August 2010

Singable Story: Miss Mary Mack

August 31, 2010

Hand clapping games were all the rage on the playground when I was growing up. “Miss Mary Mack” was one of the first I ever learned, so when I came across this book on Amazon, I couldn’t pass it up. I’m glad I didn’t, because Miss Mary Mack ranks right up there with Down by [...]

Today at Listen & Learn Plus!

August 30, 2010

I incorporate visual aides into many of the activities I lead in both music therapy and music classes. My most valuable and frequently used visual aides are ones that I actually created myself: schedule cards. I have over 200 that I use not only for pictorial student schedules, but also for any activity during which [...]

Friday Fave: A Fabulous First Week of School

August 27, 2010

Fabulous, yes…but also extremely busy! So far, my 4th year at The Hope Institute is proving to be full of adventures. Classes have only been in session for five days, and we’re already planning a big student performance, several speaking engagements where I’ll be representing Hope, and the brand new music therapy internship program is [...]

Adventures in Music Therapy Internships

August 25, 2010

I still remember the feeling in my stomach as I headed to St. Louis to begin my internship with Midwest Music Therapy Services. That same mix of nerves and excitement came rushing back today as I embarked on a new adventure: becoming a music therapy internship supervisor. After months of coordinating, contract writing, and preparation, [...]

Music Therapy Round Table: Podcast Episode 7

August 23, 2010

Happy Monday, everyone! If you’re like me, you probably need an extra dose of inspiration and motivation at the beginning of a new work week. In that case, I have the perfect thing: a brand-new episode of the Music Therapy Round Table podcast! For those of you who aren’t familiar with the Round Table, it [...]

Friday Fave: Getting Things Done

August 20, 2010

I’ve only been back to school for two days, and I’ve already gone through several to-do lists. I started my day by posting the following tweet to my Twitter account: Today’s goals: unpack new #musictherapy equipment, organize office, prepare next week’s session plans, & burn classroom CDs. Yikes. Needless to say, I was a bit [...]

Back to School!

August 19, 2010

It’s that time of year: many students are returning to school, and so am I. After a nice long summer break, I’m heading back to The Hope Institute for my 4th (!) school year as a music therapist. It’s going to be an exciting one — I’ll be supervising my first-ever music therapy intern. Up [...]

A Drum Song for Seth

August 17, 2010

Seth loved drums. It didn’t matter what kind – if he could use a mallet or his hand to make a big sound, he was a happy camper. What Seth didn’t love was following his music therapy schedule and completing his work. On the rare occasion that he did finish a task, he was rewarded [...]

Using Music to Teach…Physics?

August 16, 2010

I use music to teach a variety of concepts on a daily basis, from money to making friends to telling time. These are basic skills that every child learns one way or another, but learning through music is not something students learn as a part of getting their teaching degree. Learning through music is also [...]

Sunday Singalong: Shakin’ It Up

August 15, 2010

Happy weekend! After a short hiatus, I’m back with a brand new “Sunday Singalong” video. This time I’m shakin’ it up with a song I wrote specifically for fruit shakers, which I added to my instrument collection last summer. I’ve posted this song before, so you can listen to the entire song and get the [...]

Friday Fave: A Day at the Beach

August 13, 2010

This past Sunday, my husband and I celebrated our 2nd wedding anniversary. Zach is the planner when it comes to special occasions and vacations, so although I knew we were going to Chicago (we had a wedding there the night before), he surprised me with a stay at the W Hotel, a boat tour, several [...]

Saying Goodbye with Peace & Love

August 12, 2010

With school starting a week from today, you’d think I’d have “hello” songs on the brain. But yesterday, out of the blue, I was hit with the memory of a song from my high school years. Blessid Union of Souls was a popular band back then, and I listened to their self-titled album nonstop. My [...]

This Just In: What’s the Weather Like?

August 11, 2010

One of the songs I incorporate into almost every group music therapy session is a weather song. Since I work with entire classrooms of children and target the same goals and objectives as the teachers, this fits right in with most of their morning routines. The “Sunny Day” song is definitely the favorite of the [...]

What Kind of Songwriter Are You?

August 10, 2010

Take fellow music therapist Wade Richards’ quick assessment to find out whether you are Air, Water, Fire or Earth when it comes to songwriting. Wade is presenting the CMTE “Songwriter’s Garden” at this year’s AMTA national conference in Cleveland; the assessment is just a teaser of what else he has in store. I had a [...]

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