by Rachel | Uncategorized
Since leaving the school setting and going into private practice full-time, I’ve been fortunate when it comes to staying healthy. Last January, I set out to record and post a new song every Monday, and my good health (along with some crazy determination) has allowed me to do this successfully — until today.
As you know, I’m in Hawaii this week with my husband. So the Friday before we left, I sat down and wrote the song that I planned to post today. Unfortunately, that very day I was hit by a pretty nasty cold bug that left me without a voice suitable for recording. It could have been worse (like full-fledged laryngitis) but trust me, no one would have wanted to listen to that song had I gone through with the recording.
I’ve stuck with my “new song every week” goal for 11 months, and though this cold may have set me back a little, I’m bound and determined to give you (and my clients) 52 songs before January 1! So next week you’ll be seeing two new songs to make up for this tuneless Monday.
As for the status on my voice? The air here in Maui sure has done a body good, and I am feeling MUCH better than I did upon arrival. Have an amazing week and do your best to stay healthy!
by Rachel | Uncategorized
Lots of kiddos with autism, including many of my past and present clients, have a hard time expressing how they are feeling both physically and emotionally. Some are non-verbal, while others don’t have the language to adequately explain their feelings. As we know, this can leave them feeling frustrated and even more upset, especially if they need help or are feeling bad.
One of my clients was struggling with this issue, so her mom came up with the idea to compose short, simple songs based on familiar melodies for her range of feelings. The hope was that when my client was feeling a particular way, she could express herself through song rather than words.
The approach to making these songs effective communicative tools involved first introducing them to my client, singing them again and again so she became familiar with them (she picks up songs very quickly). Then, when her behavior obviously reflected a particular feeling or emotion, her family members and teachers would begin singing the corresponding song and prompt my client to sing along.
She has already made some great progress expressing herself through these songs, and hopefully they are useful to others out there. Have you used a similar technique for helping non- or less verbal kiddos express how they are feeling?
by Rachel | Uncategorized
I work a LOT on names with my students. Saying, spelling, and identifying their names are common goals in music therapy, and I have songs for all three. However, I didn’t yet have a song for the latest name-related goal that was recently brought to my attention: identifying and knowing the difference between first and last names.
Up until now, the focus has always been on the first name…but one student in particular has mastered this and is moving on to bigger and better things. So I came up with a no-frills song about the different parts of our names.
Although knowing her middle name is not included in the current goal, I threw it in so that when I use this song with her or another student down the road, the option to include it is there.
I’ll be using “First and Last” mostly in individual music therapy sessions, but it could easily be utilized in a group setting, as well. For more name-related songs, click here and here.
by Rachel | Uncategorized
I really wanted to write another Thanksgiving-themed song this week, but I was feeling a bit stuck. After 4 years of churning them out effortlessly, I realized I was out of fresh ideas. But a little writer’s block never stopped me before; I was bound and determined to celebrate the holiday with one more new tune.
By Saturday, I still hadn’t come up with an idea. Later that night, I was over at my parents’ house having dinner and White Christmas (one of my favorite movies of all time) was on television. As Bing and Rosemary crooned about counting their blessings, I had a thought: what about a song that literally does just that?!
And that’s how Count Your Blessings came to be. Each verse gives an example of some of the blessings in our lives, and then comes the actual counting — by 1, 2, 5, and 10. You know I love a good multifunctional song, and this one definitely falls into that category.
I envision this song serving as a great conversation starter about the things in our lives for which we are thankful, although you could also just focus on the counting aspect. Another thought I had was having students draw pictures of their “blessings” to be counted, especially if they are just beginning to grasp the concept of counting by multiples.
As we get down to the wire, don’t forget about all the other Thanksgiving-themed tunes available to you. You can find my collection here, and there is still time to use discount code “givethanks12” to receive 20% off The 10 Days of Thanksgiving.
by Rachel | Uncategorized
Yesterday afternoon, I returned home from a trip to Florida and realized I had a song to write, record and post here on the blog. Luckily I didn’t have to think very hard about what to write about — I had just spent 3 days with my immediate and extended family at a reunion.
After reuniting with her cousin whom she hadn’t seen in over 40 years (on Facebook of all places), my mom was able to connect with family members she’d never met or had lost touch with and decided to organize a reunion. Not only did I get to meet lots of second and third cousins, but I also had the opportunity to see my grandma, uncle, brother, and sister-in-law who all live far away.
With the holidays just around the corner, this is as good a time as any for a song about the importance of family. My students and I spend a lot of time talking about their families (and they’re always curious about mine, too); doing so within the context of a song is even better.
I hope you were able to spend some time with your family this weekend, too! Have a lovely week, and don’t forget that The 10 Days of Thanksgiving (complete with chords, mp3, instrumental, and 10 page PDF visual) is 20% off now through Thanksgiving Day when you use the discount code givethanks12.
