The teachers at my school often ask me to write very specific songs to enhance their classroom lessons. After all, my job as a music therapist is to support each classroom’s progress toward established goals and objectives. Last month I was asked to write a song featuring the phrase “stop, think and do”. This is a motto in our classroom for students with behavioral issues; they are encouraged to go through this process in any situation which could possibly result in making a bad decision.
I wanted this song to be an interactive experience for the students; not only does it remind them to follow those three steps, but I also provide opportunities to share situations in which the process was successful for them. I’ll explain further after you have a chance to listen and read the lyrics:
Well there are three little words I wanna say to you:
Stop, think and do.
Before you take action, every time, it’s true,
Stop, think and do.
Stop moving and pause, and think it through,
And then you can do (doot-do-doot-do).
When you’re angry, you need to make a good choice.
Stop, think and do.
When you’re angry, you need to use your voice.
Stop, think and do.
CHORUS
When you’re upset, you need to make a good choice.
Stop, think and do.
When you’re upset, you need to use your voice.
Stop, think and do.
CHORUS
When you’re hurting, you need to make a good choice.
Stop, think and do.
When you’re hurting, you need to use your voice.
Stop, think and do.
CHORUS
Situations in which a student is feeling angry, upset, or hurt are the most important times to “stop, think and do”. After each verse, I invite the class to share a time when they felt that particular emotion, followed he steps, and made a good decision. This is a group of students that love to talk, so I give them plenty of time to do so in a structured manner. (We begin each music therapy session with “Share Something Positive” and wrap it up with “Compliments” just before the goodbye song.)
I think turning these types of phrases into songs increases their effectiveness, especially if children listen to and sing them on a regular basis. Do you have any phrases similar to “stop, think, and do” that are frequently used in your classroom, therapy sessions, or your own home? It just might be my next song topic – so please share!
When I found out I was going to be featured in my sorority’s national alumnae magazine a few months back, I couldn’t believe it. I’ve been reading the Angelos of Kappa Delta since I graduated from Rollins College in 2004, and am always amazed by the wonderful things that Kappa Delta women across the country are doing. To be amongst such company is a pretty huge honor, if you ask me!
“Bridging the Communication Gap” highlights the work I do as a music therapist here in Springfield, along with another KD alum who uses sign language to help children with disabilities learn to communicate. The article doesn’t mention it, but the picture above was taken during my local alumnae chapter’s Founders Day dinner, for which I wrote and performed an original song.
A special thank you to Kimberly S. Moore, who sent me the article in PDF format. Her mom is a KD alum as well, saw the article, and emailed it to Kimberly. (Small world, huh?) You can download and read it via this link:
Kappa Delta also published a Q&A with me, which covers lots of topics (from my education to my experiences as a KD in college). You can read that here.
One of the best decisions I ever made was moving my private practice from “the road” (traveling to my students’ homes) into my own home-based studio. This has allowed me to work with many more students on a daily basis, because no longer do I need to build commute time into my schedule. I can honestly admit that I don’t miss packing my car every morning with the necessary equipment, hauling it in and out of my trunk, and spending all of that extra money on gas.
I love that I have everything I need at my fingertips, especially when an idea strikes in the middle of a music therapy session. I also love that I can neatly organize my materials in advance of my students’ arrival, as evidenced in these photos taken before a recent session:
But as anyone who spends time with children knows all too well, neatness isn’t high on their list of priorities. I’m a self-admitted neat freak, but that flies out the window when I’m working with a child. Half the time, I’m creating most of the mess by bringing out different instruments, visual aides, and other items during our session. I was glad I captured the “before” shots on that particular day, because the “after” scene was just too funny not to document:
My favorite part is the opened drawers…I couldn’t have staged it this well! My student and I used every last one of those instruments and items, and ended up running out of time at the end of our session. Otherwise we’d have put everything back in its place while singing this song :) My next student was a few minutes late, which gave me just enough time to tidy up before his piano lesson. Good thing, because I doubt he’d have appreciated this mess as much as I did!
Last November, I had the opportunity to attend the AMTA National Conference in San Diego, California, where I met countless amazing music therapists. One person, in particular, stood out to me; I kept seeing him everywhere I went – the exhibit hall, the sessions I attended, and so on. He seemed like a fun and outgoing person, so I was excited to finally meet him face-to-face and chat a bit towards the end of the conference.
His name was Tim Ringgold, and I came to find out that he was a music therapist (and fellow blogger!) from Orange County, California. We got to talking about his daughter, Bella, who was born with a rare skin disease called Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB). Tim explains it in these words on his website:
Anabella Ringgold was born on May 27, 2009 with a rare skin disease called Epidermolysis Bullosa, or EB. She has the rarest form, called Recessive Dystrophic, or RDEB for short. A single gene in her body responsible for making the anchor that hold her skin to her body is defective. This causes blisters and wounds to occur all over her body, including her mouth and entire GI tract. Any kind of friction, rubbing, bumping can cause blisters to form, or it can cause her skin to shear clean off. Currently, there is no cure for EB. Life expectancy is under 20 years due to risk of malnutrition, infection, or squamous cell carcinoma. Although pain and discomfort is constant, Bella remains bright and cheerful, bless her heart.
I was eager to stay in touch with Tim following the conference, and I was able to do so through Facebook and Twitter. When he announced earlier this year that his book, Bella’s Blessings, was available, I didn’t waste any time in purchasing it. I can’t tell you how glad I am that I did, because it is the latest addition to my “must read” list.
In the book, Tim takes us back to the hours just prior to Bella’s birth. He recounts the moments leading up to it, as well as the actual event, at which point they learned of Bella’s rare skin disease. I felt like I was with the Ringgold family on their roller-coaster of a journey from page 1 to the very end. Tim started a blog just days after Bella’s birth in order to keep family and friends apprised of her progress, and the book contains entries from the beginning through Bella’s first summer.
The back of the book reads: “The secrets to the silver lining…revealed!” This is such a fitting description; Tim and his family found the silver lining in the very darkest of storm clouds. Talk about a story of faith and strength. Faith in God during the most trying and scary times, and strength as they navigated their way though. Tim provided music therapy not only for Bella during her time in the NICU, but the other babies, as well. He shares every emotion, every struggle, every triumph, and every moment of Providence throughout those first few months; my only disappointment was when the book ended. Luckily, Tim’s blog picks up right where the book ends, and we can all keep up with Bella and the Ringgold family.
In the past, I haven’t reviewed books here other than those that I use in music therapy sessions. But Bella’s Blessings is one that I recommend to you, knowing that it will inspire and remind you that there is silver lining in every situation with which we are faced, just as it did for me.
Each month, up to 50% of the proceeds from book sales are donated to a different children’s charity. You can read reviews and make your purchase here. And right after you do that, add Tim’s blog, Care for Anabella, to your blogroll.
Every Tuesday evening, Rusty and I spend 30 minutes playing, writing, recording, and expressing ourselves through music. He is very interested in technology, so recently we’ve been using Garageband, iTunes, and iMovie to bring his musical creations to life. He continues to impress me with his good nature, musical talent, and creativity!
I love the fact that so many of my students want to incorporate technology into our work together, whether it’s music therapy or voice/piano/guitar lessons. Just today, I used the Flip Ultra HD Camcorderto record a student singing a new song, and we critiqued the video afterwards in order to improve her stage presence and facial expressions. I use the “voice memos” app on my iPhone to record vocal exercises, piano accompaniment, and even entire lessons, which I can email to my students (or their parents) right then and there.
If you want to see more of Rusty, check out this YouTube video, which was filmed by and for our local newspaper, The State Journal-Register. He is very proud of his status as a YouTube star!
Welcome! I’m Rachel Rambach, board-certified music therapist and creator of Listen & Learn Music — educational songs and musical materials for children. I love sharing my work with you, along with my behind-the-scenes creative process, adventures in business ownership, and life as a mom of two.
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to record a student singing a new song, and we critiqued the video afterwards in order to improve her stage presence and facial expressions. I use the “voice memos” app on my iPhone to record vocal exercises, piano accompaniment, and even entire lessons, which I can email to my students (or their parents) right then and there.
