The end of May and beginning of June is a busy time for everyone, but it’s especially jam-packed for my family thanks to LOTS of birthdays! This week, we’re celebrating mine (June 5) AND my son’s (June 8).
For the last few years, I’ve put together a special Listen & Learn offer during my birthday week, and this year is no exception. This one might actually be my favorite yet, because it will come in handy alllll year long.
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Here in New Hampshire, school is still in session for a few more weeks. Many of my clients and students are preparing to move on to new classrooms, new schools, or are just getting ready for summer break, and often, a break from music therapy or music classes.
For the last session or class of the school year, I like to bring out all of the kiddos’ favorite songs we’ve done, and sometimes, children will even make requests for what songs they’d like to hear.
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Taking turns is one of the most challenging tasks for students in my music therapy groups and music classes. Although it can also be a challenge for the music therapist or teacher to facilitate and manage sharing opportunities, there are many factors that can influence the success of songs that feature turn-taking.
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The countdown to summer break is on! For many of my music therapy sessions and music classes, we only have a few weeks left before we’ll part ways for the summer. Although most therapists and teachers who work with school-aged children look forward to summer break, it can be a challenging time for our clients and students.
Endings are never easy, and although we might continue working with the same kiddos next year, there are still a lot of changes happening for them. Between schedule changes and weather changes, the prospect of new classrooms, new teachers, and classmates can be totally overwhelming.
As a music therapist, it’s easy for me to present these challenging topics and transitions in a fun and upbeat way. Below, I’ve featured two songs that I’ll be using to help my clients and students transition to summer break!
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One thing that I love about working with lots of different kiddos is the opportunity to create adaptations! These allow me to use the same songs with many different students and clients, all of whom have unique strengths and needs. Being a music therapist has made me even more creative; I am constantly inspired not only by my kiddos, but also by their teachers, therapists and parents.
I have been approached countless times by those I work with to incorporate different themes or important topics into my music therapy sessions or music classes. Often times, I will use a song that I already know, and adapt it to accommodate other goals.
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Music is such a powerful and flexible tool, as we’ve witnessed firsthand both through our own life experiences and the work we do with children. Most of us have learned so many things through music…I mean, Schoolhouse Rock, anyone?!
I learned so much through music and I love seeing my clients and students learn things through music as well. Children latch onto music very quickly, so it is the perfect vehicle to teach important skills, like safety rules.
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