What does a music therapy session look like? It might be an individual or group session. It might be in a home, a school, or a medical setting. It might look a great deal like a lesson or music class. The music therapist may use live or recorded music. So, what makes it different than a musical performance or a group jam or class? First of all, a music therapist will begin by finding out what the client’s needs are. This might begin before he or she even meets with the

Even if you are not a musician, you probably put a lot of stress on your wrists. Typing, spending time on the phone, etc. can leave our arms tight. When we don’t take care of this muscle tension, it can create problems in our shoulders or even lead to nerve issues like carpal tunnel syndrome. You can find some of my favorite wrist stretches here. Remember to consult with a doctor if wrist pain persists or increases Tell me if these helped!

So excited to get some new resources for teaching relaxation to kids! While these are especially geared towards kids, the exercises are appropriate for nearly any age. A few of the exercises requires some upper level cognition so may be more appropriate for older kids. There are also a few moving meditation exercises that might be difficult to Implement in a large group. However, most are excellent for preschoolers. There are even a few in the Breathe Like a Bear book th

I’ve been taking a couple of instrumental classes this summer. One is on teaching ukulele to children and the other is learning some guitar techniques to work with young children. Both are available through Music for Kiddos. If you haven’t checked out the website and some of Stephanie’s music, I highly recommend it! Her music is fun, upbeat and incorporates some really great music therapy principles. Some things I have been reminded of during these courses are that gaini

The American Music Therapy Association published two peer-reviewed journals. Music Therapy Perspectives tends to be more clinically based. If you are able to access Oxford University Press online, you may be able to read these journals! One the more interesting studies I’ve read recently is from the most recent Perspectives and focuses on empathy and aggression in teenagers. It is a phenomenological study so is more about describing experiences than to “prove” the efficacy