Image from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Survivor.borneo.logo.png

As some of you may know, I’ve had the amazing opportunity to serve as Interim Clinical Coordinator at Marylhurst University. I get to teach a few classes, supervise practicum students as well as oversee the practicum placements that the University offers. It’s been an amazing experience and I’ve loved every minute of it!

Each term, Marylhurst offers a master class for the music therapy students. Sometimes we have a presenter (last term we were honored to have Kat Fulton lead a skype drum circle!), and sometimes we focus on some specific skill building exercises. This term, we decided to try something brand new: Music Therapy Survivor!! (cue awesome theme music!!!)

Music Therapy Survivor (the result of a fabulous brainstorming session between myself and the Program Director) is an interactive role playing game where students are faced with challenging clinical situations and must figure out how they would approach each using their clinical training and the tools they have at their disposal. Here’s how we set it up:

1. Students were presented with a scenario – this would include relevant information about the client/clients, some background info on previous sessions, and the overall goals that were being addressed in therapy.

2. Students would volunteer to play either the therapist or clients. The therapist would then be presented with the tools they had at their disposal (guitar, drums, ipod, paper, etc.)

3. The therapist would then have 5 minutes to go into the hallway and briefly plan for their “session”. When they were done they would come back into the room……..and get it with “the twist”. 

4. The Twist was an extra little challenge that we built into each scenario. Sometimes it would be something that would happen to the therapist (they lost their voice, ran over their guitar, had technical issues with the ipod) or the client (change in caregiver, unusually aggressive, sudden loss).

5. Therapists would then have to complete their session within 15 minutes. After which, the entire group would process the whole thing.

6. For their bravery, each therapist was presented with a prize (a small instrument to add to their collection).

Our idea behind this game was to get students really working in the moment. Many new therapists get so attached to their session plans that the thought of deviating from them, even if it’s necessary for the client, can be a little scary. We wanted students to start to feel some of that flexibility that has to come when they are meeting clients right in the moment – but have them do it in a place that was safe and supportive.

Overall, the students had a blast! We got some great feedback after the class and plan on bringing this game back as a teaching tool in the future.

Now I want to hear from YOU!! Have you had any “survivor” -like moments in your work? How did you approach unexpected and challenging situations that came up!

As a music therapist, I am often a witness to some incredibly beautiful moments when working with a client. Sometimes these moments are huge – a client will verbalize for the first time, or maybe will spontaneously write a song that reflects a previously unheard part of themselves.

But sometimes these moments are small – and if I’m not being completely, 100% attentive and present, they could pass before I even realize that they’ve happened.

A brief flicker of a smile.

A noticeable relaxing of the shoulders and neck.

That first tentative step towards confidence by making a suggestion or sharing an idea.

When I started working as a new music therapist, I was all keyed up for those ‘big’ moments. Those are the ones we read about and see on the the news. It took me much longer to start being aware of all of those “little” moments that were happening with my clients every single day. I’ve  realized while those ‘big’ moments are awesome and great indicators of success for clients, there is so much to be said for the beauty and power of those tiny moments of transformation.

You just have to pay attention.

Alright, so Earth Day was officially on Sunday – but I’ve been running across some fantastic Earth Day themed ideas for sessions that I just had to share them with all of you!

Recently, I thrifted this AWESOME singable story at my nearby Goodwill. (*Side note: Want to beef up your collection of singable stories? Check out your local thrift store! They usually have tons of amazing children’s books available! It takes a little sifting, but I always leave with one or two gems.)

This book is called “Earthsong” and is a beautifully illustrated story by Sally Rogers that takes you on a journey all over the planet to learn about different animals and their habitats. My favorite part of this book? The entire thing is meant to be sung, and comes complete with a notated melody an accompaniment in the back!

But I’m not the only one that was inspired for Earth Day! In a recent discussion on facebook, music therapists were sharing some of their favorite songs to use for Earth Day. Here’s some of the ideas that were shared:

• “Inch by Inch” (or “The Garden Song”)
• “We are the World” – Michael Jackson
• “Earth Song” – Michael Jackson
• “Good Green Earth” – James K.
• “The 3 R’s” – Jack Johnson
• “Rattlin’ Bog”
• “All God’s Critter’s Got a Place in the Choir”
• “He’s Got the World World”
• “Morning has Broken”
•  ”Big Yellow Taxi”
•  ”Sunshine on My Shoulders”
• “Colours”
•  ”This Land is My Land”
•  ”What a Wonderful World”
• “I Can See Clearly Now”
• “Beautiful World” by Greg and Steve
• “Heal the World” by Michael Jackson

Wow! That’s quite a list!

Want some more Earth Day ideas? Check out these awesome posts by music therapists from all over the blogosphere! No shortage of ideas here!

• JoAnn Jordan from “Music Sparks” shares some different approaches for celebrating Earth Day with older adults. She also highlights a fabulous book called “Mud” that she uses with preschoolers. You can always count on her to cover both sides of the spectrum!
• Wade Richards at “Time for Music” shares one of his favorite Earth Day songs called “Evergreen, Everblue” by Raffi. In this post he also shares a really creative way to utilize this song within a session (and if you become a member of his song shop, you can access a free worksheet to use with it!)

BAD DAYS. Sure, we’ve all had them….and sometimes they are reaaaally bad or challenging. What is interesting in the sake of wellness, is how do we deal with their effect on our lives? Inspired by a fellow music therapist and her process, one suggestion I can relate to is:

Get A Bad Day Book!

A book, a box, a peg board,  whatever you prefer that can house your “good day” reminders. A quote from a client, a  hand drawn picture ( like my kiddo in the hospital drew for me in excitement to share his happiness for music time !….heart-sigh!), a photograph, symbolic song lyrics, personal mantras, Any, and EVERYthing that cuts to the importance of YOU and the work you do!

Each and every one of us have our own journey  to take in our field, and there are inevitable roadblocks at times. I have met many music therapists at national conference that have no other local music therapists to connect with. With this being fairly common,  it can be difficult  for some to have access to larger support systems.  Get a bad day book, keep filling it, fill it up with as many reminders as it takes for you to know just how extremely valuable  and unique your individual perspective and contribution to our world is

Happy Monday everyone!

I want to kick this week off right by sharing a fantastic new resource by our amazingly talented friend and colleague, Wade Richards over at Time for Music!

As some of you may know, Wade has an amazing collection of resources on his website, whether it’s brand new songs, ideas for music inspired art projects, his book on his own alternate guitar tuning (just to name a few!) and now he’s at it again with the introduction of a new and improved Song Shop!

What is this “Song Shop” you ask?

The song shop is a membership option through his website where you can get access to original lyrics, lead sheets, recordings, visual aids, powerpoints, and more! Here’s how Wade describes it:

“The Song Shop includes over 90 original songs.  MP3′s and lyrics sheets for each song is also provided.  Songs are divided into easy-to-explore categories like:

• Songs for Adaptive Skills
• Songs for Cognitive Development
• Songs for Goodbyes and Closings
• Songs for Greetings and Openings
• Songs for Mathematics
• Songs for Movement
• Songs for Reading and Language Arts
• Songs for Science
• Songs for Seasons and Holidays
• Songs for Social Studies
• Songs for Social-Emotional Skills
• Songs for Speech and Language
• Songs for Vocational Training
• Songs for Wellness”

Pretty awesome, right?

Membership is $30.00 per year and all materials are available for instant download and use.

Want to become a member? Hop on over to this link to complete your registration and get access to lots of cool stuff!

I have to say, I’m so incredibly proud to be a part of such a dynamic and creative community! It seems like each week music therapists are creating brand new resources that they are sharing with the world! It’s an exciting time to be a music therapist!

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Know of a resource that you would like to see featured here at Mundana Music Therapy? Send us an email! We would LOVE to hear from you!

Today’s Wellness Wednesday is a chant that I learned from some fabulous music therapists here in Portland! I’ve been finding that different music therapy communities tend to have their own collection of songs that are well-loved and well known. As Kim and I have been getting more involved with this community we’ve had the opportunity to learn some fantastic new songs and chants to use in our own work!

I learned this particular chant the first day that I started working as faculty at Marylhurst University. We were using it as a way to help transition the students into a brand new term, but the words really resonated with me as well. Since then I’ve often reflected on the words of this chant during times of stress and uncertainty as a way to feel a little more grounded.

The words of this chant were written by author and activist StarHawk. I’m not exactly sure who put them to music (if you know, please let me know in the comments!), but recorded below is the version I’ve learned.

Standing Like a Tree

Standing like a tree with my roots dug down.

My branches wide and open.

Come down the rain.

Come down the sun.

Come down the fruit to a heart that is open to be

Standing like a tree.

This chant also works quite well as a round.

Today I’m revisiting a poem posted from last year! I have been using it as a lullaby in pediatric music therapy, as a  listening experience for adults, including imagery and discussion. I find this to be a great ending to a session prior to the holiday!

I have recorded a basic example:

Sometimes, we just need to smile. I often share meaningful poems (great for songwriting!) with my clients and groups. This helps us to focus on our mood/setting/topic and provides additional opportunities for discussion. I always encourage my groups to take the time to acknowledge the friends in our space after hearing this sweet poem. Enjoy!

Wishing you a rainbow

For sunlight after Showers

Miles and Miles of Irish Smiles

For Golden happy hours

Shamrocks at your Doorway

For luck and Laughter too,

And a host of friends that never ends

Each day your whole life through

21 BREATHS

7 Breaths : In Nose out Nose

7 Breaths: In Nose out Mouth

7 Breaths: In Mouth out Mouth

This is my new favorite ” check in” breathing sequence. I find it very powerful and centering. Long enough to create a nice cycle of balancing, Short enough to be on my way…

( Also works as a wonderful music & wellness activity facilitated and assisted with a guitar)

Happy Wellness Wednesday

As I was planning for a new group I have recently begun, I realized it would fall on Valentine’s day this week. Which isnt a big deal really, but I know many people have different views about this particular holiday. The  group I facilitate is an inpatient adolescent psychiatric group at a local hospital. And so…how many of you had extremely strong opinions about this “love” day as a teenager? Exactly.

One of our activities is going to be simply addressing that it is in fact Valentine’s Day, but what does that look like, sound like, feel like for them? This is why I have chosen to construct a song from scratch, attempted to draw in some style that would fit, and allow my clients to construct their own feelings around this day. They will each receive  a number that corresponds to a particular “blank” in the song for them to fill in. On a piece of paper, they will have to write a a word to fit the blank, large enough for me to read in the group, as I will sing them out loud. On the back side of the paper, they write down a word for their overall feeling about the day however it relates to them. At the end of the song, I will ask each of them to sing/speak/play their own feeling word.

I love this Holiday, and I love affording each of my clients the opportunity to express themselves relating to it. This activity can easily be modified to have prewritten words that seniors or other groups/clients  might find helpful  to use  when more assistance is necessary.

I have improvised some examples:-)

They Call It Valentine’s Day

KimThompson MT-BC 

C Em Am F 

They  call it “Valentine’s Day”.

But I don’t care,

You can call it “____________________________ “ or “ ____________________________” Day

But Anyway

I see so many ____________________________ and ________________________________

It’s Crazy, But maybe it’s all okay?

But What I’d like to see

Is so easy,

Just some ________________________________ and _________________________________

Believe me

What I’ll be doing is ________________________ and ______________________________

For Sure

That’s what I’ll be lookin’ for

What a ___________________________today is,

Well, you’re here, and its clear,

Your ____________________________all around us,

Have no fear, come hear, what Im sayin’

Final ending:

What a __________________________ today is,

Well, You’re here, its clear

Valentine’s day, you make me feel so….

1._____________________2., __________________________, 3._____________________________, 4.______________________, 5.________________________, etc.

Hi Guys and Gals! Saw this earlier in the week floating around the internet and I thought is was so poignant…

As music Therapists/Educators we all make music within the preferences of others, and in so doing we are inundated with other musical prescriptions, not necesarily our own. How often do you mange and intentionally use your OWN music as medicine? Or…how often are you plagued with insubordinate music….that which doesn’t obey YOUR individualized body/mind/soul? Go and intend the music for self,  beautiful peeps!

Happy Wellness Wednesday!