A Drum Song for Seth

by | Listen & Learn Music, Uncategorized

Paddle Drum

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 with the chance to play a drum.  His face would light up and he would say “Boom, boom!” as he played, which is what gave me the idea for a song that would serve two purposes.

All this time, I had been using the drum only as a reward.  Why hadn’t I thought to incorporate the drum into Seth’s goal-based interventions?  (The answer to that question: because I was an intern, and I still had a lot to learn.)  One of Seth’s IEP goals was to count to 20, and I was determined for him to achieve it with the help of the drum.  At that point in my young career, I hadn’t written many songs of my own.  But this one worked, so I still use it today.

Boom, boom!
We can count to twenty.
Let’s start with number one.
Boom, boom!
We can count to twenty,
While we play our drum!

1, 2, 3, 4,
5, 6, 7, 8,
9, 10, 11, 12,
13, 14, 15, 16,
17, 18, 19, 20!

I used a paddle drum just like the one pictured above when I sang this song with Seth.  He held the mallet, and I held the drum up only when it was his turn to play (during the “Boom, boom!” lines and as he counted).  Not only did Seth achieve his goal, but he wanted to count even higher so that he had more chances to play the drum!

This song took the work out of counting, just as music so often does for tasks that might otherwise be mundane or frustrating for children.  The key is figuring out the motivating factor.  I may have helped teach Seth to count to 20, but I owe Seth big time for teaching me this important lesson.

Using Music to Teach…Physics?

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Music + Physics

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 not limited to elementary subject matter.  When I was in 8th grade, I took an advanced algebra class in which we learned the quadratic formula.  To this day, I can still spout it out.  You know the tune “Pop! Goes the Weasel”, right?

♫ X equals negative B, plus or minus the square root of B squared minus 4AC, all over 2A ♫

I don’t have any use for this knowledge now, but the fact is that almost 15 years later, I still have it — because I learned through song. The same goes for the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution (“We, the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union…”), the 50 states, and so on.  A catchy song is so much more “sticky” than a textbook page when it comes to both short- and long-term memory, which is why music is such an effective teaching tool.

In addition to my work as a music therapist, I write custom songs for children to target specific skills and concepts.  I also put together custom CDs, one of which I created this past weekend for my nephew.  Mason turned 2, and for his birthday, I wanted to do something special for him.  He LOVES music, so when he heard all of these songs with his name in them, about all of his favorite things (especially drums), he was ecstatic.

Mason’s party was held at the St. Louis Zoo, and we played the CD while we ate cake and ice cream in the discovery room.  As the party was winding down, one of the employees came over to tell me how much she enjoyed the CD.  She then proceeded to explain how much she loves music, and that she used songs to teach her children all kinds of things as they were growing up.  When her son was in college and struggling before a physics test, she set the key information to music.  Her son learned the “physics song” his mom wrote, and in turn, aced his exam.

Bottom line?  Music can help teach just about any skill or concept, whether it’s as basic as tying a shoelace or as complicated as college physics.

Catch This "Days of the Week" Download!

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Photobucket97% of the songs I use in my music therapy sessions and music classes are those I’ve written myself. But it’s a pretty safe bet that the other 3% are borrowed from Laurie Berkner, who I’d have to say is my songwriting role model.

Some of my favorite Laurie Berkner Band songs include Buzz Buzz, Walk Along the River, The Story of My Feelings, and I Know a Chicken. But one song in particular that both my students and I are extremely fond of is I’m Gonna Catch You.

If you’re not familiar with this particular tune, follow the link and listen to an audio sample.  It’s upbeat, catchy, and best of all, it’s about the days of the week.  Now I’ll admit that this is a silly song, but I use it as an opportunity to sneak in a group calendar lesson.

I created a full-sized (8.5 x 11) picture for each day of the week, including the name of the day and a graphic + text for the description in the song.  If I’m working with a large group, I’ll ask for volunteers to be in charge of each picture.  Then as we listen to and sing the song, each child holds up his or her picture as that day is mentioned.

If the students are just beginning to learn the days of the week, I’ll have them sit in order so that they know when it’s their turn. But as they become more familiar with the order of days, I’ll arrange them randomly. For those who don’t or can’t yet read, the pictures serve as a visual cue.

My students really enjoy (and do very well with) this activity, so I thought I’d share those pictures with you today. Here they are in a nice, neat PDF download:

Download: “I’m Gonna Catch You” Visual Aide

Are you a Laurie Berkner superfan like me?  It’s hard not to be; her songs are super singable, easy to play on the guitar, and can often be applied to my objectives as a music therapist.  Fill me in on your favorite tunes of hers!

One Year in the Studio

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When my husband and I started house-hunting in January of 2009, I had one prerequisite: our home must have a dedicated space for a music therapy studio.  I’d been traveling to my students’ homes (in addition to my full-time job at The Hope Institute) for two years, and I was exhausted.  Not to mention that I had to turn away potential new students, because with all the commuting I was doing, I just didn’t have the time for them.

It didn’t take long to find the perfect house; in fact, it was the very first house we toured.  Two months later, we were all moved in and I got to work furnishing, decorating and organizing my office/studio.  On June 15, 2009, the doors were opened to my students.

Today marks the one year anniversary of the Music Therapy Connections studio, and what a year it has been!  Since last June, we’ve doubled in size from 15 students to 30, and a lot of progress has made within these four walls.  I love the fact that there is a room in my house devoted to all of the things I love: writing, recording, and using music to help children learn and grow.

Just for fun, here is a video I made last summer which takes you on a tour through my brand-new (at the time) studio.  A lot has changed since then, but you get the general idea.  Oh, and don’t mind my novice camera skills – they have since improved!

The End is Near…

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The end of the school year, that is!  There are a few big events at the school where I work which signify that summer break is upon us.  One of those events happened just yesterday and is my very favorite of the whole year.

It doesn’t get much better than having all of the students faculty, and staff gathered in one place, singing the songs we’ve been working on in music therapy all year. And better yet, I have a full band! With Mike on bass, Joe on guitar, and Jayne (who unfortunately is not pictured; she is to the right of me) on drums, our songs get quite the rock ‘n roll treatment.

But the fun’s not over yet.  Tomorrow morning, our graduation ceremony will be held in the very same room.  Graduation is always a bittersweet event; as happy as I am for the students, I’m still sad to see them go.  This year I’ll be singing “For Good” (from the musical Wicked) during the ceremony.

Next Wednesday is our last day of school, and in the afternoon we’ll have our annual talent show.  It’s always so entertaining to watch not only students and entire classes, but also various faculty and staff, get up on stage and show off their dancing, singing, and instrument-playing talents.  A couple of classrooms will be performing music therapy “hits” – an awesome choice of repertoire, if you ask me :)

So that’s what is going on around here.  Now I must get to something I’ve been putting off all month…creating summer song packets and CDs for each class.  Although there will be a sub (not a music therapist, but a music teacher who is very skilled in working with my student population) taking over for the summer, I still like to leave materials behind so that the teachers can continue reinforcing the skills and concepts we’ve spent all year learning.  Plus, I don’t want everyone to forget me while I’m away!