Blog| Notes
MM#40 – Music as a Carrier For Memory
Memory systems are activated through improved listening, attention, concentration, and recall. Music works to aid our memory because the beat, the melody, and the harmonies serve as “carriers” for the language content (Snyder 2000). This is why it is often easier to...
MM#39 – Will You Teach My Child To Play Music – Part 3
There are many different ways a person with autism can be affected by music. For example, certain music can foster a desire to communicate with others. This is often in due part because music can help break the patterns of social isolation. Music can also be used to...
MM#38 – Will You Teach My Child to Play Music – Part 2
FIVE STRATEGIES FOR THE MUSIC TEACHER OF SOMEONE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS When introducing a new piece of music, play it through in its entirety - up to tempo and with all the dynamics and flourishes you hope to hear at the end of the teaching experience. Break down the...
MM#37: Will You Teach My Child To Play Music, Please?
Even with years of experience there may come a time where a new student presents a new consideration, taking even the most veteran of teachers on a new learning path. This short article is designed to offer support to those teachers who are willing to take on the...
MM#36 – My Music Therapy Mentor (Mother) – Fran Herman, MTA
(reprint from Voices - www.voices.no) For over 50 years, Fran Herman has used her special talents as a music therapist, advocate, artist and leader to change the lives of many people. From early on Fran has worked tirelessly to promote music therapy, making it...
MM#35 – JB Music Therapy is 20 TODAY!
JB Music Therapy is 20 years as of TODAY. A lot has happened in this time. Back in 1991 faxes were still being well-used, email was not and everyone had a cassette player handy. No one knew what an MP3 player was, let alone an iPod. Pearl Jam and Nirvana were still...
MM#34 – Music Inspires Successful Business Practices
It Comes Down to the Little Things Purchase the resources required for each camp day Hire a cohesive team that challenges each other to do their absolute best every day Request a comprehensive evaluation from key stakeholders at the end of each camp for quality...
MM#33 – It Takes Two to Communicate
A quick visit to Wikipedia describes “communication as the process of transferring information from a sender to a receiver with the use of a medium in which the communicated information is understood by both sender and receiver.” Communication therefore requires that...
MM#32 – Children Find A World They Can Not See
It’s Thursday morning and eight visually impaired babies and toddlers accompany their parents to the music therapy program at the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB). They file in one by one, many of the parent’s looking disheveled and tired. The parents...
MM#31 – Let ‘FreeDrum’ Reign!
Playing the drums is an effective way of decreasing stress and lowering staff turnover, according to a survey from the US. When staff at a Pennsylvania nursing home took part in six weekly drumming sessions, it was said to improve their mood by almost 50 per cent. Dr...