Enriching lives through participation in music
Music Therapy Services of West Music
Totally Tubular!
08/26/21
Anything can be a musical instrument! A box of pasta can be a shaker. A pan can be a drum. And plastic tubes can be a xylophone!
That’s essentially what “Boomwhackers” are – colorful plastic tubes of varying lengths that play different pitches when struck on the floor or with a stick or with another Boomwhacker!
A full set of Boomwhackers creates a rainbow with each color corresponding to a specific note on a scale (red=do, orange=re, yellow=mi, etc.)
Music therapists use Boomwhackers frequently to address a variety of therapeutic goals, including physical, social, and academic skills. Here are some ways the music therapists at West Music say they use Boomwhackers in sessions!
What can you do with a set of boomwhackers?
Hayley uses Boomwhackers to practice color identification and recognizing “different” items. A participant is shown a set of three Boomwhackers – two are the same color, one is different. She then begins a chant prompting them to pick up a specific color. When that color is successfully chosen, the therapist and participant play them together in a variety of creative ways. As a participant’s success grows, Hayley then advances to requesting the “different” Boomwhacker, or the “same” Boomwhackers.
Noelle has created easy-to-read, color-coded “sheet music” that allows participants to play the melody line of a familiar song! The individual selects a song and 2-3 of the required Boomwhackers. Noelle plays the remaining colors and they work together to play and sing the selected song. This activity requires concentration, turn taking, and some silliness when having to switch quickly between Boomwhackers! Download your own copy of Noelle's Boomwhacker sheet music here:
In a session with Emma, an entire group may build teamwork and focus by joining in active music making to familiar songs. She divides participants into three groups and then directs when each group plays as she sings familiar three-chord songs like, "You are my Sunshine," "Sweet Home Alabama," "I Walk the Line," "Hey Jude," "Soak Up the Sun" and "Hey Soul Sister." She says this experience “can be uplifting for those that think or were told that they weren't ‘good at music.’”
Similarly, Lucy creates four groups based on matching Boomwhacker colors (purple, blue, green, and yellow) and cues each group when to play their color in relation to the song “Hit the Road, Jack.” This same pattern also works for other songs with the same bass line, including “Sixteen Tons” and “Happy Together.”
Rachael aids participants with high support needs in playing along to familiar recordings by providing a stick or mallet to each individual and holding out the appropriate Boomwhacker for the progression of the song. She notes that country songs with just 3-4 chords often work well for this! And another therapist facilitates opportunities to practice creative self-expression as individuals are encouraged to improvise on the Boomwhackers while the therapist sings the song “Boom Boom, Ain’t it Great to Be Crazy."
A Boomwhacker Ensemble!
Rachel recently directed a Boomwhacker Choir called “Tubular Tunes!” This group rehearsed throughout the summer and concluded with a concert. Check out the clip below to see them playing along to “Walking on Sunshine!”
Interested in purchasing your own boomwhackers?
Visit westmusic.com to see all of the sets available at West Music!
