it is written by Barney Saltzberg.

It's really okay to make mistakes, and sometimes it takes awhile for all students to learn just that.

Here's a peak at Barney Saltzberg's book and song!

The Bare Necessities

2011-08-01T14:06:00.004-04:00

What are your bare necessities in your work as a Music Therapist?

I was recently talking to another music therapy friend of mind, and the topic of our conversation was how different our bare necessities are on a daily basis. The populations and age groups of the clients really do influence which instruments and extras we pack to take along.

So, I thought it would be interesting to share this discussion and hopefully get some feedback and sharing going on.

I think any feedback could be beneficial to music therapy students, in terms of helping them to plan ahead and know what kinds of rhythm instruments they should start purchasing while they're still in school. Starting early sure makes growing a rhythm instrument collection easier, and in some ways cheaper!

So, to start us off, my bare necessities are:

My guitar!
A set of egg shakers (12 shakers at least, variety of colors helpful)
A set of adapted wrist egg shakers (at least one set of 2)
A set of lummi sticks/rhythm sticks (again, 6 pairs at least)
1-2 hand drums (10 or 12" preferably)
Bells (therabells preferrably, set of 6)
Cabasa (at least 2 of them)
Clatterpillar (at least 2 of them. Believe me-they are popular with most clients!)
Tambourine

There are tons of extra things you can pack as well (extra visuals, books, pictures, communication cards, voice output devices,etc.), but those are my bare necessities.

What are your bare necessities?

Pick a card, Any card!

2011-07-28T22:08:00.005-04:00

You may be wondering, "What are those?"

Well, they are a very helpful teaching tool I use with my private violin students.

These rhythm cards (as I refer to them), have proven to be very motivating and educational for many of my students!

We as teachers know that each student is unique and different. Each student has their own likes and dislikes about practice time, learning scales, learning technique, drilling challenging measures of music, performance postures, sight reading, and the list goes on and on, and on!

I use the rhythm cards during lessons to help with several situations that come up from time to time.

The first time I introduce these rhythm cards to students is when they start learning how to play their major scales.

After students have a basic understanding of a scale or two, I ask them to memorize the scale(s). During the next lesson, they play the scale for me. We make sure it is in tune,etc., and then they get to pick a card. We talk about the meter and the rhythm on the card they picked. We clap and/or speak the rhythm on the card. Then I ask them to play the rhythm on the card for each note of the scale they memorized that week.

This is such a great way to assess their counting and sight reading skills!

Here's another peek at the various rhythms I introduce on the rhythm cards. These are usually rhythms we're targeting in their pieces as well.

There are a few more ways to incorporate rhythm cards into your private lessons. Be sure to come back tomorrow for another post about rhythm cards and ideas for incorporating them in private lessons!

Another great book!

2011-07-27T10:31:00.004-04:00

Today's post may be short, but it is about such a great book!
I'm anxiously awaiting my own copy in the mail and highly recommend this book to anyone who works with children with special needs (especially children with autism, PDD-NOS,etc.).

Many students that music therapists typically see (especially students with autism, PDD-NOS), have various sensory issues that effect nearly everything they do. Students may have sensory issues with food, textures, water, heat and light, sounds,etc. and the list goes on and on.

After gaining knowledge about a few of the sensory issues listed above, I can personally say that some of my music therapy sessions were much better and were much less stressful for the students as well. Learning about these sensory issues and how to read each student as they participate in music therapy sessions definitely helps me as a music therapist.

This book,Insights into Sensory Issues for Professionals: Answers to Sensory Challenges, is a compilation of articles from the award winning S.I. Focus magazine.

Founded and published by Kathleen Morris, The S.I. magazine is the first of its kind serving as an international resource to parents and professionals. The articles included give readers more knowledge on how to improve sensory integration and how to address sensory processing deficits.

You can purchase this book here.

What other books have you read that helped you understand sensory issues?

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you have a great day!

Connect with More with Music!

2011-07-25T22:14:00.004-04:00

Did you know that More with Music has a page on Facebook?

Just search for More with Music after you login to your Facebook account, and then you can see all posts duplicated there.

I also have a Twitter account, but quite honestly, I'm still trying to figure the whole Twitter thing out. I understand you follow and have followers, but I'm just trying to figure out the whole active "tweeting" thing.

If any of you wonderful readers of this blog and/or fellow bloggers would like to explain Twitter to me, please don't hesitate to email me at morewithmusic@gmail.com

Thanks for stopping by! I hope your week is off to a great start!

But how can I help at home?

2011-07-24T14:58:00.006-04:00

This is a question I have heard from many parents of children with special needs who are receiving music therapy.

If you think about it, it's actually a compliment.

They bring their child to you. They watch as their child achieves goals and learns so much with this nonthreatening medium called music. They observe and see that the music therapy interventions are motivating and fun, and these interventions allow their child to succeed on so many different levels.

How can they tap into all of that at home?

You can't exactly carbon copy each music therapy session, nor can you expect the child to respond the same way every time. You can recommend styles of music or certain standard children's songs/CDs,etc. that the parents can purchase and use with their child. You can also share particular songs you are using in sessions that their child particularly responds to each session.

I think parents need to think outside of the box in order to be really successful helping their child at home. I think a good start is to have a small assortment of rhythm instruments available to their child in their home (these can be homemade as well) and the parent can allow their child to initiate music time in their home. It is very helpful if parents are aware of their own child's goals beforehand, so that they can create fun experiences on the spot that help target those goals.

An example for this would be something like learning left and right.

Maybe the child gets out his drum and starts banging away with his right hand. The caregiver can instantly join in with a drum or just sit in front of the child and clap along while chanting something very simple like, "Playing with your right. Playing with your right. Playing drum with your right hand and that's alright."
Then the parent can encourage the child to switch hands and change the chant to, "Playing with your left. Playing with your left. Playing drum with your left hand and it's the best."

Keeping it fun and simple is really the key. Children love music and they love interacting with people with music.

How do you encourage parents to help their children at home?

Use the Force

2011-07-22T15:42:00.004-04:00

Play is a very powerful "force".

As a music therapist, I find it so much easier to get students to challenge themselves when play is involved in the song and/or activity. As a mom, I use play as a motivating force with my own son throughout each and every day.

Yesterday, I was helping my son with his piano music. I have to be honest and say he wasn't overly excited that it was time to practice, but he came to the piano willingly when I asked him to, along with a few of his Star Wars Lego characters.

Sometimes, the legos (and other toys) can be a huge distraction, but yesterday, I decided to use the force..the power of play, to get him to do what I needed him to do.

The lego characters sat on top of the piano and "watched" my son to see how long he could look at the music and not down at his hands. They "watched" for good hand posture, and "listened" for the half notes to be a full two beats long. The lego lightsabers came in extra handy when my son played an incorrect note. He no longer showed frustration after making mistakes because a lego lightsaber was pointing to the correct notes.

The power of play made our piano practice time much more enjoyable and less stressful as well.

How do you use the powerful force of play?

Thanks for stopping by and please be sure to stop back soon!

The Music Lab

2011-07-21T23:04:00.005-04:00

Welcome back!

Today's post is long overdue! I've been enjoying my summer break and have found lots of ways to fill my time. I've also been gathering ideas and making lists of future posts that you will see here on More with Music.

So, even though my summertime posts may be fewer than I had intended, I'm still here and I have enjoyed hearing from many of you this summer.

I want to share a website with you that has been a lot of fun (for me anyways), to play with and use for additional instrument voicing ideas for some of my songs.

The website is The Music Lab.

There are TONS of sounds and effects from a wide variety of musical genres in the Sound Library to choose from. It's relatively easy to use as well!

I was working on some songs and tunes earlier today, and wanted to share a little composition I created. It's short and sweet! Click here to go to my composition. The song should start playing automatically.

Check it out and see what kinds of tunes you can create! It's so much fun to play around with and put different voices and instrumental effects together.

Thanks so much for stopping by and be sure to come back soon!

A great accessory!

2011-07-10T10:13:00.006-04:00

While I'm finishing up my last day of vacation, I wanted to share a great accessory I use when practicing songs and recording my own songs.

It's called a copyholder and it holds any paper or even some small music books at an upright level for you to read while you're practicing. There are a wide variety of copyholders out there. I use a simple one that I found at a local office supply store which is made of a wire/mesh material and has two magnets that hold the document in place.

I am slowly but surely learning about accessories like this.

One of the main reasons I use a copyholder is to hold my music/song lyrics upright. It really does make a difference if you're going to be sitting there practicing and/or recording for half an hour, an hour and beyond. It reduces neck tension and strain and ultimately back tension because you are looking straight ahead, instead of leaning forward and looking at a document lying flat on a table or desk.

There are lots of little things we don't think of, that make a huge difference. Way back in November, I lifted my cart of instruments as I was going into a school to do music therapy sessions. I twisted my upper body to grab one more thing from my trunk as I was lifting. I didn't think of it at the moment, but later that evening, I felt it in a big way. After several weeks of self treating, icing, and stretching, I found I had a bulging disc in my lower back. It is one of those things that seems small, but effects everything you do.

I've learned a lot about chronic pain, nerves, discs of the spine and proper standing, sitting and bending this summer through working with a physical therapist. I've been so impressed and interested with the amount of knowledge physical therapists have of our bodies and body mechanics!

Very soon, we're going to be looking at my music cart in my trunk and discussing my options with that and how to manage traveling with all my instruments and accessories without hurting my back again. I'll keep you posted on my recommendations in case any of you traveling music therapists want a few tips for your cart (and back!).

Do it Yourself (DIY) rhythm instruments

2011-07-08T09:30:00.004-04:00

As a blogger, I read several blogs each day. One of my favorite blogs, Kidz, posted some awesome Do it Yourself rhythm instrument ideas today! You're gonna love these ideas and I can't wait to make some of them myself.

When making homemade instruments, the ultimate question is, "How long will these hold up?" No one really knows for sure, and we all work with different populations that cause different wear and tear on our instruments.

One thing in particular you want to be careful about when making your own instruments, is making sure items, like bells, are firmly attached. They are one of the first things to come off of homemade and store-bought instruments and they pose a huge choking hazard too! I routinely check my bell collection to see if any of the little bells appear to be almost ready to come off.

If you're going to make homemade egg shakers or maraccas, just be sure whatever container you're using is firmly sealed. I have yet to find a way to make maraccas that withstands the use of most of my clients. Somehow they eventually crack open and beans or rice go everywhere!

With homemade rhythm sticks, after they are cut to the right size, they need to be sanded. They should feel smooth anywhere clients are going to be holding them. Also, if you're going to paint them, make sure you finish them off with a clear coat of sealer so that young (and older) students don't get paint residue and/or paint chips in their mouth if they happen to put the sticks in their mouth. Painting them with a coat of sealer also makes them easier to disinfect with a Chlorox wipe without wiping coats of the paint color off.

What DIY rhythm instruments have you made? Feel free to share ideas below!

A great summer read!

2011-07-07T06:00:00.000-04:00

While I'm out of town on vacation (and away from my personal computer), I have discovered that the computers here won't readily read my flash drives. So....while I wholeheartedly intended on posting another song about maps, I decided to post about a book I'm currently reading.

(Don't worry, I'm in the process of figuring out the flash drive problem, so song posts will be coming soon!)

The book is called The Brain That Changes Itself.

First of all, I think this book is awesome!

This book is about brain science, but you don't have to be a brain surgeon to read it. If you're curious about the brain and how it can affect our psychology and what we think, then this is a good book for you!

This book explains and introduces many case studies involving neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity is the brain's ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections throughout life. Neuroplasticity allows the neurons (nerve cells) in the brain to compensate for injury and disease and to adjust their activities in response to new situations or to changes in their environment.

While that all sounds scientific and straight from a text book, this book actually relates what all of that means with real life situations and examples. The reader can learn alot from the very clear and easy to understand case studies and the science involved within them.

After reading the first few chapters, I had lots to think about and reflect on how I work with clients as a music therapist.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the brain and how it works. People who work with clients with strokes, cerebral palsy, schizophrenia, learning disabilities, obsessive compulsive disorders, etc. will gain a wealth of knowledge from this book!

What books are you reading this summer?

North, South, East & West song sheet

2011-07-06T11:46:00.002-04:00

Welcome back!

On Monday I posted a song about the directions on a map (North, South, East & West). If you missed it,just scroll down below this post.

Today, I wanted to share the song sheet to go along with this song.
I hope you find the song sheets helpful!

If you have questions about how to use the song sheets, just send me an email at morewithmusic@gmail.com

I hope you enjoy your day, and stop back soon!

Are we there yet???

2011-07-04T06:00:00.002-04:00

Summertime is a time for traveling and vacations.
In our fast-paced, technology-infused lives, we depend on many things to help us get from point A to point B.

Most of us can quickly go online to Google maps and look up directions from our home to anywhere we want to drive. Many of us also own GPS devices in which we can type in an address of where we want to go and the device will tell us, step by step, how to reach our destination.

But what about maps? You know, those paper things that have a compass, legend, and longitude and latitude lines? Can you get somewhere by only using a map and NO technology?

Today's post is part one of a few posts about the concepts of maps and the parts of a map.

There are four main directions on a map: North, South, East & West. That is exactly what this song is about!

North, South, East, West by More with Music

Stay tuned for more songs about maps and have a great week!

Polar Bear, Polar Bear Song Sheet

2011-07-03T20:00:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, I posted a song I wrote to go along with Eric Carle's book, Polar bear, Polar bear, What do you hear? If you missed it, just scroll down below. :)

Today's post is the song sheet for that song. If you would like the song sheet emailed to you, please send an email to me at morewithmusic@gmail.com

Happy 4th of July!!!

Songs for books

2011-07-02T10:28:00.004-04:00

Children love books and they also love songs that go with the books. Many times, children are more engaged and will focus for a longer period of time if there is a song or simple chant that is used to help read or tell a story.

Today's post is another song to go along with another popular children's book. I discovered that many of you like The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle when I posted a song for that specific children's book.
So today, I'll share another song I wrote to go along with another book by Eric Carle.

The story is Polar bear, Polar bear, What do you hear?. It's a great story (because Eric Carle wrote it, of course!), to read during the winter months and/or when you're talking about the 5 senses, (the sense of hearing to be specific).

I made a visual to go along with this song and with the help of a teacher I worked with this year, we found sound files to represent each animal in the story. The students were able to hear what each animal sounded like as part of the extension activities for this story!
So, here it is. I'll post the song sheet for this song tomorrow.

Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What do you hear? by More with Music

A new way to follow...

2011-06-27T20:46:00.006-04:00

Did you know there's a new way to follow More with Music?

Blogger recently added a feature where you can enter your email address and each time a new post occurs on More with Music, that post will be emailed directly to you!

A few readers have already shared they like this feature because at their workplaces they can keep up with their email and blog posts in one place.

If you're interested in signing up for email updates, just look for the Email sign up to the right of the screen and enter your email address. Each new blog post will be instantly emailed to you.

This is what the Email sign up looks like:

Happy blog reading!

Keep Walking

2011-06-26T22:39:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I posted a song called, "Keep Walking". If you missed the post and the song, you can scroll down below and catch it there! :)

Today, I'm sharing the song sheet for that particular song. If you're interested in playing the chords for this song, you will need to make sure you have a capo before you start. For this song, the capo is placed on the first fret of the guitar.

If you have any questions about the song, capo,etc. please feel free to leave a comment below or email me at morewithmusic@gmail.com.

Hope you've had a great weekend and stay tuned for more posts this week!

Keep Walking

2011-06-25T08:21:00.002-04:00

We all use music for different reasons.

Some of us use music to calm down and de-stress. Some of us use music to motivate us and get us going. Some of us use music throughout the day for a variety of situations.

When we use music to motivate us and get us going, it can be a great distraction. If you listen to music while you do any kind of exercise, you've experienced that the music can be a great distraction from the exercising itself (and all the heavy breathing, stretching, and pains involved). Music distracts us from concentrating on the negative and invites us to keep up with the beat. It moves us through that period of time and gets us to the next step.

Today's post focuses on walking. I wrote this song to motivate some students in a high school classroom with special learners. As part of their adapted physical education, they walk around the track or inside the gym each day. They participate in stretches and numerous team building games as well, but they always do their walking first.

Of course, the tempo of this song could be adapted to whatever pace your students can maintain. I'd love to hear what you think. Feel free to leave a comment below!

Keep Walking by More with Music

I'll post the song sheet for this song tomorrow. If you have any questions please email me at morewithmusic@gmail.com

Have a great weekend!

Dinosaurs Song Sheet

2011-06-24T06:00:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, I posted my song about Dinosaurs. If you didn't catch it, just scroll down below and it's there!

Today I'd like to share the song sheet that goes along with it. The guitar chords (or piano chords-whatever you might play), are written above the lyrics of the chorus. This chord progression is the same throughout the whole song, so in a way, it makes it easier once you get it down.

I hope you all have had a great week and TGIF!!!

If you happen to have any song requests or have any questions, please email me at morewithmusic@gmail.com

Have a great weekend!

Do you know your Dinosaurs?

2011-06-23T09:34:00.005-04:00

I'm sure we all know about the mighty T-Rex, and possibly the brontosaurus too, but what about the other ones?

This song is very simple and covers the basic dinosaurs: Tyrannosaurus Rex, Brontosaurus, Pteranodon, Stegosaurus, and the Triceratops.

Many teachers teach about the dinosaurs by talking about what each one ate, and their physical characteristics. So, I put that in the song as well.

Dinosaurs lived long ago by More with Music

I will post the song sheet for this song later this week.

Thanks for stopping by!

Hi Ho Song Sheet

2011-06-22T12:58:00.006-04:00

This morning I received an email from a music therapist who wanted the lyrics to the Hi Ho, It's music time, you know song I posted the other day.

So, I thought I would post the song sheet here also in hopes of helping someone else out today.

If you would like to receive this song sheet via email, just email me at morewithmusic@gmail.com and I'll email the attachment right back to you.

Hope you're having a great day!

Digestion

2011-06-21T06:00:00.001-04:00

Welcome back!
Earlier this past spring, I spent a lot of time searching for and creating songs to help students learn about their bodies and the various systems their bodies use each and every day.

Today's post is about the digestion system. This song will not cover every little detail involved in digestion, so it will in no way prepare anyone for med school. :) However, it does cover the basics of what we do with the food in our mouths, the important places it goes, etc.. Consider it an introductory song about digestion and add as much or as little as you like to it!

If you would like a copy of the lyrics of this song, please email me at morewithmusic@gmail.com

That's what digestion is all about! by More with Music

Once again, thanks so much for stopping by and I hope you are having a great week so far!

Hi, Ho, It's music time you know!

2011-06-19T15:52:00.003-04:00

Hi Ho!
Here's a song that you can use with groups that have a variety of ages. I think this song would be more ideal and appropriate for younger children, but I can think of a couple of ways it could be adapted to fit older groups as well.

The tune of this song is a well known tune from the movie Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs.
When writing/adapting the lyrics for this song, my goal was to come up with a song that I could use to get a group of children listening and at the same time, moving in different ways. I call it an action song.

Towards the end of the song, I purposely have everyone sitting down on the ground, so that the transition into the next activity/song is a little easier.

Hi, Ho, It's Music Time you know! by More with Music

What other actions would you add to this song?

What songs do you like to use to get everyone moving in your sessions?

Feel free to leave a comment below, and if you would like the lyrics to this song, please email me at morewithmusic@gmail.com

Have a great day!

When things go stale, part 2

2011-06-16T14:22:00.008-04:00

On Wednesday, I posted a question a blog reader emailed to me. This post will be part 2 of that post. (If you missed this post, please click here).

So, how do you keep things(songs, interventions, activities,etc.), from going "stale"? How do we know when to switch things up to further benefit a student? How do we keep things fun and motivating?

Well, the definition of music therapy itself is a great place to start!

"Music Therapy is the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional who has completed an approved music therapy program."

I think the most important thing we have to remember as music therapists, is to keep our songs, interventions and activities goal-oriented. When we strive to be goal-oriented, we design sessions in which more data can be taken. Evidence-based sessions show us what is working and what we need to adjust. Sometimes, adjusting ourselves for our students/clients can seem very challenging!

When I'm writing songs and planning for music therapy sessions with a student and/or group of individuals I ask myself these questions first:

1. What do I want them to do?
(Here you can address their goal: Will the person/group say something, move a certain way, identify something within the song, be exposed to new information and learn the vocabulary,etc.)
2. What do they need to learn?
(i.e. What do their non musical goals consist of? How many times do they have to demonstrate something to show proof of mastery of their goal?)
3. What have I observed that works with him/her,(them)?
(This could include styles of music, tempos, instrumentations, favorite music artists, favorite instruments, tolerance for certain instruments, styles of favorite songs, etc.).
4. How am I going to get them to "buy in"? What will "attract" them to this song?
(i.e. Will there be a catchy, repetitive chorus, will there be gross/fine motor movements to go along with the song, will there be instruments for certain parts of this song, will I use/design a visual aide to capture their attention,etc.).

What other ideas do you have? What helps you plan sessions that are goal-oriented?

When things go stale

2011-06-15T23:09:00.003-04:00

It's been two weeks since my last post, and I'm very happy that with the onset of summer break, I'll have more time to post here on More with Music!

This past year, I have received several emails from a couple of readers who have asked some great questions. One of the readers is a practicing music therapist (like myself), and another one is currently studying to be a music therapist in a music therapy program on the west coast.

One of the great questions the student reader had for me was,
"When working with the same students (over the course of 1 or more years), how do you keep your songs, music therapy interventions and activities from going stale?"

First of all, I knew exactly what the reader meant when she asked this question. It is definitely something to think about!

So, the definition for stale is:

Having lost freshness, effervescence, or palatability; Lacking originality or spontaneity; Impaired in efficacy, vigor, or spirit, as from inactivity or boredom; Law Having lost effectiveness or force through lack of exercise or action.

Each and every music therapist has their own favorite songs and activities he/she likes to do when working with various clients (i.e. various disabilities, age groups, 1:1 sessions, group sessions,etc.). Sometimes this includes an upbeat hello song or name song, opening song (ice breaker), or maybe even a song the therapist chooses because the participants will be more likely to sing along.

If you choose to establish a routine like this, normally the students and/or clients become oriented to this routine and get comfortable within it. They can predict most of what you will be doing and this gives many of them feelings of safety and trust.

But how do you know when to switch things up?

I'd love to hear your thoughts! I will be answering this question from my point of view in tomorrow's post, so stay tuned!

A Music Therapist...

2011-06-11T16:27:00.006-04:00

What walks,
wears a smile,
has patience,
creativity,
motivation,
flexibility,
reliability,
determination,
musical skill and talent
and celebrates the smallest accomplishments?

A Music Therapist!

Music Therapists and Cartoons

2011-06-02T05:00:00.002-04:00

Music Therapists and cartoons...where could I possibly be going with this one???

Well, the other day, after finishing a music therapy session with a group of students, a teacher asked me a (very important) question.

"Why do you sing a "Hello" and "Goodbye" song in every session?"

I really like it when people ask questions like that because it lets me know how much they understand about music therapy. It also lets me know how much work I have to do in terms of educating them about the how and why's of what we do.

So, why do most music therapists incorporate a "Hello" and "Goodbye" song in every session?

Well, there are many reasons!
First of all, many students have goals relating to responding to their name, responding verbally to a greeting, and being aware of those around them (of course, there are many more goals that could be added here).

A "Hello" song directly targets these goals!

Secondly, a "Hello" song sets the tone for every session. It sets a standard familiarity at the beginning of each session and let's everyone know that the session is starting.
A "Goodbye" song helps bring closure and an end to the session. It's a way of regrouping at the end and validating the participants.

How do we know this works in a real world context?

Well, if you think about it, cartoons all have a theme song.
It's the song that represents each specific cartoon and plays at the beginning and end of each episode. The theme song lets you know the show is about to begin and also previews the characters in the cartoon. There is a beginning and an end. And children (of all ages) definitely respond to them!

How many of you remember the theme songs from your favorite childhood cartoons?

When Summer come it's Hot, Hot, Hot!

2011-06-01T06:00:00.001-04:00

Summer weather is here, even if the first official day of summer is June 21st!

A blog reader emailed and asked if I had any songs about summer and the weather, summer activities,etc.. So, I will share this song that I have shared before, just in case any of you out there have not heard it yet.

I use this song at the end of the school year as well as at the beginning of the school year (up until the first day of the Fall season). It's catchy and the verbal students almost instantly catch onto the repeating phrase, "It's Hot, Hot, Hot!". For nonverbal students, I use a voice output device so they can also sing along on the repetitive phrase.

It's a great song to use if you want to prompt discussion about summer and ask students questions about their summer plans, summer safety, upcoming vacations,etc..

Summer is Hot, Hot, Hot! by More with Music
When Summer comes there's lots of sun.
It's hot, hot, hot. (Repeat)

Time for sunscreen and sunglasses.
It's hot, hot, hot.
Time for popsicles and ice cream too.
It's hot, hot, hot.

Time for finding seashells by the seashore.
It's hot, hot, hot.
Time for swimming, fishing, sailing and more.
It's hot, hot, hot.
Oh, it's hot, hot, hot.

When Summer comes there's lots of sun.
It's hot, hot, hot.
When Summer comes there's lots of sun.
It's hot, hot, hot.
It's hot, hot,hot.

My Cat, Billy Jean

2011-05-31T05:00:00.000-04:00

Where, oh where is Billy Jean?

This song is about a cat named Billy Jean. I wrote it to address answering and understanding "where" questions.

By answering the "where" questions, the song also addresses prepositions like on, over, inside, outside, on top of, under, etc.

I've used this song already in a couple of sessions and brought a stuffed animal cat to represent Billy Jean. I think the kids loved it because the activity is a lot like hide and seek!

We played/sang the beginning of the song to introduce the cat, her name,etc., and then everyone hid their eyes (closed their eyes), and I quickly hid the cat somewhere in the room. Then we move on to the next part of the song and the students have to try to answer if the cat is "..inside, outside, on top of something, or under something too..."

It's a lot of fun, and as I said above, the kids love hide and seek type games!

My Cat, Billy Jean by More with Music

My Cat, Billy Jean
Chorus:
I have a cat. Her name is Billy Jean.
She's furry and soft. She's the best cat you've ever seen.
I've looked and looked and looked, and nowhere has she been seen.
Oh where, oh where is Billy Jean?

Maybe she's inside or outside, I really wish I knew.
She could be on top of something, or under something too.
(Chorus)
Maybe she's over here or over there.
Maybe she is stuck somewhere in between.
(Chorus)
Maybe she's in front of me, behind me, or maybe right beside me.
Where, oh where, where is Billy Jean?
(Chorus)

Music for Math

2011-05-29T20:01:00.006-04:00

Simple chants and songs are used in many classrooms across the country, to help students remember a lot of their academic information. Chants and simple songs help students remember rules and the order of events/directions.

In my line of work, I see students each day with a variety of levels of functioning. There are a variety of developmental disorders across many age groups. In some of the classrooms, the students have been working on learning how to do simple, very basic addition. It is very challenging for them.

If you think about it, math is an entire different language for some of these students. We speak in words and even if we can't read, we see words in print all over the place. When you are exposed to math, you learn about the symbols used in equations. For addition, we use the plus sign +, and for subtraction we use the minus sign -. Multiplication and division have their own symbols as well.

So, for a person with developmental disabilities, we have to at first expose them the words addition, add, and more. When we talk about addition and/or adding, we have to use and show the addition sign, +.
I wrote the lyrics to this song (recognize the tune?), to help introduce addition in the classrooms and provide a way for teachers to begin teaching the addition symbol and pairing add with the word more. It's been one of the favorites this year, so I hope you enjoy it too!

Add means More by More with Music

I have written several additional songs for math concepts this year. You can find my Subtraction song here, and my Multiplication song here.

Thanks for stopping by!
I hope you have a great Memorial Day and hopefully a restful day off from work!
Stay tuned for more posts as the school year winds down!

"I See The Light" - Tangled

2011-05-24T20:57:00.000-04:00

Today's post is about a song from one of the newer Disney movies called Tangled.
It's a very well done movie (aren't they all when they're from Disney?), and features some really beautiful music (in my opinion, of course).
One song in particular that is my current favorite from this movie is "I See the Light".
In the context of the movie, the light is referring to a festival of lights. But it also has an underlying meaning about the light being a symbol of truth and reality.

I think this would be a great song to use with groups or individuals in therapy sessions. There are several lines within this song that would be very interesting to process and analyze with clients.

Some lines in particular are:
"Now I'm here, suddenly I see..."
"Standing here, it's all so clear. I'm where I'm meant to be."
"At last I see the light. It's like the fog has lifted."
"All that time, never truly seeing things the way they were."
"I'm where I'm met to go."

I think each line could be used for separate sessions in order to process feelings, measure accomplishments and personal goals, etc..
So I hope you enjoy it and if you haven't seen the movie yet, I highly recommend it!

Supply and Demand

2011-05-21T06:00:00.001-04:00

As a blogger, who is also a board certified music therapist, I really enjoy sharing songs that other therapists, music educators, and parents can use with the children in their lives.

It is so cool to hear how a song I shared here helps someone else reach a child! I'm also honored to hear that some of the parents of students I serve in my daily work, are using this site and the songs shared, to work on goals with their children at home.

With summer quickly approaching, I'm interested in hearing from you, the awesome readers, to find out what songs you've found here on More with Music that you really like and why. My hopes are that your feedback will continue to help me narrow down a few directions I want to take. Your feedback is an invaluable resource and will help me to analyze some of the demand areas/topics that I can then supply with songs.

So, if you don't mind taking a few minutes when you get a chance, I'd love to hear from you!

I hope you have a great weekend and stay tuned for some additional posts as the school year comes to a close.

2011-05-20T21:42:00.004-04:00

Today I had a lot of fun with one class in particular. :)
We were discussing spring, spring weather, flowers, etc., and I introduced them to this new song.

Tweet, Tweet Little Birdy by More with Music

Half way through the song, they all got the hang of it and sang along every time they heard the "Tweet Tweet Little Birdy" part. Several of the students also independently created a movement for that part. They tucked their hands under their upper arms and made flapping motions with their arms to represent to bird flapping its wings. It was too cute!
The funniest part was when the I asked some of the students, "What do mother birds feed the baby birds?" The number one response was, "Seeds!". (Of course, I had a visual... I love me some visuals!)
When I explained to them that baby birds eat worms, all but one of them looked TOTALLY grossed out! It was hilarious!

I got the original idea from a song I found on Songs for Teaching.
The song is called Tweet Tweet Little Birdy, and the original song is by Margie La Bella. I really like the catchy tune and the upbeat sound of this song. For the students I work with, I decided to edit some of the lyrics and create a tune for myself also. So, to make a long story short, the original idea is not mine, but I adapted it and created another idea from it. So, I wanted to share what I came up with. I will not be selling my adaptation-just sharing it here.

Cultures

2011-05-10T21:26:00.003-04:00

A lot of the middle and high school classrooms I work with study different continents and countries throughout the year. The students are exposed to the different flags, languages, landforms, animals, etc. that are within each country.

As we all know, many different cultures exist in each continent, country and community. A culture is one of those words/ideas that is rather abstract for some students. I wrote this song to (hopefully) give the students more ideas and examples to explain culture.

Cultures by More with Music

If you would like the lyrics for this song, please email me at morewithmusic@gmail.com

As always, thanks for stopping by and feel free to leave a comment below!

5 Spring Flowers

2011-05-10T06:00:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I posted a song about 5 litte seeds. It only seems fitting that I post about 5 spring flowers today. :)

I found some of the lyrics for this song in the form of poems (or finger plays, as they call them),on some of the early childhood resource websites. I changed a few of the words and then put it to music.

I have had fun with this song in particular. Besides the counting aspect of the song, the students have had fun making a "thunderstorm" with our various rhythm instruments. We have used drums for thunder "booms", and bells and clatterpillars for a quick "zap". We also use a rainstick to make real rain sounds during the thunderstorm. The possibilities are endless!

So, here it is, 5 Spring flowers:
5 Spring Flowers by More with Music
As always, thanks for stopping by!
Please feel free to leave a comment below. If you have any questions, please email me at morewithmusic@gmail.com

5 Little Seeds

2011-05-09T06:00:00.000-04:00

Every now and then we (as in music therapists, music teachers, creative and musical parents), grow a little bored with the songs our children love to hear over, and over, and over, and over, and...well you get the point.

A lot of times, I think it is the adults who quickly grow bored and tired of songs, and not the students. I think it is important to remember that one way children learn is through repetition.

One way to keep well known songs fun, is to point out and focus on different things within the song. This keeps things fun and motivating while students are learning valuable academic information.

Today's example will be a song I actually found in poem form on one of the early childhood websites. I changed a few of the words and then set the poem to music.
I only use this song for educational purposes and am sharing it for free download today.

5 Little Seeds by More with Music

There are several ways you can use this song to teach students.

The first idea that comes to mind is obviously seeds. It would fit right in with a unit on plants and seeds and growing flowers in the springtime.

Another idea is to concentrate on the counting aspect of the seeds (1-5).

Another idea would be to teach the ordinals (i.e. 1-first, 2-second,3-third,etc.).

A more advanced idea would be to give students the spoken lines and have them read and sing the responses of each of the seeds.

What other ideas can you come up with?

Silence, part 1

2011-05-08T22:05:00.005-04:00

Another awesome blogger whom I follow, recently posted that she conducted a workshop entitled "Joys of Journaling".
She hopes to post weekly(or so), journal topics that readers can respond to and share, if they like.

I think it's an awesome idea. Imagine the perspectives we can gain from each other!

So, journal topic one is: Think about the experience of silence in your sessions.

Silence can induce many feelings in sessions, for both the music therapist and clients.

Silence can be calming and respectful. Silence can be peaceful and very giving in time, to those who just need to process what they think and how they feel. Silence can also be awkward and judgmental.

Silence can mean yes, and silence can be a definite no. Silence can be a sign of great content. Silence can also be a sign of fear.

Silence in sessions is something we learn to react to over time. I really think you have to experience silence from many different situations before you learn how to read silence and how to react to it.

When first starting out, I think some music therapists dread silence. I think that any prolonged period of silence exposes them and tests them in their abilities to adapt and keep the session moving in some sort of direction.

In my experience, silence can sometimes feel like pulling teeth.
Silence can also feel like time is frozen.

Over time, I've had quite a few experiences with silence in music therapy sessions. Many students that I work with are nonverbal. They cannot talk or sing the way you and I do.

All of the students have some way of communicating in their own way. Some can reach out, grab and point. Some students can only make sounds to tell you something is wrong. Other students will tell you a wealth of information if you learn to read their eye gaze. No matter how they communicate, I believe that everyone has something to say.

Stay tuned for part 2 of Silence later this week!

Play and then...FREEZE!

2011-04-29T06:00:00.000-04:00

Today I'd like to share a song I've been using this week incorporating rhythm instruments.

All of us use various rhythm instruments (shakers, rhythm sticks, bells, cabasas, tambourines, drums,etc.), during music therapy sessions. The students love playing instruments, and we can address so many therapeutic goals by incorporating them into sessions,(participating in a group, being a group leader, following the leader, turn taking, impulse control, following instructions,etc). It's amazing how many social skills can be practiced and learned while having fun making music!

Today's song focuses on listening skills, following instructions and impulse control.

First, I offer instrument choices to students. There are many ways to do this with 1:1 sessions and group sessions. To read my post on Making Choices, click here.

After everyone has instruments, I briefly talk about freeze means stop. If I want to alter the tempos within the song, I play my guitar. Other times, I use my own recording of this song so that I can free my hands to model the playing and freezing with a rhythm instrument myself.

The lyrics to this song are simple and repeat over and over. This is on purpose.

The repetition of this song teaches the activity (play, then freeze). If I feel the group is bored or has mastered the basic concepts of play then freeze, I quickly add in things like play loudly, play quietly, have different instruments stand up, boys stand up, girls stand up,etc..

So, here it is. If you would like a copy of the lyrics for this song, please email me at morewithmusic@gmail.com

Play and then FREEZE! by More with Music

Recycle = Use Again!

2011-04-23T14:15:00.004-04:00

Yesterday was Earth Day. So, that makes today...the day after Earth Day! :)

It's never too late to share a song that promotes taking care of our Earth. One big way we can do this is to recycle. Even with the amount of recycling awareness that's currently out there and the numerous recycling logos we see each and every day, there are still many people who do not recycle.

We all should try to recycle...at least a few things that are obvious. Maybe the water bottles you drink from each day, the can you drink a soda from, or unneeded newspapers and magazines you may have lying around in your office. Whatever you may have, there's always something you can recycle.

Below is my recycling song. It covers recycling things like paper, plastic, glass bottles and cans. There are obviously more things you can recycle, but these are the four main items we usually teach the students to identify and sort.

&amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://morewithmusic.bandcamp.com/track/recycling-song"&amp;amp;amp;gt;Recycling Song by More with Music&amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;gt;

If you would like a copy of the lyrics, please email me at morewithmusic@gmail.com

As always, thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a great week!

To pick or not to pick?

2011-04-21T10:25:00.004-04:00

To pick or not to pick...that is the question.

In the world of Music Therapy, a lot of therapists use their guitars daily. It's such a portable instrument with the type of acoustic sound that you can incorporate within a variety of settings. Children and adults both enjoy listening to guitar and are often fascinated with the mechanics of producing its sound.
I have always wondered about using picks to play guitar. I play an acoustic-electric guitar and also play a few things on a classical guitar.

In the history of my guitar playing (which actually hasn't been as long as you think), I've never been required to use a pick and neither of my college guitar teachers used a pick or instructed us in the use of guitar pick. (Remember, I only play classical and acoustic-electric, so I think a pick might have been introduced at some point if I had been playing an electric bass guitar or something like that).

So, in my wonderings about guitar picks, I looked up some info about it.
Traditionally, people do not use guitar picks when playing classical guitars. They are played with fingers only. Nylon strings are prone to break more easily when played with a pick.

Acoustics usually come with a pick guard in a tear drop shape, to help protect the wood from wear and tear from the pick. (I always wondered what that was for...other than for looks!) Some people play acoustic-electric guitars with the use of a guitar pick. Others play with their fingers.

I don't use a pick. However, I'm not sure why...I'm just comfortable the way I play. I do know that using a pick definitely projects your overall sound when you strum a guitar. In most of the settings I currently serve, I don't think I want my guitar to sound any louder when I strum. I think that that could possibly be overwhelming for some of the students I serve and definitely affect the nonthreatening medium we, as music therapists, try to reflect in our work.

How about you? Do you use a pick for certain settings and/or pieces of music? Do you choose to play with your fingers only?

Please share and comment below!

Rett Syndrome

2011-04-20T11:09:00.006-04:00

What is Rett Syndrome?

Rett Syndrome is the most severe form of autism. It is a debilitating neurological disorder that predominantly affects females. It potentially affects one in 5,000 girls.

What causes Rett Syndrome?
Rett Syndrome is caused by a single gene mutation that leads to underproduction of an important brain protein.

Imagine having a normal, healthy baby girl, who develops and thrives and does everything she's supposed to do. You love and care for her and enjoy each developmental milestone as she reaches them. Then, between the ages of 1 and 3 years of age, she begins to lose her abilities.

She doesn't make eye contact anymore, she doesn't babble or talk like she used to, she loses fine motor control in her hands and you see her have difficulty walking and climbing up stairs.

The fact is that Rett Syndrome is the leading genetic cause of severe impairment in girls. Compared to their physical disabilities and numerous regressions, most girls with Retts are believed to be functioning at a higher level mentally.

The good news that offers hope for many families who have girls with Retts, is that scientists and researches from top-notch institutions around the world are studying Rett Syndrome. Rett Syndrome is a potentially REVERSIBLE disorder. Research has proven once protein levels are back to normal levels, symptoms subside.

Researchers and scientists are a long way from curing all girls with Rett Syndrome, but they're headed in the right direction.

Can you help?

Girl Power 2 Cure is an organization that seeks to raise awareness of Rett Syndrome, give support to families affected by Rett Syndrome, and fund research for a cure for Rett Syndrome.

Please check them out here and consider donating to make a huge difference in the life of a girl with Rett Syndrome!

Making Choices

2011-04-19T06:00:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I received an email from a teacher in California, named Lisa.

In her email, Lisa shared that she teaches students who have special needs. She teaches children who present a wide variety of functioning levels and degrees.

Lisa emailed several questions in regards to working with children who are nonverbal. She asked for additional suggestions and/or tips to help encourage her students who are nonverbal to make choices and increase their participation.

One suggestion I had, was for Lisa to make a way for the students to choose instruments. The students can learn to make their choices known.

Lisa shared she usually hands out instruments to students based on what she has observed them to enjoy in previous instrument activities. This is okay to do, but it limits students trying out or experiencing something new/different after a period of time. Students gain confidence and independence when they can show/tell you what they want.

I shared pictures of instrument choice cards I use in sessions. I'm posting them here below.

I use these choice cards for all students in sessions. If a student is verbal, I show them the pictures (letting them pick from a field of 2 or 3 instruments), and ask them to tell me what they want. If a student is nonverbal, I hold up the picture cards (2 or 3) and ask them to tell me what they want. The student may use her hand to touch a picture card, eye gaze their choice,etc..

By using the cards for everyone, I'm letting the students who are verbal model choice making with the cards. This also encourages turn taking, waiting for turns, etc. as I make my way around the room to each student. (Of course, there are songs where everyone plays a maraca or stick, and in that situation we hand out instruments to each student.)

What other ways do you encourage students who are nonverbal to communicate?

How a bill becomes a Law

2011-04-17T16:38:00.002-04:00

Happy Monday and thanks for stopping by!

Today's song post is geared for middle or high school students who are learning about government. More specifically, how a bill becomes a law.

When I wrote this song, I decided to leave some details out.

Why?

When working with students with various special needs and cognitive deficits, I often have to adapt topics and write songs that reflect the big idea of that topic. Nitty gritty details often become too wordy and the students will not retain alot of that information.

Instead, I try to simplify the topic as much as possible and then represent steps and/or key vocabulary words with pictures to help "tell the story".

So,with that said, here's How a bill becomes a Law.

If any of you are interested in the visuals that I created to go along with this song, feel free to email me at morewithmusic@gmail.com

Have a great day!

Bills are made into Laws by More with Music

Lyrics:
Bills are made into laws,
after several steps, you see.
Our government has a process by which laws are made for you and me.

It starts with an idea-an idea you think of in your head.
You send your idea to Congress, where a member of Congress researches your idea.

A member of Congress writes down your idea.
Once it is written, it is called a bill.

This bill is put in a box, called a hopper, and then debated and voted on by one of the chambers of Congress.

Once the bill is passed by one chamber of Congress, it's passed onto the second chamber, you see.

The bill is debated and voted on again, and if passed, goes directly to the President of the United States in Washington D.C.

If the President doesn't pass the bill, it's called a veto.
If he passes the bill then it becomes a law, which is a rule we have to follow-you and me.

Bills are made into laws
after several steps, you see.
Our government has a process by which laws are made for you and me.

Using technology in therapy

2011-04-14T06:30:00.000-04:00

Check this out!

I stumbled across this article while reading other blogs online and just had to share!
This is a very interesting article that talks about reaching students with disabilities with the aid of some modern technologies, like the iPad and wii. Check it out!

Berklee apps reveal disabled children’s musical skills - Boston.com
Berklee apps reveal disabled children’s musical skills - Boston.com

Colors...for FREE!

2011-04-13T06:00:00.001-04:00

The spring season is full of bright and pretty colors. In light of all the colors we see around, I want to share some of the color songs I use.

I use color songs quite frequently when I work with groups of students and we do everything from naming colors, sorting colors, spelling colors, etc.. I have songs about each individual color and also songs where an assortment of colors are addressed.

I like to introduce all the colors first, across several sessions. This way the teachers can review the colors throughout the week as well. Once I feel that the students have a good grasp on the colors, I like to use a song called Colors, Colors that I posted here.

Below you can see the visual (in windows movie format) that I use for this song. It's a good song to use when trying to get students to answer questions (simple and abstract),too. For example, a more simple question would be, "What color is the cherry?" (and you would point to the cherry when you ask this question).

An abstract question using the visual would be, "What color is the sky?" For many students the abstract questions are hard because we're moving away from labeling items and talking more in depth about them.

Stay tuned for more color songs...FREE color songs!

Energy, part 3

2011-04-12T06:36:00.000-04:00

Welcome back!

Today is part 3 of my songs about different types of Energy.

I posted songs about Wind Energy and Solar Energy a couple of weeks ago and am finally getting around to part 3: Water Energy.

Energy from water is technically called Hydro energy. It is used for many things.

I didn't go into a lot of detail in this song, but mainly explained what Hydro energy is and where it comes from. I hope you like it!

Water Energy by More with Music
Lyrics
Chorus:
Water, Water Everywhere, in rivers, lakes and streams.
Water makes up our oceans and our seas.

Water moves in many ways. It has kinetic energy.
Water moves in streams, currents, waves and tides, and as it moves it carries energy.

Chorus

Energy carried by water is called Hydro energy.
It's converted and used to power many things that are powered by electricity.

Chorus

Sounds of spring

2011-04-11T06:00:00.000-04:00

There are many new sounds in the spring.
Bees buzz, birds chirp and sing, wind blows, and rain drops pitter patter on our windows.
Today's song is about the many new sounds of spring.

After you listen to the song, have a look at the visual I put together to go along with the song. I was amazed when I figured out how to add sound effects in a windows movie after I already had a song inserted for the movie! I learn something new everyday!

In sessions, I sing this song and then we talk about what the students heard in the song (wind, birds, bees). You can also use sign language to represent the birds, bees, and wind. With some of the younger severe profound classes I work with, we ask them what sounds they want to hear via picture card. Many of the students have startle responses when they first hear the bees, but you wouldn't believe how many students keep selecting the bees! :)

<a href="http://morewithmusic.bandcamp.com/track/the-sounds-of-spring">The Sounds of Spring by More with Music</a>

I hope you have a great Monday! Thanks for stopping by!

In honor of Spring

2011-04-10T05:42:00.008-04:00

It's April.
It's Spring!

I'm still waiting on some slightly warmer temperatures here in the southeast, but we have managed to have some nice sunny days so far. If "April showers bring May flowers", we're definitely going to have a lot of flowers around here this year! :)

The signs of spring are definitely here. There are all kinds of bees buzzing around, birds in the trees, and even a few butterflies here and there.

Speaking of butterflies, last spring I shared a song I wrote to go along with the book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. I had no idea that this caterpillar song would be so popular!

Today I'm sharing the song and a visual I made for the song. I made the visual using free images found online and inserted them all into a power point. (Last week I had another idea and printed out each power point slide and made a flip book of the song. It worked great!) Then I made a windows movie from the power point slides and the song that I recorded earlier.

<a href="http://morewithmusic.bandcamp.com/track/the-very-hungry-caterpillar">The Very Hungry Caterpillar by More with Music</a>

My visuals are only used for educational purposes.

What other songs do you like to use for spring? What other books do you like to use in sessions for spring?

As always, thanks for stopping by!

2011 Academy of Country Music Awards - Darius Rucker - Music from the Heart

2011-04-04T21:59:00.001-04:00

Last night, the Country Music Awards were presented and a special performance was given by singer Darius Rucker.
This wasn't just any performance. It was a performance involving a group of individuals who have developmental disorders.

Last summer, these individuals attended a camp and had the privilege of working with music artists in creating, writing, playing and participating in music.

Take a look below at the video.

I think it is plain to see...music is the universal language!

2011 Academy of Country Music Awards - Darius Rucker - Music from the Heart

Thanks for stopping by! Stay tuned for another post this week! :)

Sometimes I Like to Clap my Hands

2011-04-02T21:51:00.001-04:00

Welcome back!
Today I wanted to post a video of one of my favorite songs to use in sessions. I have found this song to work with most age groups and abilities.
For students who are verbal, they can suggest actions for the song. For students who are nonverbal, I have picture cards of actions they can choose from.
I'd love to hear what you think!
Please bear with me...still figuring out all kinks of video and uploading, etc. This video was MUCH clearer on my ipod before I uploaded it. :)

The song is titled, Sometimes I like to clap my hands, and I use it a lot! :)

This song is available for purchase for only $0.99 here.

Thanks for stopping by and be looking for my third post about energy!

Energy, part two

2011-04-01T06:00:00.000-04:00

Today's post is the second post on Energy. Yesterday I posted a song about Wind Energy, and you can find that here.

Today's post is about Solar Energy.

Solar energy is all around and is a great renewable resource. I wrote this song to help students learn about solar energy.

When I sing these songs in sessions, I always have visuals to help support the lyrics. I create power points with pictures and song lyrics to support each song.

I also convert the power points into windows movie files, so that the teacher can use the songs with visuals several times weekly. This repetition, along with the visual support, is the key to students retention of the information. In my opinion, by supporting with a song and visuals, I can reach students with a variety of learning styles and strengths, (i.e. auditory learners, visual learners,etc.).

I also wanted to mention that with some classes, the goal is not for all the students to sing the whole song. While some of the students can, I usually focus on the chorus of each song. I introduce it first and point out the visuals they see for that part of the song. I also sing the chorus into a Big Mac (voice output device), so that nonverbal students can also participate in singing the song.

So, here's the song with the lyrics below. Stay tuned for part three...Hydro Energy! :)

Solar Energy by More with Music

Chorus:
The sun is very hot.
It's a ball of fire, you see.
Energy from the sun is called Solar Energy.

Solar Energy has kinetic energy.
We see it all around.
With the help of solar panels, solar energy is all around.

(chorus)

Solar energy is converted into other forms of energy.
There's heat to warm our water, and heat to warm our homes.
There's electricity that helps power many things for you and me.

(chorus)

Energy

2011-03-30T17:24:00.004-04:00

Energy...

It's something we use large amounts of everyday, but it's such a necessity to keep going. :)

Today's post will be the first of three posts about certain types of Energy. Recently, I wrote three songs to help students learn about energy. In their classrooms, students were learning about energy we get from water, wind and the sun.

So, today I'll share my song about Wind Energy.
But, wait! That's not all!

The first 5 people to purchase the song for $0.99 and leave a comment here below, will receive free visuals to use with this song (a power point and a windows movie that goes along with the song)! I know what you're thinking...that tops a blue light special or a rollback any day! :) (Okay, so really that's what I was thinking :)

Here's the song! Stay tuned for Solar and Hydro Energy!

Wind Energy by More with Music

Chorus:
Wind in the air, Wind in your hair.
We can feel wind everywhere.

Wind is a source of energy.
It moves, so it has kinetic energy.

(chorus)

The energy in wind is converted into other forms by machines.
These machines are called wind turbines, you see.

(chorus)

Gusts of wind make the wind turbines spin,
and then the energy is converted into mechanical energy or electricity.

(chorus)

St. Patrick's Day

2011-03-14T06:00:00.000-04:00

St.Patrick's Day...is on Thursday, but I wanted to share this song a couple of days before so that people would be able to use this song.

To celebrate the day of green, here's a song that mentions several things that are a part of this holiday.

I hope you enjoy it and feel free to share other songs you like to use on St. Patrick's Day!

<a href="http://morewithmusic.bandcamp.com/track/st-patricks-day">St. Patrick's Day by More with Music</a>

Shamrocks and 4 leaf clovers too.
Leprechauns with gold and rainbows too.
These are all things that we'll see today,
On St. Patrick's Day!

I will wear something green today.
Today we celebrate St. Patrick's Day.
Green's the only color that can guarantee-
No one will pinch me!

Shamrocks and 4 leaf clovers too.
Leprechauns with gold and rainbows too.
These are all things that we'll see today,
On St. Patrick's Day!

Big and Small

2011-03-10T06:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome back!

Today's song is about sizes: Big and Small.

At times it can be challenging to teach sizes to children. I find that using visuals and having plenty of repetition in sorting sizes works well. I put this song together at the request of a teacher. I also created a visual to go along with the song so that the students can see the sizes of things we are comparing.

If at all possible, I think it is best to use real objects when teaching big and small. It makes it so much easier in the long run. It's also nice if you find visual examples that are very different in size. Small should seem really tiny and Big should seem ginormous (I just learned that word last week! :) )

They lyrics are posted below.

Chorus:
Some things are big. Some things are small.
We're learning sizes: Big and small.

I see a bean. A bean is very small.
Oh a bean is small, you see.
Then a watermelon comes along. It's a big one, you see.
Oh the watermelon is big, you see.
(Chorus)
I see a fish. He's a teeny tiny fish.
Oh the fish is small, you see.
Then a whale swims along. He's a big one, you see.
The whale is big, you see.
(Chorus)
I see a marble. It's small and round.
Oh the marble is small, you see.
Then a ball rolls along. It's a big one, you see.
Oh, the ball is big to me.
(Chorus)

Wonderful Websites

2011-03-09T16:52:00.004-05:00

Today's Wonderful Website is a great resource in the Music Therapy world!
It is a website by Michelle Erfurt, who is also a board-certified Music Therapist.

Michelle's website is called Erfurt Music Resource, and is a great blend of music related products, services and information. It's a great site where you can read about various Music Therapists (as well as other Music Educators and additional Arts related therapies), and the services they offer. All of the services promoted on her site involve individuals who are currently active and have something to do with music.

I highly recommend you stop by and check out all Erfurt Music Resource has to offer!

Thanks for stopping by! New song posts coming soon!

Wonderful Websites

2011-02-23T07:01:00.001-05:00

Welcome back!

Today's Wonderful Website is one that is really neat to me.
It doesn't have a lot to do with music at all. It has to do with the other side of what I do.

Every day I work in public school classrooms and incorporate assistive technology within my music therapy sessions so that nonverbal or speech delayed students have a way of participating and have a "voice". In the world of assistive technology there are numerous simple and more complex devices for voice output.

Today I wanted to share another Wonderful Website that I really enjoy reading. It's one of those websites (blogs) that make me think and help me to analyze what I'm doing and create more ways to achieve the goals for which I'm striving to help students reach.

The website is No Limits 2 Learning.

Lon Thornburg is the blogger of this site and he is an educator and assistive technology specialist and trainer.
His latest post really was of great interest to me in that he writes about observing students learning styles in order to increase the effectiveness of their assistive technology. It's a great post!

I'd love to hear from other readers about their assistive technology experiences-with and without music!

Have a Wonderful Wednesday!

I have a Dream part 2

2011-02-21T21:08:00.007-05:00

Happy Tuesday!
Today I would like to share how I have been using the "I have a Dream" song I shared last week. If you missed it, you can listen to it here.

I used this song and incorporated rhythm sticks one day last week, paddle drums the next day, and various rhythm instruments the third day. All attempts were definitely interesting :), but the sticks were definitely the best instrumental accompaniment so far.

So, I wanted to share what I did with all my lovely readers. Maybe it will work for you too!

Before singing the song, I passed out rhythm sticks and everyone had their sticks quiet on their knees (we don't always reach the quiet part rapidly, but you get the picture). We worked on repeating an ostinato, "I have a Dream, I have a Dream, I have a Dream," etc. The picture below represents the rhythm and ostinato. (For classes where sticks would become the distraction, we clapped this rhythm with our hands first).

Once we got that together, we put the rhythm in the sticks. Some students could tap the rhythm independently, and others needed to say the ostinato each time.

Once we started the song, the ostinato rhythm fit right in. During the parts of the song where it sings about the color of your hair, skin, clothes you wear,etc. I have the students follow me doing something different with the sticks (i.e. rubbing sticks together, tapping my knees, doing hammer motion with one stick on another,etc.). The music sounds different here, so I figure a different motion is called for. Then when the chorus repeats, I go back to the ostinato.

It worked really well, I must say, and the students enjoyed being a part of the song.

What do you think?

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-13T15:52:00.000-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day!
Today I will be sharing two songs (which were previously posted last year). I'm posting them a little early so you might have a chance to hear them and use them! :)

The first song, A Heart Stands for Love, addresses the shape of a heart and who we give hearts to on Valentine's Day. It also states that a heart stands for love.

The second song, Love is a Circle,is meant to be used as a movement song. You can use scarves, streamers, or even paper hearts glued to popsicle sticks to move to this song. The directions mentioned in this song are: around, up and down, hide scarf inside hands and then let out, and around again.

<a href="http://morewithmusic.bandcamp.com/track/a-heart-stands-for-love-2">A Heart Stands for Love by More with Music</a>
(Chorus)
Here is a shape and it stands for Love
This shape is called a Heart. (Repeat)

We give hearts to the people in our family.

We give hearts to our teachers and friends.

Valentine's Day is a special day when we say,
"I love you" to all of them.

(Chorus)

<a href="http://morewithmusic.bandcamp.com/track/love-is-a-circle">Love is a Circle by More with Music</a>

What are your favorite Valentine's Day songs?
As always, thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

The coldest place I know!

2011-02-12T07:58:00.007-05:00

As promised, I wanted to share a song about the coldest place I know...Antarctica!

As a music therapist in a public school system, I incorporate music to help the students learn many things. There's social skills, social-emotional skills, fine motor skills, functional skills and of course cognitive and academic skills.

Today's post focuses more on the academic skills and helping children learn in social studies. Many of the middle school classrooms I work with studied Antarctica and I put together a song to help them learn the many different things about Antarctica that their teachers wanted to teach them.

So, in order to teach about Antarctica, you might as well go ahead and introduce/review the 7 continents. So, today you will get to hear a song about Antarctica, AND a song about the 7 continents too!

Both songs were written with a repeating Chorus so that nonverbal students could participate with the use of a voice output device or Big Mac switch. I pre-record the chorus before my sessions so that they will be ready to use.
I also designed power points to represent the songs visually.

With the 7 continents song, we use our fingers and count out 7 continents each time the chorus is sung. When we sing about the oceans, we make wave movements with our hands and arms. When we sing about the continents being large, we sign for big. Adding movements to the song really does help the students remember the vocabulary and content of the song!

In several of the classrooms we taught the sign for "Cold" also, as this is the most important part of learning about Antarctica...it's COLD!

So, here it is! The lyrics are below each one so you can follow along.

Chorus: There are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 Continents (Repeat)

The oceans run between them with their waters deep and blue. (Repeat)
(Chorus)
The continents are large, great masses of land. (Repeat)
(Chorus)

Chorus: Antarctica is a continent. It's the coldest place we know.
It's covered by sheets of ice and lots and lots of snow. (Repeat)

Antarctica is the southernmost continent. It's surrounded by 3 oceans, you see. (Repeat)

(Chorus)

Antarctica is the coldest, driest, and windiest continent.
Ice and snow cover most of the land.
Frozen rivers of ice called glaciers move across the continent. (Repeat)

(Chorus)

There are no trees in Antarctica.
Only the simplest plants like moss grow there. (Repeat)

(Chorus)

No one lives in Antarctica. Some people visit the continent.
Scientists visit to study the continent's water, land and weather. (Repeat)

(Chorus)

Antarctica is home to many animals that can live in cold climates. (Repeat)

(Chorus)

Well, that's it for today's post. This month we're learning about Australia, so stay tuned for a post about that later this month.
Have a great day!

1, 2, 3, 4 Quarters in a $1

2011-02-11T22:26:00.007-05:00

Welcome back!

Today's post will focus on Math skills, namely counting coin money.

There are many steps involved when we expect students to count coin money.
First, students must be able to count by 1's, 5's, 10's, and 25's. This is an accomplishment in itself!

Second, students must learn to recognize each coin and third, students have to learn and comprehend the value associated with each coin.

Today I want to share a song I wrote to help students learn how many quarters are in one dollar.

Lyrics:
1, 2, 3, 4 Quarters in a Dollar.
1, 2, 3, 4 Quarters in a Dollar.
25 cents, then 50 cents. 75 cents, then One Dollar.

1, 2, 3, 4 Quarters in a Dollar.
1, 2, 3, 4 Quarters in a Dollar.

Here's a visual aide I made for this song via Windows Movie Maker.

What songs to you use to help teach counting money?
As always, thanks for stopping by! Stay tuned for a post about the coldest place I know!

I have a dream

2011-02-09T21:29:00.005-05:00

February is Black History month, so today I will share a song that goes along with that theme.

I came across a very nice poem about Martin Luther King online, and I quickly put it to music.
The poem was written by Esther Yost, a former preschool teacher.

Here is the poem:

I have a dream, said Martin Luther King
We're gonna make that dream come true.
Let freedom ring, said Martin Luther King,
It's up to me and you.
It's not the color of your hair,
It's not the color of your skin,
It doesn't matter what you wear,
It's the character within.
I have a dream, said Martin Luther King
We're gonna make that dream come true,
Let freedom ring, said Martin Luther King
It's up to me and you.

Hope everyone is having a great week and thanks for stopping by!

Wonderful Websites

2011-02-02T06:00:00.000-05:00

It's Wednesday, and it's time for another Wonderful Website!
Today's website involves lots of music, and many different styles!

There are many similar websites like the one I'm recommending today, but this is a fairly popular one, so I decided to go with it.

The website is Pandora.

What is Pandora?

Pandora is an online radio station with gazillions of "stations" you can choose, so that you only listen to the music, artist, and/or style of music you choose.

You can listen to your chosen stations on the web, at home, or on the go. All you need to do is go to the website and set up a free account with your email and a password. Then start selecting music you like!

How do I use Pandora?

The answer is two-fold actually.

I have a personal account where I choose my own personal favorites,etc., but I also help teachers set up Pandora accounts for their classrooms.

There are a great assortment of artists on Pandora. I highly recommend classical music played at a low, audible volume during the day in classsrooms. This could be whenever students are doing "seat work" or working on completing an assignment, and direct instruction is not taking place. I have found it helps calm and focus the students and helps avoid mind wandering and distraction.

So far, I've had lots of great feedback from the teachers using Pandora in their classrooms a couple of times each day.

What other online radio stations do you use?

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Music Therapy and Advocacy, part 2

2011-01-26T20:07:00.002-05:00

Welcome back!
Part 2 continues with the story of what happened with music therapy in Oklahoma. Missed Part 1? Read it here.

Sharing Your Story, Making a Change (Part 2)

Dena Register, Ph.D., MT-BC

The Powerful After-Effect

As influential as seeing a live session was, the interactions that followed are what I will never forget.

The Director of the RISE school arranged for the physical therapist (PT), the occupational therapist (OT) and two parents to come to the meeting and share their experiences. Both the PT and the OT indicated that having music therapy services available at the school made their job easier AND more effective. Children didn’t need to be pulled out of the group as often because Robbin was able to use music to support the goals that the PT and OT were working on and the children could “work” in the context of the large group.

However, the most powerful moment of the day came from a mother of one of the children with autism. She shared her experience at a number of different early childhood programs where her child was provided the requisite services, including a paraprofessional, according to the law. She said that while these services met the requirements there were no laws stating that those individuals had to work to see the best in her child or to try and maximize his potential and help him thrive in a least restrictive environment.

She ended by saying, “When Robbin comes in to provide music therapy we all see responses and possibilities in him that we don’t see at any other time. It is a chance to see my child look like every other child.”

The room was silent. I still tear up when I share this story.

This was followed by the Director of Developmental Disabilities Services for the state asking a very pointed question, ”Where can we send other legislators to observe these kinds of services?”

Robbin smiled sweetly and said, “Right here.”

His reply: “I understand but what OTHER locations in the state offer this kind of service?”

And again she replied, “Right here.”

There were at least three jaws that dropped with that realization. In essence, only 18-20 young children in the whole state of Oklahoma were receiving these services on a regular basis.

This advocacy meeting was a “win”.

Oklahoma’s Music Therapy Practice Act Bill

Things began to move rapidly in the days, weeks, and months that followed this meeting. The task force has been summoned to present to various lawmakers and agency heads. They’ve invited parents and clients to testify about the effects of music therapy, conducted a self-study to explore support for music therapy services in the state and submitted legislation to allow licensure for board-certified music therapists.

If you asked any of the ladies who signed up to join the task force, I’m quite certain none would have said that they 1) always dreamed of doing this kind of advocacy work and 2) that they considered themselves proficient at it.

However, the bill they have helped to champion made it quickly and easily through the Senate last year and into a House committee before getting stalled behind budget negotiations. The bill will be pre-filed again this year and, if all goes well, will move through both the House and the Senate before arriving on the Governor’s desk for passage into law.

Advocacy and YOU

We have all learned so much about our profession and our capabilities through this process. One of the most striking things about this journey and how far this group has come is that there are less than 40 music therapists working in the state of Oklahoma! What an incredible illustration of the impact a few people can have AND the impact of music therapy on the lives of those we serve.

As you enter 2011, what kind of impact will YOU make? What contribution do YOU have to share? I’ll leave you with these few things to think about:
• Advocacy is for anyone. Advocacy happens everywhere, any day of the week, any time you are engaging in a professional capacity. You can advocate at every level (e.g. from grassroots to state governors to national legislators). Any opportunity, any conversation is a way to advocate for the profession. Advocacy also happens within out profession--as when you talk to a person trained in music therapy about board certification. And the skills are familiar to you because you already do this in other ways--you advocate for your clients, your employment, and your pay.
• Advocacy is a language. You need to know your audience and tailor your advocacy skills for that audience. It's just like tailoring your clinical skills for different clinical populations. And experience is the best teacher--having your audience experience music therapy first hand is very powerful.
• You are powerful. When you choose to support your self and your profession by maintaining your membership in AMTA and renewing your board-certification you are contributing to a more powerful you AND a more powerful professional presence. When you send a letter or an e-mail or make a phone call to a legislator you are using your power to participate in what is happening in your state.

Dr. Dena Register is the Regulatory Affairs Advisor for the Certification Board for Music Therapists and an Associate Professor of Music Therapy at the University of Kansas. She can be reached at dregister@cbmt.org

Music Therapy and Advocacy, part 1

2011-01-25T20:42:00.002-05:00

As a board certified Music Therapist, I am constantly advocating for the field of Music Therapy. How do I do this?

Well, music therapy advocacy happens in many ways.

I define music therapy on a daily basis for many different types of people from a variety of occupations. I allow people to observe music therapy sessions, so that they can experience first hand the power of music therapy. When it's re-certification time to keep my MT-BC status, I share with others the great variety of skills and information that we are required to know, in order to pass the music therapy board exam.

One of the most interesting things about advocacy is that anyone can do it. You can have a loud or a quiet personality. You can have a lot or little to no experience with public speaking. Advocacy happens anytime you tell someone about music therapy and share some of your experiences in the field. Advocacy happens when you share your stories.

I invite you to enjoy part one of the story below, written by
Dr.Dena Register, a Board Certified Music Therapist.

Sharing Your Story, Making a Change (Part 1)

Part of being a music therapist is sharing your stories—incredible stories—of the triumphs, both great and small, that you encounter every day.

We often have the opportunity to witness the absolute best in the human condition, from the new parents who are learning to adapt and support their pre-mature infant to the family who is grappling with a hospice diagnosis of a loved one. It is not unusual to hear (or say) the phrase “power of music” in our work with patients or clients of any age or ability-level.

I’m not sure that we teach storytelling, per se, as part of the music therapy curriculum, but perhaps we should. It is often the masterful account of how we choose, use and manipulate musical elements to get these “amazing” results that catches the eye of a potential funding source, employer or legislator. We are constant advocates for our clients or patients and our profession with every story that we share.

To that end, I’d like to share a story with you about the power of telling the “right” story, to the “right” group of individuals in just the “right” manner.

The Phone Call From Oklahoma

In late September 2008, I received a phone call from a member of the Oklahoma State Task Force. It was a Wednesday afternoon of a very busy week that seemed as though it ought to be Friday. There was mild panic intermingled with genuine excitement on the other end of the line.

But first, a little background:

Through several interesting twists, one of the task force members was introduced to and befriended a former State Senator who was a huge advocate for children’s services in the state, particularly for young children with special needs. He happened to be visiting the new RISE school in Stillwater, Oklahoma on a day that Robbin Buford, a board-certified music therapist, was providing services to one of the groups there.

Over the course of their new friendship, the former Senator asked a number of questions about music therapy, what kinds of services were available to constituents in the state, what kind of training music therapists received and if there were schools and internships in Oklahoma. Former Senator Long was impressed by what he saw at the RISE school that he began coaching the Oklahoma State Task Force in what steps to take to
1. ensure that music therapy was recognized by the state and
2. that state job descriptions were updated to require the MT-BC credential and provide quality services to patients and clients in the state.

Now back to that phone call:

Ed Long had arranged for several lawmakers who were currently in office, as well as some agency directors, to come to the RISE school the following Monday morning. He wanted the guests to have the opportunity to see Robbin in action and to have some time to discuss music therapy and the implications for the state over lunch following her session.

Robbin was calling me to see if there was any way to have regional and/or national representatives from the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA), and the Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT)present at the meeting to help field questions and talk about other clinical areas where music therapists provide services. Needless to say, this was an opportunity that we just couldn’t miss! With the help of the other members of the task force and Judy Simpson, AMTA’s Director of Government Relations, we were able to pull together packets of materials and a brief presentation following Robbin’s session.

I left Lawrence, Kansas on Sunday evening to drive most of the way to Stillwater for the Monday morning meeting. We all arrived an hour before the session to set up materials and prepare ourselves to meet and greet as people arrived to observe the group of eight children in the early intervention classroom. There were four children in the group with various special needs, including Down syndrome and autism.

As our guests arrived most were congenial and found a place in the observation booth or at the classroom entrance to watch the session. One gentleman in particular came in, introduced himself, shook hands and maintained a closed body posture with his arms folded across his chest. He went to the observation point that was the farthest away from the group and stood in the background.

A Change in the Room

As the session began, you could see the increased interest in what was occurring during the music therapy session. Body tensions subsided, people moved to a closer location to get a better view of what was happening and they began to ask questions about what was going on in the session.

The children, as always, did a fantastic job attending and engaging in a variety of musical processes that worked on skills across all developmental domains. This was true throughout the session, all the way to the post-session clean up where several children sang while marching the materials down the hall to be put away. Our observers were all smiles and full of questions as we moved from the classroom space to the conference room.

*Stay tuned to learn what happened after the music therapy session, as well as tips for how YOU can be—and already are—an advocate.

Dr. Dena Register is the Regulatory Affairs Advisor for the Certification Board for Music Therapists, and an Associate Professor of Music Therapy at the University of Kansas. She can be reached at dregister@cbmt.org

What is Music Therapy?

2011-01-24T21:56:00.002-05:00

What is Music Therapy?

Music Therapy is....wait....I have to explain this again?!?!

This is the question I answer the most, and often daily. But, I always answer this question because I feel it is very important to educate other professionals, teachers and parents about what I do.

As a music therapist, I've witnessed first hand the numerous ways in which music can reach a person and bring about therapeutic change over a period of time. How do I relate this to someone who is deciding whether or not to create a Music Therapy position in their facility? Will existing programs continue to value music therapy and its many therapeutic benefits?

This week, I will be posting about a very important topic for music therapists and the field of Music Therapy itself: Advocacy.

First of all, what is Advocacy?

Advocacy is for anyone. Advocacy happens everywhere, any day of the week, any time you are engaging in a professional capacity. You can advocate at every level (e.g. from grassroots to state agencies and governors to national legislators). Any opportunity, any conversation is a way to advocate for the profession.

Advocacy is a language. You need to know your audience and tailor your advocacy skills for that audience. It's just like tailoring your clinical skills for different clinical populations. And experience is the best teacher--having your audience experience music therapy first hand is very powerful.

We all advocate for things everyday. Whether we convince a friend to try a dish at a restaurant, or encourage a friend to buy a certain brand of shoes because they feel so comfortable, we're advocating. We're informing, sharing, and relating our own experiences to others. We can also do this with Music Therapy!

Don't forget to stop by tomorrow for another post on advocating for Music Therapy.

Thanks for stopping by!

Wonderful Websites

2011-01-19T05:30:00.001-05:00

It's Wednesday and it's time for another Wonderful Website!
Today's wonderful website can be described in 5 words:

Creative,
Educational,
Informative,
Innovative, &
Outstanding!

I stumbled upon today's Wonderful Website about a year and a half ago, while doing a search on Google. This site was exactly what I had been searching for: other professionals (Music Therapists, Music Educators, Teachers,etc.) who had a passion for sharing their talents, creativity and ideas to help children learn.

The website is Listen and Learn.
Rachel Rambach, a board-certified music therapist and singer/songwriter, is the owner and blog writer. One of her big goals is to help children learn and grow through music. I'd say she is well on her way!

Rachel frequently shares songs, activities, and resources on her blog.
Her songs cover cognitive, social, emotional, and physical concepts. She writes songs to just about EVERYTHING and they are available for purchase and download. Oh, and she also does custom song requests for anyone with specific topics and/or goals in mind.

Rachel works full time at a school for children with multiple disabilities, in addition to managing her own private practice.

I know you will enjoy checking out this wonderful website. If you've never been, scoot on over to Listen and Learn and see what you've been missing!