SoundReach Choir is a performance ensemble for adults with a variety of disabilities that has formed 4 groups around the state of Iowa since 1994. All SoundReach Choirs were put on hold in the spring of 2020, and many of the regular singers have been getting together virtually since then...
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What Thanksgiving traditions are your favorites? Seeing family and friends? The meal? The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade? Watching football? You probably don't immediately think of the SONGS as a favorite tradition. Maybe the only Thanksgiving song you know is "Over the River and Through the Woods." However, many songs about...
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Have you ever heard the sound of a cabasa? You probably have, even if you didn’t know that's what it was! The cabasa, also known as an afuche, consists of a cylinder surrounded by beads that makes a rattling sound when shaken or twisted. Originating in Africa as the agbe,...
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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...
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Adaptive lessons can be a wonderful way to give students with disabilities a normalized leisure activity in which they take pride, while also addressing non-musical skills! As music therapists, we are uniquely situated to meet the needs of diverse learners due to our training and experiences. If we rely on our academic...
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Technology can be intimidating, but with some practice it can really open doors for clients with a variety of limitations. I have found many apps and instruments that help me help my clients . Here are 3 that I’m particularly loving right now: GarageBand If you have an Apple Device, there are so many things...
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Why do I welcome and encourage singing along? “Oh, you don’t want to hear that.” “I don’t sing very well anymore.” “I’d ruin the song.” These are the most common responses I hear when I encourage patients or family members to sing along if they know the song. Some tell me...
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Spring is here! And with it comes a plethora of songs and activities! Flowers, birds, and my favorite: Sunshine! Think about how many songs you know that have the word “sun” or “sunshine” or “sunny” in the title alone! Here are the first ones that come to my mind: You...
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Members of ParkinSingers currently connect virtually over Zoom. The past year has brought its share of challenges for everyone, and the ParkinSingers choir in Cedar Rapids is no exception. Yet, despite the adversity, this group of individuals with Parkinson’s disease and their loved ones has continued to find community through music-making. ParkinSingers began several...
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Turn That Frown Upside Down I had the best remote music therapy session with a dementia patient, Ann*, on hospice care. It affirmed my love of music therapy AND how telehealth can work wonderfully. Ann’s nurse and massage therapist were with her and they reported that she wasn’t in very good spirits...
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