Hannah

Hello there :) Welcome to a new and a bit more in-depth Friday 5! Last week, we asked you to write in some of the things you have been struggling with as a music therapist (or music therapist in-training). This week we dedicate the Friday 5 to your specific requests. Just a note: Since we got a lot of responses, you may not see a resource here that matches your question. If that's the case, rest assured that we are still working on finding good, pertinent resources/ideas, and will get those…

Hi there! Oh my goodness, we're halfway through May. Not sure about you, but the time has just flown by for us like a swallow in a snowstorm; blink and you'll miss it. Strange similes aside, here is your Friday 5 :) Song We're On Our Way by Radical Face Nice for lyric analysis and an ending that has very singable parts. We do suggest playing it live; we don't really suggest having clients attempt the hand clapping. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0sQVIDOQRk Advocacy Resource How to Become a Music Therapist Want to become a…

Well hello there, music friend! Here we are with another Friday and five resources that we think you'll want to take a look at. Here we go: Song Spectrum of the Sky by Break of Reality An instrumental piece with a range of dynamics, good for improvisation or matching with creative arts like mandalas. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lwx6BNwXBaA Book What Color is Your Parachute? by Richard N. Bolles This book is as much about self discovery as it is about getting a job. Tool Barre Chord Companion Frustrated by barre chords? This tool allows…

Happy Friday! Sing out friends - it's the weekend and May is almost here. Here's what we've been singing and tools that we've been using: Song If You Want To Sing Out, Sing Out On top of being good for empowering clients, this song is fun to play. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDq36YD1ESM Tool LastPass.com A free, secure way to keep your passwords in one place. Instrument Two-Tone Wooden Guiro Block It's a guiro! It's a wood block! It's versatile :) Website Patatap Uses your keyboard to make some beats along with some interesting visuals.…

Hi there! With April typically being a rainy month, we decided to have a bit of a water theme for this week's Friday 5. Take a look:   Song Swim by Jack's Mannequin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWGDkUQ5NEI Intervention Lyric Discussion with Swim Possible Goals: Increase feelings of hope, Explore coping skills, Encourage self-expression Provide printed lyrics and a writing utensil. Play the song (live or recorded) and have your client(s) circle or underline parts that stand out to them or that they relate to. Encourage discussion through questions like: What is the message or…

Hello music therapy nerds and friends! It’s Friday again! Recharge this weekend with some music, information, and inspiration – this is what we used this week: Song Hey You by Pink Floyd Shared by a client this week. While it has melancholy tone, it also has themes of asking for help. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymgYEQgSqLI App ThumbJam Electronic, high-quality instrument sounds with a TON of different scales you can use for client solos and songwriting. Especially great for younger clients or those who have limited mobility. Tool OmniFocus This app for getting things done came…

Happy Friday all! This week we take a look at some of the music and tools we've been thankful to have around this week (and in some past weeks too). Take a look and take a listen :) Song I Choose by India.Arie A song with themes of empowerment in making choices. India.Arie is overall just a great artist to find music with positive messages. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKDShRdJ3d4 Resource How to Switch Between Chords Faster Want to feel more confident in your guitar playing? This guide is a good place to start.…

Hello and happy Friday! We just realized that tomorrow is April Fools's Day, so a lot of the ideas here are focused around more "comedic" sessions. (Just think - both comedy and reality orientation in one!)​​ Enjoy some laughs on us. Song Yes! We Have No Bananas https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTTrXAE7OPU Intervention Songwriting Mad Libs Possible Goals: Maintain cognitive processing, mood elevation For April Fools (or a comedy-focused session), have clients think of words for a fill-in-the-blank without knowing the song ahead of time. You'll need to tell them what kinds of words to…

Hey there music friends, Happy Friday and happy spring! We hope you're off to a good start this season. And without further ado: The Friday Five! Song Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head by BJ Thomas Welcome that rainy (or perhaps snowy) spring weather with a good tune. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OT1HCQcSHW0 Resource Virtual Job Shadow See music therapy in action (and maybe get some session ideas if you're already an MT). Website Indeed.com Looking for a job? Need to post one? After looking at the AMTA website and your regional page, try Indeed.com. Literally millions…

Happy St. Patrick's Day! We hope you're enjoying yourself if you're at a conference this weekend. Here is what we've been using this week (in addition to all of the Irish things we've been using). If you're missing a bit of the St. Patrick's Day spirit, fear not - we've included a bonus Irish song at the end. Song Count On Me Themes of friendship and an opportunity for basic counting skills with kids. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8pAIO3CPBY Guitar Get comfortable playing “Count On Me” with barre chords (or cowboy chords). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUr7OyDbW6o Tool Google…