Click, Clack!

colorful castanets

Wow, has it been a busy week! Between the students at the Hope Institute returning to the classroom and long rehearsals every night for Guys & Dolls, I was ready for a weekend-long nap. I didn’t have that luxury, though; there were four performances and lots of work to be done, instead. It was exhausting, but here I am on Monday morning, ready for a brand new week at school and the start of the fall session at my private studio this afternoon.

In addition to my classes at school last week, I was also able to write a couple new tunes in preparation for the coming month. The first is one meant to accompany my new instruments: castanets! I purchased them through Musician’s Friend (see them here) and I think they are going to be a hit. Hopefully the song will be, too!

Click, clack, clack, click,
Move your fingers oh so quick.
Click, clack is the sound you get
When you play the castanet.

Left hand, click, clack,
Up and down and forth and back.
Left hand, open and close,
Click clack is how it goes.

CHORUS

Right hand, click, clack,
Up and down and forth and back.
Right hand, open and close,
Click clack is how it goes.

CHORUS

Both hands, click, clack,
Up and down and forth and back.
Both hands, open and close,
Click clack is how it goes.

CHORUS

For many of my students, the concept of left and right is very foreign and not yet within their grasp, but it’s never too early to start working on it. Listen to and read about another song I wrote on this very subject here.

I have more new songs in the hopper, so make sure to come back tomorrow. In the meantime, enjoy your Monday! Oh, and the last day of August…can you even believe it??

Friday Fave: Guys & Dolls in Concert!


I know this is not music therapy or children-related, but I just had to mention the wonderful production that I’m a part of, which happens to open tonight! It is being put on as a fundraiser for the Hoogland Center for the Arts, which is a hub for all things theater and arts-related in Springfield. The center is facing some financial difficulties, and we are hoping that this show helps secure its future.


The cast of Guys & Dolls includes Eddie Mekka, who you might remember as Carmine from “Laverne & Shirley”. I’ve never seen the show, but it has been fun to share the stage with a former TV star. He plays Nathan Detroit, and is supported by local actors filling the roles of the other characters. If you live in Springfield and want to come see the show, you can call 523-ARTS for tickets.

So that is what I will be doing all weekend. I’m a bit overwhelmed with all of the work I need to finish in the next couple of days (in between shows) but as always, it will get done. What are your plans for the weekend? Whatever they are, I hope you have a good one!

Music Therapy: A Hybrid?

That is exactly how it is described in an article from Time Out New York, which I found via a blog post by Brown Music Therapy. The article is titled “The New Hybrids” and leads in as follows:

We’re not talking about eco-friendly cars, but innovative fields that blend disciplines in unexpected ways – and could kick-start your career.

Other “hybrid” jobs mentioned in the article include narrative medicine, urban agriculture, and food media. I’ve never used that particular term to describe music therapy, but in a way, it sort of fits. Music therapy is still considered to be a new and, for some people, unconventional field, and there is always a lot of curiosity at the mention of it.

If you are a music therapist, you know how difficult it can be to explain your job to someone who is completely unfamiliar with the field. I still struggle with this, even after almost three years. I’ve read so many magazine and newspaper articles where music therapy is either misrepresented or poorly explained, so I was impressed with the short write-up featured in this article. Read it for yourself here.

A New Way to Say Goodbye

When I introduced a brand-new goodbye song in one of my classes this morning, I was met with mixed emotions…from the staff! The students seemed to respond very positively to the new tune, while several of my coworkers didn’t hide their disappointment that I strayed from the usual goodbye song. They were good sports, though, and were quick to adapt and sing along. I’m lucky to have classroom staff that are so supportive of the music therapy program :)

Like the hello song I discussed yesterday, today’s goodbye song replaces several old standbys that have passed their prime. See what you think:

It’s time for me to go, oh, oh, oh,
Music is over for today.
It’s time for me to go, oh, oh, oh,
So tell me, what do we say?

Goodbye, goodbye,
Farewell, and so long.
Goodbye, goodbye,
This is the goodbye song.

Wish I could stay, hey, hey, hey,
But I’m afraid our time is through.
Wish I could stay, hey, hey, hey,
But I have to sing goodbye to you.

Goodbye, goodbye,
Farewell, and so long.
Goodbye, goodbye,
This is the goodbye song.

And now I must say goodbye to YOU, because it is my bedtime! Now that school is back in session, I find that I need an extra hour or so of sleep in order to keep my energy up all day long. My job is extremely gratifying, but it is also extremely exhausting!

Time to Sing Hello

The students have returned! Today is the official start of the school year, and I’ve already had music therapy with two classes. It was so much fun seeing all of the kids after an entire summer away, and for the most part, they were happy to see me, too.

I was excited to introduce some new tunes, including a brand-new hello song. I had been rotating the same few for the last two years, and though the students and staff liked them, it was time for a change. This is what I came up with:

Hands clap,
Feet tap,
It’s time to sing hello.
To you and you and you and you
All of the people that we know.

So let’s all come together,
And sing out big and strong.
Let’s have a good time in music,
While we dance and play along.

Sit up tall,
Let’s have a ball.
It’s time to sing hello.
To you and you and you and you
All of the people that we know.

Hello everybody, hello.
Hello everybody, hello.
Hello everybody, hello.

Music has begun!

Introducing new songs and activities is always a challenge with some of our students, but so far, they’ve all responded very positively. Hopefully that will continue to be the case as I visit all of the remaining classes this week!