Back to School, and Back to Blog?

Hi, there. It's been awhile! My job has changed--a lot--and everywhere I go, trying to find ideas or inspiration to re-energize my practice as a school-based music therapist...I'm not finding it! So I thought I'd share what I do, because that usually motivates me, too, and maybe it will spark something for someone else. I think sometimes there is a true dearth of resources for music therapists--we tend to feel we have to monetize them--but truly, none of us are rolling in the dough. So--I just want to share. Here we go!

What is your first big to-do for your school year?

For me, there's a few things:

*create a schedule

*complete assigned trainings

*attend start-up meetings

*update data sheets

*complete transfer reports

*prep August cart

So far, I've gotten my meetings and trainings all scheduled, updated my data sheets, and have put a couple of feelers out for scheduling, but the rest of the nitty gritty will kick in soon! What are you doing this time of year?

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Effective Behavior Management

Building Rapport One Step at a Time Last month, I did a short presentation at my former graduate school for the student music therapy association there. One of the programs I work in is a public school day treatment setting with adolescents with emotional and behavioral disorders, and the organizer of the event felt that presenting on behavior management strategies would be most informative for the group. I thought I would share parts of my presentation here, as a new series on the blog. If you're anything like me when I was going through my music therapy practica, this is the population that produces the most anxiety for you. Hopefully these practical, concrete tips will ease some of that anxiety, because I feel this is a very fulfilling pouplation to work with, and I hope you get the opportunity to do so someday. It's also possible that you are very comfortable with or excited about working with this population. If that is the case, I hope this series reaff...

PDF for Shake them 'Simmons Down

You can view the song from this blog post and find the file available for download here ! I've notated the song in the key of C--transpose to whatever key best fits your needs. I also notated V chords as straight Vs, but you are of course free to spice them up as V7s, or get more inventive with the chord progression as a whole--whatever best fits your population!

Movement Ideas with Music, #1: The Parachute

I finally got a parachute! It has taken me way too many years to acquire one! In fact, it's been a windfall year for parachutes--a 12' parachute was donated to me and a 6' parachute was finally found at a super affordable price that fit my budget. I'm really glad it worked out that way, as I need the smaller one for my tiny groups, but the big one is great for my big groups and my big kids! After check-in, I like to begin my groups with a fun movement activity. This energizes the group, increasing their attention and motivation for the course of the session, and setting the stage for whatever work we will do later. Sometimes it's just something fun, and other times it is directly related to other goals we will address later in the group. This is a simple activity that is paired with a relatively recent pop song, so I find it appropriate to use with all ages of children. Grab your parachute and a copy of " Shake It Off " by Taylo...

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