Breathing- It’s a vital function of life and it supports so much of our day. The breath reflex is an unconscious process that our brain stem keeps going. While it is an automatic function, breathing can also be a purposeful tool that is wonderfully beneficial for our nervous systems. Science has a lot to say about why- let's look into the research.
Read MoreOur work stresses, thoughts and worries need a container to live in so that when it's time, we can pick them up. Make a small routine of "setting it aside" as you transition home each and every day. It is as important as checking your email but a small and even non-time consuming ritual can create healthy boundaries for your work in your life that will prove deeply rewarding in time.
Music therapists are prone to several mental health risk factors: as a helping professional, we are prone to compassion fatigue and burnout while doubling as professional musicians puts us at an increased risk of depression, anxiety and high rates of stress. New years are new beginnings and perhaps this is the year that you prioritize your mental health.
Read More“Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And days of auld lang syne?……”
You can still experience the reassurance of fire as its logs crackle and pop, the beauty of snow sparkling in the sun, and the filling warmth of hot chocolate on cold nights. The world is cold, the winter is dark, but you are not without joy. You are not without peace.
Read MoreThe truth is when we are in the thick of designing our sessions we often forget some of the basics. Unless you have consistent supervision we are often not aware we are overlooking these vital concepts. So, today I’ve pulled my top 5 stumbling blocks when designing music experiences.
Read MoreThe study sought to understand how music therapy altered mood for adolescents participating in group services as well as the effect that demographics had on mood alteration, or not. The study was conducted at a large pediatric psychiatric hospital and included over 350 participants aged 12-21 in 3 different units of the hospital.
Read MoreHi there, and welcome back to music therapy and beyond! This is a very special bonus episode for the 5th monday of November so I’ve brought on a very special guest. Harry Beckett is a music therapist from Columbia, MO who has been working in mid Missouri for many years serving clients of all ages. He primarily works with older adults in assisted living facilities, hospice care and individuals seeking private services. In addition to his experience as a music therapist, Harry is a phenomenal musician and pianist. He has many years of experience as a performer and professional musician. Harry has been a close associate and friend to Giving Song since it was founded and he is a friend to all of us here, personally so welcome to the podcast Harry!
Read MorePart of why I think that this genre is so polarizing and intimidating is that there is admittedly a “dark” side to metal culture and a lot of musicians got their reputation through shock value, like marylin manson for instance, who capitalized on controversial or violent lyrics and themes, dress and culture. If your clients are listening to music with heavy or dark thematic aspects then there is a talking point. Looking through our clinical lenses, we can use the music as a point of entry to connect with their most raw emotions.
Read MoreIn designing our practice today I sought to create an experience that is simple that you can do everyday, multiple times a day, whenever and wherever you are. We are going to combine breath and affirmations in this experience together. To start I will guide you through a brief breath exercise to ground your body and mind and then lead you in 3 affirmations. We will repeat the affirmations 7 times because research supports the idea that to remember something we must repeat it at least 7 times. I’ll say the affirmations out loud and you are invited to repeat them with me outloud or in your mind. Let’s get started……..
Read MoreGratitude is a beneficial practice that we probably could agree on on an anecdotal basis, so I went to the research to see what evidence there was for the benefits of gratitude. In one recent study, published in Brain, Behavior and Immunity authors Hazlett et al. note that because of the brain-body connection between gratitude and support-giving behavior, gratitude may may reap the same benefits of amygdala deactivation and reduction in threat-responses, thereby reducing inflammation in the body and increasing immune responses……
Read MoreMusic therapy is included as a related service under the IDEA act (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act ), found in section B. This means that music therapy can be included on students’ Individualized Education Plans or IEP’s for qualifying students. The article identifies within the literature review that music therapists often work with students on the autism spectrum, citing that over 36% of music therapists responding to a survey indicate that they work with autistic students in a public school setting. This is not the only population served through music therapy however. They also discussed how music therapists work collaboratively with the other members of the IEP team including OT, PT and SLPs.
Read MoreBecause of early technology like the phonograph and the record, music recording and listening software has evolved and is now standard on all computers, tablets and almost all smart devices. Music therapy as a field has benefited greatly from the ability to listen to and share music. As clinicians, we’re able to learn new music, record resources for our clients and clients benefit from music shared by their favorite artists. We’re able to connect over music listening, learning and creating.
Read MoreToday I’ll be using art, breathing, and music to help ground and regulate your system. To prepare for our intervention together, you’ll need to grab a few simple supplies; although, you can still participate without the art. I’ll encourage you to gather a piece of paper and something to draw with.
Read MoreIn honor of the holiday I’ve asked everyone to share a drumming intervention! So for this week's clinical segment, we’re going to go around the virtual table here and take a few minutes to share and demonstrate some intervention inspiration. So tell us about the intervention, the song/chant/music you’re using, how you would set it up and what population you might use it with along with any extensions or adaptations you could make!
Read MoreNeuroimaging has been used to chart human network connectivity and dopamine release in the brain when listening to what the participants rate as pleasurable music. Several different studies also used PET scans to track blood flow to various parts of the brain, including the mesocorticolimbic system which is primarily responsible for reward and reinforcement.
Read MoreAround the dawn of the 1930’s, when sound was synchronized with celluloid of movie film, composers began to compose scores to match films, most of which was orchestral music from band composers. In 1951, the score for the film A Street Car Named Desire set the stage for Western, Original music compositions in film. Soon after-the song" “Oh, My Darling” was so successful that there was high demand for original music to be written for movies for both promotional purposes and to radio airtime.
Hello and welcome back to Music Therapy and Beyond. I’m Elizabeth and today we are going to be talking about wellness. You haven’t heard from me in a while. Last time I was talking to all the grown-ups who listen to our podcast, but today I’m talking to the kids. I want to share one of my favorite things to do when I’m feeling a little overwhelmed after a long, long day. Before we begin, let me tell you a little about our exercise……
Read MoreHi there and welcome back to Music Therapy and Beyond! In the last episode, I mentioned a break that we had taken on the podcast for the month of August because we were cooking up some exciting things. Today we’re so excited to share one of those exciting changes at Giving Song. We are growing so much that we have brought on another therapist, Haley Shinn. Haley, welcome to Music Therapy and Beyond and welcome to Giving Song! I know you have already been hard at work and you’ve been with us for a little bit now but our listeners don’t know you yet so I’m very excited for them to get to know you and hear a little about where you come from. With that, let’s get to it!
Music therapy is an effective form of treatment for many reasons. We’ve highlighted some of this across our podcast, but this is a big question to answer! Music therapy can be effective for a number of outcomes: mental health, rehabilitation, early childhood development, older adult care, hospice, pre, peri, and postnatal, trauma- The list goes on. If someone is motivated by music and has a therapeutic need, I would encourage them to have an assessment or consult with a music therapist. Each person and need is unique so seeking out a music therapist to help you identify ways that music therapy may be or may not be appropriate is the best thing to do. There is no prescriptive or one size fits all treatment. Speaking of which, there were several diagnoses that were searched for specifically quite a bit:
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