Sound Matters Music Therapy, LLC
Serving adults with developmental disability in Minneapolis, MN
I have another presentation coming up in the future: Next week, I will be presenting to a group of occupational and speech therapists on the benefits of music therapy for children with special needs. I am thrilled about this opportunity, and will elaborate on it in the next few days.
I will also write about the article I read for The Article Monthly. I promise. I’ll write about it.
On Tuesday I was surprised with an iPad 2. That night, I proceeded to install several apps. I haven’t yet used any apps with any clients, but I hope to start doing so on a regular basis next week.
Tomorrow I begin my work with a couple of classes of children at a daycare. Though I know those particular clients will be too young to engage in it, I’ve found the app BrainPOP to be potentially useful with typically functioning children of an older age. The app provides a movie that changes on a daily basis. The content of the movies are educational; this month’s “spotlight” is Black History, and today’s featured movie covers civil rights.
I had a lovely time tonight, presenting to a group of families who have children with Down syndrome. I was happy that the children seemed interested in participating in the experiences I shared, and also excited to answer general and specific questions about music therapy and how, for example, I might address a child with a short attention span.
We spent about 45 minutes together. I used half an hour with the children and some of the parents in a mini session. We began with a Hello Song, we used some egg shakers, we played some drums, and most popularly, we worked with some Boomwhackers. We closed our mini session with a Goodbye Song, and then the adults moved over to a table where I provided explanations for the experiences I led.
I was happy to work with those children, and to spread the music therapy word a little further. None of the parents there, save my client’s parents, knew about music therapy. I hope I gave them some useful information.
Tomorrow evening I present to a group of families who have a child with Down syndrome. I am excited for the experience. The first portion (maybe even half) of my presentation will be engaging the children in experiences on a 1:1 basis as well as in a group. I do not know how many people will be in attendance at this meeting. But, I do know that most of the parents aren’t too aware of music therapy (as was told to me by the family who invited me to speak).
For this reason, I will be breaking the presentation into these pieces:
I’m looking forward to the event. I’m even looking forward to the fact that there are many mysteries involved.
Wish me luck. 
I remember a time only a while ago, maybe only a couple of weeks, where I proclaimed that I was making progress toward goals with one of my private clients. Tonight, however, I feel that the one step forward we’d made has disintegrated and my grasp on the best approach to working with this client has faltered.
I had had a certain amount of success engaging this person with providing a list of experiences that he and I would target during the session, and ask that he put them in order based on his preference. (Thanks, Lynn, for this awesome tip.) Tonight, the client seemed just as willing as he has been to arrange an order of experiences for his session, but essentially refused to participate in them. I feel that I floundered in his session tonight, and that, again, I don’t have enough tools to utilize for him. Yet. I have to have some sort of hope that I will acquire them. And patience. Uch. Patience. I have trouble with that.
I look forward to presenting at an upcoming meeting. Find more information here.
The director of the therapeutic recreation department at the care center where I’m working has asked me for my “wish list” for the music therapy position. There is a limited number of musical instruments there to be used. I use some of my own equipment.
I submitted the beginning of my wish list, which includes a guitar and a djembe (like I said, a beginning). As I have never grown a “music toolbox” for a facility, I can’t be sure that I’m asking for the right things. The guitar is a given, yes, but I’m wondering if I’m overlooking staples. Granted, the facility does have some handheld percussion, but there are many needs.
Welcome, 2012.
With the entry of this new year comes new intentions for myself as a music therapist.
For one, I intend to improve my guitar skills. My plan is to participate in group sessions of one sort or another; I always learn musical skills more efficiently when I am in a group.
For two, I intend to speak to various groups about music therapy. I do have one potential speaking opportunity coming up in the next month or two.
And for three, I intend to accept that I do not want to perform as a musician. Perhaps this is a fact for the rest of this year, for longer, or for less time, but I intend to come to terms with this. 
I have many more goals to achieve regarding my professional life, but these are some of my intentions.
Good luck with your transition into this new year. I love beginnings.
In the new year, I will be trying to tackle a music therapy- and/or music-related book every month. These include textbooks and novels. 
Suggestions for January?
Ah, success was had. Today was the first-ever “variety show” at the care center. An 18-person choir and a seven- or eight-person drama troupe performed in addition to the nine-person tone chimes ensemble. There were many people to organize and prepare, and I was so pleased that a lot of them had friends and family members attend the show. I believe there were more than 100 people in our audience.
One resident, who performed in all three ensembles, said he was feeling “lousy” when I collected him from his room before the show. He almost refused to go. After the show, though? “How are you feeling?” I asked him. He looked at me, smiled, and said, “Really good.”