I <3 My Readers!

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I love my readers!

Last month, Listen & Learn celebrated it’s 2nd birthday.  I asked my newsletter subscribers to share with me their favorite L&L post or song, and in return, I chose 3 responses to share with you.  Valerie K., Jess K., and Kathy S. will receive a physical copy of my studio album Time to Sing Hello in return for making me feel all warm and fuzzy inside :)  Thank you to everyone who emailed me notes of congrats, encouragement, and reasons why you keep coming back to Listen & Learn!

Valerie wrote:

After meeting you about a year ago at the 2009 AMTA conference, I have been amazed at your persistence and ability to do what you do. . .through your blog and music. You are definitely an inspiration for the rest of us, reminding us that our work never ends as music therapists. We all have valuable insights and information to share with others. My favorite song so far is the Shaky Fruit song!!!! I have used it multiple times over the past 2 weeks and at times adapt the words/music to go with the flow of the session, but I always keep the doot-doot part the same! I really need to learn another song…haha.

Jess wrote:

I am a recently board-certified music therapist and I have already taken to heart much of what you have written about and included in your blogs. My favorite posts of yours so far have been Is This Music Therapy Thing for Real? and Home Recording Studio Essentials. The former has been incredibly helpful for me, as a new professional working with children with disabilities. There is a big difference between being a graduate student/intern in the field and being considered a “young professional.” While I am excited for this leap into the professional realm, I am also incredibly nervous. It has certainly been a great comfort to me to read an excerpt about your journey as a music therapist and to know that you were once in the same, scared but hopeful place I am! As for your home recording studio essentials—well, I am constantly searching for ideas from people on how they record their music.

Kathy wrote:

I would have to say the posting about your recording studio was one of my favorites (there are many!). Setting up a recording studio like that has been one of my goals for over a year now and it was very helpful and empowering to see the visual images and read the descriptions. I’m actually opening my Snowball mic today and getting ready to make my first Garageband recording! An aside – every time my seven year old hears me checking e-mail and listening to your songs, she always comes running and says, “That’s my favorite singer!” She’s a big fan of Taylor Swift also so that is quite a compliment :-)

I’m a big fan of Taylor Swift, too, so I definitely take that as a huge compliment!  Thanks again for the great responses.  Oh, and if you haven’t joined my newsletter yet, you should do it now — this month’s edition is coming soon!

Sunday Singalong: ‘Dem Dry Bones

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Out of all 480+ posts I’ve written, one I wrote last year titled ‘Dem Bones, ‘Dem Bones happens to be one of the most viewed pages of this entire website.  And not just around Halloween time; it’s popular all year ’round.  I’m assuming that this must be an in-demand song, which is why I decided to feature it as a “Sunday Singalong” video this week.

I figured out this version myself after using a recording of the song one day with a group of students.  I really liked how the music in the recording modulated up as the bones in the body were named, and I wanted to do something similar.  But I like to keep my guitar playing super simple when I’m working with kids, because I want the focus to be on them (not my fingers).  My method of playing this song could pretty much be used by anyone who knows 3 chords: D, A, & G (and if you want to add the key change at the end, E & B7).

Rhythm sticks are my instrument of choice if anything; but most of the time, my students are more than happy just to sing along and point out each body part, or “bone” if you will, as it is mentioned in the song.  I love to mix it up by adding other bones (like hand, elbow, arm, shoulder, etc.) and speeding up the tempo for a bit of a challenge.  Hope you can use and enjoy this song, too!

Ask L&L: Adapting Songs to be Age-Appropriate

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Making Songs Age-AppropriateLast week, I started a new feature on the blog called Ask Listen & Learn (follow the link to read the first installment, in which I answer a question regarding songs that aren’t for teaching).  I have a new question from a reader to share with you all today.  She writes:

I have an adult patient who loves Move Your Body Along, but I try to rock it up a big (because my patient is 30). No offense, but the original version of the song might be a little immature for his age. Could you give tips on modifying songs for the age of your patient?

This is a great question.  I am constantly adapting and rewriting my own songs for my music therapy clients, not only to fit their unique needs but also to ensure that they are age-appropriate.  I’ve cringed on more than one occasion when I’ve seen music teachers, or even other therapists, since “Old McDonald”, “Row Your Boat” and other preschool-level songs with teenagers and even adults with developmental delays.  The fact is, just because a 30-year-old may have the cognitive capabilities of a 3-year-old, that doesn’t mean a nursery rhyme is appropriate for that individual.  There are plenty of other options.

I work with over 100 students, aged 7-22, at my school.  Functioning levels range greatly from class to class, and even within the four walls of one classroom.  So I am always thinking on my feet, changing up words, lyrics, and beats to best serve my students in respect to their age and skill level.  Here are a few pieces of advice for doing so based on my own experience:

  • Let your student/patient make the song his or her own. This takes some of the pressure off of you (!) while allowing an opportunity for that student/patient to flex his or her creative muscles.  Using the song example my reader gave, I open the floor to my students when we sing Move Your Body Along.  They always come up with way better movement ideas than I do, anyway :)  Present a song as-is, but then turn it into a songwriting activity so that the student/patient has control over the subject matter and actual lyrics.
  • Give the song a beat. If you use a Mac, set up Garageband so that you can play a loop or beat while you sing with your student/patient.  Better yet, let him/her choose the loop or beat.  You’d be surprised at just how much this can punch up a song.  Plus, adding technology to any activity will make it more appealing to older students/patients.
  • Make the song an interactive experience. If your students/clients can communicate verbally, use a song merely as a conversation starter.  I do this all the time with songs like Off to School Today, where it serves as a jumping off point to share ideas about the topic at hand.  Sing a verse, let them share.  Sing another verse, let them share some more.  It’s fun to see where the conversation goes.

Of course, it is important to keep in mind that not every single song out there (even those in my collection) are suitable for older students and patients, no matter how you adapt it.  So if you just can’t find a way to make a particular song work in a given situation, save it for another time and move along to the next one.

If you have a question you’d like for me to answer here at Listen & Learn, simply send me an email (and be sure to include that you’d like it shared on the blog).

Sunday Singalong: Halloween Stew

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I know October has only just begun, but I’m making a concerted effort to get into the Halloween spirit this year. Those of you that have read this blog for awhile or who know me in real life are aware that I am not a fan of this particular “holiday”. But almost every child is, including my own students, so my efforts are for their sake :) We’ll see how this goes…

“Halloween Stew” is a good way to ease into the Halloween season, because it brings back so many great memories of music class with Mrs. Goodhart in the basement of Butler Elementary. Every October, we’d look forward to listening to the recording of “Witches’ Brew” by Hap Palmer; I’d sing it so frequently at home that even my little brother knew all the words!

One way to make this an interactive activity with my students is to have them help me write new verses to the song.  What kinds of things would they put in their own Halloween Stew?  I might even have them draw their own pictures, and add them to the “pot” as they are mentioned in the song.  The greatest part is that there is no wrong answer (unless they suggest inappropriate items, which, if you work with older children especially, you know that happens from time to time).

There are probably about a hundred other ways to incorporate this song into a lesson, music therapy session, or just for fun.  Got any others?  Let’s hear them!

Friday Fave: It’s October!

by | Listen & Learn Music, Uncategorized

First Day of October

I love when the first day of the month falls on a Friday, because that gives us two reasons to celebrate! And on this particular Friday I have a third reason to celebrate…a weekend all to myself! No traveling, performances, or big commitments (unlike last weekend); just time to get caught up on some work and hang with my family.

How will you be spending the first weekend of October? Perhaps learning a song all about the 10th month of the year? I’ve been brushing up on my original October tune so that my students and I can sing it together this morning (and all month long). It goes like this:

Today it is October,
The tenth month of the year.
Summertime is over,
and autumn weather’s near.

Today it is October,
The leaves are turning brown.
The air is getting chilly,
And soon the leaves fall down.

Today it is October,
The tenth month of the year.
Summertime is over,
and autumn weather’s near.

Today it is October,
It’s time to celebrate
Fall festivals and Columbus Day
Oh, I can hardly wait!

Today it is October,
The tenth month of the year.
Summertime is over,
and autumn weather’s near.

Today it is October,
It’s time for Halloween.
Candy, spooks, and costumes,
And all those scary things.

Today it is October,
The tenth month of the year.
Summertime is over,
and autumn weather’s near.

What’s on your calendar for October? I have a relatively calm month ahead: singing at one wedding, a speaking gig, and a weekend trip to Chicago with my friend are the highlights. But it is definitely the calm before the storm; November will be a whirlwind of activity between my brother’s wedding, AMTA National Conference, and Thanksgiving.

Enjoy this beautiful first day of October, and have a great weekend. (And come back on Sunday for a new “Sunday Singalong” video — the hiatus is over!)