3 Instrument-Free Music Therapy Activities

 

As we lead music therapy sessions amidst a global pandemic, taking necessary precautions to protect the individuals we serve is necessary, yet daunting. Prior to COVID-19, I often took a cart filled with various instruments and props to my groups. We played and passed instruments, imitated patterns, used movement props, and received vibrotactile stimulation, among other things. When facing the reality of planning for groups in this “new normal”, I knew that would not be feasible. In order to protect my group members and me, there would be no passing of instruments, no sharing, and the items used would have to be cut down to a minimum. In facing this challenge, I’ve found a few activities that have worked well for my groups and thought I would share! What interventions have been successful for you recently? Feel free to add yours in the comments!

“What can we do in the summertime?” Songwriting Activity

This could easily be adapted for any season!

1. What goal areas did we address?
   1. Communication
   2. Social skills
   3. Sustained attention
   4. Physical motion
2. What did we do?
   1. MT started a body percussion rhythm of “tap-clap, tap-tap-clap” and encouraged participants to join in
   2. Then a chant of “What can we do in the summertime?” was started
   3. Each member of the group was asked what they like to do in the summer. Visual choices were provided for non-verbal participants.
   4. Group members indicated a preferred summer activity and then were given an opportunity to demonstrate a motion to accompany it. (If more support was needed, MT provided two options for them to choose from, or they had the opportunity to “phone a friend” and ask if anyone else had an idea)
   5. Each participant’s activity and accompanying motion were added to the chant. For example, the first time through, “go for a walk” (the first person’s choice) was said/acted out. The second time, both “go for a walk” and “eat ice cream” (the second person’s choice) were included. We continued to add on until everyone’s activities and motions were included!
      
      

Movie Music “Name That Tune”

1. What goal areas did we address?
   1. Communication
   2. Social skills
   3. Focus of attention
   4. Impulse control
2. What did we do?
   1. MT made a playlist of popular movie songs. Some favorites included “Ghostbusters”, “Mama Mia”, and various Disney classics.
   2. MT played a 15-30 second clip from a recording of the song (not all of these started at the beginning; this can be made easier or more challenging by starting at choruses vs. Instrumental breaks, etc)
   3. Participants were instructed to raise their hand when they recognized the song, but remain quiet until the clip ended
   4. When the clip ended, MT called on the first person to raise their hand, who was given an opportunity to name the song title and/or movie it was from. (A visual with 8 different movie covers was offered for non-verbal participants)
   5. If they were correct, they got a “point.” If they needed help, they could call on another group member to give their answer.
   6. Whoever had the most “points” at the end of this activity got to pick one of the eight songs to sing/clap along with! (Full confession: the group liked many of these songs, so we ended up singing/clapping along with more than 1!)
      
      

Bust A Move!

1. What goal areas did this address?
   1. Communication
   2. Social Skills
   3. Physical Movement
2. What did we do?
   1. MT prepared a playlist of “dance” songs, including “Footloose”, “Dancing Queen”, “YMCA”, “Walking on Sunshine”, etc. (This can be altered based on group preferences!)
   2. Each group member was given a chance to show off their favorite dance move.
   3. This could be done sitting or standing, depending on individual needs.
   4. If participants needed more support, MT demonstrated two motions and offered them a choice.
   5. Everyone else in the group then imitated their peer’s move! We had some creative responses, including everything from clapping or tapping our toes, to impersonations of Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson!