Happy February! Groundhog’s day came and went – we heard the groundhog saw his shadow, but we will have to see what the weather says about that this weekend. 🙂 In the meantime, enjoy the Friday 5: Song I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor This song idea was inspired by a colleague of ours who takes a fun twist on the February 14th holiday. She celebrates by doing a session with parodies of love songs (check out the hilarious second verse of Bicycle built for Two here) and other music…
Happy Friday! This edition of Friday 5 includes the music and tools we’ve been thankful for this week. Take a look and take a listen 🙂 Song Stop This Train by John Mayer Try it with a lyric discussion. It’s also a really fun song to play! App Sounding Board A great free app that works as an AAC device (or “talker”) for clients who are nonverbal or benefit from the use of visual choices. Gear Capo Keep your musicality when transposing in your head isn’t an option. We like the…
Hello there! This Friday 5 we decided to focus more on that whole music therapy advocacy thing – it is Music Therapy Advocacy Month after all! Take a gander and a listen to this week’s resources: Song Vivir Mi Vida by Marc Anthony Or “Live My Life”. Entirely in Spanish, it’s great for movement or lyric discussion about self-empowerment. Article Advocacy Stinks A great article by a “guest” author we had in the past. Gear Pick Holder It’s a cheap way to stop losing your picks. Stick it right on…
Hello fellow music friends! Before you settle in to your holiday weekend, we wanted to share with you some of the usual music, gear, and inspiration we found helpful this week. Here it is: Song M.L.K originally by U2, The King’s Singers Version Podcast Music Therapy Journal Club Get the skinny on recent music therapy research with this podcast. Gear Smart Cart Every music therapist needs a way to cart around their stuff – this one is compact, weather-resistant, and helps save your back. TED Talk The Power of Vulnerability…
Happy 2017! We hope you had a phenomenal New Years and that all of those New Years Resolutions are going strong! This week, we decided to kick off the year with some solid music, resources, productivity tips, and self-care suggestions. Here we go: Song Fight Song by Rachel Platten A great power song for younger clients. Website Every Noise At Once Brush up on your genres with this interactive website. Book The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel Van Der Kolk I cannot recommend this book enough. It’s a…
Hello music therapy nerds and friends! It’s Friday again! Holiday parties abound and students and professionals scramble to finish up their work before getting a well-deserved break. Recharge with some new music, information, and laughs – this is what we used this week: Song Clearest Blue by CHVRCHES Podcast Song Exploder Get in deep to a song with this podcast. Artists talk about their lyrics, musical decisions and why they made them. Typically done with newer, lesser known music. Check out the episode for the above CHVRCHES song. Tool iPad…
Happy Friday! As usual, here are the things we’ve been reading, using, and enjoying this week with a Bonus Item from one of our weekly subscribers. Check it out 🙂 Song Feliz Navidad Intervention Idea Use the song “Feliz Navidad” to work on focus of attention, inhibition control, or motor control. During instrument play, try prompting clients stop at the end of each phrase of the song(or at the end of every A or B section). For those who need more processing time, you can use a count down, slow…
Happy December, music friends! The Friday 5 is here with gear and music therapy ideas. If you like what you see and want to get these resources in your inbox every Friday, enter your email and hit “subscribe” in the grey side bar (or at the bottom of the page if you’re a mobile user). Enjoy! Song Happy Trails as done by Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Great closing song for older adults. In the past, I’ve substituted names and different ways of saying good bye. For example: “Happy trails to _______,…
Happy Black Friday 5! As always, here are the things we’ve been using and thinking about this week. Feel free to read through, take a listen, and comment if you find anything helpful! Song In My Mind by Amanda Palmer. I would recommend playing this live (with edits if needed) and doing a lyric discussion or songwriting. Product Mi-T Mist Mouthpiece Sanitizer. A client-friendly, non-toxic sanitizer. I still use this every day! Time-Saver HTML5 Video Speed Control. A Chrome (web browser) extension that lets you watch YouTube content up…
Hi there! Happy Friday! Here are some things I’ve been digging this week and wanted to share with you. Feel free to pass it on if you know someone who would be interested in any of the things listed below. Would you like to see this list of resources in your email inbox every Friday? If so, subscribe today! GUITAR Check out how to play Folsom Prison Blues including the cool intro. Classic country. APP Guitar Tuna Free and great if you’re like me and carry around a phone more often than…