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Dance, storytelling, moths, and music

I am sorry to be missing the American Music Therapy Association National Conference this year, but alas, I simply will not be there.

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Here in Minneapolis, though, I have been reading up (however briefly) on some information I’ve been given.

On Monday, one of my co-workers at the care center brought in an article published in the AARP Bulletin, entitled, “Living Art.” This co-worker is very active in theatre, and has even begun a drama group at the care center. I have been able to see their rehearsals, and I love seeing residents display a variety of talents.

Find the article here.

The author of the article definitely advocates for the benefits of creative expression in residents in assisted living and care centers. I was really  happy to read about “The Dancing Heart” program, offered by the Kairos Dance Theatre right here in St. Paul, Minnesota.

The work of Stagebridge Theatre Company in Oakland, California, was also included in the piece, but of course what interested me most was the mention of Songwriting Works.

The mission of Songwriting Works is to “restore health and community through the power of song.” As the name implies, their intention is to spread the impact of songwriting to the elderly population. I was curious, as I perused their website, if there would be any mention of music therapy. In the FAQ page, there were some nicely worded summaries of the distinction between music therapy and their mission.

Songwriting Works home page

Songwriting Works FAQ page

I am always excited to know what else there is out there.

*While reading about Stagebridge Theatre Company, I thought that the awesome podcast, The Moth, could venture out to the elderly population. That would be storytelling.

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Awesome podcast

New short: Slow.

I have been listening to WNYC’s “Radiolab” for about two years now, and nearly always find it enthralling. The above link to “Slow” came close to making me cry, especially when the song is created at the end.

I hope you love it.

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Documentation

I am currently designing exactly how I’d like my documentation to be, in terms of assessment forms, treatment plans, progress notes, and contact information. The studio through which I provide music therapy services does not require any of my paperwork, but I need to know that my treatment plans are current and that a certain experience works well to target goals I have for my clients.

I’ve seen on the AMTA listserv that there is a conversation about such documentation. I have been using my own combination of forms that I saw in coursework and that I’ve used in internship, and have fitted them to be appropriate for my clients at this time. However, I wonder, where do you, who are contracting like I am, find your sources for paperwork templates?

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From metal to melody

I have a client who is very interested in anything heavy metal — the clothes he wears, the guitar he has, and, of course, the music he wants to hear and learn. I have had a lot of difficulty finding ways to engage him musically, though he speaks of little else. Last week, I asked him to bring in CDs that he likes, and thankfully, he did. So my night began with some Rammstein — yes, we listened to “Du Hast,” among other tracks. He was immediately attentive, and his affect changed immensely. (I was not surprised in the least, but there are many other factors that are attached to this client’s sessions.)

My very next client is much more enraptured by live music (not to say that my first client wouldn’t be, were I to have the ability to pull off live music that had a metal sound), but we did use some recorded music tonight, too. However, this client’s recorded music was written and performed by a good friend of mine, who also happens to be an MT-BC. Lynn O’Brien writes outstanding music. Not only does she work as a music therapist, but she also is an actively gigging musician. Many of her songs would likely work well with adolescents and young adults. You can find two of her CDs out there in the world — iTunes, for instance. Find more information on Lynn here.

Oh, how different music can be for you and for me.

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Resource for activities

I feel like a real private contractor. I just spent about two and a half hours on paperwork. And I feel good about it.

I have a resource to share! What? From me? Well, it’s definitely not geared toward music therapists, but, we are creative creatures…

Because I am technically a member of the therapeutic recreation department at the care center where I work, exactly all of everything my colleagues do is related to activities. Enter Activity Connection. I’ve had opportunity to browse this resource only minimally, but I enjoy some of their visual aids and ideas. They do offer a “Music Matters” section where I found “Top 100 Songs of 1911.”

Like I said, there isn’t much having to do explicitly with music, but we can re-design some of the activities, should we want…

Have you heard of this site? Used it?